Now it's Time to say Goodbye

Our first immersive term trip to Disney is in the books! After a safe flight back to Indy, the students were left on their own for a few days before our final class meeting on Thursday. During this time, their groups put the finishing touches on their re-Imagineering of the Fitness Center project, while individually  each student also took time to reflect back on the course as a whole.

To say the students really got into their projects is an understatement (if you don't believe me, check out one of our presenters!). The Pecha Kucha presentation format (20 slides, 20 seconds per slide) made for very efficient and fast flowing presentations with every group rising to the challenge. And while thematically the groups ideas of linking to the college's traditions, values and mascot were similar, they all put their own unique spin on the projects, incorporating design elements both from our experiences at Disney as well as their own majors to create some truly remarkable ideas for turning the old Fitness Center into a new space that could address the diverse needs of students, faculty and visitors while providing a respite from the stress of every day life. Some of the highlights of their various designs include:

• Using RFID technology and student phone apps to allow for study rooms or fitness equipment reservations as well as to adjust services based on times of peak student use.
• Using smellitizers in various rooms to provide calming scents to boost study efforts.
• Having a large electronic display showing college, local, and national headlines that would interact with your phone to let you read any of the day's news that you would choose.
• A spa using both smellitizers and projection mapping to give you the feel of being outside on a summer day or under the stars at night surrounded by fireflies.
• A living garden, growing food to be served in the building, as well as student led tours and classes on how to grow your own plants in your dorm room.
• A "Club 34" for alumni (Franklin College was founded in 1834), accessible through a portrait similar to the enchanted mirror effect in Belle's Enchanted Tale.

Each group's own personality shone through in their design, and the level of thought and effort  was remarkable. They also all demonstrated Disney's attention to detail in design, including "Hidden Grizzlies" as well as various inside references to some of the many rides, dinners, events, and shared experiences that we had during our time away. All together, it was a fitting final meeting with a remarkable group of students.

Beyond the group project, as a final task when we returned each student was also asked to reflect on the journey. One portion of this reflection related to the course objectives: what they learned about how Disney Imagineering combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics to create a uniquely immersive experience for guests, and how they could apply this to their own majors and future careers. The other portion of the reflection was more personal, and was inspired by our lunch at Tiffin's  and its Nomad Lounge.

In its own words Tiffin's is "based on the travel that inspired the creation of Disney's Animal Kingdom." Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the Nomad Lounge, where the quotes around the ceiling come directly from the reflections of the Imagineers responsible for designing and creating this unique theme park. Much like the Imagineers, our class had also gone on a journey for inspiration in bringing new life to an existing building on campus. While the process achieved its goal in getting them to think more critically about the Disney Design Process, it also had most certainly affected them in ways beyond what any course design could intentionally attempt to achieve as well. Using the questions surrounding the walls of the Nomad Lounge for inspiration, I asked each student to reflect on how the course had changed them. Each student's answers were both personal and moving, showing the type of growth we as instructors hope for when we put together a course such as this one. Together with their projects, these reflections were a fitting end to a remarkable and unforgettable two weeks of exploration and learning at Disney.

Where to from here

I've let the students do a reflection on the trip, so it is only fair that I take the time to think about the trip as well. Overall it was a remarkable experience, and one I would very much consider doing again. Some of the things that worked really well for our class:

• Alumni guest speakers and friends. Both before we left for our trip and during our time in the parks, our alumni who had worked or are currently working at Disney were incredibly generous with their time and talents, being more than willing to come and discuss what they could from their time behind the scenes working as cast members with the Mouse. Special thanks again to Zachary Balgeman, Katherine Sergi, Kiera Shackelford, Doug Blemker, and Ken Fonstad for meeting with us and sharing their knowledge!
• Len Testa and touringplans.com. Again, I can not speak highly enough of how great it was to meet with Len and hear his perspective on all things Disney. What he has created is truly something special, and his willingness to share his time and knowledge with our class was truly extraordinary!
• The Backstage Magic tour. In terms of providing a behind the scenes look at Disney magic in action, this tour is a must do. Every aspect of it perfectly fit with the course design and concept, and it is something I would definitely do again the next time this class is offered.
• The All Star Movies Resort. With our decision to fly to Florida, utilizing the Magical Express Service and Disney transportation in general just made sense. Our rooms by the Duck pond were near a pool, Disney buses, and the laundry, which was perfect for a long trip. As a special bonus, the All Star Movies resort has The Reel Spot, which functions as a perfect outdoor classroom for early morning or lunchtime meetings. It was easily the best meeting spot we had for in depth discussions during our trip!
• Using GroupMe to keep in touch. As a way to communicate with students collectively, in their groups, or even individually the GroupMe app was indispensable on our trip. It made it easy to adapt on the fly when unexpected situations arose, and worked well as a way to keep tabs on students as they came back to the hotel each evening.
• Course coordinator Brad Jones. Admittedly something not every trip can have, but Brad did an amazing job setting up the behind the scenes logistics to make our course possible.  Between his knack for getting things done at the right time (like purchasing our annual passes the week before they increased in price), his ability to find extra places for savings, and his wonderful ideas on what extras we could afford to give our students (like dining at Whispering Canyon Cafe), Brad really took the whole experience to the next level!

Even for the best of courses, some things can always be improved upon. If I were to offer the course again, three things I would do differently would be:

• The in-park meetings. I had scouted out several meeting spots in advance, and while they mostly worked, it was sometimes difficult to compete with the noise, background music, and unexpected entertainment that the theme parks all have. If I were to offer the course again, I think I would aim to schedule the in-park meetings earlier (like at 10:30 before lunch begins), or move the meetings to nearby hotels (like the Contemporary or Polynesian) to give us a better chance to have the discussion quality we were able to achieve at the Reel Spot in our hotel.
• More built-in alone time. Admittedly, this is difficult to do during a study away experience, especially since we didn't want students wandering off by themselves in case anything were to happen. It is also tough to do at Disney, where the students in particular feel the need to make the most out of every day in the parks. At the same time, though, especially for my introverted students, I think it would be good to find away to get them some time where they can be by themselves and recharge. I'm not sure how to best accomplish this, but it is definitely something I will think about more for the next time I lead a course like this.
• Add a crash course in blog editing. Having never run a blog before, I was unaware of some of the formatting issues that the students could encounter. Fortunately for me, Dr. Stacy Hoehn was kind enough to remotely troubleshoot the issues and get the blog back to looking the way it should. In the future, though, I think I would include a brief discussion of how to do this early in the course so that the students would be able to fix any issues in this or other blogs they run on their own.

And Now It Really Is Time...

And with that, our final blog post comes to an end. Thank you for following along with us on our adventures, and as Mickey would say "See ya real soon!"

 Dr. Paul Fonstad and the Franklin College IMO 100: The Steam Powering Disney class!

See You Soon, Indy!

After our last full day in the parks yesterday, everyone is exhausted and ready to be home, but we all had a great time!

We had a great two weeks at Disney, all while learning the STEAM factors that tie into all four parks. There were quite a few surprising aspects of how Disney operates. Such as all of the engineering that goes on behind different shows, attractions, etc. For example, we were able to see behind the scenes of the American Adventure show in Epcot and were able to learn all of the elements used to create this 20 minute show. It was quite interesting to see the scene-changer operate on computers from the 1980s. Before going behind the scenes, we didn't realize the show was operated with a scene changer that held many different characters and pieces of American history. Also behind the scenes, we were able to experience animatronics up close.

Another key factor we learned about was how Disney uses RFID technology. The main way is through the magic bands that most guests utilize. Through the magic bands, Disney is able to essentially "track" how many guests are in lines in order to give accurate wait times on their app. Although we often ran into long wait times, RFID is used to keep us entertained such as on Expedition Everest. Here they have four electronic signs that portray your name as you approach them in order to distract you from the long line. 

Yesterday we learned that an FC alum helped write the storyline for the Disney Jr. Vampirina. We had the opportunity to stop by the Disney Jr. dance party and meet her. 

The last key thing we learned was about scrims and Pepper's Ghost and how it's utilized in Haunted Mansion. Scrims are seen in Haunted Mansion in the pre-show when the lights cut off and the ceiling appears to be see-through. Pepper's Ghost is seen in the ballroom scene where the ghost seems to be dancing, the way that they create this ghost effect is by having figures on a different level and having a light shining on them, which then reflects on a mirror creating a ghost. 

We are about to board the plane, see you soon Indy! 

Addie Csikos & Kaitlynn Korth

Last Day at the Parks

After a great two weeks, today marked the final day of the trip before we depart for home. We began the day at Animal Kingdom with Fastpasses for Flight of Passage, a definite favorite among the class. Pandora continues to amaze us every time we visit. After Flight of Passage we took a class picture in front of the Tree of Life to commemorate the final day.

Today’s activity for was each person to investigate something in the parks that involved their major. For example, being a criminology major I (Corbin) investigated the security screenings at the entrance to the parks. I analyzed the process that the security workers used to check bags and the frequency at which people were wanded.

After Animal Kingdom, some of the class decided to go to Epcot to check out the new offerings in the park. Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts began the day prior and there were many cool additions for the event. Unique food and art stands lined the World Showcase, all sporting an artistic twist. Along one of the many construction walls in Future World, the color-by-numbers mural returned. Guests are given supplies and can paint a small portion of the corresponding number to the color given on a gigantic Figment mural. In addition to the festival, three new movies debuted at Epcot, those being Awesome Planet (in The Land), Canada Far and Wide, and Beauty and the Beast Singalong (in France). We were only able to experience the Canada film but enjoyed the look at our northern neighbors.

At 3:45 we met as a group to have dinner. We had reservations made at the wonderful Mama Melrose's. They had fantastic Italian food and it was a good dinner to end with. Afterwards, we split up and a group of friends and I(Bryce) went and toad the tower of terror one more time. This was the most popular ride and ride we rode the most within the group.

Finally we ended our day at Hollywood studios by watching the Fantasmic. This light and firework show brought everything onto the table with even the water catching on fire a couple times! It was a thrilling way to end our time at Hollywood studios.

After watching the wonderful show many people headed over to the Magic Kingdom to ride a few more rides. The main thing my group did was to treat ourselves to ice cream one more time. I had to get a brownie sundae and put some cookies n' cream ice cream on top and it was a magical experience and a great way to finish our time at Walt Disney World!

The Traveling Salesman

We are almost done in the wonderful Walt Disney World. As we wrap up our time, today’s task was the Traveling Salesman problem in the Magic Kingdom. We were given a list of 15 activities to complete as fast as possible. These ranged from Space Mountain to Journey of the Little Mermaid to meeting a character (with a 20 minute break as a requirement). We were divided into groups of three or four, so one major rule was that groups could not split into two teams and had to all wait in lines together. To make sure that we were actually accomplishing these activities, we had to send photos of our groups once completing an item. We had an advantage today as there were Extra Magic hours this morning, so most groups arrived around 8 am to begin the race. The first team was done at 1:15 pm. Today's adventures are brought to you by Lindsay Freije and Melissa Beer!

Last night after dinner, each group took time to come up with a game plan for the day. It seemed as though each group had the universal decision to start their race by rope dropping Space Mountain. From there both of our groups had the same plan to finish up in Tomorrowland, then move on to Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland. Each group already had Fast Passes for Haunted Mansion, the Seven Dwarves Mine Train, and Jungle Cruise which are all popular rides in the park. Whether or not they took advantage of those Fast Passes was up to each specific group as it was possible to change them for something else.

My (Lindsay's) team decided that our best plan of attack was to go to the shortest lines that we could find on the My Disney Experience app, while trying to finish tasks in the same areas at the same time. We also worked around our already made Fast Passes which worked in our favor for the most part. One thing that also helped our group tremendously was going to rides right when they opened, in hopes to not have to wait as long for rides like Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain.

My (Melissa’s) group’s plan worked well throughout the day, but we had to adjust it a couple times. We did come out on top, and our winning move came with Haunted Mansion. For this ride, we had a FastPass in the afternoon, but since we were allowed to adjust those we decided to catch it at a low wait time. It paid off because while some teams waited in a long line for Big Thunder Mountain, we were able to knock out Haunted Mansion and catch Big Thunder Mountain at a low wait time later in the morning. While part of our success was due to planning, another part of it definitely had to do with some luck when it came to waiting in line. One struggle we had was trying to catch the Liberty Square Riverboats because they only run every half hour. But by 12:30, we were able to do that. From there all we had left was a 20 minute break to finish the competition with a selfie at the statue of Walt and Mickey Mouse in front of the castle.


After Len Testa’s talk with us yesterday, today was an interesting way to look at what truly is the best way to get around the parks. It seems like it pays off more to do everything in one area rather than just chasing the shortest wait times because if one person sees it is low, chances are another person will, too. Regardless of the order everyone finished, all the groups were done by 3 pm. This is pretty impressive for the number of activities we had and made for a very productive day.

Our day ended with a class meeting at Aloha Isle, where our instructors bought us some very yummy Dole Whip! We then discussed what worked and didn't work for each group and also took time to think back on some of our favorite parts of our trip! We shared funny stories and experiences over the last two weeks. While at Aloha Isle, we had a surprise, and we really mean surprise, visit from Captain Jack Sparrow who snuck up behind Lindsay (enjoy the picture below). After a group photo, we had the rest of the night off as groups were able to explore some of their favorite parks and attractions as we wrap up the trip. Our group's (mostly Lindsay's) personal favorite has been Tower of Terror, so we headed over to Hollywood Studios. Before the park closed we hopped on an elevator a couple times where we had a very "in character" cast member who got our heart rates up just a little more than normal.

Tomorrow is our last day in the parks, so we have a free day with a few fast passes reserved if we want to use them. Our goal for tomorrow is to individually come up with and explore aspects of the park that have to do with our majors to see how our individual interests relate to the operations of Disney World. We can't wait for a magical final day!

Signing off,

Lindsay and Melissa

The Knapsack Problem

Good Evening everyone, welcome back to our blog. Today was an exciting, action packed day! Today was one of our two big competitions. We were in a group with our roommates for the trip and had to compete against the other groups to win a prize.

But before we could start our challenge we had the great opportunity to listen to Len Testa. He wrote his graduate thesis on how to optimize his a trip to Disney and now his whole career is based off of that. He co-authors a book called "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" that is updated 4 times a year so it is always as accurate as it can be. Testa looked at the situation from a visitor's perspective; which involves giving rides and attractions value on the one factor that anyone could wrap their head around: wait times. He then went to explain how data is collected for the TouringPlans app that he designed. You could tell by his longer answers and related anecdotes that Len Testa is incredibly passionate about what he does and what he has done. This has been one of my favorite parts of the trip and I am happy we had this opportunity to speak to him.

Now it was time for the big competition we had all been waiting on. The competition is called the knapsack problem. The definition I found explains it like this "The knapsack problem is a problem in optimization. Given a set of items, each with a weight and a value, determine the number of each item to include in a collection so that the total weight is less than or equal to a given limit and the total value is as large as possible". Our problem was a little different we had 5 hours to get in as many rides as we could, but each ride was given a different points value. The weights are found in the picture below. We had to stay as a group and you could ride things multiple times but they were one point less each additional time you rode it.

The race took place as soon as the meeting ended, and boy, did it get intense FAST (haha). We as competing roommates were teasing and talking smack to one another on the way to the bus stop and while waiting for our bus From Animal Kingdom to Hollywood Studios. My(Brady) group started off with watching the MuppetsVision 3D show and once we were done we sang our hearts out at the Frozen Sing-Along. After that we decided to get serious so we went and did Smugglers run and to save time we all went into the single riders line so we didn't get to ride it together. Once we were done with that we had a fast pass for Toy Story mania and then we did Walt Disney Presents real quick. We felt like we had been pretty slow up to this point and we needed to make up some ground so we decided that since Star Tours was only a 10 minute wait that we should ride it three straight times, so we did that. Then to end it we tried Smugglers Run single rider line again and we could basically walk right on so we ended up being able to do that three more times before our time ran out. We ended up with 71 points and a slight headache. 71 was good enough for second place A.K.A first loser so that was disappointing but it was still a fun time. Room Belle (Emily Ketterer, Lauren Spina, Rebecca (Becca) Phillips, and I (Molly Snyder)) rode Rise of the Resistance, Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, MuppetVision 3D, Frozen Sing-Along, and attended the film Walt Disney Presents: One Man's Dream... ending with 44 points total (and coming in last place, but we had fun and took care of ourselves- snack and restroom breaks- in the process). The room of Jessica, Tiffany and Emily won the race! After we were done with that we had pizza as a group then heading back to our rooms.

Tomorrow is filled with more competition as we have the traveling salesman race! Come back tomorrow night to see how that one turns out!

Thanks,

-Molly and Brady

Hidden Gems of Disney

Good evening from Tiffany, Jess, and Emily today! This morning, we started off by going to Animal Kingdom. We had our second Fastpass at Flight of Passage of this trip. This ride continues to get better and better. Each time you have a different experience with it. There is always something new to see, smell, or hear. This ride should be on the top of the list for any new Walt Disney World goers.

After our group Fastpass, we met as a group at Satu’li Canteen for our class. We had not been together as a class for the past two days so we spent some time discussing the different experiences that each group had. Some had stories from Galaxies Edge with characters, free “Minnie” van rides, and much more fun. We were then given the assignment to explore any parks we wanted. We were able to pin trade with Cast Members, look for hidden Mickey’s, and try out fun games like Epcot’s Agent P. We split up into our groups to do these different activities.

After enjoying the morning at Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Epcot for the American Adventure. As we arrived to the theater the Voices of Liberty were preforming. They stand in the center of the room as to make the best of the acoustics. Once the show began, the class payed special attention to the things we were taught during our tour. Mainly we observed the scene changes and how quietly smooth they were. It was a great experience to watch on stage after learning about the show back stage. 

As part of our day, we were on the look out for hidden mickeys in the parks. There are roughly 1,000 hidden mickeys in the entirety of Walt Disney World. A hidden Mickey is just the shape of Mickeys head somewhere in the parks that you don’t necessarily easily see and have to search for. Some examples include a Mickey made of rocks in the Epcot aquarium, in the animal kingdom pebbles surrounding drains on the concrete and within the French horn of Magic Kingdoms PhilharMagic show. The smallest hidden Mickey is located near the flying carpets of Aladdin and the largest is made out of solar panels outside the parks. All in all, hidden mickeys add a nice touch of magic to your day!

Along with hidden mickeys we were also instructed to pin trade! Every cast member working in merchandising and some custodians have a lanyard of pins that they are able to trade with guests in the parks. Today, we made trades with at least 3 different cast members and found some unique pins. One student found a hidden mickey pin, meaning it is a cast member exclusive! Pin trading added some fun to our day as we walk between attractions and personally give me something to look forward to.

Tomorrow we are set to meet up with Len Testa, an analytics expert. He develops touring plans to avoid the busiest days at the parks and allow for time to do all the tasks his clients want to complete. We will then go to Hollywood Studios and compete in a knapsack challenge problem. We were given a sheet with a list of rides in the park and each one has a different point value. The goal is to get the most points of any group in the time allotted. Keep up with tomorrow’s blog to find out how it went!

-Emily, Tiffany, and Jess

A Day at Batuu

Hello all, today has been a day! It began by 2 rooms meeting at the bus stop around 5:50am so that we could arrive early enough to Hollywood Studios to obtain a Rise of the Resistance boarding pass. Upon arrival to the park, many people had beat us in line and made the anxiety about getting that pass increase. Once the clock hit 7am we all refreshed the app and ended up with pass 75 and 90.

Due to the fact that we were already in the park early, as a group we rode the Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Rollercoaster with minimal waits. Those rides both rock!

For our assignment, we have to explore the Star Wars themed area and build up a reputation. Batuu, the Star Wars area, looks just like the movie. Again, Disney didn’t miss any details when creating this interactive land. Even the interactive Play Disney app has games to play while you’re waiting in line or waking around the land! But watch out because the storm troopers are keeping an eye on things for the First Order!

Throughout the day, people rode rides such as slinky dog and attended shows like the Muppet Vision 3D and Indiana Jones Stunt Show. This was all done while waiting for our turn to board The Rise of the Resistance, which we rode around 4 pm. The ride was incredibly immersive and just as I imagined it to be! Perfect for any Star Wars lover! It included a simulation, a trip on a first order ship, and a ride vehicle to allow your escape! Characters such as Rey, Kylo REN and Fin are all present as well!

The focus attraction for tomorrow is the Avatar Ride of Passage in Pandora inside Animal Kingdom. We will be pin trading with the cast members, as well as searching the many rides and attractions for hidden Mickeys around the park. These are both very interactive activities that will keep us occupied for the rest of our day. Be sure to read our blog tomorrow to see how our day turned out!

-Emily and Jess

The Magic Behind The Magic

On day 10 in the most magical place on Earth, our class divided into two different groups. One went on the Backstage Magic Tour that takes guests behind the scenes, while the other group spent the day at Hollywood Studios exploring what the Star Wars attractions, specifically the Rise of the Resistance, have to offer. Today’s tales will be told by Lindsay Freije and Melissa Beer, who were able to experience the behind the scenes tour.

The first stop on our journey began with a 7:30 am bus ride over to EPCOT, where we met our tour guides Jenessa and Ashlyn. The tour began as we went behind the Cast Members Only sign into the backstage area. At Disney, anywhere that guests can see cast members in costumes or in a show is considered onstage while the space where all the work happens is considered backstage. Here, we boarded a bus that took us around EPCOT's perimeter road to the World Showcase. The focus of this stop was the American Pavilion where we were able to learn how the American Adventure Show operates. We saw a machine that changed the scenes in this show by lifting specific one on stage and then once they were done with them, the scenes were pushed to the back of the building by the upcoming scene. The American Adventure also demonstrates Disney World's use of audio animatronics, which is essentially bringing robotic figures to life. We found out some surprising facts and tools used in this specific area. First off, Disney often uses forced perspective to make something appear smaller or bigger than it actually is. Tall windows and carefully laid brick make the American Pavilion appear two stories tall with an attic while it is actually much bigger. In fact, there are even parts you cannot see outside as the American Pavilion has ground built around the bottom level putting it on a slight hill since in Florida you cannot really build into the ground. At Disney, attention to detail is always present and can be found in the American Adventure show through the scene with the Declaration of Independence. On the ground, there are crumpled papers to show the ones never used, and these papers are in fact rough draft versions of the Declaration of Independence even though the audience does not see this and would never know. Details like this one are what make Walt Disney World so special.

Our next stop on our tour was backstage in one of Disney's main costuming facilities. This stop was extremely interesting, as we were able to see how almost all of Disney's costumes are made. We started out again looking into how detailed Disney gets but this time with their costumes. We were shown a dress and then asked who it was made for. We all immediately knew that this dress was for the famous Disney princess Ariel, yet this dress was never actually worn by her in the movie or anywhere else. How then did we know this was her dress? The answer to that is simple as there were many intricate details like a starfish necklace, tool at the bottom of the dress that resembled fish netting, and even just the color scheme of the dress (Ariel's signature colors green and purple) that are meant to tell Ariel's story in the dress. Moving on in the costume department, we were able to see things like an embroidery machine in action, many people hand sewing new costumes, and the reference wall that costume designers can look at when they need inspiration on a new costume. One fact that we learned during the tour was that most of Disney's costumes are not allowed to leave Disney property, specifically entertainment ones. There are many ways that these costumes are taken care of and distributed across the parks, with laundry services that do 2.5 million pounds of laundry per week. Costumes then go anywhere from EPCOT to Animal Kingdom, which happened to be our next stop.

Halfway through the day, we stopped for a deliciously unique lunch at Tiffin’s in Animal Kingdom. We enjoyed our choice of tuna, steak, or chicken, followed by a sweet and spicy cheesecake. On the way to our next stop, we went around the property of Animal Kingdom and learned about how well the park cares for the real animals that live there. They abide by the standards of zoos and even surpass them. After lunch, we were able to see the backstage workings of Disney World's most complex light show, the River of Light Show in Animal Kingdom. We were able to watch this show last week as a class, so we had a basic understanding of what goes on. In this show, there are lotus flowers as well as animals that are made on barges uses beautiful colors and lights. One of the techs who works on the show explained how they make everything work from a control room, ensuring everything goes right and troubleshooting any issues along the way. These barges drive like drones rather than a typical boat and weigh between 20,000 and 35,000 pound each, except for the largest lotus that weighs over 100,000 pounds. Everything in the show is done through the software and networks, but when something goes wrong, the techs are there and can use handheld devices to drive the barges manually. We were able to see one of the techs doing testing while we were there to prepare for the show later in the night. Again in the Animal Kingdom we saw how much time and effort goes into producing the magic that guests are able to enjoy.

Our next stop was to a warehouse where attractions are created, inspected, repaired, and maintained. Disney World puts a lot of care into the safety of their guests with regularly scheduled maintenance on every part of every attraction. Each attraction is brought in, taken completely apart, inspected, and then put back together to look exactly the same as before, so guests can be sure they are in good hands. Once again we see that Disney does nothing halfway, especially when it concerns the quality of a guest's experience. Another part of this section was getting to see once again the use of animatronics. In Disney, they use either plastisol, silicon, or hot melt to bring the robotic figures to life. Silicon is used in many modern attractions like the Na'vi River Journey to make figures look fluid and realistic. The movements of the newer attractions are much different than they were in the beginning, like with the birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room, which were the first uses of animatronics. Their motions are much more robotic and stiff. After the birds though Disney created an Abraham Lincoln for the New York World's Fair that could go from a sitting position to a standing one, and this blew people's mind and opened the door for the technology we see today.

Our final stop on the tour was "under" the Magic Kingdom. We went to what cast members call the utilidoor, combining the word utility and corridor. It feels like you are underground; however, once again because of the land of Florida, Magic Kingdom was actually built up, so this space would actually be the main level. This area looks very different from the magic you see on Main Street USA or in Fantasyland because this space is all about efficiency and doing what needs to be done. Cast members of the Magic Kingdom are dropped off about a mile from the entrance and then take a bus. They then use the "tunnels" to get to their area of the Magic Kingdom. Part of the magic comes from each themed land staying true to their story, so cast members must not be seen outside of their area, which is why the tunnels are so important. Since the tunnels are more confusing than the circular nature of the actual theme park, there are maps as well as color codes for each area. For example, when you are under Main Street USA, the walls are a burgundy and blue but change for other areas. The intricacy in the behind the scenes is amazing. Every detail is worked out from emergency procedures to the trash system where a member of the custodial staff gets a notification on their phone from the trash cans’ censors that it needs emptied. Disney thrives off of detail.

Throughout the tour, we learned that even though Walt Disney passed away at the very beginning of the Florida project, with the help of his brother Roy, many of his ideas and his spirit were what brought everything to life. Since our trip focuses on imagineering, this tour was a great way to see this in play. People in jobs from art to design to engineering can be considered imagineers. It is about people with all different talents and backgrounds who put the time, effort, and detail into Disney World coming together to make it the most magical place on earth. Today, our tour ended around 4 pm so most of us split off to enjoy dinner and an early evening after the day's activities. Tomorrow we get to switch with the other group, as we get to leave our hotel around 6 am to get to Hollywood Studios to try and get a boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance! Hopefully, the group that gets to go on the tour tomorrow enjoys it as much as we did today!

Lindsay Freije and Melissa Beer

Day 9: Welcome Foolish Mortal Beings

Hello from our 9th day here at Disney World. We started our day off with a speaker who came in and taught us about some of the technology used on the Haunted Mansion. We learned about how they make it look like there are ghosts flying in the air and objects floating by using different two-way mirrors and screens. After learning about some of this technology we went and rode the ride as a class. For the rest of the day our assignment was to find other rides that used the same technology. The class split up into our room groups and started exploring. One of the other technologies that our group compared was the Pepper's Ghost in the ballroom scene. That technology is also used in the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, when Pooh falls asleep and has an out of the body experience.

After we finished our assignment we went to lunch at the Wilderness Lodge as a class. We had all we can eat skillets and milk shakes. We did more than just eating at the restaurant, we also had some fun with ketchup. There was a competition of who could stack the most ketchup without falling. The contest was cut short when the next table requested ketchup and we had to give it away. We all ate so much food that most of us had to take an afternoon nap before our night activities. Some of us went to the pool and others continued exploring the parks for the night.

Tomorrow is another exciting day for our groups. One group will be doing a backstage tour that will take up most of their day while the second group will be waking up early to ensure a boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios.

- Rebecca Phillips and Lauren Spina

Day 8: Appreciation vs Appropriation

Greetings everyone! We have all been busy at Epcot today. However, it was not the easiest to get to. The Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is still continuing. Today was the half marathon at 5:30 a.m. These runners go throughout Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and the roadways that connect them. This has made the transportation much slower and backed up to make sure all the runners are safe. Plenty of time was needed to get to each location. This will also be the case tomorrow while the full marathon is going on.

First, Tiffany and Jess’s day started off with a breakfast buffet at The Crystal Palace. Here, we were treated to all we could eat foods such as puffed french toast, Mickey shaped waffles, eggs, bacon, and much more. During our meal, we were greeted by Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. The food was superb and the characters were adorable. We then took the monorail over to Epcot.

On our way to the class meeting, we were lucky enough to catch a show by the JAMMitors. These are three men who are dressed as regular Disney janitors, but they then go on to perform a show. They use tin trash cans, brushes, plungers, and other cleaning supplies to put on a percussion performance. They were full of energy and amazing performers.

During our class meeting at the Electric Umbrella in Epcot, we discussed culture within the world showcase; paying close attention to cultural appreciation vs appropriation. Classmates shared information about their readings including some Disney classics such as Hercules, Frozen and Moana. The class learned that with enough attention to cultural details, understanding of the culture and time around the culture, Disney is able to create films that accurately portray cultures and educate their audience.

After our meeting, our class activity was to explore the World Showcase pavilions and relate that back to cultural appreciation and appropriation. Most groups rode Three Caballeros found in the Mexico pavilion, visited a Japanese museum displaying their pop culture and watched a movie about America in the American pavilion. We also made observations about how Disney displays alcohol in the parks. Groups decided that alcohol is a large part of some cultures and is needed to immerse guests into the pavilion. Countries such as Germany and Italy consume beer and wine respectively during meals and social events quite regularly. But, Disney is able to keep the alcohol from ruining the magical experience for the children and still accurately portray culture of multiple countries.

Once class was complete for the day, groups were able to split up! Groups either went back to the pool to swim, relax and pick up our second Amazon order of food, or went to Hollywood Studios to ride the Tower of Terror among other things. One of the class instructors, Brad Jones, rode Toy Story Mania this evening with a FastPass+ that he arranged himself this morning. Emily, Jess and Tiffany were able to ride Slinky Dog Dash prior to the park closing!

We will be traveling to Magic Kingdom tomorrow. Our class starts at 7:30 a.m. to learn about how the Haunted Mansion using illusions to trick guests in each room of the mansion. After our class, we will then ride the Haunted Mansion as a group to see how each of these illusions are used in the ride. We will be able to see the use of these tricks throughout different rides in the parks. Thank you for keeping up with the blog!

-Jess and Tiffany

Day 7: 10k and a Free Day

Hello from the All-Star Movies Resort from some very exhausted students. Today was our free day to choose what we wanted to do with our time, but that did not mean it was not still a busy day. No specific class activities or meetings were done, but students enjoyed their day through out different parks and resorts.

One student, Tiffany Houston, along with Dr. Fonstad had an early and productive morning. They both woke up around 3:00 a.m. to take part in the 10K race. A 10K is equivalent to 6.2 miles, which is a lot for 5:30 a.m. when the race began. This race is a part of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, which includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon. The Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is in its 27th year of existence. During the race, runners were able to take photos with characters, such as Abu from Aladdin or Pinocchio. In just the 10K from this morning, the total number of finishers were 12572 people, 5186 men and 7386 women. Tiffany and Dr. Fonstad were even able to meet Minnie Mouse after the race was complete.

Another group of students also were awake rather early. They decided to go to Hollywood Studios to try to get into a boarding group for the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance. This ride has been very popular since it’s opening in December 2019. Boarding groups are used instead of the regular FastPass system to help alleviate some of the crowds. You have to be inside the park when it opens in hopes of getting into a boarding group. Luckily, every student who went was able to get into a boarding group. They then enjoyed the ride later in the day when the time came for their group to go into Galaxy's Edge for the ride.

After an early morning for most of the group, the class decided to do a multitude of activities. Some of them spent the day by the pool while others went shopping at Disney Springs. We both went to Disney Springs and ate dinner at Guy Fieri's Restaurant, Chicken Guy. All of the students got chicken tenders and they were superb! The sauces are unmatched by anything we have eaten so far on this trip. The Disney Springs group all thoroughly enjoyed their dinners before heading back to the hotel for a good night's rest.

Tomorrow, we will go as a class to explore the World Showcase in Epcot. We will be discussing during class time Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation. We will tour the different countries and discover what all of their cultures have to offer in terms of uniqueness and individuality. We will also be riding Test Track and Mission: Space tomorrow as a class. Make sure to keep up with this blog as we continue our magical journey through the wonderful world of Disney.

-Emily and Tiffany

Day 6: RFID and the Magic Bands

Ah, another wonderful morning at the All- Star Movies Resort at The Most Magical Place On Earth. Today we had a 7:30am meeting. In our meeting, we covered not only how Disney World incorporates easy-to-use RFID technology into their hotels, rides and other park attractions, but we also covered where places like Disney World should draw a line between amusement and invasion of privacy. For example, the hitchhiking ghosts in The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square of the Magic Kingdom ride used to target riders with information like their home states, but the ride no longer does that. RFID technology (with the Magic Bands) does collect and track information from different groups (like age, gender, etc.) but solely for using psychology to improve the amusement experience for visitors and maximize profits. Believe it or not, Disney was not the first or only place to use RFID Technology; in fact, Great Wolf Lodge, and larger community colleges and their sports teams also have integrated the idea of using RFID Technology to improve student attendance in classes, and for instructors to know where they are when they are not in class when they should be.

Before we start talking about how Disney uses RFID technology, we should first talk about what it is and what it means. RFID stands for radio frequency identification; this is a way to track objects without the use of GPS, or The Global Positioning System that other electronic devices use. Last night, we were split into two groups. One read about RFID technology specifically in Disney while the other group read about different ways that colleges and universities have used RFID with their students. This morning, we met at outside of our hotel rooms at a place called The Reel Spot to discuss this information with each other and prepare for a day of studying this technology.


Our first encounter with RFID was when we scanned our Magic Bands to get into Magic Kingdom. Soon after that, we scanned our bands again to redeem our Fastpasses at Space Mountain. The highlight of the day, however, was our lunch reservations for the Be Our Guest restaurant in Belle's Castle. We were fortunate enough to score seats for each of us in the forbidden west wing from Beauty and The Beast. Although dark, this room had many decorations, including a projection of Beast's withering rose.
Other decorations included a torn portrait of the Beast in this human prince form; the other walls were also lined with torn tapestries and electronic candles that flickered in queue with the periodic thunder and lightning sound affects that set the mood of that portion of the castle. One of the most unique things about this restaurant is not its decor, though; it is the incorporation of RFID technology into its everyday service. When we entered the castle, we were told to take a seat wherever we would like, rather than guide us to a seat as most dining establishments do. Our food still arrived at our table, as if the waitress knew where we were. This is possible because Disney uses the RFID chip on customers' Magic Bands to locate where each order needs to go.


After lunch and before meeting with Doug Blemker, my roommates and I (Molly) went to ride the classic It's A Small World ride, and the farewell screen at the end acknowledge one of my roommates, Emily Ketterer by name from the information from her RFID Magic Band. The four of us also rode a few more rides and took a break at Gaston's Tavern, one of the lunch/snack stops near the Be Our Guest Restaurant where we all ordered Le Fou's Brew. Despite the name, it is the tavern's signature 'non- alcoholic beverage that consists of a blend of frozen Minute Maid apple juice and toasted marshmallow flavoring, and topped with all natural passion fruit mango foam' as generally described on the menu above the ordering counters, or on the Disney website or My Disney Experience app. It was personally not my favorite beverage; then again, apple isn't my favorite fruit. But it wasn't bad and I personally have no regrets in taking a chance and trying it anyway. I would still recommend trying it nonetheless, because who knows? Even if you don't think you might like a new food or beverage, and you at least try it, you might actually end up liking it.

Our class assignment for today was to find different ways that Disney uses the Magic Bands for things like shopping, hotel keys, tickets, and Photopass pictures. Groups wandered around the park searching for these features around them. This was not the conclusion of our RFID experience, though. Doug Blemker, a Franklin College grad and current employee at Walt Disney World, was kind enough to talk to our group about what he does on a daily basis and how he uses RFID technology in his daily life. One of the things he does frequently is organize times and places for characters in costume to come out. Each of Disney's character costumes are equipped with an RFID tag, to ensure that there are not multiple Mickeys walking around the same part of the park at the same time!

Tomorrow, we have the freedom to travel to anywhere on Walt Disney property that we wish. A large group of us are going to wake early to seek boarding passes on the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride while others are going to run in one of Disney's marathons. Still, others will take this opportunity to catch up on laundry and sleep. Regardless of what everyone chooses, tomorrow is bound to be a great day!

~Trey Jones and Molly Snyder

Day 5: Lines, Lines, Lines, and more Lines

Hello from All Star Movies in Walt Disney World Florida. Today was our second day at Magic Kingdom and our assignment was to learn to how different rides contained different activities in the queues for the riders to enjoy while they wait. Two preset groups were paired together for this assignment. What was going to be our first line was the line for the bus to Magic Kingdom. However, we thought it was too long that we decided to go to Epcot and took the monorail from there to Magic Kingdom. It most likely ended up being longer, but hey, more lines to wait in.

The first ride we all rode together was Pirates of the Caribbean with every student on the trip, and we got a lovely group photo on the ride. 

The first queue that our group waited in was for Peter Pan's Flight. The wait was 75 minutes, but with the Disney Play App it did not feel like it. The app offered many games such as pictionary, fun questions, and helping Tinker Bell find items in the Darling's bedroom. Also in the Darling's bedroom, Tinker Bell can be found flying around the room and shadows are casted on the wall and you can interact with the shadows on the wall. The 75 minute wait went by quickly because of the interactive queue and the Disney Play App keeping us busy. 

Each group had to ride three rides that included queues to interact with. The rides our group chose to ride were Peter Pan's Flight, Under the Sea, and Dumbo. The purpose of this was to see how Disney has used psychology research to help them understand what kids are feeling when they are waiting in lines. They understand that by making the queues interactive it makes the wait time seem much shorter than it actually is, people are very impatient and Disney would lose business if their customers were too bored to come back. The other group chose to ride Under the Sea, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Dumbo. As a class we all rode Seven Dwarfs then we separated again and did our own things. Some of us continued exploring in Magic Kingdom and met Mickey and others went to Hollywood Studios and explored rides there. 

Tonight is Magic hours in Magic Kingdom, so there are many of us who are using this opportunity to explore and see what the park is like after hours and spend more time riding our favorite rides. Tomorrow we will be returning to Magic Kingdom to learn more about how our magic bands use technology to track us throughout the parks to maintain park efficiency. 

- Rebecca Phillips and Lauren Spina

Day 4: Planting the Seeds for Storytelling

Greetings!

The class returned to EPCOT today, and this time we got to explore how the park makes science fun and understandable for everyone.

Our main activity for the day was to explore the Land and the Seas pavilions in Future World and discover how Disney uses science to tell stories. The Land pavilion is home to two rides: Soarin’ Around the World and Living with the Land. Soarin’ takes guests on a trip around the world to places like Africa and Paris, France. Not only is the ride fun, but you also get to see (and smell) different places around the world. Also, Living with the Land is a great example of how Disney uses entertainment to teach its guests science. This relaxing boat ride takes guests through different types of lands, like a forest and farmlands, before going through EPCOT’s actual working greenhouses where biotechnology is used to grow plants that are used in the parks. The food grown in the greenhouses is used at the two restaurants at the Living with the Land pavilion and at restaurants in the other parks. Some of the food grown is even used to feed animals at Animal Kingdom. Guests are immersed in this scientific experience without even realizing it, whether they are enjoying the attractions or grabbing a bite to eat.

Next we visited the Seas. There we explored EPCOT’s huge aquarium which had fish, dolphins, sharks and sting rays. We also did Turtle Talk with Crush from “Finding Nemo.” This is one great example of Disney does a great job at integrating its own fictional world with the education of real marine life. Kids get to talk to Crush about what it’s like to be a sea turtle and Crush gets to ask questions about humans. Crush really talks to the audience so this experience was super fun, interactive and educational. At the end of the show, Crush reminded guests to be kind to the ocean–– I thought that was a nice touch. After that, we looked at the aquarium more, and went the manatee tank where a Disney cast member fed the manatee lettuce and talked about the species. Throughout the rest of the Seas, there are signs next to the marine life associating them with Finding Nemo characters with facts about each animal, and the Finding Nemo ride also places projections of these beloved characters like Nemo, Dory and Marlin in the tanks with the real fish.

Another big class activity for today was the 'Behind the Seeds Tour' at EPCOT. On this tour, our tour guide talked about three methods of growing crops, apart from planting them in traditional soil. One of these methods is called hydroponics, and it uses minerals from water to nourish the plant. Aquaponics is very similar to hydroponics, except that live fish populate the water; the fish waste is then converted to nitrogen to trigger more efficient crop growth to the above plants. My (Trey) personal favorite, however, called aeroponics, suspends plants from a beam and allows the root system to be exposed to open air and absorb nutrients from it. Although aeroponics (pictured below) is not yet as practical or efficient as the other two, Disney has partnered with NASA to experiment with the future of this process as it may be used in a longstanding space mission.

Another aspect of the tour that I found very interesting was the fact that Disney has found a way to fit more fish into less space. This may sound cruel at first, but constant exposure to red light has been scientifically proven to be calming to people. Disney applied this knowledge to their animals by placing a red tarp as the roof of the building that houses their fish. Due to the tarp, the sunlight that shines through will shine red, rather than its natural color, causing the fish to feel more comfortable in their environment. The fish pictured below are tilapia, and today we were given the chance to feed them. As they were being fed, we learned that tilapia produce one pound of meat for every pound of food consumed. This one-to-one ratio is extremely efficient, which make tilapia popular among fish farmers like the ones in EPCOT.

                               

In addition to all of these interesting processes that provide hope for the future, we studied our past on Spaceship Earth. This ride, located in the EPCOT geosphere, took us back in time when early humans were first learning to communicate, record information, discover mathematics, and eventually invent the computer. The ride left us with the inspiration that we are capable of creating our own future. Speaking of the future, tomorrow, we will study queuing and wait times at Magic Kingdom. We will look at different techniques Disney uses to make waiting in line more tolerable and discuss some of the rides that use these techniques.


~Trey Jones and Emily Ketterer