Jason from Kentucky saw our invitation to contribute to StartedByAMouse.com in a Blog Ride post and decided to send in a story about his engagement to Holly at Walt Disney World Christmas 2005. Enjoy!

Holly and I are what you would call "high school sweethearts." Hailing from good 'ol Kentucky, we started dating my senior and her sophomore year, at which time I quickly learned she had never been to Disney World before. I had been a couple times as a kid and remembered it being the most fun I ever had. So with no idea what the future held, I told her, "Holly, someday I'm going to take you to Disney World." Well, a year later I was a freshman in college, she was a junior in high school, and we were still dating. My recently retired parents were going to Florida for the winter and asked if Holly and I would be interested in coming down over Christmas break and going to Disney World. Of Course!!! So true to my word, I took Holly to Disney World and in our four short days there we made enough memories to last a lifetime.

Well, four years later I had graduated college and started working full-time, she was a junior in college, and yes, we were still dating. The itch to get back to Disney World had been festering ever since we left the Sunshine State and there was only one way to scratch it. So we started planning, I worked up enough time to take off work, and back we went to experience Disney's 50th Anniversary Celebration during this past Christmas season. But that's not all we would be celebrating …

Our first day at the park was on Christmas Eve and of course we went to the Magic Kingdom. We had an awesome day watching the parade, riding some rides and just enjoying being back in the unparalleled atmosphere of Disney World. That afternoon we watched the Cinderellabration show on stage at Cinderella's Castle and I knew we’d be up on that stage later that evening.

Once night had fallen, I suggested we go up and check out Cinderella's Castle since we hadn't had a chance to go up there yet. The Castle was still roped off for a parade that had just finished, but I insisted we hang around until they opened it up. Holly was beginning to wonder why I was so interested in going up to the Castle right then, considering we had an eight-day Park Hopper ticket so there was plenty of time. But alas, they finally pulled away the ropes and up we went. Once we got up to the front, I stopped Holly with my back to the Castle and looked at her with all the lights of Main Street, USA behind her lighting up her pretty face. This was it. Some five years in the making had brought us to this point. I knew if I hesitated I'd end up ruining the moment, so I dove right in. Sparing you the mushy details, I told her I couldn't think of any better place to do this than right there in the Happiest Place on Earth where we had shared so many memories four years earlier. I reached into my pocket and my nervous, sweaty fingers found the ring. As my legs trembled, I somehow managed to get down on one knee without falling over and I asked her, "Holly, will you marry me?"

All she wanted to do was hug me – which was wonderful, but here I was now with my arms wrapped around her and a diamond ring slipping around between my fingers with people walking all around us. I could see it now – I was going to drop it and it would be lost forever! So I gently reminded her, that while she had said "yes," she hadn't taken the ring yet. She was happy to oblige and I was overcome with relief that it was finally out of my hands (well, that and the fact that she said Yes :) ). Besides being worried about losing the ring then, I had been struggling all day to keep her from finding the ring. Since it was in my pocket, every time we sat down and she'd go to put her hand on my leg I'd have to do something to divert her without being obvious that there was something I was trying to hide. On another side note: as I was down on one knee proposing, some lady mowed over my back leg with her stroller barking her displeasure with me taking up walking space with my outstretched leg. Fortunately, I was focused enough that I didn't let it deter me.

December 24, 2005 was easily the most exciting and memorable night of my life. We went on to have a fantastically magical vacation and one not soon to be forgotten. With the wedding date set, the only question now is: how long until we need to scratch that itch again?

Jason and Holly
12-24-2005

- Story and Photos by Jason Hyatt
Posted April 2, 2006

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