High School Marching Band’s Disney Dreams are Dashed After Six Months of Fundraising
What was supposed to be a magical weekend at Walt Disney World turned into a nightmare for a Long Island marching band.
Students in the Kings Park Marching Band arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport last Saturday, eager to begin their trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
The excursion was set to include workshops with the Walt Disney World color guard and marching band on Sunday, followed by a performance at the resort on Monday.
To make the trip possible, students fundraised for more than six months. The cost exceeded $2,000 per student.
Unfortunately, things never got off the ground.
Cancelled Flight and a 13 Hour Delay
Just 45 minutes before their 7 AM departure, the group’s Delta Air Lines flight to Orlando was canceled.
Credit: Delta
The students were left stranded at the airport for more than 16 hours as parents and chaperones scrambled to find alternative travel arrangements.
“My daughter was saying a lot of the kids, when they get an update, there’s a little bit of hope,” parent Patrick Corbett told News 12. “An hour later, you find out it’s not working, and they just get upset at different stages throughout the day, so they just console each other.”
Credit: Delta
Travel agency Kaleidoscope Adventures attempted to secure alternate transportation, but no suitable options could be found that met the school’s needs.
“A flight cancellation is always our last resort. We sincerely apologize to this group for the impact to their travel plans,” a Delta spokesperson said.
Disney Dreams Dashed
Eventually, the students were sent home, their Disney dreams put on hold.
“There’s a lot of other money involved,” Corbett added. “You’ve got the hotels, the bus, and everything else that the kids pay for.”
Kaleidoscope Adventures is now working to reschedule the marching band’s trip and explore possible financial compensation for the school.
Photo: Kaleidoscope Adventures
“We are a small family-owned business that understands the significant time, effort, and fundraising that goes into making these trips possible,” the agency told PEOPLE. “Our priority remains the safety of the students and doing everything within our control to support this school community.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
