Ohio High School Marching Band Instruments Stolen Before Disney World Performance

An Ohio high school marching band traveling to Florida for a scheduled Walt Disney World parade performance discovered that a significant number of instruments were stolen from their equipment trailer in the early hours before their show.

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Students and staff from Ashland High School in Ashland, Ohio, had arrived in Orlando after a roughly 22‑hour bus journey for a spring break trip that included the Disney performance. On the morning of March 29, 2026, the group learned that thieves had broken into the locked trailer parked near their hotel and taken many of the band’s instruments.

The Theft

The stolen instruments included clarinets, trumpets, trombones and saxophones, many of which were personally owned by students rather than belonging to the school.

One band mom, Brigitte Klotzek shared that some of these instruments had been gifts or held sentimental value for the students.

The Main Street USA Train Station at Walt Disney World – Photo Credit: That Park Place

“They are handed down to them from family members; they’re gifts,” Klotzek shared. “They have a lot of memories with them. So it’s a little bit more than just an instrument for a lot of the kids.”

This included one instrument that had been gifted to the student by their late father, shortly before he passed.

“This is something that cannot be really replaced,” Klotzek said.

Band director Marty Kral was among the first to realize something was wrong when staff and volunteers noticed the trailer’s locks—present the night before—were missing. Hundreds of students, staff and volunteers faced the immediate challenge of performing the next day with fewer instruments.

On With the Performance

School officials and helpers began contacting local music stores across the Orlando area to secure rental replacements. Assistance included help from multiple stores, and by late Sunday night they had obtained most of the needed instruments. One saxophone in particular was borrowed from another Ohio band visiting the area after an Ashland High staff member connected with a parent late that night.

The back entrance to the Main Street USA train station in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World – Photo Credit: Follow The Bradley’s Fun

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By the time of the scheduled parade performance the next day, all students had instruments. In some cases they played instruments they had not used before, but that allowed the ensemble to march as planned.

On March 30, 2026, the Ashland High School Marching Band marched down Main Street, U.S.A., at Walt Disney World. Their program included a rendition of the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” performed in front of visitors in the park.

Conclusion

The theft was reported to local law enforcement, and police are investigating. No arrests have been announced as of early April 2026.

The loss represented not only a financial cost—estimated in the thousands of dollars—but also a personal blow to students who lost instruments with emotional significance.

Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom at Disney World on Labor Day 2025 – Photo Credit: That Park Place

After the performance, the group continued other aspects of their planned trip before returning to Ohio. Instruments rented for the march were brought back to be returned to providers. School leaders have not yet detailed long‑term plans for replacing the stolen instruments.

What do you think of the theft? Let us know your thoughts about the incident in the comments below.

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