Craptastic.

Took two groups to perform at Disneyland today. It's our annual trip where we go perform for 30 minutes, then spend the rest of the day in the park (well, not counting in the 2 1/2 hours we spend before and after the show getting in and out of costume, etc.)

It would have been a spectacular day: the weather was gorgeous, the kids were well behaved, the performances were great.... If I hadn't managed to let my $1500 camera disappear.

Yup.

It was literally the first thing that happened to me when I got in the park. I had it out in the parking lot, and on the tram. I also remember having it when we went through the security check. Then I picked up the group tickets... passed them out to the kids. (At this point I don't remember if my camera was in or out of the bag.) Then I sat out in front of the gate and talked with one of the parent chaperons for about twenty minutes. Eventually we all went inside the park... at which point I split off from the chaperons saying "I'm going to go take some pictures"

Not five minutes later I'm standing in front of the Walt/Mickey statue looking at the inside of my empty camera bag. I probably should have noticed earlier that it was light (but not that light... it still had my speed flash, iPod, car keys and a bunch of other stuff in it.)

I ran back to the gate, and out to the group ticket window. They directed me to the Lost & Found. I also talked with the guy at the security check....

nada...

I went back to the Lost & Found office four or five times throughout the day. Eventually I just filled out a lost item report form and gave up.

The wierd thing is that I have no memory of being anywhere where I would have put it down. People told me they saw the camera around my next when I went into the park. So I don't see how it could have gotten away from me in the five minutes that it took for me to walk down Main Street to where I forst noticed it was gone. I didn't stop in any of the shops. I didn't use the restroom. It just vanished.

And this was all within the first half-hour of getting into the park. Talk about a buzz kill. I spent the rest of the day going through the "5 Stages of Mouring"... okay everything except for the "acceptance" part. I haven't hit that yet.

I'm supposed to call Disney's L&F tomorrow. They said that they don't get everything sent to them right away... they go around and collect stuff from the park at the end of the day. There's a chance they might get it tomorrow.

I'm not holding my breath.

*Sigh* At least I still have my old camera and some decent lenses. It still takes great pics, it just a little shy on the megapixels for my taste. I'll eventually replace the one I lost, but it's going to take a while.