2 Disney Imagineers dreamed of retiring in Thailand. Their journey didn't go quite as planned.

Eleven years ago, Jameel Haiat and Hilcia Peña set a goal of quitting their jobs and living life on their own terms. The couple even picked a date to make it real and gave the name a plan: "2020 Vision." Haiat, a production designer, was born and raised in Los Angeles. His partner, Peña, is an …