Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

Hello again! Hannah and Kelly here to tell you about the gems we experienced on Wednesday, May 28th.

It's Off to Work We Go

After a morning working away at various projects, we traveled over to meet with four different departments at Team Disney, where many major Disney offices are held.  While there, we met with representatives from the Workforce Management, Industrial Engineering, Design and Engineering, and Decision Sciences departments.

The Show Continues Even At Team Disney

Each of these departments use different mathematical models to accomplish their goals, from scheduling cast members in Workforce Management to designing attractions in Design and Engineering.  Every department plays a vital role in creating the Disney experience, and we throughly enjoyed getting a glimpse into that process.  The students on this trip have many varying backgrounds, but all got to see math at work in business world.

I, Hannah, as a recent Furman Mathematics graduate heading into a graduate program in Operations Research, thoroughly enjoyed getting to see and hear different applications of Operations Research outside of an academic setting.  It was a great experience to see how models and optimization play a big role in Disney's operations, and to see things that I love to do in a professional and industry setting.  In addition, it was intriguing to see how many different branches and types of mathematics and science weave together to make creative solutions.

For me, Kelly, a rising junior Mathematics-Economics major, this trip has opened my eyes and raised my interest to opportunities for math majors that I didn’t really know existed. Being able to see applied mathematics in many areas around Disney Parks has made me both more excited for more upper level mathematics classes and made me realize there are a lot of opportunities for post-graduate life that I didn’t know were available.

Overall, we had a great experience and are grateful that we got a unique chance to see some of the behind the scenes work that goes on at Walt Disney World.

Whistle While You Work...Or Play

Even though none of us were grumpy after the long meeting at Team Disney, we were certainly not bashful in our excitement in getting to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on its opening day. We dragged the docs headlong across the park in order to utilize our coveted FastPasses for the attraction.

While on the Mine Train, guests are placed into swinging mine carts and whisked around and through the gem mine.  Riders can see all seven of the dwarfs busy at work mining gems and whistling.  It was a happy romp through a beloved classic, and quite possibly the smoothest ride in the Magic Kingdom.  Don't be dopey, it is worth the wait!

Before anyone could be sneezy, we split up for some more fun in the Magic Kingdom.  Groups rode classic attractions like Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise, while some enjoyed the Carousel of Progress and the Enchanted Tiki Room. We ended the night some delicious Dole Whip before everyone became sleepy.

We look forward to a great big beautiful tomorrow at the Animal Kingdom (though the birds don't sing words and the flowers don't croon).