Advice on Disney World Proposal

[LightningMcQueen2]

Hey Guys!
I’ve been reading a bunch of the threads and gathering a lot of information about proposals at Disney World and how everyone has done it. My girlfriend and I have been together for 6 years and our favorite thing is Disney. From the moment I met her I knew I was going to marry her and for as long as I can remember I have been planning it out in my head. I originally planned to do it last year as we were both finishing college but because of the pandemic and the park closures I decided to wait and now seems like the perfect time. Let me run you guys through the plan and I’d love any advice or comments on how to make it better or go more smooth! Let me also preface this with the fact that my girlfriend is a cast member, so she notices all the small details which means I have to be extra meticulous when planning this all so she isn’t tipped off.

My plan is to propose to her during the fireworks cruise outside of Magic Kingdom. In order to make it a surprise, I want something to be “wrong” when we check in for our hotel. After the “problem” is fixed, it would be ideal if someone from the hotel reached out to perform some Disney magic to help smooth over the issue. The past couple of times we have been to Disney, our room has been dirty and as a Cast Member, my girlfriend has been disappointed that nothing had been done to help with the issue, so she would be so happy if someone helped this time. I am going to purchase the fireworks cruise so the way that they could help would be to offer that cruise as some pixie dust and this would also ensure that the surprise remains intact as she wouldn’t be suspicious about why we’re going on a fireworks cruise. I then planned on renting a photographer to capture the moment that I propose during the fireworks.

A couple of things I could use your help thinking through would be:
Has anyone ever contacted a hotel front desk for something like this and what was the response?
What maybe could be wrong at check in that would make Disney want to offer something like this?
Does anyone have any information on Disney’s in room celebrations for afterwards to have some champagne brought to the room?
Does anyone have any advice on local photographers who have done this before or who would be a good fit?
Any advice on where to eat before around Disney World? I know of the restaurants at the Grand Floridian but my girlfriend doesn’t like seafood, beef, or pork so maybe a place with chicken or veggie options?
I also plan on getting pictures taken after at the Grand Floridian and at the Magic Kingdom the next day, so where are some great places to take pics at those two locations?

Thank you so much to anyone who responds I really can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say! I am so excited about this and can’t wait for it to actually happen!

 

[Karin1984]

I like the concept.
It only doesn't make sense to me that the hotel would offer something like this as pixiedust, they would arrange for a room upgrade, something within the hotel. If there is something wrong at a restaurant, they can pixiedust with a free appetizer or dessert. They can usually only help within their own field.
So I would suggest to think of something that can go wrong around Magic Kingdom, or wherever a manager would work who could offer this as compensation. It's an exclusive and more expensive thing to do, it's not a free t-shirt.

The only thing that comes to mind is that you could do, is take your girlfriend on a romantic stroll (say you want to go watch the fireworks from the beach or something like that), when you walk by the marina, you are flagged down by the captain. The captain tells you that the cruise was rented by a couple, but as they were about to leave one of the couple got sick and had to go back to the hotel. As the boat is ready and all, he offers you and your girlfriend to be on board. He has to sail anyway as there is a photographer from Disney on board who has to make press pictures of the fireworks.

You have the website: disneyfloralandgifts.com for all kinds of gifts .

For the restaurants, I would just ask your girlfriend if there is any restaurant she wants to eat, or what she particular like. As a CM she must have preferences or ideas about this.

Same for getting pictures taken, just casually inquire what her favourite spots are in Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom, and of course also list your favourite places (Don't forget, you are part of this as well) . Go for places that have meaning to you as a couple.
To me, the staircase in the Grand Floridian is beautiful, but has no meaning for me. If I was supposed to take pictures there, it would be because it's the standard place where wedding couples take pictures.
If you both love the Haunted Mansion, go all out there, it's not the most romantic spot, but if it has good memories for both, it is the best place.

 

[lurkyloo]

I love where your head is with these ideas (also that you knew you wanted to marry her from the moment you met her! ). But I am worried that any scheme this elaborate is going to be so tough to pull off that she will notice how nervous you are and figure out what's going on anyway.

I like @Karin1984's idea to go on a romantic stroll by the marina. But I think all you'd need to do is then escort her straight onto the boat—that in itself will be a big surprise! And I don't think she's going to demand some non-proposal explanation for why you're getting on the boat—I find my surprise victims are usually too caught up in the actual surprise to worry about why it is happening.

You can also arrange to have dinner right on the boat by contacting Private Dining at the Grand Floridian. They can get you anything on their room service menu or, for an extra charge, dishes from the GF's restaurants. That way you don't have an extra event to coordinate and be nervous through before the boat trip.

Explaining away a photographer will be the trickiest part, and I'm tempted to say just have the captain take the photos so that you don't spoil the surprise. But I know that some of the local wedding photographers have shot fireworks cruises before, so maybe they will have an idea how to make it seem more natural. They are also your best bet for a photo session the next day and will have TONS of suggestions of great spots at the Grand Floridian (Magic Kingdom might be trickier—only certain local photographers will shoot inside the parks because they don't want to get blacklisted by Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings; you might want to just pay Disney for one of those Capture Your Moment photo sessions).

I think David & Vicki Arndt might be a good bet for photographing your proposal and/or portraits. They have tons of experience and have shot fireworks cruises before. My favorite wedding photographers are The Roots, who shot our wedding and all our anniversary parties (including a fireworks cruise) except the time when they were booked for a wedding—we used Portrayable Photography for that on their recommendation, and Kimberly was great to work with! Other popular local photographers are Jess Collins, Michelle Lacson, Courtney Brooke Vaughn, Stephanie Ceglia and Regina Hyman.

Best of luck! I hope you let us know how it turns out!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We were actually pixie dusted a fireworks cruise when they told 2 of our wedding guests that our wedding was the next day and turned them away (we were the Henry/Mathieson wedding and the Henry/Mathews wedding was having a rehearsal that day for their wedding the next day).

however I would do more what @lurkyloo suggested above and just walk up the the marina and onto the boat versus all of the hard to pull off subterfuge before hand

ETA: Regina Hyman is amazing but currently on mat leave as she is due next month.