Most of you know that Angelica has nailed the Disney algorithms and has mastered Disney traffic-flow. If you stick with us, I guarantee you, you will finish your day feeling like you got your money's worth.
This will NOT be a traditional, formal ceremony. This will be a fun-filled, piece-by-piece adventure! It's Disneyland! We have rides to ride!
We are not paying the usual $100,000 fee to have a “ceremony” in Disneyland. (Such a thing is not in our budget.) We are fulfilling our dream of getting married in Disneyland by having a piece-by-piece, at-the-moment, progressive ceremony. We are going to say parts of our vows and do parts of the ceremony at different times. We will do so casually, standing in a group or circle. This is so we don't draw attention to ourselves. Disneyland frowns on people who wish to host themselves in the park and forgo the $100,000 wedding fee. It is very important that everyone understands this. In other words, when we gather for bits of the ceremony, we are gathering as a family for fun. We do not want to draw attention to ourselves. We are thinking that, if all goes well, we will look like folks at a family reunion who are on a scavenger hunt or something.
Wear red. You can wear jeans and a red tee-shirt. You can wear a red dress. Wear red shoes. Red hat. Red tie. But wear red. Put on your red!
We are getting married during “gay days” and the theme color for “gay days” is red. We can fit in and go unnoticed if we all wear red. It's a part of the plan.
We understand that money will be a substantial obstacle for many and we have tried to create an organized situation that will require little further financial input, aside from the financial intricacies of planning a Disney vacation. More simply, we are not asking that you pitch in for dinner or anything of that nature. Here is the plan:
Get to the Disneyland Plaza by 9:00 am on Thursday, October 3rd.
If you are coming from a location outside of Southern California, please note that we are starting our vows bright and early on Thursday. If you hope to hear the beginning of the ceremony, you will need to plan to be at the Disneyland Park no later than 9:00am, 1 hour before the park opens at 10am. We will begin the day, gathering as friends and family, in front of the park gates, beyond the security check. This is a ticketed portion of the park and you will need a ticket to get in. You will pass the security gates and join us. This is not accessible by monorail. You must walk and/or take a tram and then walk. Again, do not try to access this part of the park using the monorail system. (A tram from the parking structure is not the monorail.)
If you are parking in the parking structure, allow for an extra 15 minutes to get from the parking structure to Disneyland via tram.
The main gates open at 10am. Before the park opens. we will stand in the 1-acre cemented “lobby” of Disneyland, beyond the security check points, between the main gates of the two parks. (If you haven't been to Disneyland in a while and are confused by this, don't worry. Just walk towards Disneyland from any direction, and go past the teal tents where they check backpacks and strollers.) We will gather for the first part of the ceremony in the area past the checkpoints. Bring coffee and breakfast with you or eat beforehand. We will be going directly to Tomorrowland once the park opens.
Standing outside the gates, we will say a few words. We will talk about our love for each other, the history of Disneyland and the beautiful love story of Walt and Lilly Disney. It will set the tone for the day and we hope you won't miss it.
From there, we will line up for the opening of the park and we will march into the beauty of Disneyland. Once through the gates, go to the right and under the railroad. We will head quickly past Main Street and into Tomorrowland. We will ride a couple of E-ticket rides: Star Tours and Space Mountain. (Yes roller coasters in the morning!)
If you are not a Disney regular, you may be tempted to window shop at this time. You might get distracted by colorful souvenirs. You might need more coffee. Do whatever makes you happy. However, I implore you to stay with the group and enjoy some quick action-adventure on the Disneyland rides. There will be plenty of time for buying things throughout the day. The lines for the rides will only get longer.
After our wonderful stint in Tomorrowland, we will head to New Orleans Square for the wonderful wisdom of pirates. There, we will learn about the trials of marriage. Join us at 10:45am in front of Pirates of the Caribbean to hear our vows.
After our Pirate moment, (and of course a boat ride at Pirates of the Caribbean), we will head to the Haunted Mansion to talk about how we navigate marriage in the hard times. (If, by now, you have left us, “hurry back.”) It is probably 11:30am. Join us at the Haunted Mansion for the ride-through.
After the Haunted Mansion we will make our way through Fronteirland, passing the front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and we will walk up and around the path into Fantasyland. (Not through the draw bridge.) The Matterhorn will be ahead of us and then, as we continue, on our right. We will eventually arrive at the Wonderland bathroom, presented on our left. We will gather at approximately 12pm. We will pause to potty and then head into Fantasyland via the Tea Cups. The Madhatter's Hat Shop is just around the bend, past the tea cups and the Alice in Wonderland ride. If you are hoping for a hat, now is the time. With very little exception, this hat shop will have every Mickey-Minnie or otherwise hat that you could ever wish for. Pick one. Buy one. Join us back by the bathrooms for Disneyland photos. We will organize very quickly for some quick group Disneyland photos.
After our quick photo shoot, we will meet at Small World at 12:30pm. Angelica and Hilary will exchange rings and we will ride Small World as a family.
After riding Small World, we will catch the train from the Toon Town station at approximately 1:15pm. We will ride the train to the Main Street Station.
Upon arriving at the Main Street Station, around 1:30pm, our officiant will say a few words and announce us for the first time as a married couple.
At 1:45pm, we will leave Disneyland Park and meet across the way at Disney's California Adventure and enter the park to get World of Color tickets (Do NOT SKIP THIS PART or you won't be able to see the show.)
2pm-4pm: Lunch/Nap break (If you are a local person with no hotel accommodations and would like a nap at this time, please let us know. We might be able to find you a bed.) Otherwise, enjoy the park and your free time!
At 4pm, mosey back in Disney's California Adventure and find us at the Terrace Bar (above the wine tasting bar). This bar is hidden and you have to climb stairs to get there. It is located about the Wine Tasting Bar near the Blue Sky Cellars. If you get lost, ask a cast member to point you toward the blue sky cellars. This is the part of DCA that is themed after California's Wine Country. So if you see grapevines, you are close. We will keep our eyes out for our friends and family and will grab you when we see you. We will sit here, drink coffee, lounge, and fill out postcards which will serve as our guest book. From this location, we will watch the Pixar Parade go by. The parade starts at 5:15pm. You can order drinks and light snacks here.
5:45pm-7:15pm Dinner Break. We are not planning a big dinner with everyone. The logistics and costs for this are just too much. So please, enjoy dinner with your friends and loved ones or go ride more rides. Grab a jacket or sweatshirt.
At 7:15pm, we will line up for World of Color and watch it. This event was voted the Best New Theme Park Show. You will see why. The show is a water show and can get cold.
At 8:45pm- Head to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel for Cake. There is a side entrance to the hotel from the park. You can exit the park directly to the hotel. Follow us!
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