A few weeks ago, a newly married couple though all hope had been lost after losing one of their wedding bands. Fortunately, they experienced some true Disney magic this week when the missing jewelry was found by diligent Cast Members. The Orange County Register first reported on this story early morning on November 21.
Wedding rings of Angelica and Garrison Walgren. Photo by Rachel Kessler. Courtesy of Angelica Walgren.
When you lose something at the Disney Parks, it may seem like an impossible task to get it back, but as Angelica and Garrison Warlgren learned this week, there’s something truly special about Disney Cast Members Back in October, the couple was on their honeymoon at Disney California Adventure when the unthinkable happened. The Walgrens were standing in line to get into Lamplight Lounge, when Garrison removed his wedding band as a joke and tried to hand it to his wife. Before she could grab it, the ring slipped and disappeared under Pixar Pier.
In a phone interview with the Register, Walgren said, “I thought, we’ve been married for two days, and you’ve already lost the ring,” After losing the ring, the Walgrens were escorted to guest services and then Lost and Found to report the incident. The next morning, Doug Stradling, a carpentry team leader at the Resort searched under the Pier for the ring to no avail.
Photo courtesy of Disney. November 2018.
The couple continued on their honeymoon and bought a $30 temporary replacement ring from Walmart. Angelica recalled that her husband said, “I need something, my finger feels naked.” The couple called Disney several times to check on the status of the missing ring, but news was not good. Still they and Disney didn’t give up.
Stradling told the Register that he looked twice for the ring, but had trouble because the area was so broad. However, Disney magic was at work, and cast members were able to narrow the search area down to a 10-by-10 foot space. Then early Friday morning before the Park opened, two carpenters, Dave Singer and Mike Dubrowski, went to search one more time.
Photo courtesy of Disney November 2018.
The men were lying on their stomachs, and looking between the cracks of the floor panels with flashlights. Dubrowski caught a glint from the center of the ring, and quickly pointed it out to Singer who fashioned some baling wire it into a hook. Just like MacGyver (master of all impossible situations), Singer was able to hook the ring and lift it out between the floor boards. Dubrowski said in a phone interview: “This is one of the things that makes working here nice. We’ve found all sorts of things under there, but this is the first time we found a ring.”
Newlyweds Angelica and Garrison Walgren at Disney California Adventure in October (Photo by Eve Taylor
The wedding ring was sent back to the couple who were thrilled that magic was on their side even in an unhappy situation. Kudos to the carpentry team for putting guests first and finding that extra pinch of pixie dust that did the trick.
Do you have a story where Disney magic came into play to save the day? Let us know!