Time Flies When You're Having Fun... With Math!

Hello! It’s Johanna and Alex here. We can’t believe that we only have nine days left in our Math and the Mouse adventure and can't wait to share another day's worth.

Mind your P's and "Queues"

Johanna's group presenting their winning strategy

We were given a late start to the day, and while some of us used it to catch up on sleep, others used it to put the last touches on our second project. We started our day out by giving presentations of our genetic algorithm projects. My group (Johanna) had the shortest optimal path, making it around ten of Magic Kingdom’s biggest attractions in just 284 minutes. All the groups had fun coming up with different algorithms to try to figure out the best path. It was interesting to see that all three groups had some close similarities and big differences in their approaches. After our presentations, we learned about queuing theory, which is the mathematics behind lines at places as fantastic as Disney and as ordinary as grocery stores. Because there are so many opportunities to wait in line at Disney, it is directly applicable to what we have witnessed in the parks. Queuing theory basically uses throughput, total number of people in the line at the start of the period, and the probability of a person entering or exiting the line in that period to calculate the wait time. 

At the end of class, we all discussed our initial data collection from the parks yesterday. From this we brainstormed ideas for final projects. In the end, we split into three groups, each group focusing on a project idea of their choice. In some way or another, all of us are using queuing theory as part of our projects. Both of us are in the same group, and we are studying the wait lines for various Disney characters throughout the parks. We found interest in this project after noticing the high demand for some characters and how families (including ourselves) were turned away after a certain point. Other groups are studying single rider lines or how efficient the FastPass line is compared to the standby line. These projects are still in the works, so tune in later for more details!

Hollywood Studios

We took time from collecting data to take one goofy picture

In the afternoon, the group headed to Hollywood Studios for more data collection and a little free time. At the beginning, many of us split up in the single rider line at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to collect data. Some data we wrote down in line were the actual wait time in the single rider line (from start to finish) and the party numbers going on to the ride. While many of us got great data (some of us went through multiple times), the group didn't let our FastPasses go to waste! Today we used FastPasses for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours, all of the group's favorites. 

I (Johanna) along with three others in our group had a very eclectic afternoon. After riding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, we collected queuing data on Sophia the First and Jake the Neverland Pirate in the Disney Junior section of Hollywood Studios. We spent a relaxing afternoon wandering around the park, going through all the gift shops to find souvenirs for our families. We also rode Toy Story Mania and saw The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, where I discovered that Ursula is just as terrifying now as she was when I was little. 

Some of the best ice cream sandwiches around!

Show ready with the Mickey hat atop my head

I (Alex) and a few others had an afternoon full of Disney Princesses! After collecting data and riding some of the thrill rides, we saw Beauty and the Beast Live, Frozen Sing-a-Long, and The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It's not surprising that we were all singing classic Disney songs for the rest of the night. To top it off a few of us even treated ourselves to ice cream sandwiches which were bigger than our hands! We've made a goal to try and finish an entire one by the end of this trip (probably a lot easier said then done). I also used some of the afternoon to practice for my Fantasmic audition for Mickey Mouse, which has now become my career goal ever since seeing the show!

Look who spotted Chewbacca!

The Star Wars fanatics in the group used time after collecting data to explore the new Star Wars area and even get a photo with Chewbacca. We stayed in the park until closing and ended the day with watching the Star Wars themed fireworks show. Even after watching it again, the fireworks never cease to amaze us!

Big News for Dr. Bouzarth!

Congratulations to Dr. Bouzarth who received tenure today! In honor of her huge accomplishment, the group gave her a personalized movie clapperboard from Hollywood Studios so that she could remember the day. We all signed it at the park and presented it to her at the end of the evening. We are all so lucky to have amazing professors leading this experience and giving us memories of a lifetime.

Written By:

Alex Doxey

Johanna Swab