A Day of a Million Dreams

It was a HOT Saturday, Elissa and I had decided to go to Disney … Just the two of us.

The night before …. Elissa and I were over at my parents' house, I had been trying to get in touch with her Mom and Dad to receive their blessing all week, and we kept missing each other. Needless to say I was very uneasy as we went right up to the last minutes trying to get a hold of them. I had been in communication with a network of my own personal spies and operatives. They were disguised as Elissa's Sister, My Mom & Dad, and My Nanny to distract and occupy Elissa's attention while I ran upstairs to talk with her Mom and Dad, well the timing was finally right and I had my Dad and Nanny distract Elissa in deep conversation so she would not miss me. I spoke to Elissa's Mom and Dad about my intentions and my plans for the following day at Disney…

As I said before it was VERY HOT on Saturday, we started OUR Disney day at the Animal Kingdom. Little did Elissa Know what lay in store for her on this day… We did what any Disney Theme Park Expert would do, ride the best rides, take lots of candid photos of the mass humanity and each other, then as quickly as possible move on to the next park!!

A few nights before Saturday, I looked online and did some research on several locations within the world of Disney to "pop" the question. With several locations in each park I was ready for anything. As we explored the Animal Kingdom and passed my pre-selected locations none were right, Elissa would not be proposed to in the Animal Kingdom. The temperature was rising and we had "completed" the animal kingdom so we moved on to the next park, Disney's Hollywood Studios. Well as the experts we are we RAN in JUMPED on the Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster and RAN out.

Before, during, and after each ride I kept a firm grip on my lower left cargo pants pocket (the location of the little black box holding the ring), I am still not sure if Elissa noticed or not. My mom had told me the night Before "DO NOT LOSE THE RING!!!! WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LOSE THE RING" and those words continued to echo in my head throughout the entire day.

We were in ECPOT when the sun started really getting to us. We both were hot and "glowing". Elissa started saying "we should go home." She tempted me with taking a shower and cooling off then going to a dinner somewhere nice. Never have I seen Elissa be more persistent, nor my resolve more firm to stay and visit all four parks. Today was the day to make a dream come true!! Regardless of how persistent Elissa was to go home!

We then went on the monorail from ECPOT to The Magic Kingdom and it felt right, I knew that I would ask the question in this park, it was the place!!! But where?? I had about four locations picked out for the Magic Kingdom. We went on a few rides; all the while Elissa continued to suggest that we go home and get cooled off…

One of the pre-selected locations was the Haunted Mansion as we were on the ride; I was contemplating whether or not to ask on this ride; Elissa spoke up about how they had changed the portraits on the walls to be much more creepy. I knew with those words that this was not the right place! We then made our way to the Peter Pan's Flight another pre-selected location for several reasons, it was a favorite ride for both of us, Elissa was born in England, and in the ride you "fly" over London, the perfect location and place to propose… Only two problems… the wait for the ride was over two hours and the line is in the sun, with Elissa's continued persistence by the time we were "flying over London" she would of said "no"…

It's at this point that the one, and really the only location reveled itself to me it was the place I had decided to propose a few days before, but I just did not know it yet...

On the steps of Cinderella's Castle!

We were headed from the line of the peter pan ride to space mountain. Elissa's persistence to leave was now falling on death ears. As a diversion, I told Elissa a lame story about how my sister wanted me to look at Cinderella's wishing well right beside the castle and that I wanted to get her photo. Elissa still had no clue what was about to happen.

We walked around the castle to a fairly remote area; I had Elissa sit down on a bench and I told her I wanted to take a photo. I then assumed the position pass-faked the camera grabbed the ring and said "Elissa you know I love you, will you marry me?" She said yes and a dream came true.

As we stood there savoring the moment a couple walked by and told us "congratulations" and that they too were engaged in the Magic Kingdom and have been married now for 10 happy years.

Elissa's mood completely changed the sun was not as hot, we went into our own little world and it was wonderful. Its amazing how we went from being in a park with thousands of people to just Elissa and I (I liked that…).

We went to get some tags to commemorate this special day and here is what we got !