We have been remarkably impressed with this group of
students. They are cooperative,
inquisitive friendly, and eager to learn.
Their curiosity has led the group to investigate a number of aspects of
Walt Disney World. All students have
been involved with collecting data in lots of ways, in analyzing that data, and
in the preparation of findings. In these
last three blog posts, we will describe three of the projects that have
resulted from their work. (Don’t worry,
we will also tell stories about our experiences on these days, too!)
Single Riders?
One of the things that the group has investigated involves
what Disney calls “single rider lines” at some of its most popular
attractions. When a ride has its seats
arranged in pairs, then it is often the case that odd-sized parties can be
completed by pulling from the single rider line (which is made up of people who
don’t mind riding by themselves, or actually, with strangers). Our students are investigating several issues
related to this type of situation (for instance, when it is advantageous to try
the single rider line as opposed to the regular line). The students collected lots of data in a variety of interesting ways -- and this caught the attention of many other
park guests. We were certainly proud of
their creativity and their persistence. Fortunately,
their work (which was all perfectly legal) did not get the attention of Disney
security!
A Blast of a Day
Today started with a little “probability by the pool” as Dr.
Hutson met with a group of students to discuss some of the probability ideas
relating to the single rider line project.
After that, the group loaded up and headed over to Epcot to meet with
another Disney cast member -- one that one of our students knew from home. This cast member had spent a number of years
working in the pyrotechnics division of the Illuminations nighttime show at
Epcot, and he had arranged for one of the show’s directors to give us a
backstage tour of the Illuminations setup area.
We learned a great deal about the complexity of the show’s setup,
execution, and take down. We got some
very close up views of the huge globe that is the centerpiece of the show as well as a rare look at the inferno barge that was out of the water for routine maintenance. We were also treated to a peek inside the show’s control room, which is hidden inside
a tower in the Mexico pavilion. Since photographs are not allowed in backstage areas, this exterior shot of Mexico will have to suffice as a memento of our fun time in the control room, marked by the small window peeking over at the top of the decorative stairs going up the building.
Whenever you see an amazing fireworks display, we learned that it's nice to show your appreciation to the unseen pyrotechnicians who safely prep the show for the guests by cheering loudly afterwards. Next time we're watching Illuminations at Epcot, we'll be sure to applaud the efforts of these dedicated experts after a great show!
Just as we were about to head to lunch, the bottom dropped
out of the sky and the rain started to fall -- hard. We delayed by riding the Gran
Fiesta ride in Mexico (our group filled an entire boat), but the rain kept
coming. We decided to brave it and so we
dashed over to the Land Pavilion for a nice lunch together.
We returned to the hotel for the students to have some work
time, and they made the best of that.
After dinner, a small group went over to Downtown Disney for some
shopping and snack finding. The van
rides to and from our destinations continue to be sources of great
entertainment. As various songs from
students’ playlists play through the speakers, you never know who you will see
dancing, singing, or playing air drums!
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