Engagement Ring & Flights / Proposal Location Ideas

[gizmo0221]

Hey All,

I have been thinking of ways to plan a proposal for my girlfriend when we visit Walt Disney World in the next couple months.

Believe it or not, my biggest worry is not the proposal itself, but the fact that we are from Canada and I'm trying to figure out the logistics of getting the ring to Florida without compromising the secret.

The thing is, I've already put thought into this if I try to carry the ring through the border / TSA process the odds are pretty overwhelming that she would come across it. I would rather completely avoid that scenario (and bring my stress level down significantly) by figuring something else out beforehand. Or at the very least, I don't want to leave anything to chance.

We are staying with family in a villa they rented, so I was half contemplating purchasing the ring back here in Canada but having a company such as Purolator actually ship the ring to the villa my folks will be staying at. That way, I can just not even think about it while flying down and have it be there for when I arrive. Of course, I'd want to ensure the bejebus out of the package since the contents will be pretty costly.

Does anyone have any tips/ideas/suggestions/personal experience or know people who have done this before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly, I've been racking my brains for potential places to propose. I am a very shy guy and definitely do not like to bask in the public eye with such things. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a romantic but secluded place I could do the deed? A couple places come to mind:

- The beach area overlooking bay lake at the Fort Wilderness (where the boats dock)
- The beach area / lounging areas of the Grand Floridian
- The walkway between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom
- Possibly the walkway between the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom

If I can muster the courage, perhaps even the photopass on Space Mountain (It's my alltime favorite ride ever... :lookaroun

 

[Brommy]

I sellotaped the ring between two business cards and kept it in my wallet, got through airport security with no hassle. I just popped to restroom just before we went out on the fireworks cruise, removed it from the business cards and kept it in my pocket. Job done.

 

[GoochDSA]

I kept the ring in my carry-on (in the ring box, wrapped in a pair of boxers incase she had to get into the bag for whatever reason). That worked out just fine and I had no problems. People bring jewlery on flights all the time from all around the world. If TSA stopped every bag that had a piece of jewlery in it, it would take hours and hours more to get through security. I would keep it tucked away in your carry-on, this way it is always close to you. If your checked baggage is searched by someone with sticky fingers or you use some other shipping method to get the ring to the villa and it gets "lost" or whatever, it will be worse than the small chance of you getting stopped with it. Don't let the success of your trip/engagement rest on someone elses sands.

As for when and where to do it, that is really your call. You know her better than anyone here. If she is a more private person, keep it as private as possible. If she likes to be the center of attention, though you may not like it, make it more public. If she hates things that are cliche, think outside the box and don't do it on one of the beaches or in front of the castle or the wishing well like everyone always seems to suggest.

I would also suggest to do it early in your trip. The earlier you do it the more time you will have there to celebrate. Also, it won't be a distraction to you throughout the trip. I did it basically the moment we got into our room. We were staying AKL-CL and I had arranged for a basket and flowers, from Memories by Betsy, to be waiting in our room upon our arrival (CL and I think villa guests are allowed to have packages waiting in their rooms, other on-site guests cannot). The basket was set up to catch her completely off guard. We are pretty private people so something simple and sweet in our room was perfect for her. Had I done it in front of the castle or durring Wishes or out on one of the beaches, things that are done 100 times a day, would not have gone over as well.

Whatever you choose, good luck and Congrats!

 

[Monty]

As suggested, tuck the ring into something to go through security, it won't be a problem. Shipping can get messed up, insurance only covers the cost, not the ruined plans.

Two things:

- I recommend against proposing on a beach... You're nervous, she's surprised, dropping a ring in the sand can be disastrous.

- There is no walkway between MK and Grand Floridian... There's a sidewalk to nowhere that goes about halfway from MK towards GF, but it stops at the canal where they store the water parade.

If you're shy, I'd recommend just keeping the ring with you and when a quiet spot presents itself, take advantage of it. Taking her to a secluded spot that you've chosen in advance may require explanation... If you haven't got a well-rehearsed story prepared, you might give the surprise away.

Best of luck and congratulations! :sohappy:

 

[plaz10]

My fiance stuck the ring box in his shoe that was in his luggage going through security. He stuffed pairs of socks in the shoes to "save space."

He also wanted to do it with no one around. So he waited until 11:00 or so at night in front of SSE (my favorite ride) when there werent a lot of people around.

I suggest doing it either super early AM or late PM...then you could do it almost anywhere and not have a ton of people around.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a romantic but secluded place I could do the deed? :lookaroun

I have been married for 27 years and have been thinking about on our next trip together, surprising my wife with a second proposal. I thought about doing it at the Cinderella's Wishing Well, which might also fit your needs for your proposal too. You get to it by taking the pathway that runs beside the castle. It's a fairly secluded area, not a lot of traffic, a great spot for photos.

 

[mickeysshoes]

I took a picture of my DD there this past trip...20&17 with there lolly pops and balloons...just like when they were younger...what a perfect location.

 

[nolatron]

I packed mine in my laptop bag and had no problems.

I too kept thinking of secluded or quiet spots to pop the question in the park but could never find the right time to do it. I ended proposing while just the two of us were relaxing out on our quiet balcony at the boardwalk. Couldn't have been nicer.