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!
- 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 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!"
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