Third Day - The Epcot Escapade

Hi, Hannah and Kelly here to tell you about the excitement of May 16th in Epcot!  Today has been a flurry of planning, scheming, and ruthless competition as we made our way through Epcot.

The Goal:

To get your team through 18 attractions and activities in the most efficient way possible.  These included popular attractions such as Soarin' and Test Track (both which had to be ridden twice), interesting shows like Ellen's Energy Adventure and Captain EO, and other activities such as posing with characters and sampling sodas at Club Cool.  While traveling around the park, teams had to record the time at which they entered the attraction's line, the time the attraction started, and the time the attraction ended.  Additionally, each team had to have photographic evidence of themselves participating in each attraction.

The Rules:

Since teams were highly competitive and ice cream was on the line, rules were made to ensure fair competition.  Teams were only allowed to use a park map and the Disney app to plan and execute their touring plans throughout the day.  This allowed teams to check ride times and FastPasses, but limited their ability to use established planning websites.  Sabotage was strictly forbidden, although bluffing and psych-out techniques were used and pretty much encouraged by all.  We were also encouraged "to eat lunch, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and take breaks as needed," though it was mutually agreed that breaks were for the weak and that it was totally okay to eat lunch on attractions.  That being said, no member of our group was hauled off by Disney security today, so it was a winning situation for all.

Network Models and Touring Plans:

Ultimately, this competition provided a fun way to gather data on ride times, wait times, and distances between attractions.  In addition, it allowed each team to have a hands-on attempt at optimizing a touring plan for those attractions.  Each team had to consider many obstacles such as crowds, FastPass availability, and unexpected breakdowns.  In order to gather data about each team's route, each team member used an iPad app to keep track of their GPS location throughout the day.  This app will later provide the means to determine the time needed to walk (or run) from attraction to attraction.

The Aftermath:

After our whirlwind tours through Epcot, the group had dinner together to unwind and chat about their experience.  While the day was competitive and jam-packed, everyone had tons of fun planning, riding, and experiencing Epcot during the day.

Now you are probably wondering, who won? This question and many more will be answered in another post, which will give the itinerary and details of the winning group's tour plan and more detailed information about our Epcot network. Tomorrow we are excited to visit the last of Disney's four parks: Animal Kingdom. Keep posted for more exciting adventures!