Day 2: Modeling and Epcot

Morning:
Hi, everyone, Caroline and Jamie here! Today we had our first full day in Florida, and we began bright and early exploring some of the math aspects of Math and the Mouse. We spent the morning learning about the basics of Operations Research (OR) Modeling. This form of modeling seeks to accomplish a main objective under a certain set of constraints. For example, a bakery would seek to optimize profits with the constraints of limited ingredients or time. At Disney, OR Modeling is used to design incredibly detailed schedules for the cast members in the parks, who often are moving every 15-30 minutes. After looking at several examples of different OR Modeling problems, we split into groups to solve some problems on our own. One of the problems we examined in detail was the Knapsack Problem, which seeks to fit as many items as possible, with the greatest utility, or usefulness, in a set space. Later in the day, we learned that this problem would be a critical part of tomorrow's activity. After working through and presenting the problems, we set out for Epcot.

The required photo in front of the Daisy Duck topiary

Epcot:
Our first stop at Epcot was in the big sphere itself, as we experienced Spaceship Earth. Soon, we moved to the much more exciting Test Track. We were a little parched after Test Track, so we went to the Coca-Cola Club Cool, where Dr. Harris and Dr. Hutson convinced several unsuspecting students to try the infamous drink Beverly. Luckily, the Flower and Garden Festival is going on currently, and there were many great exhibits and unique stops, including a Butterfly Garden.

Some of the beautiful flowers in the Butterfly Garden

Our next stop took us to the relaxing and almost sleep-inducing Journey into Imagination and The Seas with Nemo and Friends rides, though we did enjoy the air conditioning and seeing a dolphin. Following our time at the rides, we received our assignment for tomorrow, and split into our groups to formulate plans. From here, our smaller groups split up to see more of what Epcot had to offer.

Caroline:

After quickly finishing our project, my group decided to take advantage of the dinnertime short ride lines. Johanna and I had a great time on Mission Space and then enjoyed the quick wait for a second run on Test Track. After we had our fill of rides, we set out for the World Showcase, but not before I had my very first Dole Whip. We slowly made our way through all the pavilions, and ate our way through quite a few of them. We ended up enjoying teriyaki beef at Japan, gelato at Italy, and funnel cakes just in time for Illuminations. Even though Dr. Bouzarth assured me that the pavilions had not been renovated recently, I couldn't help but feel that they were so much bigger than when I last visited Disney! I could easily spend an hour in each pavilion, exploring the various shops and restaurants. Illuminations was just as exciting as I remembered, and was a great way to close out another day in Disney.

The Italy Pavilion, home to gelato and delicious food 

Jamie:
After a more tedious attempt at strategy, my group also went to Mission Space. While I was a bit queasy afterwards, it was quite fun.  Following that, we began our tour of the countries. We stopped for fish and chips in England, Bratwurst in Germany, and churros in Mexico. The national pavilions are fantastic with a variety of sights and tastes unique to each one. Following our walk, we regrouped with the others to watch Illuminations, a spectacular display of laser optics and pyrotechnics that left our ears ringing and our eyes dazzled. After so much excitement, we took the long slow walk back to the van to get some much needed beauty sleep.

The Illuminations Finale

Written by:

Caroline

Jamie