15 June, 2022

“Our moment was destroyed”: Disney apologises after staff member botches marriage proposal

A man who attempted to propose to his partner at Disneyland had his plans thwarted after an employee interrupted the special moment.

The man planned the proposal for months, but a Disneyland Paris employee wearing a polo shirt and Mickey Mouse ears appears to have thrown a spanner in the works.

“My mind was empty,” said Ante, who spoke to The New York Times on the condition that he be identified only by his given name to maintain his privacy and that of his now-fiancée.

Just after Ante pulled out the engagement ring to pop the question, the employee rushed onto the stage, snatched it, and guided the couple down a set of stairs.

https://youtu.be/pauSoylTZrU

The employee then suggested the couple could continue their proposal at the base of the stage they had been standing on.

According to the NYT, Ante told the employee, “She said yes.”

The man responded: “Yes, that’s great, but over here, it’s going to be even better.”

A video capturing the moment has been viewed by millions online and has drawn backlash against Disney.

“He knows that the moment will not be better at the spot he’s pointing to,” one Reddit user wrote of the employee.

Some Redditors implied that the employee enjoyed stealing the couple’s moment.

In response to the situation, Disney said it regretted how the situation was handled.

“We have offered our sincere apologies to the couple concerned and we will do everything we can to make this up to them,” Disney said in a statement.

The NYT reported that in a phone interview with Ante, a 31 year-old who lives near Stuttgart, Germany, said that he and his fiancée were upset by how the proposal went.

“Disneyland stands for dreams,” he said. “Our moment was destroyed.”

Ante said he had been planning the proposal since Christmas when his fiancée purchased tickets to Disneyland, adding that he and his fiancée had bonded over a shared love of Disney which played an important role in their relationship.

He told the NYT that he could not wait until the evening fireworks and wanted to propose immediately.

“I was too excited,” he said.

Ante said he was not entirely sure if his partner had said yes in the aftermath of the attempted proposal.

The couple then sat on a nearby bench and watched the video of the proposal and he put the ring on her finger.

“She was at the same time very happy and sad,” said Ante, adding that Disney had since reached out by phone and email to offer the couple a free weekend in a Disneyland park and hotel of their choosing.

Ante refused the offer, although he said he did appreciate it.

“I don’t want to visit Disneyland any more,” he said. “They can’t give us the moment back and that’s the only thing I want — to get a second chance.”

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Ante disney disneyland disneyland paris germany new york times reddit Stuttgart