INTRO
To anyone who was at, or knows anyone who was at
Disneyland Anaheim on Monday, January 18th 2010, Im here to plead for your help.
My name is Joe, Im a small business owner from the Chicago area. I know what Im about to write might be one of the most ridiculous things ever posted here.
It was on that Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Disneyland that I encountered a lady who gave me a feeling of fate and serendipity Id long ago given up on finding.
I didnt even talk to her, I barely had a chance. I only looked her in the eyes, walked alongside her. Thus making this post almost crazy.
This was originally written on a 4-hour flight back to Chicago, transcribed on a series of vomit bags. In retrospect, a perfect metaphor for how I felt leaving California without so much as a name or any details.
But this is the internet age
Sure theres billions of people, and maybe this is worse than searching for a needle in a mile-long, 50-foot-high haystack, but anything can happen, right?
I need your help. Please. I know Disney lovers are usually cool, because we have the capacity to desire and feel things like romance and magic.
So if you can, Im hoping you can ask anyone you know if they know of anyone who was there that day. The park had low attendance that day because of storms. It closed hours early. I dont have much to give, but Ill do something, I dont know what, for anyone who can get me into contact with her.
PORT SIGHTING
I was at the Red Rocket Pizza Port a little after lunch-time with my brother and mom. We sat in the outside area by the entrance to Space Mountain. At the booth behind my bro and moms back, facing me, sat her and her family.
She had the most mesmerizing eyes Id ever seen. She made me feel light-headed. I caught her glance for a second. There was a definite moment there. But, being respectful of her family, and knowing I was clearly a little older than her, I felt an approach in that situation would be awkward for everyone. So I left my table to walk around the area, hoping she might also get up to give me an opening to talk.
She didnt, and I was left to assume it wasnt meant to be. Maybe this was just a beautiful little ship I was passing in the night. When I got up to leave she was surrounded by family, looking at something on her phone. No reasonable opening. I left her there, shook my head, and moved on. But theres more.
She had what appeared to be a younger brother and sister with her. Both had what could be described as blondish or light brown hair. Both appeared to be late teens, 15-18. I think he was wearing a cap. I didnt take a good mental picture of what I assume were her parents. I recall slight images of both, but I could be wrong, so I wont make a guess.
As for her
Her eyes... Never seen anything like them before. They made me feel at peace. She had darker brown hair that had this unique way it fell and framed her face. It is so hard to explain. So one of a kind. Hair was about shoulder length, give or take. Id guessed her age to be about 23, but her potential siblings looked young enough she may have been younger. That doesnt matter. This lady sent electricity through me.
She was white / Caucasian, she couldve been from anywhere. She was probably between 54 and 56, but not necessarily. Thats about all I can describe
my imagination has had enough time to warp the other details, so Im just stuck with an image of her overall essence. She didnt even seem real.
The day turned to evening. My thoughts returned to her several times, but I tried not to let them.
MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL
As the park was closing, the crowds funneled into Main Street. So Im walking down Main, straggling just behind my bro and mom. My mind is on business, but the atmosphere and romance of Main Street overtakes me, as the Penny Arcade approaches.
I thought for a split second about how magic moments dont happen to real people, how its a cute act they have at Disney for the kiddies. Then my mind returned to her.
For a second or two I thought of her, a fleeting wish about the romance Id always hoped for, the feeling shed given me. Then, at that very second, I felt an overwhelming glowing presence to my right. Like in a movie or a novel or something
And somehow there she was. Walking right next to me, at the exact same pace, straggling behind her family. The two stragglers, walking behind our groups in perfect sync. Thousands of people, and there we were.
Id long ago stopped believing in any sort of romance or magic. I may have been walking around a Magic Kingdom of sorts, but I didnt believe it. But somehow I wished for her, and she was there.
I looked over and did the biggest double-take of my life
Into a triple-take, nearly a quadruple. I saw her smile subtly; she knew it. By the time I had finished wiping my eyes and wondering if it was real, it had been probably 5 seconds. There she was, her form backlit and framed by the hundreds of glowing bulbs of Main Street. There was literally an electric current running between us. Like nothing Ive known. It was like a dream, for a second I thought it was.
Id never experienced anything like this in my life. I didnt believe it could happen. Real magic. This wasnt just one of fifty pretty faces I saw earlier, this was the one that knocked me to my knees, had me dreaming all day. All these things and more rushed through my head, and I could feel her stealing glances at me, looking over and then looking down. Walking in perfect sync. WHAT THE?!?!?
I had to say something. I looked over to see her family. There they were. A million different things popped into my mind, and it caused a lock of about 3-5 more seconds. I had to say the right thing with her family right there, because it was an impression theyd remember. The lights danced, and I felt like I was in the midst of an exploding fireworks display in the sky.
This couldnt be real. Less than ten seconds had passed. I smiled, looked down as the curb approached. Scratched the back of my head. Took an extra 3 seconds to prepare my statement that would hopefully keep me talking to her all the way out the front gate. Total elapsed time since she showed up: Around 12-14 seconds, give or take a second. Time had warped, but I know it was only seconds.
So I open my mouth to speak. And I look over. And shes GONE. Her family is gone. I stop. I didnt even know what just happened. I recall hearing someone in the general direction of her family saying something a moment before
with some sort of non-American accent. But I dont know if it was someone from her group or not. Odds are 50/50 it wasnt. And thats the only additional hint I got, and it easily couldve been someone else entirely.
I walk a few more steps. I stop. I go running up and around Main Street. Looking everywhere. My head was about to explode. All I could think was: No
No
Oh God NO. I had to think quickly, and next I made a huge mistake. I made the choice to head out the gate and wait by the exit, where everyone had to go eventually.
Dumb move. There were a ton of exits. I did my best to check each and every face that left. After a couple minutes it started to seem utterly hopeless. She was there and then poof! Gone. It was as sick as Ive ever felt. This lady actually gave me what Ive been looking my whole life for: The FEELING. The same one they promise you in all the Hollywood movies, but never seems to actually happen.
After a while, I assumed I missed her, and I walked down to the big
Disney store, now foolishly praying maybe shed gone to Downtown Disney, unable to cope with the fact she was gone.
Inside this store, a song was playing. A song about my dream girl. I ran around the store, checking faces. I ran out and jogged up and down the strip. Checked the tram. Many times. Hopeless.
In 10 seconds I lost a lady Id seen only in my dreams. Its the most horrible feeling... Was she even real? I SAW HER. After I wished for her. In the most magical place, under the most romantic lighting, walking at my exact pace right next to me. I CANT LET THIS GO.
I spent the night thinking, hoping, praying. Please dear God, let me see this mystery woman at the park tomorrow. Please dont make me carry this for the rest of my life. What kind of sick practical joke would that be?
I made a decision. We had a second park day and another half ahead of us. Id spend the remainder of those two days running around the parks, hoping shed be there once more, checking every face of every person I passed.
NEVER SAY DIE
The next day I was up early. I was going to find her and run to her, even if I had to jump off a moving tram or ride car. It was pouring rain, which made faces hard to see under ponchos. I didnt care. I looked every last person I saw directly in the eyes.
Hours passed. Kept on looking. Ducking into every store I passed to scan the peoples faces. Going back up to main street at least eight times at the exact place Id walked next to her. Getting on the occasional ride thinking she might be there. Following my instincts. Nothing.
The day turned to night. I went where the parade crowd was gathering. I walked up and down the crowd probably 5 times. I went back to the pizza port. Maybe shed be there. I kept looking. Nothing.
The park closed and I hovered down and around main street. Right around the spot. The spot that now gave a me a strange, hollow feeling. Leaving to peek into the bakery, the magic shop. Nothing.
That night I walked up and down the Anaheim strip looking, peaking into the windows of all the gas stations and restaurants along the way. Then I drove the same stretch.
One more half-day left. I did the same thing in the parks. Same results. Deep down I knew, but couldnt accept it. But I wasnt surprised. Its amazing how youre always surprised at good things, but disappointment is almost never a surprise.
I knew I had one last low-odds shot. The airport. Maybe she was flying out.
At the airport I checked every face of every person in all directions. I hustled up and down the terminal four times. Nothing. How could this be real? I almost missed the plane. I couldnt leave. But I had to leave, running at top speed to make the final boarding. Would she be on the plane? Of course not. I felt a pain in my chest as the plane took off and California became small. She could be anywhere now. Id never see her again. Reality set in, my heart cracked into a million pieces. I grabbed a vomit bag and began writing.
And here I am. Over three days later and I finally have the time away from business to type this up and post it.
WRAPPING IT UP
Please dont mock me. Please dont tell me Im a desperate idiot. Im not. Im just a guy who lost faith in anything more than crude matter and dumb luck. I saw something at Disney Ive dreamed of since I was a little kid
and it was as if there really was something to life beyond random, heartbreaking coincidence. It was an amazing feeling.
I dont know what it was, but there was magic there that night. Im well aware the odds are not good, but why not throw this out there and see, right?
If anyone has any possible information, as unlikely as it seems, please send it to me at through a Private message. I tried to post my email address, but I don't have enough posts yet. But any little thing would be appreciated. If you think you know something, even if its a long-shot that leads nowhere, I will be thankful.
If you know of someone who might have some information, and you forward this to that person, I cant thank you enough.
If you can help me, you are totally and completely awesome. Regardless, thank you so much for reading this. Just caring enough to read this makes you awesome. I am extremely grateful for your time.
I was riding he was waiting to get on. Then he rode and I watched. Some magic way I wound up sitting in front of him on SW. Thank goodness my friend was outgoing and spoke to him. We married 3 weeks later.....that was over 42 magical years ago. I really, really hope someone knows your princess. 
I was afraid I was the only one who thought that! I thought I was going to be required to turn in my 'romantic female' card for life for even being somewhat skeptical or cynical of this, but...in all of that info, there is just not enough info here. No pictures of Joe and family for the girl to see. No age given for Joe. Perhaps I have a suspicious nature.
