How We Met
I moved to Orange County, California in January 2016 for the Disney College Program at Disneyland. I started working in Attractions in early January and loved it. I graduated college in December 2015 and I was living out my dream of working at Disneyland. I was making new friends and living carefree in the Happiest Place on Earth. After dating a guy at the beginning of the year that did not end well, one of my new friends suggested downloading Bumble. I never thought I would try any sort of online dating, but I thought to myself What do I have to lose? I downloaded bumble on March 13, 2016, and matched with Travis on March 16, 2016. I swiped right on Travis for a few different reasons. First, he also worked at Disneyland. Second, he loved baseball (my favorite sport). Third, he was also a huge Disney fan.
Travis and I initially started talking about our jobs and how we actually worked pretty close to each other. Even though I worked in attractions, I also did what’s called guest control a lot of the time (the cast members that tell you to move during shows/parades). Anyway, while he did a lot of backstage work for the Pixar Play Parade, I was doing the onstage work of guiding guests and setting up ropes. Once we started talking, it only took us two days until we decided to meet up. On March 18, 2016, Travis and I were both working the parade in California Adventure. He told me where he’d be at a certain time that he would be able to talk for a minute. I told him I would be around the same place at the same time, coincidentally (even though I wouldn’t, I just wanted to meet him).
So after going out of my way, I met up with him at his parade warehouse. We were both wearing our Disney costumes, so I wasn’t exactly looking my best. But for some reason, I didn’t care. I wanted to meet him. I saw him facing away from me moving a prop for the parade when I said his name faintly (just in case it wasn’t really him). He turned around and said “Caitlin!?” and immediately walked over and gave me a hug. And then, we CLICKED. I felt instantly comfortable with him and I somehow wasn’t nervous at all. We chatted for a bit, just small talk. Then he asked if he could give me his number so he could text me directly. I said yes, he gave me another hug, and I walked away with a huge grin on my face.
After we started texting, we didn’t stop. We chatted nonstop about everything we had in common and got to know each other a little bit. The first time we met up was very casual, we got together at Disneyland with a couple of his friends. I was a little nervous, but Travis had a way of making me feel comfortable. Our first official date was on March 28, where we went to one of my favorite pizza places across the street from Disneyland. Afterwards, we headed to the park to watch the Paint the Night parade and the Disneyland Forever fireworks show. I couldn’t help but think the entire time that this date was so “me.” After the fireworks, we both did not want the date to end. We decided to go see Zootopia at the Downtown Disney movie theatre. We had both already seen the movie but agreed that it was worth seeing again.
After the movie, Travis drove me home to my apartment building. I told him not to get out of the car and say goodbye because it was late and we were both tired. So we hugged in the car, and after our hug, I could tell Travis wanted to kiss me. He leaned in once again and gave me our first kiss. I remember getting out of the car and smiling from ear to ear. That night, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was pretty tired, but also so excited for what just happened. Since then, I feel like I haven’t stopped smiling at him. He makes me feel so loved and challenges me to be a better person every day. We’ve endured a lot together in the past year and a half. But whatever the problem has been, we have overcome it together. That is my favorite part of our relationship; the fact that we are able to work through any situation together and come out on the other end has grown closer and stronger as a couple. It has always been a dream of mine to get engaged at a Disney property. In 2015, I traveled to Walt Disney World for a Disney College Program internship. I can remember scoping out a few places that would be a perfect to pop the question if I ever found the man of my dreams. Little did I know, I found him in a little over six months after that.
how they asked
Travis and I planned a trip to Walt Disney World in January 2018, and our first day was one for the books! We spent the whole day in Epcot, rode a few rides in the morning and spent the rest of the day in the world showcase, drinking “around the world” and exploring the different countries. We started in Mexico with nachos and margaritas, continued with grapefruit beer in Germany, then enjoyed a Limoncello cocktail in Italy. We had orange and lemon slushies in France and finished with a hard cider with blackcurrant juice in the United Kingdom. The very last country in the world showcase for us was Canada. My fiancé is French-Canadian, so that was one of his favorite countries. After drinking around the world for a few hours, I excused myself to use the restroom, and while I was gone, Travis found the perfect spot where he wanted to pop the question. He knew exactly what I wanted, and the scenery couldn’t have been more perfect. He found a photographer that was available while I was in the bathroom and brought her over to the spot he wanted (and knew I would love). When I got back from the restroom, Travis wasn’t in the spot I left him, but he texted me to meet him on the walking trail. I walked down to meet him and he asked if we could take some pictures. The photographer told us where to stand, took some photos, and paused. Then, Travis said he needed to ask me something else… I knew it was coming at that point. He started to tear up as he bent down and asked me the four words I’d been waiting to hear for a long time now, “Will you marry me?”
I immediately said “YES!” And gave him a hug and a kiss. I could feel him shaking because he was so nervous. I knew I made the right choice before then, but that reassured me. He cared so much about making sure the moment was perfect that it made him more nervous than I’d ever seen him. We spent the rest of the trip celebrating and enjoying every minute of being able to call each other “fiancé” when asked by Walt Disney World cast members. We had the most magical trip of our entire lives, and can’t wait to start planning our wedding together.
