L.A. Affairs: Did you find love at Disneyland? Tell us your story

Marques Harper
·2 min read
Two cartoon-style gloved hands hold each other
(Ross May / Los Angeles Times)

Did your love story start at the Happiest Place on Earth?

Perhaps you realized you had major feelings for a friend after standing in line together for Space Mountain. Or maybe the idea of finally proposing to your boo made sense as you two ate Dole Whip one summer afternoon at the Enchanted Tiki Room. Or it could be that Disneyland is that magical spot you and your partner return to again and again for fun, adventure and romantic tales as old as time.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in luck. We want your Disneyland love story for an upcoming L.A. Affairs column. We will publish our favorite 900- to 1,000-word story in late April. Essay submissions must be original and unpublished and written by writers living in Southern California. The deadline to receive submissions is 5 p.m., Thursday, April 6. We will pay $300 for the published story.

How to submit an essay

Please either submit your story below or email submissions to laaffairs@latimes.com. Include “L.A. Affairs: Disneyland” in the subject line. Also, submit essays as text in the body of the email (not as an attachment).

Our favorite essay will be edited for content, length and tone. We know that your story is personal. Therefore, our process will continue to be collaborative.

Here are some tips from our previously published L.A. Affairs submission guidelines.

• Stories must have a strong sense of place and feel rooted in Southern California.

• Stories must be factually correct, and they must be about your own life. We're not looking for exaggeration, fictional or composite characters, or hyperbole for dramatic effect.

• We don't publish columns using pseudonyms or pen names.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.