Math and the Mouse 2026: Day 6: (Don't) Run to Finish a Rollercoaster of a Race

Hi everybody, and happy Magic Kingdom Race Day!

As Luke and Connor mentioned in yesterday’s post, we were tasked with finding the fastest way to make it through 12 Magic Kingdom attractions, and today we got to test out our plans. Each group used projected wait times, attraction duration, distance between attractions, and some good old fashioned Disney magic to inform their decisions. One graph, pictured below, demonstrates just how complicated this gets, even when just comparing walk time between attractions!

After a short monorail ride, the groups made their way to their chosen Rope Drop locations. Interestingly enough, all of the student groups rode Jungle Cruise first, despite our varying methods of determining our route. After this initial meetup, speed walking (NO RUNNING!) and calculated choices led each group on their own path to our finishing spot. Some groups followed their initial itinerary quite closely, while others deviated almost immediately. Once every group finished, the professors treated us to some celebratory (or consolation) Dole Whip. Win or lose, everybody had a great time engaging in some friendly competitive spirit.

Stay tuned for the results of our competition! The group with the fastest time is currently enjoying their bragging rights and will be featured on an upcoming blog post by the professors.

After a very long day of running around Magic Kingdom, everybody returned to the hotel for a little rest and relaxation before returning to work. A few people even decided to beat the heat by jumping into the hotel pool!

However we each decided to reset from the day’s activities, we all gathered after dinner for a post-park debrief. First, we learned what worked (and didn’t work) for the winning team, and then we discussed our methods for planning our itineraries.

(The day definitely took its toll on everyone involved)

Finally, we learned how actual trip itineraries are planned using computer modeling and real-time data. This lesson previewed our activities for tomorrow, where we will meet with professional data analyst and CEO of Touring Plans Len Testa, our first guest speaker. We wrapped up the day with some group work time to prepare for our Mickey Bar presentations that are coming up tomorrow!

Fun Facts from Race Day:

Aidan, Julia, and Mara’s group ate a combined 5 Uncrustables waiting in line today!

Ashton, Isabella, and Tram got stuck on rides 4 times throughout the day, and Ashton also drank zero ounces of water for the entire seven hours of competition.