Proposing at Disneyland Paris (With an Assist from the Special Activities Team)

Fortunately for me I was able to have what I consider to have been a “Perfect” Disney holiday, thanks to the help of the wonderful cast members who form part of Disneyland Paris’s Special Activities team.

I first came across the Special Activities department of Disneyland Paris while I was planning for an upcoming trip with my girlfriend, Tanya. As this was to be my first trip to Disneyland Paris and our first trip to a Disney park together we were very excited and all over the Disney website and forums looking for ideas on things to do and places to eat. Unknown to Tanya, at the time, I was also on the look for a truly special place, as I knew that on this trip I was going to propose!

As I am sure anyone who has tried to plan a proposal, baby announcement or any other special moment you want to share with a loved one while at Disney the choice of opportunities is endless. You can try to enlist the help of a character, which can be arranged but can really just dependent on the cast member on the day or you can pick a nice secluded spot in the heart of the magic and have a nice intimate moment just between yourselves. For me though I knew I wanted to do something completely different and unexpected and when I saw the Special Activities advertising a “Tailor-made service” I knew I had to at least ask.

Using their email address dlp.disney.special.activities@disney.com I made an initial enquiry just asking for some ideas on what I could do at Disneyland Paris to create a memorable proposal. I got a response within a couple of days which contained a menu of different gift packages:

After making all the arrangements over the phone and email in the weeks prior to our trip the first thing I had to do after we arrived in Disneyland was make up an excuse to disappear! This was so I could meet up with one of the cast members from the Special Activities team at the Disneyland Hotel, there offices are housed in the same building, to give him the engagement ring. Using the old “I left something at the hotel, I’ll be right back” line, I quickly dived back out the park and to the Disneyland Hotel. The great thing about the hotel is it is right there at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom so I knew I wouldn’t be too long. Having handed over the ring and agreed the final details for the proposal at night we continued about our day as normal.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Picture from the VIP viewing area at the Sleeping Beauty castle just before Dreams

On returning to the park at night, timing was of the utmost importance and we were slightly early, I just started a little picture posing game of all the sights just inside the entrance of the Magic Kingdom and at the correct moment moved us over to the town hall building where I introduced myself to a cast member who was waiting for us. He was one of Disneyland’s VIP tour guides and gave us a very warm greeting and explained to Tanya how he was going to guide us down Main Street and get us a very good spot from which to watch the Dreams show. He had very insightful knowledge of all manner of Disney trivia that he shared with us as we made our way down Main Street past and past all the crowds to a special roped off entrance that we got lead down and which takes your to the special VIP viewing area right in front of the bridge over to Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

So there we were with the best view in the house and just before Dreams was due to start, at the five minute mark as I had been prepared for I asked our guide if he wouldn’t mind taking a photo of us in front of the castle. There in front of all the people gathered for the Dreams show I got down on my knee, and asked Tanya to marry me! As I was waiting for her response, an enthusiastic YES to cheers and applause from the crowd, another couple of cast members had stuck up and where carrying her engagement ring on a velvet cushion, suspiciously similar to that which held a certain glass slipper. Along with the ring they also gave us a bag with a Mickey and Minnie Wedding cushion and a gorgeous bouquet of roses.

So there we sat a newly engaged couple in the middle of the Magic Kingdom as the magic of Disney Dreams played out on the castle in front of us, and it felt like we were the only two people there.

A perfect place to end, however I cannot as I have still more to tell. For you see I neglected to mention something which had happened earlier in the day upon our arrival at our hotel. We were staying at the Newport Bay and so had gone straight there once we arrive at the Disney Park area so we could leave our bags. As we were standing in the queue just about to proceed to the check in desk, when I gave the cast member my booking reference we were duly escorted out of the queue and directed to take a seat in the Compass Club reception. This Compass Club in the premium room offering at the Newport bay and includes larger rooms and access to a private lounge for breakfast and snacks. Why we were directed here was nothing of my doing but had clearly been the work of the Special Activities team. So there we sat in the incredibly well decorated reception area, like the rest of the Newport Bay, was themed nautical style.We were checked in by one of the nicest cast members I have ever met who never let slip about my evenings plan but promised that we would love the room.

We weren't able to see the room in the morning but upon our return we headed up and walked into what I can only imagine is the best room in the hotel, the Honeymoon Suite. It contained a corridor which lead into a rounded open plan bedroom looking out onto Lake Disney and came complete with a curtained bed, a sofa and arm chairs with a coffee table, a dining table and four chairs and a jet streamed bath. It was magnificent!

So after the show had finished, we grabbed some glow-tinis at the bar and made some phone calls and then we headed back to our suite, where a bottle of Disneyland Paris champagne was waiting for us. I had only arranged and paid for about half, or less, of the things that we ended up getting from the Special Activities team and I cannot thank them enough for everything they did and how unforgettable our holiday was thanks to them, and would recommend you are planning any sort of special event to take place at Disneyland Paris it is worth reaching out to them to see how they can help give you that extra special touch of Disney magic!

About the Author:

Stuart is a Scottish Disney Dad and soon-to-be Disney Groom at Walt Disney World in June 2017.