The first time Jaime and I traveled together was in the fall
of 2009, when we went out to her Cousin Amy and Dave’s wedding in Orange
County, California. I went as
Jaime’s date and we had a blast.
We had decided that while were there, the day after the wedding we would
go to Disneyland - since it was conveniently in the neighborhood. This was Jaime’s first ever trip to
Disneyland (and a Disney Park) and my second trip to Disneyland (my first trip
being when I was about 5-6 years old).
So need less to say, this was a very special trip for us both. Little did we know how special it would
be in our the tale of our story…
When we got there, all I could keep thinking was, “how is
this park so small?” I kept saying
this because I kept comparing it to Walt Disney World in Florida, which I had
been to three times (at the time, hahah), and which is huge in land mass.
Now while I still had my clouded vision of Walt Disney
greatness, Jaime helped me let loose.
We both let loose and had a blast at Disneyland. We were laughing, enjoying the
delicious food and having the best of times. I felt like during that trip to Disneyland, we truly learned
to “trust each other.” More importantly
though, I felt like we had fallen in love there!
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| She had no idea... |
We have since visited Disneyland four times, and are
planning a fifth trip in January 2013 (we will be running the Tinker Bell ½ Marathon
during this trip). We have also
visited Walt Disney World two times, with a third trip right around the corner
in November 2012 (we will be enjoying the Epcot International Food and Wine
Festival and running in Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5k). I like to think this clearly shows to not only ourselves,
but also the world, that aside from us being clearly Walt Disney Obsessed, that
Disneyland (and really Disney Parks) are our special place. And just like Walt Disney’s story with
theme parks bringing fantasy to reality, our fantasy wonderland began at
Disneyland!
Therefore, I felt no better place to give Jaime (and us
really) a ring that was simple in nature – a plain band from Tiffany & Co. (Jaime's Aunt works there, so really I had no choice but to choose a Tiffany & Co. ring, but lets be honest, is Tiffany's a hard choice, hahah) – showing the world we live simple lives and like to have fun with each other,
our families and our friends. I
also felt that it was important that we let our actions speak for us, rather
than lettings someone or something speak for us; just like Walt Disney did with
his films, TV shows, theme parks and so much more. I felt the place where it truly started was the only
appropriate place to give Jaime the ring that I felt was a symbol of us,
together forever as The Happiest Couple on Earth, at The Happiest Place on
Earth – Disneyland. And a plain,
yet elegant band would only further illustrate this story.
I felt that while Disneyland was the best (and most obvious
place) to give Jaime our rings, I felt it was important to remind her of how I
felt, and saw, our story began, which was at Disneyland. Walt Disney has been notably quoted for
saying, “…It was all started by a mouse.”
And I wanted to tell Jaime that I felt like our story started with a
mouse.
My ultimate goal with this ring presentation was to get
Mickey Mouse to present us with our rings. I contacted the folks at the Disneyland Resort to see if
this was possible. They told me
that they couldn’t get Mickey Mouse to do this, however they could make sure he
was “in the neighborhood” where I did give her the rings…
So I had to choose the neighborhood.
Instead of choosing to give her the ring at Disneyland, I
choose to give her the ring at Disney California Adventure; the second Disney
park at the Disneyland resort, located next to the original Disneyland. Why? While both Jaime and I had been to Disneyland before,
neither had never been to Disney California Adventure until the summer of 2011.
Before this, I had been to all the
Walt Disney World Parks. And we
had been to Disneyland Park. Never
had either of us been to Disney California Adventure – together or
separate.
This park is dedicated to the State of California, and the
California Walt Disney would have seen as a young man arriving there with
aspiring dreams and big ideas. It
has undergone it struggles, like Walt himself – and more recently a renovation,
or reimagination (however you look at it). One important key aspect is that there has been an
instillation of a statue of a young Walt Disney, in his mid 20’s with his
luggage and a fully animated early drawing of (the pie eyed) Mickey Mouse. This statue is called “Storytellers,”
and is located at the front of the park on Buena Vista Street, which led to all
of Walt Disney’s dreams coming true – and Jaime and my dreams, too! This to me was the place to give Jaime
the ring because, like Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, Jaime and I have so much
hope for the future, and see so much together. Next to this stature is a plaque that reads a quote from
Walt Disney that reads, “We’re just getting started.”
So with this story in place (more like laid out to my crazy
mind and to be told to Jaime), and Mickey Mouse arranged to be in the
neighborhood… I did it! I lied for the betterment of Jaime’s surprise
(shocking), and told her there was a show I wanted to see by the Storyteller’s
statue, at the time Mickey Mouse was to be there and gave her the rings. The Disneyland representatives had a
million (okay five) camera folk there and took a bunch of photos and gave us
Mickey Mouse Glow with the Show Ears (which ROCK) and brilliant fastpasses to
World of Color.
It was all stated by a mouse… And love!
