How I met my husband at Disneyland

Photo Credits: Pictures of DL 50th Memorabilia taken by Krista; Main Street U.S.A. picture by Dave Luchansky; Collage created with the LiPix iPhone app.

Growing up in California, going to Disneyland has been an important part of my life. Little did I know that in 2005, the “Happiest Place on Earth” would become the setting for my very own happily ever after. A year before, I made plans to be at Disneyland for the golden celebration, that included July 17, 2005 – Disneyland’s 50th birthday.

On July 16th, I spent the day at Disneyland with my sister. I also booked a spot on a guided tour for the 17th since I would be in the park solo. The tour – called “From Imagination to Creation” – highlighted a different attraction from each of the 5 decades, plus reserved seating for the fireworks show, “Remember…Dreams Come True”.  I knew the park would be crowded for the 50th and I wanted something special to do that day when I would be hanging out alone.

Perhaps you were there at Disneyland in 2005 on July 17th. People lined up for hours before the park opened that day. We were treated to special golden Mickey ears that said “I Was There 7-17-2005” and birthday cupcakes were passed out to guests throughout the day. It was a fun and magical day.  Then, at the appointed tour start time, I gathered with the guests whom I would spend the next few hours. We went around the circle with introductions, gathered in front of the train station for a group photo, and started the tour.

During the introductions, I met Lloyd who was there with his son. However throughout the tour I didn’t really pay too much attention to him. The tour’s conclusion was the fireworks show with reserved seating at the train station. I happened to sit next to Lloyd and we ate dessert while we watched the show. At the end of the show, he handed me his card and mentioned if I ever wanted to hang out in the park again to let him know. We all said good night and went our separate ways.

A few weeks later, we started emailing and getting to know each other. In September 2005 we met up at Disneyland for the day and we started dating soon after that. When we looked closer at the group photo from our July 17th tour, we realized Lloyd and I were standing next to each other. We had only met 10 minutes before! I like to think of this as our Disneyland Destiny. In October 2007 we were married and enjoy going to Disneyland often. We have plans to be there in a few months on July 17th for Disneyland’s 60th Birthday.

So this is how I met my husband at Disneyland. However, he likes to tell a different version of the story. In his recollection, I was stalking him throughout the tour and I would not leave him alone. He can continue to think that if he’d like, but I know the truth…it was Pixie Dust that brought us together.

“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”

How did you meet your spouse? Do your versions of the story match?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”