Six weeks of planning had come down to this - waiting nervously beside the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups in the stifling afternoon heat holding 99 red roses.
Too shy to give his full name despite his determination to soon make a bold public gesture, Mr Mak explained he arranged to take the day off work for the theme park's grand opening to ask his girlfriend - a Disney cast member - to marry him.
'We've been going out for about seven years. But she doesn't suspect a thing,' he said as he waited for her by the ride at 4pm. Spotting his love some 45 minutes later, he grabbed the $3,000 bouquet of roses and approached her. A throng of curious onlookers, media and park staff cheered and applauded as he unsuccessfully tried to kneel. Instead, he offered her a diamond ring which he had spent $30,000 on.
'She said yes,' a relieved Mr Mak said after becoming the first person to propose at the theme park.
The happy but embarrassed couple kissed briefly for the cameras before she hurried back to work. Park staff were already aware of the arrangement and presented Mr Mak, a 30-something information technology professional, with souvenirs to mark the occasion.
'It's the opening day, so we will never forget this moment,' Mr Mak said when asked why he picked yesterday to pop the big question. The couple has not yet decided on a wedding date, or whether or not they will return to hold it at Hong Kong Disneyland.
