A year ago today, we pulled off the most gigantic plot I
could imagine in order to get Kate and Neill engaged. So many details....so many
secrets. I love being in the know, but it got to the point that I was scared to
even open my mouth due to the amount of secrets I was involved in! And amongst
all the details, secrets and craziness let me say first and foremost, it was
100% worth it! I love the story, the drama, the comedy, and that I was privileged
to be involved in it!. While there were a few hiccups, in the end they were
engaged and in a majorly magical way! So grab some popcorn, sit back, relax,
and enjoy this crazy, magical, beautiful, stressful, exhilarating, dramedy from
the secret-master’s point of view.
Engagement Timeline:
Summer 2014 – Neill sent me pictures of rings to critique
while I was in Tanzania
Christmas 2014 – I walked around the Arcuri’s block talking
to Neill about Proposal ideas including the Pantages and Disneyland
Jan 10th – I asked Monica for Jim’s number to incorporate
the Dapper Dans
Jan. 15th – Neill snuck into kindergarten to talk
about Disneyland Ideas
Jan. 19th -
I spent the day in Disneyland (without telling ANYONE where I was) to
scout out possibilities, talk to turtle talk people, scout out a proposal spot
after seeing that the wishing well (our first choice spot) was closed for
construction, bought gifts for the treasure hunt, started writing the welcome
letter and clues, texted Neill and talked to him on the phone while he was hiding in
the bathroom at the open house, etc.
Jan. 20th – wrote all the clues and didn’t sleep
hardly at all because I had so many details running through my head…got mom in
on the plan
Jan. 21st – sat in McDonalds with mom to explain
every bit of the plan and the entire layout of Disneyland and the timing of
everything…got home at around 10pm and stayed up with Neill until 1am finalizing
clues and figuring out the stationary and how Neill was going to print
everything and where to leave everything (clues, confetti, sharpies, tape,
reserved signs, etc.)
Day of:
I woke up at 6:00am totally wide awake with details coursing
through my head and prayed for the day. Jo woke up right after that and at 6:20
Kate’s alarm went off and she got in the shower while Jo got in bed with me and
and we whispered about a few of the details. We were ready to go by 6:50am and
Ashley drove us to TO and dropped us off and Neill and Ricky picked us up. We
stopped at McDonalds for breakfast and then were on our way down. We got stuck
in horrible traffic. I had been texting mom to make sure she was on the road
and had everything she was supposed to have for the day. She texted me when she
left and then when she got on the tram and sent me a picture when she got to
the park of her “incognito” look (dark sunglasses, and Gilligan hat with her
hair all tucked inside).
She explained everything at guest services and left
clue#1 with Esteban (who wrote our names on buttons and got everything ready).
She also went and bought the locker and wrote the locker number and combo on
the note. By this time we were exiting
on Disneyland drive and finally made it to the parking deck. I had to make the
first “changing plans” decision of the day and decided not to do Toy Story
Mania first because we had a time sensitive morning due to Mickey and the
Magical Map at 12:15pm. As we parked, mom texted me to tell me that the left
hand register in the Emporium was closed and that they said they couldn’t hold
our gifts there, which meant we had to find a new place to leave the gifts and
we had to change clue #2 that was waiting at the kiosk. We were getting on the
tram at this point and I sat by Neill and whispered a little of what was going.
Mom said that she could leave the package for us at the Newsstand but she
needed time to change the clue at town hall, so we had to stall. Jo and Rickey
bought their tickets and mom hadn’t texted me back yet, so I suggested we go to Toy
Story Mania first and we started walking over there when mom texted and said
the clue was changed. Kate was asking about getting birthday buttons so I
backpedaled and said, “ok, lets just go get our birthday buttons first” (and
steered her over to Disneyland because she was then talking about getting a
birthday button in CA adventure! Yeah, NO!) So we walk into Disneyland and up to
the kiosk where Brandon (who had helped mom change the note so Kate wouldn’t
recognize her handwriting) was and we asked him for birthday buttons, which he
wrote and started sending us on our way…no pre-prepped buttons, no welcome
letter, no clue #1, nothing! Heart attack #1 of the day. Kate and Jo and Ricky
started walking away and Neill whispered to Brandon, “Do you have a clue for
them?” and then Brandon called us back over and said there was something
special for us and handed us the buttons and welcome letter and clue #1. Whew!
Kate was really confused and then really excited as she read the welcome letter
out loud and then clue #1.
Welcome
to Disney on your special birthday
I
hope that you're thrilled and ready to play
You've
done much for me, spreading magic and cheer
Putting
smiles on kids faces after earning your ears
It
wasn't all easy, there were harder parts too
Now
it's time to repay and make magic for you
I've
set up a hunt, filled with treats on the way
Lots
of surprises to mark the day
Go
and have fun along with your friends,
my
big birthday surprise waits at the end
So
let's get this going, be on your way
On
this lovely, twintastical, magical day!
Clue
#1
For
the first ride today, through galaxies you'll race
As
you whirl (don't hurl) through deep outer space!
Once
you are done and out searching again
Open
clue two, but wait until then!
The first clue took us
to Space Mountain and as we got in line mom texts me and says that we’d have to
have a yellow pick-up slip in order to pick up our gifts at the news stand and
she would have to meet up with one of us to get us the slip. By then we were
almost through the line and then when we came out of the ride clue #2 was going
to direct us to the newsstand for the presents. I texted mom and said there was
no way we could meet up with her and asked if she could maybe leave the slip
with Brandon at the kiosk and we would just have to go get directions to the
newsstand from Brandon. (I usually don’t think well under pressure, but I
swear, God just dropped that one in my mind). We got done on Space Mountain and
opened Clue #2 which directed us back up mainstreet to the Newsstand, which we
didn’t know where that was, which was perfect!
Clue
#2
Now
what's a birthday without lots of treats
So
go past the castle and back up Main Street
To
the Emporium Store where you'll find the next clue,
Along
with fun presents just waiting for you!
*Enter
at the fire station entrance and find the register on your right. Tell the
cashier you're the birthday girls and they'll know what to do
*I
know you never got anything from your secret Santa on the ship while Beth got
sweatpants and the Tangled CD! I thought it was about time to correct that
situation. By the way, if you don’t want to carry these gifts around all day,
go check out locker # ____ with the combination _________________!
There was a line at the kiosk so Neill suggested we go ask
someone else until I gave him a “cut it out” look behind Kate’s back. As soon
as we got up to Brandon, he said that he had something else for us! He handed
the yellow slip to Neill because the birthday girls weren’t supposed to see it
and he told us how to get to the newsstand and we got a quick picture with him.
At the newsstand Kate and I very tentatively said, "we’re the birthday girls”
and the guy went into a back room and brought out the bag. Kate took out the
sweatpants first with the funny note from Mickey as well as the locker number
and combination to put our gifts in. Next we pulled out the aprons and the mugs
and walked back over to Brandon to ask him where the lockers were (of course
Neill and I knew full well where they were but we couldn’t say that).
Brandon
directed us to the lockers inside the park (not the correct ones) and Kate,
Neill, and Ricky went off on the rabbit trail to the wrong lockers while Jo and
I went to the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom I stationed Johanna outside
my stall to alert me in case Kate walked in and I called the Dapper Dan’s to
see about when and where we might be able to set up them singing to Kate. I
talked to the manager and figured out exactly what time and where and we came
out of the bathroom in time to find out that they had realized they’d gone to
the wrong lockers and we all went to the right lockers outside the park and
stashed the gifts inside. After that we opened clue 3 which took us to the
Jungle Cruise (and we got pictures with Aladdin and the Genie along the way).
Clue
#3
For
the next stop today, oh so many to choose
Why
not a wild, adventurous cruise!
Hippos
and lions, go and have fun
But
be sure to get clue #4 when you’re done!
*Tell
the dock workers as you exit that you're the birthday girls and they'll know
what to do.
We once again had to tell the dock workers, “we’re the
birthday girls,” and they were so sweet and excited to give us the next clue!
Clue
#4
Show
time anyone? Do I have any takers?
Come
see me with all of my fellow map makers
But
please don't feel rushed, oh no, for fear not
I've
saved just for you the most magical spot!
*Show
starts at 12:15 so just be there by then
The next clue told us that seats were being saved for Mickey
and the Magical Map and we had about 45 minutes before the start time so we had
to decide what to do while we waited. Kate tried hard to convince us to go get
Beignets and Juleps, but I kept saying we should do it later after we were more
hungry (since the next clue was going to take us to New Orleans square). We
ended up going to It’s a Small World which is right across from the theater for
Magical Map (where mom was standing and was the only person in line)! Luckily
our backs were to the theater as we got in line and got on the ride. By the
time we got off the ride there were a few more people in line, but it was a
scary moment as we passed by! We walked over to ride the carousel and as soon
as we got on, I could see that the spot we had so meticulously chosen for the
actual proposal was walled off for construction! I died a little bit inside!
How could they do that?!? I texted Neill who was on the horse in front of me,
but I honestly had no ideas how to fix
this one. So there Neill and I were freaking out inside while Kate was happily
singing Cinderella songs as we went round and round on the carousel.
When we got off it was time to walk over to
Magical Map and when we got there the cast members had no idea what we were
talking about and had moved our reserved seats that mom had waited over an hour
for (listening to Jingle Bells on repeat compliments of It’s a Small World). Oh
well. We still got good spots, just not quite as magical. When we walked into
Magical Map, Mom had escaped by train (like a bandit!) over to New Orleans
Square to order the Beignets and Mint Juleps and set them up prettily on the
table.
Clue
#5
Anyone
hungry or need something yummy?
Things
refreshing and sweet to put in your tummy?
I've
got it, don't fret, I know just where!
A
scrumptious treat waits in New Orleans square!
I was frantically
waiting throughout the show for mom to say that the table was ready. She
finally texted as we started over to New Orleans Square. When we got there the
table was right where she said and no one had messed with it and it looked so
beautiful with our “reserved for the birthday girls” signs and pink confetti
and green Mint Juleps with Cherries and bags filled with beignets!
Ricky and
Neill both ate six Beignets each and Kate, Jo, and I each had two! After eating
the Royal Street Bachelor’s Band started playing right in front of us and Neill
and I went to the bathroom and quickly whispered what to do about the proposal spot
on the way (not in the bathroom of course). We figured that the proposal was
the important thing, not the background so we decided to keep it as is (it
would have been nearly impossible to change it at that point and not worth that
kind of stress and mad dashing). The next clue was waiting on that table and
told us to go to the World of Disney Store to pick up another gift.
Clue
#6
Time
for another quick trip to a store
For
something you’ve looked at many times before
But
this time you’ve got it to take out the door
Because
this time it’s actually, finally yours!
* Go
to the register in the art room of Wide World of Disney and let them know
you’re the birthday girls! You know the drill!
By this point Mom’s phone was dying so she was looking for a
place to charge it while we went to get our gifts. When we got to the store we
went up to the lady at the specified register in the art room who seemed so
happy to see us (she’d been waiting for us since the morning when Mom dropped
the gifts off). She went in the back room and brought out two Disney bags, each
with a birthday button attached (mine had Pascal drawn on it and Kate’s had
Lumiere drawn on it) as well as a Rapunzel pin on mine and a Belle pin on
Kate’s. Inside was an autographed big glossy photo of Mickey ad Minnie
and…drumroll please….the Tangled and Beauty and the Beast Thomas Kinkaid canvases!!!!
It was so thrilling!
While we were in the store we celebrated the minute that
Kate was born and sang her happy birthday and then 45 seconds later the minute
I was born and they sang happy birthday to me! The last clue was in Kate’s
Disney bag and it told us that my surprise was waiting by it’s a small world
and Kate’s was waiting on the backside of the castle by way of Frontierland.
Final Clue:
Well
the moment is here for that birthday surprise,
Full
of magic and dreams and all that implies
As
this comes to an end, there's no better way
for
me to say thank you on this special birthday
Than
through two unique gifts I'm leaving you two
May
your day fill with magic and dreams coming true!
See
ya real soon!
Your
pal, Mick
(Your
final birthday surprises are waiting in two locations, Beth's is waiting at the
Pooh meet and greet in critter country and Kate's is waiting just behind the
castle. Meet up once again in front of the castle after receiving your
surprises!)
We walked down mainstreet together and parted ways at the
castle. As soon as we were out of sight, Jo, Ricky, and I made a mad dash for
the armor store by the backside of the castle where Mom was waiting in her
sunglasses and Gilligan hat, hiding behind the counter.
I staked out my best vantage point for
pictures and suddenly they were there! I hid behind a suit of armor as Kate
read the letter Neill had left there for her and clicked away on Jack as he got
down on one knee and she nodded her head yes!
He put the ring on her finger and
people started clapping and cheering! I kept clicking away as he twirled her
around and finally after what seemed like a very long time they looked around
and saw me behind my suit of armor and I ran over to give them hugs with Jo and
Ricky and then sprawled on the ground in such relief that that whole crazy
operation was done and that it had actually been pulled off!
I ran back into
the armor store to find mom who I didn’t see anymore. I called her and realized
she was crouched down behind the counter with the shop owner and I told her to
come see Kate! Lots of hugging and laughing and jumping ensued. The Fairy
Godmother walked up right then, and Kate and Neill took pictures with her and
she was so lovely!
After the big surprise was over Neill and I had to figure
out a way to stall and not go over to CA adventure for about half an hour so
Neill said he was really thirsty and we stopped to get tea and lemonade.
Afterward I casually said, “Oh, the Dapper Dans are singing in three minutes”
so we walked down mainstreet and arrived right when the Dapper Dans came out.
They sang happy birthday to us (lifelong dream fulfilled!) and then called Kate
and Neill up by name to do the “Let me call you Sweetheart” shtick which was so
precious!
We spent the rest of the day in CA adventure and then having dinner
with the family and retelling all the details that had been so meticulously
kept from everyone, especially Kate!
Magical in every way!! xoxoxo
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