Hi Jason!
I love that you are wanting to plan a special way to celebrate your anniversary with your wife. It sounds like she is a fan of Beauty and the Beast? If so, the France Pavilion would be the perfect setting for you! Be sure to put the
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along on your itinerary. It is a must-do for fans of the movie.
Some of the typical ideas I would suggest, such as meeting Belle, are not available right now due to continued coronavirus safety measures, but I think with a little imagination, we can still make it special. Have you considered booking a meal at
Chefs de France? I am not sure what day your anniversary is, but I do see some limited availability at the end of June. Other Guests do cancel, and so if you continue to check daily, you may find an opening for the specific day that you need.
How about a toast to your anniversary? One of my favorite stops in Epcot is the beverage kiosk near the water. This is where you can find the famous Grand Marnier Slush and the Grey Goose Citron Slush. These are perfect on a hot day and come in a fancy martini glass so you feel special. Maybe sit near the gardens and enjoy your refreshing beverage, then pull out a special surprise gift? As a married woman myself, while I don’t know your wife’s specific tastes, a surprise gift always makes me feel special. You could pre-purchase the gift maybe something small like
a piece of jewelry, and pull it out of your pocket in France. Disney Pandora jewelry is very popular, and if she doesn't already have a collection, now would be the perfect time to start. If handbags are more her thing, while you wouldn’t be able to hide them in your pocket, many of my Disney fanatic friends love the Dooney & Bourke bags found in the parks.
In terms of photography, you will find
PhotoPass Photographers near the France Pavilion from time to time. Commonly, there will be a photographer on the bridge leading from the UK Pavilion towards France, near the exit to the International Gateway. The issue is that there are not published times to be able to guarantee you they would be there for you at a certain time. You can use the map feature of the My Disney Experience Mobile App to select PhotoPass Photographers and the map will show you where all the photographers are in the park at that moment. If you kept an eye on that as you were in the park, as soon as you saw one in France, you could head that way!
While you couldn’t arrange for a personal photographer that day in advance, there is an amazing photo experience you could do another day. Capture Your Moment is a new PhotoPass experience available at
Magic Kingdom and
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. You may still find availability, especially at Animal Kingdom. You get a private PhotoPass session for 20 minutes in the theme park! You could always book one after your anniversary, and let your bride know about the planned experience on the anniversary, so she would have the ability to doll up the way she preferred for the photo experience itself.
I hope one of these ideas inspires you, Jason! Wishing both of you a magical anniversary!
- Kate