tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15442796324404140752024-03-18T20:30:33.798-07:00Math and the Mouse 2022Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-46772116721370941692022-06-04T06:14:00.003-07:002022-06-04T06:14:57.716-07:00A Final Reflection<p>As Math and the Mouse 2022 comes to an end, we, the professors, would like to wrap up the experience by describing and emphasizing the academic components in the course. </p><p>As the world becomes more data-centric and quantitative, understanding how industries use mathematics in the decision-making process is important in terms of preparing the students for the future. This course was an introduction to that very topic.</p><p>The content of the course was divided into three parts: (i) data analytics, (ii) optimization modeling and algorithm design, and (iii) dealing with uncertainty. Not only did the students learn about these areas from us, but the students also met with professionals from Disney (and other companies) who work in these areas. Over the course of just three weeks, the students encountered material that appears in a variety mathematics courses at Furman (MTH 151—Calculus II, MTH 160—Vectors and Matrices, MTH 250—Multivariable Calculus, MTH 330—Combinatorics and Graph Theory, MTH 335—Mathematical Modeling, MTH 337—Operations Research, MTH 340—Probability, MTH 341—Mathematical Statistics, MTH 345—Statistical Modeling). Prior experience with these courses varied from student to student, and we hope that exposure to the ideas served as both reinforcement and motivation.</p><p>We started the course by introducing the students to some foundational topics in data analytics. Two problems we worked on heavily were the classification problem and the prediction problem. Given a data set, the classification problem asks one to partition or cluster the data into different segments. For example, the current Genie system that Disney designed recommends attractions based on survey characteristics of users. Recommendation systems, in general, will try to make recommendations to users based on how similar a user’s characteristics are to other users. The prediction problem involves the use of past data to forecast a future result. For instance, Disney might try to predict how much a family with certain characteristics will spend in the parks each day. Our students’ first project involved using a process called “k-means clustering” to pinpoint where to put a mobile Mickey Bar stand throughout the day to interact with the highest traffic areas of the park. The process was a huge success. The students worked very hard, and their presentation to Disney professionals on this project was fantastic! </p><p>The second main topic in the course was optimization modeling and algorithm design. The students learned to model real-world optimization problems such as those involving logistics, scheduling, and resource allocation. These types of problems are not only applicable to Disney’s operations but serve as foundational material for professionals working in the areas of industrial and systems engineering and operations management. The students completed a sophisticated and difficult modeling project that involved assigning workers to shifts at Yak & Yeti (a restaurant in Animal Kingdom) in such a way that the demand throughout the day was satisfied. Although the problem was much smaller than ones solved by Disney, the concepts learned by students through the project were the essential concepts any company uses to schedule workers. The students did a great job on this challenging project, and their presentation to Disney on this project was better than a lot of professional conference presentations the professors have heard.</p><p>Once the students learned how to form a mathematical model, we showed them how to exploit the mathematical structure present in their created models to design algorithms to produce optimal (or near optimal) solutions. For fun, we designed in-park competitions to help the students explore algorithms to search for optimal solutions to their optimization models. The first activity was the Traveling Tourist activity where the students tried to solve an instance of the Time-Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem by finding a tour of 14 different Epcot attractions that took the shortest amount of time to complete. This is the same problem that companies like Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and touringplans.com solve on a daily basis. We enjoyed watching the students discover well-known heuristic algorithms that industry professionals use to produce solutions to this problem. After the contest, the students were able to interact with Len Testa (President of Touring Plans), and they gained a better understanding of how Testa’s company designs algorithms to solve the Disney touring problem for its customers. The second algorithm design activity was a seating problem that Disney faces: how to efficiently fill a ride vehicle based on the guests that appear in the queue. This is known as an online bin packing problem, and the students used an app, designed by Craig Bouzarth (Liz’s dad), to seat a queue of numbers into seats on Tower of Terror. Students were delighted to hear one of the Disney professionals describe a similar app that was developed to help Disney employees seat people on the Star Tours ride. </p><p>In the final stage of the course, we introduced students to some basic concepts in probability and statistics. These topics helped to reinforce the idea that most models are imperfect, since inputs to these models often have high variability and are not always known with certainty. We discussed how Disney and other companies use simulation to test different possible cases that could arise from models as the likelihood of the inputs of the models change. Almost every activity we worked on in the class, from the Traveling Tourist Problem to the Tower of Terror Bin Packing Problem, asked the students to deal with uncertainty. Using expected wait times or average party size is good in forecasting a decision, but the day-to-day variability that is encountered in most business scenarios force real-time decisions to made that may be different from expected. The biggest random process that the students encountered in the course is standing in queues. We showed the students how to simulate a queue in order to discover expected wait times and queue lengths. Each of the final projects that students worked on interacted in some way with the variability of throughputs of rides or queue wait times. </p><p>Speaking of final projects, let us describe the four wonderful (student-designed) projects that were the culmination of the course.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWWsU-WqEUeByttjg1nuDv3Y-rQFnBIKCjrr_9hFUBzJ1lwt7Al6FS5VZdCbtyoiyQG1uMBh7SZIn-59l66D_iiE_xd1cTEBHDEIKkS2OEvpQ73xR641BHIxPI5FF_zdoxit_ZA2l_bMVvlPTqv8iA7TmyebfcP0gHfyKLXkVE1weUs-So7-MRCNa/s4032/2022-05-31%20IMG_3744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWWsU-WqEUeByttjg1nuDv3Y-rQFnBIKCjrr_9hFUBzJ1lwt7Al6FS5VZdCbtyoiyQG1uMBh7SZIn-59l66D_iiE_xd1cTEBHDEIKkS2OEvpQ73xR641BHIxPI5FF_zdoxit_ZA2l_bMVvlPTqv8iA7TmyebfcP0gHfyKLXkVE1weUs-So7-MRCNa/w300-h400/2022-05-31%20IMG_3744.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>An Investigation of Single Rider Lines</b>: For some rides, Disney has created a single-rider line to try to fill each ride vehicle to capacity and thus maximizing their throughput throughout the day. For instance, if a party of size five is being seated in a six-person ride vehicle, the ride workers will pull a guest from the single rider line to complete the capacity on the vehicle. The group of Jalen, Joey, and Taylor looked at whether the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride could benefit from a single rider line by comparing its characteristics with other six-person ride vehicle attractions, like Test Track and Space Mountain. They were able to find that the Remy ride sends vehicles out at only 72% of capacity compared to Test Track’s 91% of capacity and Space Mountain’s 92% of capacity. They also performed a Chi-Squared Test to determine that the party size distribution of both rides is similar. Given this they concluded that Remy would see a huge increase in the number of people who could ride the attraction each day by incorporating a single rider line.</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y-6zJUlKRcO9NQ7JtzOqMKH7-EZyDDa9uAeh5WR4CIAYhl3ZWzqvV4Dvf-jp3zeFi6nkRV3a9P-9i14BQzzCqzNNUM2cajaIDcIWF7AKoxzdz9igvJearms_eeD5W3tTcAgP3UwKsQGl9yrgKudNlmKFw7wHPMkt2MG7vxDNPyPXuzAfzYkhK_OU/s5568/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Sunset%20Boulevard_12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5568" data-original-width="3712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y-6zJUlKRcO9NQ7JtzOqMKH7-EZyDDa9uAeh5WR4CIAYhl3ZWzqvV4Dvf-jp3zeFi6nkRV3a9P-9i14BQzzCqzNNUM2cajaIDcIWF7AKoxzdz9igvJearms_eeD5W3tTcAgP3UwKsQGl9yrgKudNlmKFw7wHPMkt2MG7vxDNPyPXuzAfzYkhK_OU/w266-h400/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Sunset%20Boulevard_12.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><b>A Knapsack Problem at Hollywood Studios</b>: Whether you know it or not, you have encountered the knapsack problem. When packing for vacation, you make decisions regarding what to put in your suitcase. Each item you could take has a value to you but takes up a certain amount of space in the limited suitcase. The Knapsack Problem essentially involves determining how to get the most value in the suitcase without the suitcase bursting. The group of Elizabeth, Joshua, Katie, and Rhett tried to determine how much value they could get at Hollywood Studios within a four-hour time window. For this they employed some regression analysis and class surveying to determine the values they would place on the rides in the park. The four-hour time limit served as the suitcase in that each ride would take up walk, wait, and ride time subtracting from this limited resource. They designed a competition where teams went into the park to test their approaches to solving this problem. The group modeled the problem and solved it using the optimization techniques we had talked about in the class. This solution was generated with expected wait times for the attractions, and since the actual simulation (contest) used actual waiting times on that day, there was a great deal of variability. Because of this variability, a couple of teams did find better solutions than the computer by exploiting bargain wait times.</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOm_a4n-yrsnlHIs3v70iPN2WNzQv8rU4kC7z8c7SrXxDXzrGfGqBi_buIKVNTfO6qkXw-Xwa7mprv3Abn1qY6QBVgvjo8CafrnnGJ1bFKcOHVpFZ_4aWevffW0oPvIOObrxlcuhAI2kl_FqJLbzt9ZI6624CsS2rCTrkOSZiky6YvzyCBLbrfTeb/s4032/2022-05-31%20final_group2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOm_a4n-yrsnlHIs3v70iPN2WNzQv8rU4kC7z8c7SrXxDXzrGfGqBi_buIKVNTfO6qkXw-Xwa7mprv3Abn1qY6QBVgvjo8CafrnnGJ1bFKcOHVpFZ_4aWevffW0oPvIOObrxlcuhAI2kl_FqJLbzt9ZI6624CsS2rCTrkOSZiky6YvzyCBLbrfTeb/w300-h400/2022-05-31%20final_group2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>An Analysis of the Queue of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad</b>: One of the favorite attractions of our class (especially during fireworks) was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The queue for this attraction asks guest to choose between going in the left queue or the right queue to get seated on the roller coaster. Grace, Maddie, Nathan, and Sydney wondered whether there was a difference in the wait of the two lines. The students designed a matched pairs statistical experiment to gather data by having pairs of students simultaneously join the left and right queues and report times as they passed certain checkpoints in the line. They used some nice data visualization in Tableau to show the average wait from each line. Their analysis showed that there was not a statistical difference in the waits between the two lines, even though the left side is physically shorter. </li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY8nbCU5ehb55oIlNbC7GdItSBbhCyel-s3-uSLthBuwY24f3YVbp8pJBY6StMdIEU4LRSDrH7wP0WFpwkl56Kh4haORnvnu4S-sX0W1P8rULmcF2Ig9IrGPsNDwbe6_6rLR2CRM1nh456g95E5ai-aa6PlVwQh048BKW9PUuDNEKyAnvsay6SCRg/s4032/2022-05-31%20IMG_3779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY8nbCU5ehb55oIlNbC7GdItSBbhCyel-s3-uSLthBuwY24f3YVbp8pJBY6StMdIEU4LRSDrH7wP0WFpwkl56Kh4haORnvnu4S-sX0W1P8rULmcF2Ig9IrGPsNDwbe6_6rLR2CRM1nh456g95E5ai-aa6PlVwQh048BKW9PUuDNEKyAnvsay6SCRg/w300-h400/2022-05-31%20IMG_3779.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><b>A Network Analysis of Congestion in the Magic Kingdom</b>: Navigating the Magic Kingdom efficiently involves a lot of split-second decisions. There are several areas in the park where people<br /> are almost always shoulder-to-shoulder and traveling in these areas can result in delays. Lily, Louisa, Regan, and Sam modeled the Magic Kingdom as a network and used a network analysis technique called betweenness to find areas in the network where they expected congestion to occur. The technique finds shortest paths between every pair of nodes (attractions and other points of interest) and sends a unit of flow along each of these paths. The edges (walkways) of the network accumulate flow on them, and the highest accumulation indicates walkway areas where congestion is likely to occur. They also weighted this flow based on the popularity of attractions. It was really cool to see that the walkways identified through the network analysis were actual areas of highest congestion in the park!</li></ol><p></p><p>We are very proud of the projects that these groups produced. They did a fantastic job!</p><p>As you can see, we threw a lot at these students in terms of academic content, and we were impressed with how much they absorbed. While we can’t expect all of it to stick, we do hope that what they heard will pique their interests and inspire them to learn more by taking more classes in the mathematics curriculum. We also hope that exposing them to professionals (Disney and others) will increase their appreciation for how the concepts they learned are used in industry. Hopefully, as a result of the course, the students will discover that at Furman they are building the tools they will need to succeed. Beyond the academics, the opportunity for students and faculty to spend three weeks learning together, communicating together, and helping each other has made us all grow as individuals. </p><p>We are extremely proud of this impressive group of students and are grateful we get to share this experience with them!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFQaatFRJKu-JB-F8yLXABLFPdyS_-qVUIZJMqx3pPceIdumQPJ8-UoBzvW7dT-7GPxBLel5HBdz_6XidldL43wOp2iQ7rNu4PdZqAxrsYROviB77TJWgRc0G_Nd4rxE9hUk8NXZzFBaXi6AYOKyaGKZneKmVow4ir82GZtUo-FRkd3btS8dLE_J9/s5568/2022-05-19%20-%20Epcot%20-%20Epcot%20Entrance_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFQaatFRJKu-JB-F8yLXABLFPdyS_-qVUIZJMqx3pPceIdumQPJ8-UoBzvW7dT-7GPxBLel5HBdz_6XidldL43wOp2iQ7rNu4PdZqAxrsYROviB77TJWgRc0G_Nd4rxE9hUk8NXZzFBaXi6AYOKyaGKZneKmVow4ir82GZtUo-FRkd3btS8dLE_J9/w400-h266/2022-05-19%20-%20Epcot%20-%20Epcot%20Entrance_2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signing off the blog for the last time, Drs. Hutson, Bouzarth, and Harris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-50639422137783392552022-06-03T17:09:00.001-07:002022-06-03T21:24:17.078-07:00Math and the Mouse by the Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we reflect on our time here, we, the professors, thought we would pass along some data on the types of experiences we’ve had during Math and the Mouse. We have one final reflection blog post after this to wrap up the course, but for now we’ll give you a look at our May Experience by the numbers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHBDLnUK-Jlk-Lrp1hHxo5GIMD0d8Y9wCNxP7YRzwLlJ6djFZ7rjk249UsphtwhZouyMBiVIM5BntJvkkDG1ynW56GOTWyT6n4VVvX2WRWRL9EMrelVdflY35Qr3euFzD2aiNw7Z3c_d9ratQ0bUDFsSySOBTheAhZRLLyIq_2l8DwX_DY8QcxV5U/s4032/2022-05-25%20IMG_2849.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHBDLnUK-Jlk-Lrp1hHxo5GIMD0d8Y9wCNxP7YRzwLlJ6djFZ7rjk249UsphtwhZouyMBiVIM5BntJvkkDG1ynW56GOTWyT6n4VVvX2WRWRL9EMrelVdflY35Qr3euFzD2aiNw7Z3c_d9ratQ0bUDFsSySOBTheAhZRLLyIq_2l8DwX_DY8QcxV5U/w300-h400/2022-05-25%20IMG_2849.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>15 Furman students</li><li>3 Furman professors</li><li>3 vans</li><li>9 math courses’ content</li><li>11 majors/programs/minors represented (Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Data Analytics, Accounting, Computer Science, Physics, Asian Studies, Educational Studies, German Studies, Japanese Studies, Information Technology)</li><li>12 guest speakers (including one Math and the Mouse Furman alumnus)</li><li>85 collective hours spent on a backstage tour</li><li>11 unique group projects</li><li>13 learning modules led by faculty</li><li>18 paper plate awards</li><li>75 dice used in the Liar’s Dice example</li><li>0 students with ESP</li><li>1 student claimed another student had ESP</li><li>78 workers needed to staff Yak and Yeti in the workforce scheduling project </li><li>72% efficiency for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure</li><li>35 Dole Whips</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NBKAX43prPaGL2k3rE2x78rYiQYmiUexPcF2lyshFtM8UcX7KRLR7YCixFhYlkT7MILG6JI8Gu8Rej06jx0XggppFcNjbgLRGCjqiZG7dUV265jy778VVK2X-DEYzJ_pnMXoM9q0-5SU2bUvUOGc7_C1d8KVQDPogSY_JxiGQzEjIq4BdwdzPqPo/s4000/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Rock%20n%20Roller%20Coaster%20Starring%20Aerosmith_11.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="4000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NBKAX43prPaGL2k3rE2x78rYiQYmiUexPcF2lyshFtM8UcX7KRLR7YCixFhYlkT7MILG6JI8Gu8Rej06jx0XggppFcNjbgLRGCjqiZG7dUV265jy778VVK2X-DEYzJ_pnMXoM9q0-5SU2bUvUOGc7_C1d8KVQDPogSY_JxiGQzEjIq4BdwdzPqPo/w400-h266/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Rock%20n%20Roller%20Coaster%20Starring%20Aerosmith_11.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>16 pictures with Nathan’s tongue out</li><li>1 ground snack</li><li>65 Covid tests taken</li><li>13 mouse ears on the trip</li><li>34 glorious three-hour salutes to all nations, but mostly America</li><li>5,044,053 steps walked</li><li>13,454 average steps per day</li><li>152 rides on Expedition Everest</li><li>5 rides where the Yeti didn’t appear on Everest<br /></li><li>3 items that the Yeti stole from us</li><li>48 Firehouse subs</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-FkfUxnCeLU6c1ZR3-Op1Mw-FC3CLzL-9NhlRzX19hC5JiPqDrmgj4yQu0Nw3V64OCMLMNvuPtbPsxnbPKAFuMrxDMBz8EErkvRi8QX9UB_e8q-9hhIn0G4ytCj-un5k3E75nRKw0II3HSHI2_0SO-R6Nj68YlYQ1Nie3Qg_idG_EprpShqvCWvn/s4032/IMG_3228.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-FkfUxnCeLU6c1ZR3-Op1Mw-FC3CLzL-9NhlRzX19hC5JiPqDrmgj4yQu0Nw3V64OCMLMNvuPtbPsxnbPKAFuMrxDMBz8EErkvRi8QX9UB_e8q-9hhIn0G4ytCj-un5k3E75nRKw0II3HSHI2_0SO-R6Nj68YlYQ1Nie3Qg_idG_EprpShqvCWvn/w400-h300/IMG_3228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>18 cups of Beverly</li><li>1 rebel spy</li><li>9 students who couldn’t find the end of the Remy line</li><li>297 minutes for the first Traveling Tourist Problem group to finish to finish 14 Epcot attractions</li><li>34 minutes between the first and second place Traveling Tourist Teams</li><li>4 EAR-idescent sip-abrations</li><li>50 people stopped by security</li><li>36 cosmic rewinds</li><li>3 fantastic student presentations to Disney</li><li>4 Emperor’s New Groove Mystery Pin Packs (1 with Yzma)</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf44MYDL10LPZAnkO5_6oHC3T7DBI36c_JOItB4L6ixap0bolGfqzvdYPKA9YduWTHWJb-lZdeksvTcczR3g4Bzzct0q-82lAsKRG29GYnxCk8UwOkewE0U1T1SzdGVYDgMsNfm2CSUphivL0BXutmoh_QuglrqEbgz32K7c_Pk3VOdFrUb9pxffB2/s3088/2022-05-17%20IMG_6533.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf44MYDL10LPZAnkO5_6oHC3T7DBI36c_JOItB4L6ixap0bolGfqzvdYPKA9YduWTHWJb-lZdeksvTcczR3g4Bzzct0q-82lAsKRG29GYnxCk8UwOkewE0U1T1SzdGVYDgMsNfm2CSUphivL0BXutmoh_QuglrqEbgz32K7c_Pk3VOdFrUb9pxffB2/s320/2022-05-17%20IMG_6533.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>9 gondola rides</li><li>30 fireworks viewings</li><li>30 Biergarten sausages consumed </li><li>26 photobombs </li><li>8 Mickey bars consumed</li><li>106 wildest rides in the wilderness</li><li>30 matched pairs data points collected on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad</li><li>7 Tik Toks</li><li>242 utterances of “Let’s Go”</li><li>291.5 maximum value collected in a knapsack</li><li>8 stickers picked up off the ground by Hutsons</li><li>15 times stuck on Spaceship Earth</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPnXC1h3PwNjBukRSlLBzQtBr9GkPfFNMo-HS5rRaTa4jhjZ_u6WNteicxoBSP-rSnQiVRsag63KsJZDsRAgzrJKbjtLZbcsI42uEuiI_XSHpfS2KsE6JCubsqOX8-fYi6Qx4YjXFtjmby7Gm3JVmbBjv6PE7kUVF4XqLc0XKfinxEqXbhW29amd-/s4032/IMG_3683.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPnXC1h3PwNjBukRSlLBzQtBr9GkPfFNMo-HS5rRaTa4jhjZ_u6WNteicxoBSP-rSnQiVRsag63KsJZDsRAgzrJKbjtLZbcsI42uEuiI_XSHpfS2KsE6JCubsqOX8-fYi6Qx4YjXFtjmby7Gm3JVmbBjv6PE7kUVF4XqLc0XKfinxEqXbhW29amd-/w400-h300/IMG_3683.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>5 miscounts in line</li><li>103 monorails surfed</li><li>15 Mickey plushes </li><li>41 Tableau graphs created</li><li>50 virtual beverages consumed</li><li>33 opportunities to uh, fly</li><li>37 times a dinosaur inexplicably holds up a log so that we can time travel</li><li>121 Jolly Ranchers consumed</li><li>328 heart hands<br /></li><li>223 team player moments</li><li>83 visits to the Hollywood Tower Hotel</li><li>6 permanent residents of the Homewood Suites hotel</li><li>167 Individual Lightning Lanes purchased </li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-SpJFCGXvlw_YA-sxUT43UfEO92TkQackKUIkcLEfHP-6Mp_XB11Zzf-1PA8OlhLpK-ZfM20hipU1LvJ_MNQc4RztQt92YgKFpNC63qXkrwUwxRsJHyizZoKifAPMXHm0fKqDdRqXTv78Xv15WkiuWBTrPQkx7VxioIaebePYWkmjRc9Vz43bpiv/s3796/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain_2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3796" data-original-width="2530" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-SpJFCGXvlw_YA-sxUT43UfEO92TkQackKUIkcLEfHP-6Mp_XB11Zzf-1PA8OlhLpK-ZfM20hipU1LvJ_MNQc4RztQt92YgKFpNC63qXkrwUwxRsJHyizZoKifAPMXHm0fKqDdRqXTv78Xv15WkiuWBTrPQkx7VxioIaebePYWkmjRc9Vz43bpiv/w266-h400/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain_2.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div>1 podcast shoutout (The Disney Dish)</li><li>135 opportunities to ponder</li><li>6 pony rides, not pony races</li><li>28 Twistee Treats</li><li>2 birthday cupcakes</li><li>40 straws thrown at dinner</li><li>36 re-rides</li><li>10 consecutive Joey sneezes</li><li>6 participants with last names starting with H</li><li>369 cards memorized</li><li>270,000 high score on Toy Story Mania</li><li>807,200 high score on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin</li><li>10,615 high score on Smuggler’s Run</li><li>7 misspellings of Louisa</li><li>4 times Elizabeth was killed in Mafia</li><li>1 epic hype party van ride</li><li>45 state license plates spotted</li><li>0 Frozen sing alongs (happy Hutson noises)</li><li>420 most frequent Scar parking row</li><li>2.5 pounds of dried mangoes consumed</li><li>2 baby flamingos <br /></li><li>64.9 top speed on Test Track</li><li>Infinite memories made</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu5Jf_O0rX0yfud8AZ_yvNSlydb9kJ5w61dW2uCekmAwH2-kBSmZ68BGWGTtf-utnpvr1lmEsqfxN__qjo0_RzHPLuQGbgSsoWNuzIVxMWTOpCwsCTqoir4jnfa5GhPb722el7rBKLxx2_I2pJJo8PLDxOcZKWk1SRlgedUKbQSz4zJHdO2atDcUu/s5568/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Cinderella%20Castle.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5568" data-original-width="3712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu5Jf_O0rX0yfud8AZ_yvNSlydb9kJ5w61dW2uCekmAwH2-kBSmZ68BGWGTtf-utnpvr1lmEsqfxN__qjo0_RzHPLuQGbgSsoWNuzIVxMWTOpCwsCTqoir4jnfa5GhPb722el7rBKLxx2_I2pJJo8PLDxOcZKWk1SRlgedUKbQSz4zJHdO2atDcUu/w426-h640/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Cinderella%20Castle.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-75117952791564395422022-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:002022-06-02T15:21:07.983-07:00Catching Up<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87EJ1zOQvk1DSYN6clH9hlBmfVP9N_fDthTVkLTkqDycy46lQ42VMUFVsYLRsTbJhJ17CnFcoPsymudIJEDX6D5-dil0PRMg2lqOJocaf43j33BTuz2rpjhC38ejzlicOFmDuIkKgyKSYJ033wkxlI2Gt6fdZOmOVujIzVlJkSycK5a25vNrP3kBp/s4032/IMG_3793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator">Our travels home took priority on Wednesday, so we're a bit delayed in getting a daily summary to our adoring fans from Tuesday and Wednesday. The summary though is that Tuesday was a great last day of our time together as a group and on Wednesday, everyone got home safely without any major travel headaches!</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday</h2><p>Tuesday was an exciting day for our group, as our students presented their final project presentations! We will have a future blog post that covers the projects more in depth, but from the faculty perspective, we were struck by the fact that we could see tangible improvements in the overall presentation quality over the past two weeks. Through giving four presentations (sometimes with additional practice presentations) with different groups of people over the past two weeks, students had plenty of opportunities to get and give feedback on their presentations. It was also rewarding to see the project ideas that students had a week earlier came to fruition. It is evident that their hard work has paid off, both in focusing on completing an investigation and in presenting their findings.</p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4LSOhCtROVbCb0HR8iQ9EiYVja7SZIwctc2aBpW0UnS4ov9cjxB_O9wTPboxsVNqygOMkyOFnGGk3oUNZGe1k-Cq0TdXQIih_Eqp5n5AeINco0X2GEtyt3dwGYFz_ASIWCRB5yJdsLJe-EQJBuwWhIIpCL2OrLlY12GWdNUIhWXg6KKZ1oVaCUon/s4032/IMG_3506.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4LSOhCtROVbCb0HR8iQ9EiYVja7SZIwctc2aBpW0UnS4ov9cjxB_O9wTPboxsVNqygOMkyOFnGGk3oUNZGe1k-Cq0TdXQIih_Eqp5n5AeINco0X2GEtyt3dwGYFz_ASIWCRB5yJdsLJe-EQJBuwWhIIpCL2OrLlY12GWdNUIhWXg6KKZ1oVaCUon/w320-h240/IMG_3506.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e8rupm9KLkKQxD1ad_kJACXnaPTz1W9rp1tS9q_I5t8QZDZD_tr_cA0YsNQe9Jqf3zjI1b_Qo5H59S3rO3JWUONIz_pTA7uD3ZjKR-ZwKBi9IM3SpI3P6mHrc0-OFobFQdJRElUIcXnkM8O46y_BFGGbEhe_vKj-T4Dwpb_Eia4-tFMntjduMVkI/s4032/IMG_3565.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e8rupm9KLkKQxD1ad_kJACXnaPTz1W9rp1tS9q_I5t8QZDZD_tr_cA0YsNQe9Jqf3zjI1b_Qo5H59S3rO3JWUONIz_pTA7uD3ZjKR-ZwKBi9IM3SpI3P6mHrc0-OFobFQdJRElUIcXnkM8O46y_BFGGbEhe_vKj-T4Dwpb_Eia4-tFMntjduMVkI/w320-h240/IMG_3565.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLzoeVr3bbpcFMn89QCvWFiD0QslxmMnDkgc9sKa33ZLybfnQfEwIgA3lQTXUyfMNgHr2aflrbOjPpF7BZ9ikDFZQWKQcrNpA9YUdEwfs9vnoOIxrZMvi6NHxwLriN66lURlWtlQTR__NZGC624oep_wKe-nM87C8bmAGMSe0JoFvbO723WxtUelZ/s1991/IMG_3619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1658" data-original-width="1991" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLzoeVr3bbpcFMn89QCvWFiD0QslxmMnDkgc9sKa33ZLybfnQfEwIgA3lQTXUyfMNgHr2aflrbOjPpF7BZ9ikDFZQWKQcrNpA9YUdEwfs9vnoOIxrZMvi6NHxwLriN66lURlWtlQTR__NZGC624oep_wKe-nM87C8bmAGMSe0JoFvbO723WxtUelZ/w200-h166/IMG_3619.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The morning session of presentations ended with a paper plate awards ceremony that Louisa had spearheaded for the group. She solicited feedback from all the group members and ensured that everyone got an award with some honorable mentions that were fitting of our time together. We are grateful for her leadership on this effort!<br /><p></p><p>Unfortunately, Dr. Hutson had to leave after the presentations on Tuesday to make it back to South Carolina in time for an important family event, so he missed out on his favorite part of the whole program -- deciding what color the class t-shirts should be! After sorting that out, the group headed to the Wildnerness Lodge for our last group dinner at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. This is a rowdy restaurant where good food and good times are shared by all. Seeing as two of our students had a birthday the following day, the server helped us celebrate with singing and cupcakes for Elizabeth and Joey! There were also pony rides for kids of all ages as part of the fun. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_jrBvqw0bRu1BSMmf8DNy4ELYcaDP5UJxkoLE12GnXyR5JjmyEWrLCQujajfJCphycI-APf_-GbC5-Umgvge3cTgWaPs4txbeStQwUs0XdfsXOUtN-PQz3W2ruy2ou4-bU_s7Le9_GiakoxQ5M-Zfc8luDqiKQPF6YcOIu40rSY08Mrqu7gWnPk3/s4032/IMG_3721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_jrBvqw0bRu1BSMmf8DNy4ELYcaDP5UJxkoLE12GnXyR5JjmyEWrLCQujajfJCphycI-APf_-GbC5-Umgvge3cTgWaPs4txbeStQwUs0XdfsXOUtN-PQz3W2ruy2ou4-bU_s7Le9_GiakoxQ5M-Zfc8luDqiKQPF6YcOIu40rSY08Mrqu7gWnPk3/w320-h240/IMG_3721.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pGdMfX-IPHVchvOVnN9XalLEyncatr6khKkBAaVyIrxALbdRur86ksnAyAFxERwnVVTZVg3ZlO7FPPXv-80fqP1fUQA5E0AmLGLt40V6jG9fQX0lXb5H59zqH1Pj0XIZVQXNQrnCvGAtlqIRqoU8HtNY1molS9xdq1QcfOQMmoNlmHprx2msVoIR/s4032/IMG_3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pGdMfX-IPHVchvOVnN9XalLEyncatr6khKkBAaVyIrxALbdRur86ksnAyAFxERwnVVTZVg3ZlO7FPPXv-80fqP1fUQA5E0AmLGLt40V6jG9fQX0lXb5H59zqH1Pj0XIZVQXNQrnCvGAtlqIRqoU8HtNY1molS9xdq1QcfOQMmoNlmHprx2msVoIR/w320-h240/IMG_3689.JPG" width="320" /><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5816KgLaEZVrFgsCUDWnoyAhbwJZApQxiKncdGU09ax8oFzk05sslX2e63xTczLnfMFo97GmnkLesHZvGmVGTfzai53VPN80S2a-ZUyJ6_tegn0qIHKOTzOGWF93MZc6CqzAw2vmHj3qX1ug3Wry0WjRirIvv2ppB8DhU2AilJvdtFhRj68rN72IF/s4032/IMG_3731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5816KgLaEZVrFgsCUDWnoyAhbwJZApQxiKncdGU09ax8oFzk05sslX2e63xTczLnfMFo97GmnkLesHZvGmVGTfzai53VPN80S2a-ZUyJ6_tegn0qIHKOTzOGWF93MZc6CqzAw2vmHj3qX1ug3Wry0WjRirIvv2ppB8DhU2AilJvdtFhRj68rN72IF/s320/IMG_3731.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div> After dinner, we hustled to the Magic Kingdom to try to catch our Jungle Cruise reservation. On the way, we were delighted to find that we parked in a familiar row of the parking lot where we were assigned to park on at least three separate occasions. The corny jokes on the Jungle Cruise were the perfect way to relax after a filling dinner and an exciting commute from the parking lot. After one last group ride on Space Mountain, people had free time to spend their last few hours in the Magic Kingdom as they wanted. The group gravitated towards watching fireworks, some with a prime spot in front of the castle to catch the projections and another while riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. At the end of the night, we gathered in front of the castle for a few last pictures as the park closed. On the way back to the hotel, the clock struck midnight meaning that it had turned into Elizabeth and Joey's birthday! The students in their van celebrated with a dance party and rowdy birthday countdown and finished up with a late night game of cards before people had early travel plans the next morning. <div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87EJ1zOQvk1DSYN6clH9hlBmfVP9N_fDthTVkLTkqDycy46lQ42VMUFVsYLRsTbJhJ17CnFcoPsymudIJEDX6D5-dil0PRMg2lqOJocaf43j33BTuz2rpjhC38ejzlicOFmDuIkKgyKSYJ033wkxlI2Gt6fdZOmOVujIzVlJkSycK5a25vNrP3kBp/s4032/IMG_3793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87EJ1zOQvk1DSYN6clH9hlBmfVP9N_fDthTVkLTkqDycy46lQ42VMUFVsYLRsTbJhJ17CnFcoPsymudIJEDX6D5-dil0PRMg2lqOJocaf43j33BTuz2rpjhC38ejzlicOFmDuIkKgyKSYJ033wkxlI2Gt6fdZOmOVujIzVlJkSycK5a25vNrP3kBp/w320-h240/IMG_3793.jpg" width="320" /></a></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29P4oxHIQLTypMw71s0yFxU1vm-32lC821tZ_Yy0xaI5T4pcqn2q1n9QZPPj_gaXVl03loiNuCJoLI9S04l_oO_-U1DLL1uO0wbfEAaX50-FiN8YdEATTqVicDsxJQMS5B_ew3EL1NXyKX4VYykm1IdwatgPmfq1ZBrPi43zmtzfdsv8EU1WkmSnS/s4032/IMG_3785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29P4oxHIQLTypMw71s0yFxU1vm-32lC821tZ_Yy0xaI5T4pcqn2q1n9QZPPj_gaXVl03loiNuCJoLI9S04l_oO_-U1DLL1uO0wbfEAaX50-FiN8YdEATTqVicDsxJQMS5B_ew3EL1NXyKX4VYykm1IdwatgPmfq1ZBrPi43zmtzfdsv8EU1WkmSnS/w300-h400/IMG_3785.jpg" width="300" /></a></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday</h2><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUyCM5tJooda2CawHc_rQHnAywISB8RRC4MTR0Pxi_KE87X59eeZhCt-qCQvgw4WRG4TnXlK0bA5BMtWiGhjrJ60ggPQ1vi5IOpyGs9VWrGZymCmZBjv_np-I4PnAkJM9J7Ik7aR_vErxooLyHOqZHxIiJgCCldNj5JMJjSuTROWnrhmCKh7ULLN0/s2939/IMG_3802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2377" data-original-width="2939" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUyCM5tJooda2CawHc_rQHnAywISB8RRC4MTR0Pxi_KE87X59eeZhCt-qCQvgw4WRG4TnXlK0bA5BMtWiGhjrJ60ggPQ1vi5IOpyGs9VWrGZymCmZBjv_np-I4PnAkJM9J7Ik7aR_vErxooLyHOqZHxIiJgCCldNj5JMJjSuTROWnrhmCKh7ULLN0/w400-h324/IMG_3802.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Our day Wednesday focused on getting everyone home safely, so some students headed to the airport before dawn while others sleepily loaded into the vans for the road trip back to Greenville. Our first stop of the day was at Buc-ees, where students had a few minutes to explore and find some snacks (unlike on the way down to Florida when we were on a tight time schedule). After a fairly uneventful drive, the vans arrived back at Furman around 6pm and we all went our separate ways. <p></p><p>As we continue to unpack from our three weeks in Florida, both physically and mentally, we will have two more blog posts to wrap things up!</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-6223883246921248582022-05-31T22:36:00.001-07:002022-05-31T22:38:32.237-07:00Day 21: Details Coming Soon<p>At the end of the course, we professors take the blog back from the students to share some parting thoughts. We will do so over the coming days, but for now, our energies needed to focus on being present for final project presentations, enjoying our last moments together as a group, celebrating some birthdays among our students, and packing to leave bright and early tomorrow. Once we're settled back in Greenville, we'll share projects, pictures, and today's activities as well as final thoughts on the course. Until then, know that we ended the course with a bang with everyone either watching fireworks tonight from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (as shown below) or by watching them with a view in front of the castle!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='447' height='372' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz7ZZgpPtUpgEkUGjXp5zwGh9ENkxO53rMUxiyMU3yqY2BIrkKP0pSNj8sX8jDBxP0cZ-dvTlEAv7QnJoVrUg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-44793173657399714002022-05-30T21:01:00.001-07:002022-05-31T10:59:57.014-07:00Day 20: Life in the Lightning Lane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsEpJBsKP34JXc43wNLPHKGZ69RTrwBMcJQcokSRBebeTdFIKcFeMGLQeMjDWUlNKF4vPKAmpHETKHsgQJEnBnLaDH0iWUpQ0oxsIEeN_Q0S0U-xNSO3BsLU-XVFl47yS6MFV48P6LXCiFwSR2lJMBfI8fNJubERsMEp7zPhmbQiK9G82CamwD8gkzg/s5568/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Millennium%20Falcon_6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsEpJBsKP34JXc43wNLPHKGZ69RTrwBMcJQcokSRBebeTdFIKcFeMGLQeMjDWUlNKF4vPKAmpHETKHsgQJEnBnLaDH0iWUpQ0oxsIEeN_Q0S0U-xNSO3BsLU-XVFl47yS6MFV48P6LXCiFwSR2lJMBfI8fNJubERsMEp7zPhmbQiK9G82CamwD8gkzg/w640-h426/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Millennium%20Falcon_6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Introduction:</p><p>Today was our second to last day here, and we made sure our schedule was chock full of activities, accordingly! In the morning, we spent a few hours working on our final projects, which we will present tomorrow. This will serve as the final wrap-up for the class! After that and lunch with our group/team, we made our final stops in two of the parks. First, we went to Hollywood Studios, a particular favorite among many of the members of our group. Then, we visited Animal Kingdom, where many people made their final expeditions at the legendary Expedition Everest. To be as efficient as possible in our final stops, we made frequent use of the Lightning Lane feature. This allowed us to see most of everything these parks had to offer in a short period of time!</p><p><br /></p><p>First, work time:</p><p>We started this morning off by having some solid time to work on our final projects with our groups. Everyone had finally collected all their data from the parks, so it was time for us to compile this together and create a presentation to convey all the work that we’ve done. It’s been really cool to see all the work that we’ve done turn into a cohesive presentation! Each group had a different strategy of how to organize this time. Some groups split the work up and each worked on their own slides to present, while other groups worked on creating each slide together and delegated presentation responsibilities afterwards. We all wanted to be prepared to present tomorrow morning, so a lot of effort was put in today to finish our projects. The professors even brought us lunch from either Five Guys or Firehouse subs, our choice, so that we could continue working. What a treat on our last project work day!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM4kYQ5Q1wzkunpewbBZYHZKgQnG-Jg_kIp045QPipGbqJWE82tBIXLisNfo-No51VcjpUzD-9zGZbxRcu6f1bsOSGZJgn8hK1w2uLXCpawAuJvV7C3X_Sd7borNN7jYum1SMkIVuoUWzHWNfTeV6cCRzcBx0myE-R2iLTz9of53qJz0gx3FbwcZi4w/s4032/IMG_3288.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM4kYQ5Q1wzkunpewbBZYHZKgQnG-Jg_kIp045QPipGbqJWE82tBIXLisNfo-No51VcjpUzD-9zGZbxRcu6f1bsOSGZJgn8hK1w2uLXCpawAuJvV7C3X_Sd7borNN7jYum1SMkIVuoUWzHWNfTeV6cCRzcBx0myE-R2iLTz9of53qJz0gx3FbwcZi4w/w400-h300/IMG_3288.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpkY0tFAqmEfip1DYyLmWiPjbgFCPGnnZR9Xa6ykr0RLAwbG-Sss-jNuzn6Sg-8Kjgs1dat_-mWqXBLCyHkdhf0PjkDZcghX4uTzTGDTbsd-Wiv2N1ZVOSseiHCgrXK6l6q03E_hGOJEw-zhkc6atPBzw7MiBuhNku8vSkoUnqPGgyfACnP6Ka4ihzw/s4032/IMG_3291.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpkY0tFAqmEfip1DYyLmWiPjbgFCPGnnZR9Xa6ykr0RLAwbG-Sss-jNuzn6Sg-8Kjgs1dat_-mWqXBLCyHkdhf0PjkDZcghX4uTzTGDTbsd-Wiv2N1ZVOSseiHCgrXK6l6q03E_hGOJEw-zhkc6atPBzw7MiBuhNku8vSkoUnqPGgyfACnP6Ka4ihzw/w240-h320/IMG_3291.JPG" width="240" /></a><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The First Farewells:</p><p></p>After making good progress on our projects and eating lunch, we headed out to the parks. First up was Hollywood Studios, which seems to be a favorite among many in the group. Throughout the day, we made frequent use of Lightning Lanes, a paid extra feature that grants a window of time for which one can access a shorter line for a certain attraction. Thank you so much to the professors for going out of their way to get these for us! First up among the Lightning Lanes was the infamous Tower of Terror, one of my own particular favorites (Sam writing!). It’s hard to explain, but something about the music, the decor, the atmosphere, the rises and falls, and the incredible acting of some of the cast members makes this such an unforgettable experience. Another thing that is great about this ride is that it is one of the very few that can seat everyone in our group. We all screamed together today, and were sad to check out of the Hollywood Hotel for the last time. Afterwards, we had a small amount of free time, in which groups did different things: some saw the Muppets, some rode Star Tours, and some rode Rock’n’Roller Coaster. Then, we convened for our next Lightning Lane, which was for Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This ride places you and your team of two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, where you are tasked with jumping to another planet and stealing energy crystals.While you can’t fail, you are given a score based on your crew’s handling of the job. <div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzpzfHfAiR2L0JkZeuFyCk4k02AgnXTCtSeJYg60_rLBnxy1MOi0XZWKa9c0D48zX_FnmBRVVJ5UdKIdhKty-DcmFmO0rt5n3aXtpKt4I_O-1Cr20WGZ4iSbM417apJe7NbNxErbeZYIcGGdyLb_FngQkHIR1R6OUov-TNc1GwM74fsYykm9WuyFg6A/s3088/IMG_2992.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzpzfHfAiR2L0JkZeuFyCk4k02AgnXTCtSeJYg60_rLBnxy1MOi0XZWKa9c0D48zX_FnmBRVVJ5UdKIdhKty-DcmFmO0rt5n3aXtpKt4I_O-1Cr20WGZ4iSbM417apJe7NbNxErbeZYIcGGdyLb_FngQkHIR1R6OUov-TNc1GwM74fsYykm9WuyFg6A/w378-h284/IMG_2992.JPG" width="378" /></a></div>Not to brag, but the team that us authors of this blog were on scored 10615/13000, by far the highest any group had yet. When we got off the ride, the cast member was visibly impressed and told us our score was more reminiscent of something they would earn! Not too bad, huh? Keeping the competition going, our final Lightning Lane in Hollywood Studios was for Toy Story: Midway Mania, another one of my (Sam) favorites. This ride places you right into a toy shooting gallery, and your objective is to rack up as many points as possible. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Hutson cleared the field here. With that, our time in Hollywood Studios on this trip came to an end. It treated us well and will be sorely missed!<div><div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzpzfHfAiR2L0JkZeuFyCk4k02AgnXTCtSeJYg60_rLBnxy1MOi0XZWKa9c0D48zX_FnmBRVVJ5UdKIdhKty-DcmFmO0rt5n3aXtpKt4I_O-1Cr20WGZ4iSbM417apJe7NbNxErbeZYIcGGdyLb_FngQkHIR1R6OUov-TNc1GwM74fsYykm9WuyFg6A/s3088/IMG_2992.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5XtwdPSoh88TSJpey6Wj0afeLNr1DcVmJiNFISTror_6orVErwTVUGXptyRTbgVueBTz3Hb_9aagOqOtGgSiSRsc8Wa-Im4hn1mOvWY0SIs08ts-tr0StAyjteFkzznHVeNMYG7_ilvlG7RHnio04bn0cEIM_OfukztaAgxmO6PH6G1Qyb4rgVX9Fg/s3960/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Expedition%20Everest%20%20Legend%20of%20the%20Forbidden%20Mountain_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="2971" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5XtwdPSoh88TSJpey6Wj0afeLNr1DcVmJiNFISTror_6orVErwTVUGXptyRTbgVueBTz3Hb_9aagOqOtGgSiSRsc8Wa-Im4hn1mOvWY0SIs08ts-tr0StAyjteFkzznHVeNMYG7_ilvlG7RHnio04bn0cEIM_OfukztaAgxmO6PH6G1Qyb4rgVX9Fg/w300-h400/2022-05-30%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Expedition%20Everest%20%20Legend%20of%20the%20Forbidden%20Mountain_2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>To continue the fun, we headed to Animal Kingdom. The first thing we did when we got to Animal Kingdom was to make use of our Lightning Lanes for Expedition Everest. This truly has become a crowd favorite for the group and is something we will all miss once this experience is over! This was one of the most fun times I’ve had on Expedition Everest because we all got to be on it together and the energy was insane (Taylor here!)! The goal of many of us has been to ride Expedition Everest ten times by the end of the trip, which sounds outrageous, but it really is just as much of a rush each time. You’ll have to continue reading in order to find out if any of us actually achieved this impressive feat. Following up our venture on Expedition Everest, we went to use our Lighting Lanes for Flight of Passage within Pandora. Our group review of this is that we, uhh… flew. You had to be there for that one :). All jokes aside, it is still crazy to us each time how real it feels when you are soaring through breathtaking environments and the breathing of the banshee below us. The group then broke apart to go find dinner and spend our last moments in Animal Kingdom however we wanted. Some of us went to Satu’li Canteen, while others headed off to Flame Tree Barbecue. The food was all around delicious and was a much needed break from our jam packed day! After dinner, the priorities were to ride Expedition Everest multiple times and to get Dole Whips. This was overall a success because many of us ended up riding Expedition Everest at least ten times and all those who wanted Dole Whips were able to enjoy them! This was an amazing end to our time in Animal Kingdom and a reminder of how much we will miss this park!<p><br /></p><p>Overall, today was an amazing day and a wonderful way to say goodbye to these two parks! None of us are quite ready for the end that tomorrow will bring, but it will surely be a fantastic end to a fantastic trip. Check back for that final blog!</p><p><br /></p><p>Your blog authors, signing off:</p><p>Taylor and Sam (pictured left)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfzTAYEyAJnPKEXohkkOdBGOfh23z6GOzEmuHzWDdYUJlzAoR7HiwPz_ZSPNKpKk9w7Ffk8FF5oPlgGK6xfSwheJaZr9FPY-Zfhkzalzy__Iorc6rpytckwKiRLtT4TCPcZYsHdtZSzRnbksPTSK-qVXq_kxd9Y7UG7pkqu0G727gc7UqJYQas4ZZlw/s4032/IMG_3301.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfzTAYEyAJnPKEXohkkOdBGOfh23z6GOzEmuHzWDdYUJlzAoR7HiwPz_ZSPNKpKk9w7Ffk8FF5oPlgGK6xfSwheJaZr9FPY-Zfhkzalzy__Iorc6rpytckwKiRLtT4TCPcZYsHdtZSzRnbksPTSK-qVXq_kxd9Y7UG7pkqu0G727gc7UqJYQas4ZZlw/w640-h480/IMG_3301.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Taylor Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09060192616085928893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-34997957116142765472022-05-29T22:39:00.043-07:002022-05-30T19:03:32.816-07:00Day 19: Pack Up Your Knapsack! We're Going To Hollywood!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_uEGxU7Uj7AbnpM7nLRDyrPrN3QD6vK3neTMii2NXjsMAMHnpRUcidq4fSAYCVDpzbQs5FETsNknXtNVd_RtxVCRpYlGSNdgxpuPTTcKEGzZkxWx_PjzeRcyyGPneYuwex7KFMBWeIFPesvkyAgbSqKl8SA4mO-nb9NEhq__Mntku15KAmWwQtxMeA/s5568/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Cinderella%20Castle_3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_uEGxU7Uj7AbnpM7nLRDyrPrN3QD6vK3neTMii2NXjsMAMHnpRUcidq4fSAYCVDpzbQs5FETsNknXtNVd_RtxVCRpYlGSNdgxpuPTTcKEGzZkxWx_PjzeRcyyGPneYuwex7KFMBWeIFPesvkyAgbSqKl8SA4mO-nb9NEhq__Mntku15KAmWwQtxMeA/w640-h426/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Cinderella%20Castle_3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">Overview</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white;"></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today started off with a problem reminiscent of the Traveling Tourist Problem (TTP): the Knapsack Problem in Hollywood Studios! As you can imagine, our competitive nature took over and the stakes were high: bragging rights. That afternoon we met with Dr. Ron Dupuis, a retired industrial engineer for Disney. Finally, to cap off the day, we collected data at the Magic Kingdom and once again saw the enchanted fireworks display at Big Thunder Mountain.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hollywood Studios: Knapsack Problem</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBd8Xr3LaXJvFyo2G-nL6yy745HZhkmRr0M7itUU8mk05C7Oa5ghrVSGrr7-Jthh76XgX_tp9QyAwiFcfl-HQ2Jp-x5vz18nlFMyuq1MMKLTXiM4ucQBIyrcGqyTgS0HeJvwgvUysU9iKiygPdSJZRmLTYZp4CdSfjf4Yy0PhS23i-AXDlLl1_8x4zg/s3088/ToyStory1Enter.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBd8Xr3LaXJvFyo2G-nL6yy745HZhkmRr0M7itUU8mk05C7Oa5ghrVSGrr7-Jthh76XgX_tp9QyAwiFcfl-HQ2Jp-x5vz18nlFMyuq1MMKLTXiM4ucQBIyrcGqyTgS0HeJvwgvUysU9iKiygPdSJZRmLTYZp4CdSfjf4Yy0PhS23i-AXDlLl1_8x4zg/w150-h196/ToyStory1Enter.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">As part of one group's final project, we started today simulating the Knapsack problem. In essence, the idea behind the Knapsack Problem is to accrue the most value in a given time frame. In our case, we surveyed our peers to figure out how to value each ride, with Tower of Terror ranking as the group's favorite. Every time we rode a ride, we would add that ride's value to our pair's scores. The pair with the highest ride value after four hours wins. As soon as the Hollywood Studios rope dropped, we were off to the races! Most groups rope dropped Tower of Terror, but a few teams had different ideas. By the end, there was a clear winner, Lily and Dr. Bouzarth, who rope dropped Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and rode it twice in a row (the second time for half the value). They finished with a grand total of 291.5 points, winning by a slight margin of about 20 points, and were rewarded with some well-deserved bragging rights! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some pictures of group's hitting various attractions in attempt to get the most points: </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsKA1l3XR55QP7U2KKNnVZ_jrJ_xkGRKPix9ckU3wkUGKajh2ucOI6DhagqwkO7gX_h8oh_svwsKjd8wgXdZMiuORxW_F9_cF-wSARBrUcDEu1TUCEy0xxTZRgqH5Bu7Vsqyv47s_12ub3DK1dJWRLYi9TeiD11CBIAoxo5SUreoc2PGnRsOwOBqPVw/s3088/Muppet%20theater.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsKA1l3XR55QP7U2KKNnVZ_jrJ_xkGRKPix9ckU3wkUGKajh2ucOI6DhagqwkO7gX_h8oh_svwsKjd8wgXdZMiuORxW_F9_cF-wSARBrUcDEu1TUCEy0xxTZRgqH5Bu7Vsqyv47s_12ub3DK1dJWRLYi9TeiD11CBIAoxo5SUreoc2PGnRsOwOBqPVw/w308-h400/Muppet%20theater.JPG" width="308" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc74yIEJdURhbzwpVm7vC_6z-ynRZqWKMDZOHBB91pQ2I5uEe-0qElg5rVSkkG3MDj-95bfd1jyw6-nxbK3wxNE0WREi6ZTXD8-5DfC5nsBX-DMekz0kqRMfe24-yzdNkuOMdy8zfFhuIo6ATVAux2xgLPVuNePRpUG3PK2KY15jgdqXntyv-otyJ53Q/s3088/Smugglers%20Enter.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc74yIEJdURhbzwpVm7vC_6z-ynRZqWKMDZOHBB91pQ2I5uEe-0qElg5rVSkkG3MDj-95bfd1jyw6-nxbK3wxNE0WREi6ZTXD8-5DfC5nsBX-DMekz0kqRMfe24-yzdNkuOMdy8zfFhuIo6ATVAux2xgLPVuNePRpUG3PK2KY15jgdqXntyv-otyJ53Q/w321-h400/Smugglers%20Enter.jpeg" width="321" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6IgjbirulN2m2J9Wf3BooCFNQD3rkKMADtwjocAdAqT5awZpPhOoDT79ppTmWAhTg7z5MbHa4gv1jJ9QHq8QCDdKmHJg3JuBsJN6hu96Z7lVrm8Q8IQIC48Bi1q5S30CPwI8o4T32W7XCCjKi0sfVdU8H351Oj876VuFNqdlJ_y4kM7pvnO82Oglqg/s3088/IMG_2172%202.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6IgjbirulN2m2J9Wf3BooCFNQD3rkKMADtwjocAdAqT5awZpPhOoDT79ppTmWAhTg7z5MbHa4gv1jJ9QHq8QCDdKmHJg3JuBsJN6hu96Z7lVrm8Q8IQIC48Bi1q5S30CPwI8o4T32W7XCCjKi0sfVdU8H351Oj876VuFNqdlJ_y4kM7pvnO82Oglqg/w307-h240/IMG_2172%202.JPG" width="307" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffBslhC_F7WwSgXzEByFPVqDOj99v6fOpGhV-4Hr9xYIwYyGpXJW0MjiSYweQ6gwYcw1CfqtHBC4SOY88pWeJC2m7UfsgBUFHrAHwzcPA6dxEE-CP9prFLEix5j4qmwl4_Rb-4f1JWxtDpxDJFoj-1i2aio32589diZwYblkdc26-_ZN9-_O7WPuO6Q/s3088/3-Rock%20'n'%20Roller%20Coaster%20Arriving.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffBslhC_F7WwSgXzEByFPVqDOj99v6fOpGhV-4Hr9xYIwYyGpXJW0MjiSYweQ6gwYcw1CfqtHBC4SOY88pWeJC2m7UfsgBUFHrAHwzcPA6dxEE-CP9prFLEix5j4qmwl4_Rb-4f1JWxtDpxDJFoj-1i2aio32589diZwYblkdc26-_ZN9-_O7WPuO6Q/w322-h241/3-Rock%20'n'%20Roller%20Coaster%20Arriving.heic" width="322" /></span></a></div></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgkVhLJJiKPqBEfCUQHbicD01yByHCZr0a4LCZfqyGZrsf5aVCTJnvN0xqwRygQpJuXX_KgKnKrL6eK6dh7vV8OCgbv8sSnAAja2_r9s5W0RwgmmB6x3z71tu7lTCOe4rNA8pf1HG0hzRGSz-qkEcc2pMUJHK7N72WG7pIPnLa6q98T8Tjmfb0uvvNQ/s4032/ToTLine.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgkVhLJJiKPqBEfCUQHbicD01yByHCZr0a4LCZfqyGZrsf5aVCTJnvN0xqwRygQpJuXX_KgKnKrL6eK6dh7vV8OCgbv8sSnAAja2_r9s5W0RwgmmB6x3z71tu7lTCOe4rNA8pf1HG0hzRGSz-qkEcc2pMUJHK7N72WG7pIPnLa6q98T8Tjmfb0uvvNQ/w320-h253/ToTLine.HEIC" width="320" /></span></a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uTYr2CVjTvFOQNQKRmoTOLZFSInkKPs8uq8xjaHcF1BEpEIDWi-zopsW0p09J0luboyoJ57sp5yjiXcJjkSxJMuPbwbICaY8wRKINO9RIAanCtJwerows9HC0hd4PNpHLTdVQh58HD548BrPME0UcdDmU0DQN4rIvZd3lO91XpsSKxctlwMMaCIWXg/s4032/IMG_2755.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uTYr2CVjTvFOQNQKRmoTOLZFSInkKPs8uq8xjaHcF1BEpEIDWi-zopsW0p09J0luboyoJ57sp5yjiXcJjkSxJMuPbwbICaY8wRKINO9RIAanCtJwerows9HC0hd4PNpHLTdVQh58HD548BrPME0UcdDmU0DQN4rIvZd3lO91XpsSKxctlwMMaCIWXg/w308-h250/IMG_2755.jpeg" width="308" /></span></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Dr. Ron Dupuis Makes An Appearance</b></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>After the Knapsack Problem, and a quick lunch at Backlot Express (a quick-service restaurant by Star Tours featuring 'Star Wars'-themed food items), we came back to the hotel to listen to a guest speaker, Dr. Ron Dupuis. Ron went to the University of Waterloo and got his Ph.D. in Operations Research. To supplement his talk, Ron gave us problems to think through beforehand. He wanted to teach us the value of reframing problems and making connections across disciplines. One problem he gave us was a game called Sum to 15. The rules were simple: start with the numbers 1-9 and take turns picking a number. Once you pick a number, it's off the table and cannot be chosen again. The goal is to be the first to have the sum of your numbers equal 15. He told us about reframing the problem by visualizing it as a tic-tac-toe board. The even numbers would go in the corners, and the odds numbers would fill in the center cross, so that every row, column, and diagonal summed to 15. By viewing the game this way, we gained a deeper understanding of the strategy and mathematics behind the game. In addition, Ron discussed long-term strategy, in particular, keeping your opponent from understanding your methodology. Sometimes, this involves putting yourself into potential losing positions so that your opponent doesn't catch on to your winning strategy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTGDJGeBNiLQ3Kp7CzukyNxuKtb0Pwc-_SSeJjDnroiMMkQXxNRtXGg6oXgKbofYB5Ocu_anoz41fgEEIwYfycy7TGqzAjqHdT83NkakpO4LHgpCOA7VPl0PNeLbjoPdo_cinKre_7AeBvXaj3Np4vt0o3Eau1FSKr0j7rQ9LXZv41dgeU-hO-7L1rA/s4032/IMG_3210.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTGDJGeBNiLQ3Kp7CzukyNxuKtb0Pwc-_SSeJjDnroiMMkQXxNRtXGg6oXgKbofYB5Ocu_anoz41fgEEIwYfycy7TGqzAjqHdT83NkakpO4LHgpCOA7VPl0PNeLbjoPdo_cinKre_7AeBvXaj3Np4vt0o3Eau1FSKr0j7rQ9LXZv41dgeU-hO-7L1rA/w640-h480/IMG_3210.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">Ron connected problem reframing to his work at Disney. On one occasion, Ron was presented with a problem regarding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. He wanted to maximize throughput given the choice between a 5-second audio pre-show and a 15-second pre-show. After considering the problem, he reframed it as a problem of preventing cascading, which means the compound inefficiency of continually mistimed cars. In this light, he determined that the audio pre-show should actually be longer than 15-seconds in order to maximize throughput. </span><span style="text-align: left;">To end his talk, Ron listened to our final projects and gave us commentary on what else we could be doing or times where actual Disney employees were working on similar problems. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Magic Kingdom<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our last stop of the day, after some fire Firehouse Subs was Magic Kingdom. Due to some expected weather, we decide to make a detour to Laughing Floor after Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR) was temporarily closed. We were treated to a comedy special with loads of laughs.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After that quick stop, BTMRR reopened, and we headed right over. Unfortunately, we did not have Lighting Lane passes, so we all went in pairs through the standby line. But it was all worth it to see that fireworks show one more time! (See picture below!) After we finished collecting data at BTMRR, the professors gave us free time in Magic Kingdom. We (Joshua and Nathan) went to the Many Adventure's of Winnie the Pooh, a great classic of the park. Afterwards, we made the trip back to Frontierland to ride Splash Mountain. To close out the day, we got our last group photo in front of the 50th Anniversary Cinderella’s Castle, capping off yet another wonderful day at Disney! </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ipKj9pFr5R8_B7QEJpkOBAmg4UHCZcmVQXgUg-4nW_CAOVUkuWixL-8his-HmMuOYoL7nnJM4lkbQUA6HJVJQiIv4dgdqiJbiX-Rw7WD2qWHAm9b0nMnDsTdJ2XqsDbXkdOXUcXVBw4In_gmUgKKC7Fi7aS6Jyk52XHgwqW-Npg8QwjdTAqAmK2Ug/s4032/IMG_2181.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ipKj9pFr5R8_B7QEJpkOBAmg4UHCZcmVQXgUg-4nW_CAOVUkuWixL-8his-HmMuOYoL7nnJM4lkbQUA6HJVJQiIv4dgdqiJbiX-Rw7WD2qWHAm9b0nMnDsTdJ2XqsDbXkdOXUcXVBw4In_gmUgKKC7Fi7aS6Jyk52XHgwqW-Npg8QwjdTAqAmK2Ug/w400-h300/IMG_2181.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDs12aqsM4p1uqfWZk2m45eYZxlGds2MKWHICNNXmzbgRGmOAjQbql1WqG2AkonnRXc7glUQnTPzmicYPZZTOfxvT6A4dPQSYDuPCIBS-VuklRdlm0PntwAlorkuEip-wKq9G9b4_dNjnuApHMDUNlbIcLrY4YWd9W4-fkz9b_0S9keKyliAFSBX7cg/s3796/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3796" data-original-width="2530" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDs12aqsM4p1uqfWZk2m45eYZxlGds2MKWHICNNXmzbgRGmOAjQbql1WqG2AkonnRXc7glUQnTPzmicYPZZTOfxvT6A4dPQSYDuPCIBS-VuklRdlm0PntwAlorkuEip-wKq9G9b4_dNjnuApHMDUNlbIcLrY4YWd9W4-fkz9b_0S9keKyliAFSBX7cg/w213-h301/2022-05-29%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain.jpeg" width="213" /></a></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Signing Off For The Day, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Joshua (Front Right) and Nathan (Back Right)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uQnMtl5Q1ntR7ck64Y3zbOWlPEDxNDGLCWPmZRCJhaWjq-ssAe_6adj_sF4XuXAnYGri-GAwRpVfM5jkaoVsMiCdpSRV7bujF1jbmTY4S5pSJlXDaWxvRSZLKSum2uX-0Eost55VMfidUid9pYzkLsCQduLAhOkRgcQRMoOnllS3gi8bgyS06aQssQ/s3088/IMG_2185.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uQnMtl5Q1ntR7ck64Y3zbOWlPEDxNDGLCWPmZRCJhaWjq-ssAe_6adj_sF4XuXAnYGri-GAwRpVfM5jkaoVsMiCdpSRV7bujF1jbmTY4S5pSJlXDaWxvRSZLKSum2uX-0Eost55VMfidUid9pYzkLsCQduLAhOkRgcQRMoOnllS3gi8bgyS06aQssQ/w400-h300/IMG_2185.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><br />Nathan Sarrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379809346524358779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-67094111676665620232022-05-29T21:21:00.001-07:002022-05-29T21:51:21.827-07:00Day 18: Disney Tour and Project Time<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day started bright and early for a backstage tour of Magic Kingdom! After the tour, we went back to the hotel and spent the afternoon working on our final projects. We ended the night with a rewarding dessert from Twistee Treat!</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6a1e43e7-7fff-7fc4-d0ee-11c2032df57e"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio7G6ipAmXki402GRrs_w66a23tcRaq7a17SgeW6KupS821xN8IvF1EYNlczDfyoDFVQ5AmWtd_4--ZQ-EQ1Cfyy24wJHMfJY4HwzT7ddWU_fQnun6NLe7mdIKneFzu9OV8CRw1NWCOtssiqbx_fRh2cmeGHQ3Rv86nN3enVPAAVO01SQrDegLfsLF1A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio7G6ipAmXki402GRrs_w66a23tcRaq7a17SgeW6KupS821xN8IvF1EYNlczDfyoDFVQ5AmWtd_4--ZQ-EQ1Cfyy24wJHMfJY4HwzT7ddWU_fQnun6NLe7mdIKneFzu9OV8CRw1NWCOtssiqbx_fRh2cmeGHQ3Rv86nN3enVPAAVO01SQrDegLfsLF1A=w640-h482" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 5-hour backstage tour started promptly at 8 AM, which meant we needed to leave our hotel at 7AM, but the hotel breakfast didn’t open until 7:00, so we ended up leaving a few minutes late so we could grab food and most importantly coffee. This was the earliest we had to wake up in a while, so we were all pretty exhausted. However, once the tour started, we all livened up. Our tour guide, Dallas, told us all about the history of Magic Kingdom, informed us of some of the Disney secrets, and took us on a couple rides, like Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion. We stopped for a quick lunch at 10:30AM, and then continued on our way until the tour ended around 1:00PM. The class really enjoyed our tour and getting to hear about all things Disney! We then made a stop at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to collect data for another groups final project!</span><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhavYf3OTN3NCxd2Mnttr3WTzm7RZECu9TnovzoS5DPXdg0DpkPZDREh7rCgPp3mON5m872wS9AeLWe8Esd5DTt8Z8ulCXtCaA0AKcJ_4y27oDWinfKG0Wcdp9UB_E9cO-wLuzkB48m0tKhegtYcrUHDmhqSsu2Bd1bGgIHZTZzkAwVgqmiwpS1by3B5Q" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhavYf3OTN3NCxd2Mnttr3WTzm7RZECu9TnovzoS5DPXdg0DpkPZDREh7rCgPp3mON5m872wS9AeLWe8Esd5DTt8Z8ulCXtCaA0AKcJ_4y27oDWinfKG0Wcdp9UB_E9cO-wLuzkB48m0tKhegtYcrUHDmhqSsu2Bd1bGgIHZTZzkAwVgqmiwpS1by3B5Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">After Magic Kingdom, we went back to the hotel to work on our projects. Several hours were spent on the projects, as most people had finished their data collection and were now working on data analysis. On group worked on building a giant matrix to represent a graph they had been working on, while another group organized their data and made visual's of the data they collected. One group hadn’t begun their data collection yet, and announced their assignment to us all. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">We were split into pairs to begin strategizing for our adventure that would take place the next morning, but you’ll hear more about our special assignment tomorrow.</span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsFFF0EtCoWwO9XkR8GDOb7yV7JDpesPcUNzltXgLUoXLVP4RpcwDwSE4kjXrxWhPQxxZl34XMWV3Ll1W9XK52DG-OC13yE-cOzQCz3dwoMOlz5idWf4CribUoKNAjaBrtbTuZqQRskiJLFx-cv-jrFntPJupgvIofSemlwGazqlPs3BJEEwKHC96uuw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsFFF0EtCoWwO9XkR8GDOb7yV7JDpesPcUNzltXgLUoXLVP4RpcwDwSE4kjXrxWhPQxxZl34XMWV3Ll1W9XK52DG-OC13yE-cOzQCz3dwoMOlz5idWf4CribUoKNAjaBrtbTuZqQRskiJLFx-cv-jrFntPJupgvIofSemlwGazqlPs3BJEEwKHC96uuw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Later that night the professors were super sweet and decided to take us to Twistee Treat to finish off the day! It was great to catch up after the long day and have some fun after being hard at work, though some pairs kept strategizing over their ice cream. When we got back some project groups met back up to keep working, while others took a break for a small game night by the pool to unwind. All together, it was a pretty long day, but we got so much done and had a lot of fun doing it.</span></div></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwJIcrO1vb-6QkMf7cpt_1QjegVFZnp_cRGE-i8hsjRgEawsdzoIO0Zm_tLXhSq2BAqTTxLbayPm8Y4iwzf3VMbUzwbUQ_xyZPDw9hs9VPnWuQdLqrEH9iwgSp02WVEuPfBwOCsc3qjboBr_2rCQtObKbsWyhU4riT5oPJFIa7eTnvXDL6PiBJYNWNpA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwJIcrO1vb-6QkMf7cpt_1QjegVFZnp_cRGE-i8hsjRgEawsdzoIO0Zm_tLXhSq2BAqTTxLbayPm8Y4iwzf3VMbUzwbUQ_xyZPDw9hs9VPnWuQdLqrEH9iwgSp02WVEuPfBwOCsc3qjboBr_2rCQtObKbsWyhU4riT5oPJFIa7eTnvXDL6PiBJYNWNpA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Well, that's all for us today. We'll see you tomorrow!</div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">-Regan (left) and Maddie (right)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Regan Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340813805153971825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-31961432338661239682022-05-27T19:30:00.001-07:002022-05-27T20:26:13.531-07:00Day 17: Good Times with Graph Theory<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPszXvS4YybvfzYaGQ3TSKKg2ccE3Z3a1vIh6LOkg646BAuBhFlYyjIQpu8cb_lPDEkODcx69ByYWqMG3PPmDyrEjn2F7KBy4Mjwq7sabCns8D3Dv2wH6ILSXbTbEojlN4JS_DVqg-aOeK4eKmdEhk_VQEeU1DtTWENyPcW5N34FnDI33LtHQZJZ2gQ/s3088/6AA4E1A7-BC21-4675-A448-D817BA806C6C.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPszXvS4YybvfzYaGQ3TSKKg2ccE3Z3a1vIh6LOkg646BAuBhFlYyjIQpu8cb_lPDEkODcx69ByYWqMG3PPmDyrEjn2F7KBy4Mjwq7sabCns8D3Dv2wH6ILSXbTbEojlN4JS_DVqg-aOeK4eKmdEhk_VQEeU1DtTWENyPcW5N34FnDI33LtHQZJZ2gQ/w640-h480/6AA4E1A7-BC21-4675-A448-D817BA806C6C.heic" width="640" /></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To start off the day, we met outside for our last class of the trip. Dr. Harris taught us about queuing theory which (you guessed it!) is the mathematical study of queues. We have all waited in countless lines, or queues, throughout the trip - from waiting to ride a roller coaster to waiting in line to buy a tasty treat. After these continuous tests of our patience, it was interesting to learn about some of the math that lies behind this mundane task.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIIBe47a1wkjdLtYX9ZDrnKpEz2XoCBBy4v91Co4dlSZXFbE3r1yX5igL5B7R3FHHQZMnFPmqsx7ErSpwz262hNRooPWbt7ALTMWL22VoJXYW8mJO9_u4Xvsdygw6y1lCguj1SlNiGWBacx3CUeyql7iAAJUSrcY6n7fqAspIlEh3luLa_i_Heeq_ew/s480/A948074C-323A-43C6-8D73-DCD8F376554A_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIIBe47a1wkjdLtYX9ZDrnKpEz2XoCBBy4v91Co4dlSZXFbE3r1yX5igL5B7R3FHHQZMnFPmqsx7ErSpwz262hNRooPWbt7ALTMWL22VoJXYW8mJO9_u4Xvsdygw6y1lCguj1SlNiGWBacx3CUeyql7iAAJUSrcY6n7fqAspIlEh3luLa_i_Heeq_ew/w400-h300/A948074C-323A-43C6-8D73-DCD8F376554A_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">To start, we listed a few lines that we had personally experienced and thought of various factors that differentiated each queue. Dr. Harris discussed single queues to single or multiple servers, and multiple queues to single or multiple servers. For example, rides like Soarin’ begin as a single queue until you are directed to one of several servers, or a flight deck in this case. On the other hand, a movie attraction has only one line (single queue) that leads to one theater (single server). These two examples illustrate a single queue to multiple servers, and a single queue to a single server. </span><div><br /><div>After studying types of queues, we discussed Little’s Theorem, which states that the number of people in line for a ride is equal to the rate of people arriving at the line multiplied by the time spent both in line and on the ride. There have been many instances where I have been in a long queue and have wondered how many people are actually in the same line. Equipped with Little’s Theorem, I can now know! Suppose you are standing outside the entrance of Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure and you see that thirty people enter the line each minute. If you know that it takes roughly sixty minutes to get through both the line and the ride itself, using Little’s Theorem, you can discover that roughly 1,800 people are in line. </div><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbQ5qgdp_DaWl9Ks-0ovM9_DK1fP_v04mljNZIiDYlc1t4A1fmRucakPIi-3YPib0Jxi_k6y5MdaG6YVQKhPa-wKHNf8TMHjMsj2yi8c7xzHp3NEE69Nktb6sjoOvZXrr_V8bXh5boNoS8C-X-Ah5bl7Rnv6887o3tQMSDNvUpC0DFOHULjHjEPqZMQ/s480/D2C8A448-A0DB-47BA-BF86-6D63D4F3B857_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbQ5qgdp_DaWl9Ks-0ovM9_DK1fP_v04mljNZIiDYlc1t4A1fmRucakPIi-3YPib0Jxi_k6y5MdaG6YVQKhPa-wKHNf8TMHjMsj2yi8c7xzHp3NEE69Nktb6sjoOvZXrr_V8bXh5boNoS8C-X-Ah5bl7Rnv6887o3tQMSDNvUpC0DFOHULjHjEPqZMQ/w354-h266/D2C8A448-A0DB-47BA-BF86-6D63D4F3B857_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="354" /></span></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">We closed out our last lesson by learning about probability and graph theory. Using sequences and series, we were able to represent the concepts we learned about today. In case any blog readers are curious, we included some of our sequences and series below. We can’t disappoint our viewers and we knew this is the content you’ve all been waiting for!</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">After lessons and lunch, we split off project groups and ventured to different parks. With it being Memorial Day Weekend, we couldn’t all secure park reservations to Magic Kingdom, although each group eventually reunited there. Instead, many of us took buses, gondolas and monorails in order to park hop! </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Everyone helped each of the four groups collect data for their projects - one group needed data from Hollywood Studios, the others from the Magic Kingdom. The Hollywood Studios group is working on a schedule to maximize value in the park. Families only have so much time to spend in Disney and thus, want to get the most fun out of every minute of their day. This means that to have a valuable day in Hollywood Studios, it’s important to attend both a high quantity of attractions as well as high-wait rides that have higher thrill value. This project group considered both competing factors in order to design the most optimal schedule to hit as many rides as possible, while also including fan favorites. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDcrS_2CCa45gFDdXoUVoy8TvOsYEzLPyrnKjYliCBNhuaNHRh26aScRQxkjqQ0wnurjf6qIeGhQ7zuWUElikNnZT1wp4uoLuCatwDfAhSXj4kRDfTZD-ccHSgfsCuu4k7wiPN-wp6QYwRosRGVfHqHf23eq3Ss9UHacN61qvt7EhfbqRr5YOH9ZfHA/s4032/7659ACB6-B9FA-4A95-A8CD-E8783A301F55.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDcrS_2CCa45gFDdXoUVoy8TvOsYEzLPyrnKjYliCBNhuaNHRh26aScRQxkjqQ0wnurjf6qIeGhQ7zuWUElikNnZT1wp4uoLuCatwDfAhSXj4kRDfTZD-ccHSgfsCuu4k7wiPN-wp6QYwRosRGVfHqHf23eq3Ss9UHacN61qvt7EhfbqRr5YOH9ZfHA/s320/7659ACB6-B9FA-4A95-A8CD-E8783A301F55.heic" width="240" /></span></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Groups in the Magic Kingdom are working on projects that are more ride-specific. One group is trying to determine if there is a better line to enter (left line vs right line) when waiting for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Sound familiar? This project relates to queue theory, which we learned this morning. Big Thunder Mountain is a great example of a ride that begins as a single queue, and then splits into two queues toward two separate servers. To help collect data, pairs entered the ride and split between the two queues - one entering the right line and one entering the left - each timing both the total wait time and the wait at specific checkpoints throughout the queue. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Another group is determining if the decrease in wait times ostensibly garnered through single rider lines is worth the separation anxiety. The group is specifically examining rides that seat six person parties in order to determine if the addition of a single rider line at Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure (a six person seater ride) would be beneficial. Today, groups counted the number of people in each group as they entered Space Mountain to get a better idea of the distribution of party sizes. In the future, this group hopes to collect party size distribution data at Test Track and Smugglers Run, both of which have single rider lines. The hope is that the distributions of party sizes are similar across all four rides, so that the group will be able to recommend the addition of single rider lines on all similar attractions going forward. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BiI5vL5IKtonLpP_GXs6J3Cg4MrJqPvbo3IEXaw1UYQ5BZUv-r8--U52XZT2H4xSZzMN3PXfWxiA1lRsFlcNWSnJnNFQnmtoeWOj5sc1tlshoKg7k1MBI2UP12G1lXRT0BnJyECZEcChWce_sMsZ0mISHQ7bOGrsNNk0nfv0-VERbiKbzOl-JLfLOA/s3951/2729DBB5-8A24-43E7-948D-56C89DAAD777.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="3951" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BiI5vL5IKtonLpP_GXs6J3Cg4MrJqPvbo3IEXaw1UYQ5BZUv-r8--U52XZT2H4xSZzMN3PXfWxiA1lRsFlcNWSnJnNFQnmtoeWOj5sc1tlshoKg7k1MBI2UP12G1lXRT0BnJyECZEcChWce_sMsZ0mISHQ7bOGrsNNk0nfv0-VERbiKbzOl-JLfLOA/w640-h426/2729DBB5-8A24-43E7-948D-56C89DAAD777.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The last group is determining the most congested areas of the Magic Kingdom throughout the day using factors such as ride throughput, attraction location, and road width. Today’s data collection involved measuring the width of pathways throughout the park. Congestion occurs in areas with lots of people and little space, so it is important to identify narrow pathways throughout the park that may be susceptible to congestion. Using an app, we were able to measure each pathway without obnoxiously holding rulers to the ground. We math majors love our rulers, but not enough to carry it around the Magic Kingdom. Although we still received strange looks while wandering across crowds calling our measurements aloud, the group eventually got all the data they needed to conduct their analysis.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0v1vXrJRNnbAgkZrVbzy9dCDAAI64AMfbi8fjBBA-lv4dVyJ3NWZUGg9KEFzJDdqQTg3qLb13I0FFim_13NhWpONsh4qnuaSlbqrsvVm7vCKtUbpUg95rtnwQDwhwNIh1dys8BkuGbgoIax8rj1kigXFULrbgJhCZ-Rdzx02BHG4Fr3UhpMfrjrUfg/s3951/F7BCF0F4-8693-4193-8581-FB6646B1235C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="3951" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0v1vXrJRNnbAgkZrVbzy9dCDAAI64AMfbi8fjBBA-lv4dVyJ3NWZUGg9KEFzJDdqQTg3qLb13I0FFim_13NhWpONsh4qnuaSlbqrsvVm7vCKtUbpUg95rtnwQDwhwNIh1dys8BkuGbgoIax8rj1kigXFULrbgJhCZ-Rdzx02BHG4Fr3UhpMfrjrUfg/w400-h266/F7BCF0F4-8693-4193-8581-FB6646B1235C.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a hard day's work, the gang ended the day by eating dinner at Columbia Harbor House and riding Space Mountain for some final fun! We headed out before the fireworks, as we have a very early morning tomorrow. But don’t worry, we’ll be sure to see our fair share of these beauties in the coming days. </span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As for now, we really need to head to bed before our 6am wake up. Signing off for now!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiGRAjF_EMbTc1tF6bDcfzR-MCHHVArE1E9_KAyhYgiP2JASbi6a3QrVt7Zi3YiEeNkEry4EF2kN9RK3YrInWclpLr_qRFe3LTiklcAfPQL3-L_6IEWCb88Mcou_wdHEhahIP898AupNxSW3vcsQTWetQXlijROMeDPJ76gqhDKxjLqTyJ3TVMUmbyw/s3088/63B0560C-335B-4D4C-8CC5-DB444919FE3F.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiGRAjF_EMbTc1tF6bDcfzR-MCHHVArE1E9_KAyhYgiP2JASbi6a3QrVt7Zi3YiEeNkEry4EF2kN9RK3YrInWclpLr_qRFe3LTiklcAfPQL3-L_6IEWCb88Mcou_wdHEhahIP898AupNxSW3vcsQTWetQXlijROMeDPJ76gqhDKxjLqTyJ3TVMUmbyw/w400-h300/63B0560C-335B-4D4C-8CC5-DB444919FE3F.heic" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Roomies Lily and Louisa</span></span></div><p></p></div></div></div>Louisa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11735941466623652183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-7146270524376277172022-05-27T11:14:00.002-07:002022-05-27T11:14:45.027-07:00Day 16: Staying Cool with Data Collection<h2 style="text-align: left;">Overview:</h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth and I are finally out of quarantine! We were rewarded with a wonderfully humid day and a guest speaker! The speaker was followed by class, where we learned about sampling distributions (stats!!). We had a fun afternoon at Epcot collecting data for one of the group’s final projects, and then we all ended the day by working on our own final project write-ups.</span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU-pCo00LwhSBEdK3MX-6FA19pWQu_JZTBdv4deKV46Od0VeqToLAJ5T7JI50oRmjwwlw36Ut-F9df1Gj5KtSvOaaj2hofeLVCQ3XoTMJ4b4diGD0V5pqHvlsW-kjQiX-aya67Puj41X76iUPbhegMqq3fDzOh5_FQCRyWX_Rsme17zHC5m4234Gx/s4032/IMG_2933.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="439" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeU-pCo00LwhSBEdK3MX-6FA19pWQu_JZTBdv4deKV46Od0VeqToLAJ5T7JI50oRmjwwlw36Ut-F9df1Gj5KtSvOaaj2hofeLVCQ3XoTMJ4b4diGD0V5pqHvlsW-kjQiX-aya67Puj41X76iUPbhegMqq3fDzOh5_FQCRyWX_Rsme17zHC5m4234Gx/w584-h439/IMG_2933.JPG" width="584" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">Disney Guest Speaker:</h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-6df38d2c-7fff-5149-356e-42aba80c6065"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbVAzpU-JCE4lo0hj70fvjxnIf4eVpgzK2kUfF0SY-vw-BSjc5Bgq2cHKZErH3pobZh2FPyGe1eUZb4zq6jNEIZezhfC1-W5eS1oNiJzXzrR3S43ep4PKouNzYOZsVLJe1OL2Dhu01eHTnoVRdv3J2Ac2Nvbx71mWPsJ82FifKUcXZgU5JHO_8GUh/s1952/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-26%20at%209.03.31%20AM%20copy.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1952" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbVAzpU-JCE4lo0hj70fvjxnIf4eVpgzK2kUfF0SY-vw-BSjc5Bgq2cHKZErH3pobZh2FPyGe1eUZb4zq6jNEIZezhfC1-W5eS1oNiJzXzrR3S43ep4PKouNzYOZsVLJe1OL2Dhu01eHTnoVRdv3J2Ac2Nvbx71mWPsJ82FifKUcXZgU5JHO_8GUh/w320-h170/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-26%20at%209.03.31%20AM%20copy.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><p></p></span><div>We got to meet with a really interesting employee of Disney. He talked to us about how Disney works to improve the guest's experience online through recommendations. He also talked about the personalization of a previous perk Disney offered to its hotel guests that resembled a paper itinerary one might get on a cruise ship. It was very interesting to see all of the ways Disney uses data to inform their recommendations for guests. We also got a brief introduction to machine learning in which he mentioned a form of categorizing people that was just like the k-means clustering algorithm we used earlier in the course!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the talk, our class had the opportunity to ask him questions about his life, and his path to Disney. He talked about how he went back to school multiple times just because of his curiosity and desire to learn. He also stressed the importance of turning our mistakes into learning opportunities. As we are all deciding what path we want to take in life, hearing from someone who has made some mistakes (by his own account), but still has been very successful working for Disney, eases the apprehension we all have about deciding what to do after we graduate. It helps us see that even if we choose the wrong path, and make a ton of mistakes along the way, we can learn, grow, and still be successful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Class:</h2><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-0ee56902-7fff-2e86-67c5-4fd1fa1d1d14"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a whole bunch of fun learning about sampling distributions. Neither of us have ever had a statistics class, so it was fun learning about things that I’ve heard people say in passing like null hypothesis, t-test, standard deviation, etc. We learned about three different types of distribution: population distribution (the actual distribution), data distribution (distribution taken from one sample of the population), and the sampling distribution (the distribution of all the samples of that size). The example we discussed was the distribution of the size of parties getting onto rides. We learned that the bigger the sample size you take, the more likely it will resemble the actual or population distribution. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We also talked about Hypothesis testing. For this there is a null hypothesis which is the ‘widely held belief’ and an alternative hypothesis that we need to find evidence to support. Take for example the likelihood someone can correctly guess the suits given a randomly shuffled deck of cards. We would expect a person to be right about 25% of the time since there are only four suits. That would be our null hypothesis. We might propose that someone has ESP (the sixth sense, just psychically knows the suit of the cards without seeing) if they correctly identify more than 25% of the cards. This would be our alternative hypothesis, what we’d need to find evidence to support. To test this example, Louisa was nominated to call the suits of 25 cards to see if she has ESP. Unfortunately, Louisa only guessed 24% of the cards correctly, so it has been confirmed that Louisa does not have ESP. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can use this new knowledge to help us interpret things like the distribution of actual vs. posted wait times. This also applies for a few of the final projects, one of which we collected data for just today!</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Epcot:</h2><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-c2ed00b2-7fff-9337-7c4e-8cd7b4a50503"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V_qHomLPYbwfGoQX0KDixdD2t-EBIkjMWRR2t5YIHqojD8dALXz7UD42qw6C9N_GwX4tg3qT9LV0KlAnCUtkfb_JHOVrPmjOJyjtbn30HMemrm_86b6Mx8oytG_KTfwTNHHkZ4hPr_UO6CF0mZC23KB17AdkRSaWHwqsvCzobh-004Kdm1qtdaei/s4032/IMG_2936.JPG" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V_qHomLPYbwfGoQX0KDixdD2t-EBIkjMWRR2t5YIHqojD8dALXz7UD42qw6C9N_GwX4tg3qT9LV0KlAnCUtkfb_JHOVrPmjOJyjtbn30HMemrm_86b6Mx8oytG_KTfwTNHHkZ4hPr_UO6CF0mZC23KB17AdkRSaWHwqsvCzobh-004Kdm1qtdaei/w275-h366/IMG_2936.JPG" width="275" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihfeK6v-HNcDqsxn8Tn2qcqzks56xnxjNL5ei2BRd2xLuHiAv_41RFzW0uTN5gyV_ltAs5yyIYRT1Qh_uO5f6XKBFNvaVca0CxOsMiUHiUmSy95E4G7P0ISVDS3kHhPNg9sAZlDn04UvnxImLiDJZuT2lQMow_ia1_lcBa4aY92VtW3M5hCxk4Xnup" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="699" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihfeK6v-HNcDqsxn8Tn2qcqzks56xnxjNL5ei2BRd2xLuHiAv_41RFzW0uTN5gyV_ltAs5yyIYRT1Qh_uO5f6XKBFNvaVca0CxOsMiUHiUmSy95E4G7P0ISVDS3kHhPNg9sAZlDn04UvnxImLiDJZuT2lQMow_ia1_lcBa4aY92VtW3M5hCxk4Xnup=w201-h368" width="201" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">The goal at Epcot today was to collect data for one of the group’s final projects. Most of us collected data at Test Track. We had to go through the Single Rider Lane as pairs and count the number of people in each party that were being seated. After riding Test Track, we had to look at the ride photos to count the number of empty seats in each car. We got to ride Test Track twice, and since we went in the Single Rider Lane, we were able to ride within about five minutes of entering the line. Apparently, Test Track’s Single Rider Lane is the way to go. After a significant amount of data was collected, we were given free time to either enjoy Epcot, or ride the monorail over to Magic Kingdom. Besides the day being very hot and humid, it was a lot of fun! </span></div></div></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-jU0iBR2B3r2PbhbRrBV4Y-anbt62rGKAquIaS5LbWo-NVPS_yQruGDi1x8Q-zoPN17_0J-SSJmjb-aZDAZgQlkdVccTvxKdmgseCgQqWPP0U2dSofk2Jf2lLKbQgTb8rntHFEaDlNh0tAUEKwQNAsaPSr5FVBXm-Cfff2UvIP5woOCG51SRMLGe/s4032/IMG_3009.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="503" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-jU0iBR2B3r2PbhbRrBV4Y-anbt62rGKAquIaS5LbWo-NVPS_yQruGDi1x8Q-zoPN17_0J-SSJmjb-aZDAZgQlkdVccTvxKdmgseCgQqWPP0U2dSofk2Jf2lLKbQgTb8rntHFEaDlNh0tAUEKwQNAsaPSr5FVBXm-Cfff2UvIP5woOCG51SRMLGe/w671-h503/IMG_3009.JPG" width="671" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">Most of us ended the night by working with our groups on our fi</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">nal projects. The coming days will be filled with data collection for other groups’ projects, and we are looking forward to it!</span></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stay cool,</span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maddie and Elizabeth</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghY9ENvDgG9uQKUFYCWOKE_SVsJ6n7P4dEKelWwpfav51v39YnNQKAscFO7n1LNlfb6TwavC0EWA5RvnRviNUOpGoxXJTn2zncYyXwlzJ8SEsDPJaJQDFDn___X0_eZqvBgkCQ_U6AYBLTlARefEQRU6RRMkjy4oDjcQ6BInQfWrfRmS4zpl5aws_/s2208/IMG_0624.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1206" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghY9ENvDgG9uQKUFYCWOKE_SVsJ6n7P4dEKelWwpfav51v39YnNQKAscFO7n1LNlfb6TwavC0EWA5RvnRviNUOpGoxXJTn2zncYyXwlzJ8SEsDPJaJQDFDn___X0_eZqvBgkCQ_U6AYBLTlARefEQRU6RRMkjy4oDjcQ6BInQfWrfRmS4zpl5aws_/w221-h403/IMG_0624.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></div>Elizabeth Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07962682114104467350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-37716169110070937842022-05-26T05:23:00.003-07:002022-05-26T05:51:26.195-07:00Day 15: Lions, Dinosaurs, and Dole Whips; Oh My! <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello, everyone!</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can you guess what Disney park we went to today, based off the title?... if you guessed the Animal Kingdom, you are correct! After a morning filled with learning and pondering, we spent the evening in the peaceful ambiance of the Animal Kingdom. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5-5pIZd6dwg9IyKNH6gx4t26NokHmovJbkTER48XJ2aUvTabefmQYfZCUaBcvcJwGS0optEhUHNp6R2Y9ANCkjf57nWZVQSEIWLWD4A7cZOIFL5mYv7oR5y4Szn3YKBCzgmz1DfFDvhwk48w86B0_yV0uzdxWapOOXAUVXuMeDjLC5WiAcWNGU5Uf8g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5-5pIZd6dwg9IyKNH6gx4t26NokHmovJbkTER48XJ2aUvTabefmQYfZCUaBcvcJwGS0optEhUHNp6R2Y9ANCkjf57nWZVQSEIWLWD4A7cZOIFL5mYv7oR5y4Szn3YKBCzgmz1DfFDvhwk48w86B0_yV0uzdxWapOOXAUVXuMeDjLC5WiAcWNGU5Uf8g=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></span></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A female lion sits atop a boulder. </i></span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c422056a-7fff-2797-294d-37428602b700"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Class Time<span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This morning, we were super excited to have a later start to the day, with class beginning at 9:30 am. Especially with our routine late-nights in the parks, lazy mornings have become a treasure to us all. Nevertheless, in class today, we discussed expected value and risk of probability. To start off class, Dr. Harris demonstrated a probability game with us, where we had to guess if a card in a deck was red or black, using probability as judgment. This game was a variation of one of his famous “Magic Monday” tricks, but for Math and the Mouse, it was a “Magic Wednesday” special edition. We then continued this idea of expected value and risk by using the game American Roulette. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By looking at the different probabilities of winning roulette, we could find how much money on average you would gain or lose while playing</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Our first scenario examined the average amount of money one would gain or lose when betting $5 on an even or odd number with a reward of $5. As a class, we came to the conclusion that, on average, one would lose $0.26 when playing this game. Dr. Harris then showed us a second scenario where he raised the risk to betting $175 for a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> singular number. Similarly to the first scenario, we found that on average, one would lose $0.26 when playing this game. Interestingly enough, a</span></span></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">fter another example where we </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">noticed</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the same average of losing $0.26, we looked at why this happened. As a </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">conclusion</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, we found that although the </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">averages</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> are the same, the variance is what makes these problems distinct. For example, it takes a shorter amount of time for the </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">average</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to eventually equal -$0.26 in the even/odd scenario than in the single-number-choosing scenario. To prove this, we found that the even/odd scenario had a variance of 24, whereas the </span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">single-number-choosing scenario had a variance of over 800! </span></p><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">New Project</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over that past few days, we have been lettin</span>g our curiosity wander and minds question the works of Disney. Today, we got our final presentation groups that focus on an unique element in Disney’s operations. Some topics include the knapsack problem, single rider lines, park congestion and bottlenecks, and more. Because these projects are still in development, we</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> don’t want to go in-depth; </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">however, we are super excited to see where our peers take these </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">awesome</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> ideas!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQxdLoqoIufUmPV4ICGdPzx-lhaq-ew4xYZlnIp9Ll7-M_5YAIci3NX4rssEKl0m6KMiyN1pMityrvayaPZRUNmFVC9g3vbKam0MzvQSYBLTFMtO2QcNvPqQOrokE1m9IsQBDT1gZsKwO8dEl6neun6IHYoqSBefCIB5UsGnINecku3vTpfldL-eRG2Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQxdLoqoIufUmPV4ICGdPzx-lhaq-ew4xYZlnIp9Ll7-M_5YAIci3NX4rssEKl0m6KMiyN1pMityrvayaPZRUNmFVC9g3vbKam0MzvQSYBLTFMtO2QcNvPqQOrokE1m9IsQBDT1gZsKwO8dEl6neun6IHYoqSBefCIB5UsGnINecku3vTpfldL-eRG2Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><i style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">A project group </i><i>strategizing</i><i style="font-family: inherit;"> </i><i>their method, as mentioned later. </i></div></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg24nwEGwcb1Al3TAU8pvTzvOLlELx8R_WEczUoDOTem1ysiHc05JTQ2deiwWN4EwdzjGvjqJ8-AACv_lpGXJ3cMiiIHYopxc2JVRg2qpeh4dEEazPrlvI7k4SLRIzAB4CsIznB3JO9kN9BnensAXoKPPdDjnhbUD-XnKnLjdiRp3YX67wF_BWNxvoD2A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Animal Kingdom</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After getting our new project groups, we went to Animal Kingdom! First, we made a group stop at Kilimanjaro Safaris. The last time we went on this safari, it was in the hot afternoon, so we didn’t see many animals. Today, however, since we went in the late afternoon, we saw lots of animals (including ones we didn’t see before)!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsfd50jAWuanW29VsvCu5TdUoF-e5dgIKHJteDdyXTWpJiagES6QDMUJ1R2RxrrDaxwKvV-dpzdRbqNBp_XSNKrBi4zX58xfkFTo8OqXrl7fDPYMV1yL3WSvwYZpiR48DUqd3oqUZhiif0kEmicBCCqBNsByqkVZfTgHwri1gtqrIgaZSIv6LTQgekFA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1724" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsfd50jAWuanW29VsvCu5TdUoF-e5dgIKHJteDdyXTWpJiagES6QDMUJ1R2RxrrDaxwKvV-dpzdRbqNBp_XSNKrBi4zX58xfkFTo8OqXrl7fDPYMV1yL3WSvwYZpiR48DUqd3oqUZhiif0kEmicBCCqBNsByqkVZfTgHwri1gtqrIgaZSIv6LTQgekFA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A herd of </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Ankole Cattle share a meal.</span></i></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiicUhQQqAxc2Bb-hygQfPxeOjVGhh8D3nMfRdwblQxEpT4v4jqDg7gx5D_WoGMpNITPXNpZcODHq0An1W5u1g3iJgHKv6K56ihgmKs_vRNE6gIpQ_cKHFk5l8rD4l-jUSS0n1JQFztsgh_g43MBKDMt1bjIhjFe7qlAzJrii0KrzQnIG1Mk-jC9apbCw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiicUhQQqAxc2Bb-hygQfPxeOjVGhh8D3nMfRdwblQxEpT4v4jqDg7gx5D_WoGMpNITPXNpZcODHq0An1W5u1g3iJgHKv6K56ihgmKs_vRNE6gIpQ_cKHFk5l8rD4l-jUSS0n1JQFztsgh_g43MBKDMt1bjIhjFe7qlAzJrii0KrzQnIG1Mk-jC9apbCw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><i>A rhino gets close to our bus. </i></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOt4Et-tphx-SUx2pVrMJodaf6w9OE6EEeiHO-xLUrVLCGmTrMAQcCsu2JybrweKa6B_c1KQnH_36bezHJ0NU35DYwtnWcSWW-MwGfk0rhnq5H4XGOjT9MhttKoMS7Az6Unp2CsfFThPwcvRxlIpX5BDdwAnF3FWt_5-RsIq3oOUU6UOaToxn_yS2U3Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOt4Et-tphx-SUx2pVrMJodaf6w9OE6EEeiHO-xLUrVLCGmTrMAQcCsu2JybrweKa6B_c1KQnH_36bezHJ0NU35DYwtnWcSWW-MwGfk0rhnq5H4XGOjT9MhttKoMS7Az6Unp2CsfFThPwcvRxlIpX5BDdwAnF3FWt_5-RsIq3oOUU6UOaToxn_yS2U3Q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I spy a flamingo that's just a week old! Can you find it? (Hint: it's grey)</i></div></i></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKKnHDRKC1Gf2Xd9YHwpDTZFv40qmV6Zi5bHJJZhe_7RGYXsoPnYjuP7x7IaxvKzS-djqbPfl1xfsnzRzYV7Uvu91nmwrMr39UvRDaKuV82WFxr_krHChqDtRZWm0gpvGMPrnKSUfasRchCPC12JeqjL4obpUHdTUWk94mgg60kYLh5YfV_67wn4EOg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKKnHDRKC1Gf2Xd9YHwpDTZFv40qmV6Zi5bHJJZhe_7RGYXsoPnYjuP7x7IaxvKzS-djqbPfl1xfsnzRzYV7Uvu91nmwrMr39UvRDaKuV82WFxr_krHChqDtRZWm0gpvGMPrnKSUfasRchCPC12JeqjL4obpUHdTUWk94mgg60kYLh5YfV_67wn4EOg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><i>A male and female lion lay in the shade.</i></span></span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4tuH8cw59S42I8MgUvOar0I8qOdTUl8Gfptq98-Oh8h3MxtHd6w3NjID1OTkDoUeusTww-DYV0zjrU8_pq1Jx44XXyK6PfoU07LSYyY13cjQ0F725vWC25wuL_P7kieMtE9lZockI0E_IkzUWfkUGu3STE6nQWYC2_bULnpAFXs2VKpCwwhx5RrZytA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4tuH8cw59S42I8MgUvOar0I8qOdTUl8Gfptq98-Oh8h3MxtHd6w3NjID1OTkDoUeusTww-DYV0zjrU8_pq1Jx44XXyK6PfoU07LSYyY13cjQ0F725vWC25wuL_P7kieMtE9lZockI0E_IkzUWfkUGu3STE6nQWYC2_bULnpAFXs2VKpCwwhx5RrZytA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, we stopped at Yak&Yeti for dinner! In our Workforce Scheduling project, we had to find the best number of Disney employees so that Yak&Yeti may run with sufficient staff, but also so that Disney doesn’t employ too many employees. This project was one of the three that we presented to Disney officials this past Monday. Therefore, it was great to be able to actually enjoy the Yak&Yeti dining options. During dinner time, final project groups met individually with the professors to discuss data collection and the direction of their projects. Therefore, when groups were not eating at Yak&Yeti or meeting with the professors, they had the freedom to enjoy rides such as Mount Everest. Some students are trying to ride Mount Everest at least 10 times before going home at the end of May, and they are getting very close! </span></p></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYbfFpba65tyFhQYjlbt3pW612Grlcu5ciGwT6jV67_AWU3o7xIGEnO6vLl6KZEaYTvY4LCz1Ouah5jTncN5GdzBKUoybSzdW9vkiz_P08oikzfEmIEHQotFaNz92w3PTPMdNHEAsg0WQzLEAI5r8XPxuTLz46UVEXWHt9YPZ0tpYZOVl8SrJvTcsgKQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYbfFpba65tyFhQYjlbt3pW612Grlcu5ciGwT6jV67_AWU3o7xIGEnO6vLl6KZEaYTvY4LCz1Ouah5jTncN5GdzBKUoybSzdW9vkiz_P08oikzfEmIEHQotFaNz92w3PTPMdNHEAsg0WQzLEAI5r8XPxuTLz46UVEXWHt9YPZ0tpYZOVl8SrJvTcsgKQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><br />The group has been on the hunt for Dole Whips since the last time we went to Animal Kingdom. It has become a tradition for the students to get a Dole Whip and then enjoy the treat while walking over to DINOSAUR to end the day at the parks. If you are unfamiliar with a Dole Whip, it's a Disney staple! The tasty dessert is a pineapple flavored soft serve. In addition, some Dole Whips have special flavorings such as sour apple drizzle or strawberry swirl. I (Katie) personally enjoy the Dole Whip float, which is the normal soft serve with pineapple juice at the bottom. As a group, we hope to find this treat in Magic Kingdom and try some new flavors!</span></div></span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ponderings of the Night</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Before the Animal Kingdom closed, we all went on DINOSAUR: certainly a Math and the Mouse 2022 favorite! If you have never been on DINOSAUR before, the goal of the ride is to go back in time in order to bring a dinosaur to the present day so that scientists can study it. </span></span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today was the third time we have been to the Animal Kingdom, and likewise to previous trips, we have been here as it has been closing. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Because each time we have gone to the Animal Kingdom we have ridden DINOSAUR as our final attraction, when we exited this ride today, it truly felt as though we were in a time loop. Not only have we just finished the day with the classic DINOSAUR adventure, but as we walk out of Dinoland, Smash Mouth’s “All Star” plays in the backgrounds, likewise to our past two experiences, </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">encapturing</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the energy we have </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">undergone all day. The first time we experienced this exact scenario, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">we were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, looking forward to all that was to come. Now, in this same experience but fast-forwarded some days, we are left with thoughts of excitement for our final projects and nostalgia for savoring our last few days to the Disney parks.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXSt2NSMOHmLgnMiAdlYzPar9NHrJWyPsAKidmWuslVDD-dt7FI5wO3Mxv2yTVOm90Y6rUl6ilzyZ60wPA_TrU8xA6cs2RKSLXzDTEzQlZ1oSi2en08L2E2xnHlFR3gek8z5yn06NvmHJ47pMIx0l4Jge2EgqdfSzxhw2aSIWGrsHm5ziA7wXHMpZ2yA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="4000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXSt2NSMOHmLgnMiAdlYzPar9NHrJWyPsAKidmWuslVDD-dt7FI5wO3Mxv2yTVOm90Y6rUl6ilzyZ60wPA_TrU8xA6cs2RKSLXzDTEzQlZ1oSi2en08L2E2xnHlFR3gek8z5yn06NvmHJ47pMIx0l4Jge2EgqdfSzxhw2aSIWGrsHm5ziA7wXHMpZ2yA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></span></span></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Signing off, roomies: </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Grace Houser (right) and Katie Jobe (left)</span></b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVAMyfbWoccDOH8EALclNZnFbn19Pu9Mq-g6HI3yRh86aB5UUo2af7h69G-UvRfQJNMd0YEj88PBaYzt5kfQDRAA1Gu56BJFBa0vm32Upg3df3x_7PSoEwUfR2IPmaDosXHbURiSCjNURplOfItXQl8lKv2LWkYOGgk9N4ucVJezBVQJl9BwwVCeUrww" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVAMyfbWoccDOH8EALclNZnFbn19Pu9Mq-g6HI3yRh86aB5UUo2af7h69G-UvRfQJNMd0YEj88PBaYzt5kfQDRAA1Gu56BJFBa0vm32Upg3df3x_7PSoEwUfR2IPmaDosXHbURiSCjNURplOfItXQl8lKv2LWkYOGgk9N4ucVJezBVQJl9BwwVCeUrww=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Grace Houserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028042748607552233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-55172587083464879342022-05-24T20:50:00.010-07:002022-05-25T05:50:57.890-07:00Day 14: Binomials and Bratwursts<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZkszXZIwVxWaB_WBzItyHWU-u05UHQIWgtjLV0JP4m8OOQXeYwoIcW4wFlpOCjbTFXnikdHpyWh4LsSGyZVNlZXR-1BncXgwcUaRxOYniDowArdsnOa4gWbsW4auDDQ5pd9_p8WzfqCRgd4xbAieh5LHGgmtKW1EeLChbdgfFekDH_9snfZHhXEf6ZQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZkszXZIwVxWaB_WBzItyHWU-u05UHQIWgtjLV0JP4m8OOQXeYwoIcW4wFlpOCjbTFXnikdHpyWh4LsSGyZVNlZXR-1BncXgwcUaRxOYniDowArdsnOa4gWbsW4auDDQ5pd9_p8WzfqCRgd4xbAieh5LHGgmtKW1EeLChbdgfFekDH_9snfZHhXEf6ZQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p align="center" class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Overview</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Today was us mainly getting back into the groove of having classes
and then visiting the park after lunch. It was nice not having to practice
presenting our projects and just focus on learning new material. We started
off learning about probability with the introduction of the game Liar’s
Dice. Afterwards, we were given a break to go grocery shopping and eat lunch
before heading to Epcot. At Epcot, we spent time shopping around the World
Showcase where we were treated to dinner at Biergarten by the professors. We
then finished our eventful day by watching the fireworks over the Epcot Lake.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> </span></span></p></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Return to Class</span></b></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6MYmIcF2Nl53ykcKL5Riwtu_hOGaeZmv_eIkc1qejBJ4CLEeBlk8gHPtE1cbNc8K3PxGdnRbHTYFIT_osctHF7v3DvmgnApC0VS6CPH_gKHLbP5C-XizbWSipaFAZHjixbdVPO3iApGH0bPt756OvvhSDXF3jztXanzOqzfSpkRFAbtUgTRnaEXjs0w" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6MYmIcF2Nl53ykcKL5Riwtu_hOGaeZmv_eIkc1qejBJ4CLEeBlk8gHPtE1cbNc8K3PxGdnRbHTYFIT_osctHF7v3DvmgnApC0VS6CPH_gKHLbP5C-XizbWSipaFAZHjixbdVPO3iApGH0bPt756OvvhSDXF3jztXanzOqzfSpkRFAbtUgTRnaEXjs0w" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">After several days of presentation preparation, we got back into our normal routine. However, before we started class, we were treated to some gifts from the Disney employees we met with yesterday. Among the items we received were 50 year anniversary Mickey plushes! We started class with an overview of probability using a game called Liar's Dice. For those looking for the Disney connection, Liar's Dice is featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. We were each given a cup with five dice and played a few rounds as a large group. After becoming acquainted with the game, Dr. Hutson pulled back the curtain and showed us the math going on behind the scenes. When we place our bets, we are making our best guess at the probabilities of certain numbers being rolled. If we were to take a closer look (and we did), we would see that we were calculating probabilities using the binomial distribution, a method of calculating probabilities for the number of successes given the total number of trials. For example, if we are betting on sixes in Liar's Dice then every six counts as a success. From there we looked at the geometric distribution and the normal distribution. The geometric distribution gives the probability of the first success occurring on a given trial. This distribution applies if Disney is trying to evaluate how many people will stop at one of their attractions. The normal distribution is simply the binomial distribution as we approach infinite trials and a probability of zero for each trial. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQEF-w5EtJ45Zv7QnUcNEisKpFkBD0-q1gn_sA-oeBQce1ocio-EtG5Moqf1MXgPMI-9LOaHkgD56hJ5beuie3-AI5YOTd9yGZe7l4M87R-6SFCHdAEWa95-pacPUPIVxC0cjF1LgGEx3yZmHpJCAc8ToL7vGg1s1qxMNejq08Db1STqQd3N5zU1VEHA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQEF-w5EtJ45Zv7QnUcNEisKpFkBD0-q1gn_sA-oeBQce1ocio-EtG5Moqf1MXgPMI-9LOaHkgD56hJ5beuie3-AI5YOTd9yGZe7l4M87R-6SFCHdAEWa95-pacPUPIVxC0cjF1LgGEx3yZmHpJCAc8ToL7vGg1s1qxMNejq08Db1STqQd3N5zU1VEHA" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">After class, we started brainstorming for our final project. We went around the room and made suggestions, which the professors would make note of. Our ideas included determining what seat on Splash Mountain was the wettest, throughput analysis on rides like Tower of Terror, single rider line analysis for new rides like Remy's Ratatoullie Adventure, and a version of the Kevin Bacon six degrees of separation game for Disney Rides. After our brainstorming session, the professors met to discuss the viability of our project ideas and gave us a list of projects we could take on. Given the list, I predict the upcoming week will be tons of fun. </span><p></p><p class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Epcot</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
</p><p class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Without the pressure of the
Travelling Tourist Problem, everyone was free to explore all the rides and
shops throughout Epcot. We travelled throughout the World Showcase, at a
leisurely pace, stopping at every item or knickknack that caught our attention.
(Jalen Here!) I knew that my mom really loves elephants, so I bought her a
little glass elephant from Japan! We were </span></span></span>even<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> able to ride Test Track
because it was not out of order. We went through the single riders’ line and
were able to get in our seats in less than ten minutes when the posted wait time
was over forty!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Biergarten!</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWGzWJyvRg7l-cyWUOh3itJlk48tu3hM2_ynxJ88Pjdc93DYDl7jL9RwW8MvGIOoxXBiwHnR-rwKNTuXP38da9vwcgSWEAXLxddstjDXSzYfY7i9eLs9e44dORuB8f_rZNUfO8KTuhwkbwMZcEgeviATRbCjv6jt8JUi86flNu3i7_S1Jf88hgnLYdlQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWGzWJyvRg7l-cyWUOh3itJlk48tu3hM2_ynxJ88Pjdc93DYDl7jL9RwW8MvGIOoxXBiwHnR-rwKNTuXP38da9vwcgSWEAXLxddstjDXSzYfY7i9eLs9e44dORuB8f_rZNUfO8KTuhwkbwMZcEgeviATRbCjv6jt8JUi86flNu3i7_S1Jf88hgnLYdlQ=w247-h320" width="247" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The highpoint of our Epcot trip tonight was Biergarten, the German buffet. As the resident German Studies major, I (Joshua) have been looking forward to this meal since the<br /> moment we got to Florida, and I was not disappointed. Bratwurst, potatoes, and apple strudel abounded. Pretty soon everyone knew why I was so excited to eat there. The entertainment did not disappoint either. The Oktoberfest Musiker serenaded us with music from the accordion, alphorn, and tuba, all the while singing in German, much to my delight (still Joshua). Between each of the songs, the musicians would call for a toast. We would raise our glasses high and yell "Hoi Hoi Hoi." We stuffed ourselves, but we did it with a smile on our faces. <br /></span><p></p><p></p><p align="center" class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Fireworks</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">After filling up on different German foods from our dinner,
we went on some nice and calm rides like Soarin’ and Finding Nemo. Then we all
went to the Epcot Lake to watch the fireworks! Unlike the fireworks show in the
Magic Kingdom, this one included music from many of the newer, and by that I
mean post 2010, Disney movies like Coco, Frozen, Brave, and Moana. In addition,
they would sing some of the verses to these songs in various languages. (Jalen Here!) I really enjoyed when the songs "Remember Me" and "How Far I'll Go" were played and I was able to sing along. It was also really cool when, towards the end, they shot fireworks from the cannons on the shore close to us. </span></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI-n2xqCgjTjb2UolnBGnjhOngZKw2npT37ybRf-8NoOWXqHfvSDg2r_mYq2FxFOsDADHeVpXXNPGRiixcpiBVgsJTJ2Gi_8rtbIS9NXevLc1LuWKeVLH_ZR2XvJEQeLw3oQNSeyh_u8W5_mnrhsehMHGyLj3VMXtHVyqEOxy8i4XDV4BYDfv4nWnhtQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI-n2xqCgjTjb2UolnBGnjhOngZKw2npT37ybRf-8NoOWXqHfvSDg2r_mYq2FxFOsDADHeVpXXNPGRiixcpiBVgsJTJ2Gi_8rtbIS9NXevLc1LuWKeVLH_ZR2XvJEQeLw3oQNSeyh_u8W5_mnrhsehMHGyLj3VMXtHVyqEOxy8i4XDV4BYDfv4nWnhtQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Signing off for now,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jalen and Joshua</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdLJ7POS3Qg5LQVEjMPGLN0zjr0f1R9OpBpTsCbj_sp43vc9XXKa034urAdP4kQb_Rt4D75AUEcwf4oRahS2Ub8E-s3zN-B6HVawtwvS14L8IMe0cN5ThjJQEC7wUUbjyYk39hxLxIxLRDW012sNZKSN2SJAgQe0GWeSAuuhqGY4Rlq5ZTrTnhmnTw1w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdLJ7POS3Qg5LQVEjMPGLN0zjr0f1R9OpBpTsCbj_sp43vc9XXKa034urAdP4kQb_Rt4D75AUEcwf4oRahS2Ub8E-s3zN-B6HVawtwvS14L8IMe0cN5ThjJQEC7wUUbjyYk39hxLxIxLRDW012sNZKSN2SJAgQe0GWeSAuuhqGY4Rlq5ZTrTnhmnTw1w=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><p></p></div>Joshua Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879090195583580231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-5736944340232376342022-05-23T23:03:00.001-07:002022-05-24T06:09:32.292-07:00Day 13: Presentation Showings and Park Shenanigans<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA_LTt89rJF-f1ftD1hoEJbYx7lQE8P3tWR12Eqcp8nNoFwWJ9H5LkA2u4QRDKMM5c1oH61hj8v29A6Cdbie6P3BgDp1ltA85R9z4xGlSdPp5gJIUCUN9OTF0w86u_3R6xqe_tLm-oPJs7kVUHKgQVstd8xWNa327snknKhBlB70NW8TKuQSFCm2RPw/s3003/F30E571D-48C6-42FF-9CFC-9B5AAF65643B_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2438" data-original-width="3003" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA_LTt89rJF-f1ftD1hoEJbYx7lQE8P3tWR12Eqcp8nNoFwWJ9H5LkA2u4QRDKMM5c1oH61hj8v29A6Cdbie6P3BgDp1ltA85R9z4xGlSdPp5gJIUCUN9OTF0w86u_3R6xqe_tLm-oPJs7kVUHKgQVstd8xWNa327snknKhBlB70NW8TKuQSFCm2RPw/w640-h520/F30E571D-48C6-42FF-9CFC-9B5AAF65643B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Today was a full and exciting day for the Math and the Mouse crew! We woke up to the lovely sound of the fire alarm. Yes, it happened again! However, that obnoxious noise was just the motivation I (Louisa here!) needed to hop out of bed and practice my presentation. Today was the day I, along with all my classmates, would be presenting our class projects to Disney professionals. In addition, we would have the opportunity to spend the rest of the day viewing presentations from our Disney hosts themselves via Zoom. In the past two years, I have spent countless hours on Zoom for online classes, club meetings, and social gatherings. However, I can confidently say that this may have been my favorite Zoom I have ever attended. I learned so much fascinating information about the math behind the Disney parks, which really expanded my excitement for the entire field of data analytics. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6ZzKc6RefXFyYauNmC97Xfw1V7vYuADBbaVWvUBTgjQKa7Ps2Y6H9IZkmU0gAxsH5tivykjWKdiAnO4DKv8C84SplKxCYIA94_XTz4BobmRFzaVLTK27HkAo0I1ZqTytWuFL6t4-vKGz8o8RKVMKyX3zQ4fdjlmQ_mavMo4ZCkf87RAaT0XZOwZv8w/s2616/12DEE4F6-7AA3-4C32-B18A-25031272455A.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="2616" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6ZzKc6RefXFyYauNmC97Xfw1V7vYuADBbaVWvUBTgjQKa7Ps2Y6H9IZkmU0gAxsH5tivykjWKdiAnO4DKv8C84SplKxCYIA94_XTz4BobmRFzaVLTK27HkAo0I1ZqTytWuFL6t4-vKGz8o8RKVMKyX3zQ4fdjlmQ_mavMo4ZCkf87RAaT0XZOwZv8w/w640-h310/12DEE4F6-7AA3-4C32-B18A-25031272455A.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The picture above documents the moment we discovered one of our Disney presenters was a Figment enthusiast, a controversial Disney character among our group. Some of us were delighted to meet another fan of the little dragon, while others still don't understand the appeal. </i></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">To start off the morning, we heard from a Lead Software Engineer at Disney whose main job is in research and development of analytics products. She explained that her process of finding creative solutions to improving the Disney Parks included reading blogs on the latest applications of data analytics and wandering around the parks to spot potential areas of improvement. For example, after reading an article on a device that could diagnose COVID-19 by listening to a recording of a cough, she was inspired to study the possibility of a similar device that could “diagnose” if an animatronic needed repair based on the sound of its voice. It was fascinating to hear about how working with data analytics allowed her to imagine creative solutions and constantly learn new concepts through her job.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCHyRPN2gBWBIa_1L7hdx3vVLwrr32L2KiQ0HaOs-tD607EUrVSorn6OVpUDw4F-uxEZ1_nof-Tfki9WOw3jBfyb3myX9aRO2mJqEMB3or5QoqTF8ewPIwCF-ebXOgtWI9YbKFzNuIc_0nOUD0SBXKfFnmie7X3yeBl-rXWGaj3pocg8QpP3fKOSWfQ/s2002/3E2E3BE5-7EB2-4E30-9ABD-F4F0DF7FCCE4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="2002" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCHyRPN2gBWBIa_1L7hdx3vVLwrr32L2KiQ0HaOs-tD607EUrVSorn6OVpUDw4F-uxEZ1_nof-Tfki9WOw3jBfyb3myX9aRO2mJqEMB3or5QoqTF8ewPIwCF-ebXOgtWI9YbKFzNuIc_0nOUD0SBXKfFnmie7X3yeBl-rXWGaj3pocg8QpP3fKOSWfQ/w640-h292/3E2E3BE5-7EB2-4E30-9ABD-F4F0DF7FCCE4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Have you ever seen so many smiling faces on one Zoom call? You can tell we all really enjoyed and appreciated this experience!</i></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">From there, we met a Data Analyst and a Principal Application Architect. We learned that a Disney Data Analyst studies multiple factors of the Disney Parks, such as weather and wait times, to improve customer experience. Our presenter explained data analytics as turning data into information, information into insight, and insight into action. From the Principal Application Architect, we learned how graphics can be used to understand how individuals travel around the parks together. To exemplify his work, our presenter showed us a graph that documented the traveling habits of baboons over a two week period. By organizing all this data into a graphic, you could learn a lot about the troop and easily spot any inaccurate data. For example, a dot on the map showing a baboon traveling 450 miles per hour probably means there was a typo in the original data, not a new baboon space program in the middle of Kenya!</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_5lcFRnyLUnPikH5a1q0luYe2JvKj4yt57UvL9sz9i00Ar7z7atMXl8Jbp1S0WHnf1688jpLJr1e0xOdWrK-5PxaS2YclRZFqqvu129AGdkwkU4uDMVImAB-RQrreaV0hAhcfw37azjOVQxC8SwImlLtRzn6RfOcKULUD93M5Ku7JdhKuakq9L_Ww/s3088/E113524B-EC8C-4E50-83FB-6D54D58D33E3.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_5lcFRnyLUnPikH5a1q0luYe2JvKj4yt57UvL9sz9i00Ar7z7atMXl8Jbp1S0WHnf1688jpLJr1e0xOdWrK-5PxaS2YclRZFqqvu129AGdkwkU4uDMVImAB-RQrreaV0hAhcfw37azjOVQxC8SwImlLtRzn6RfOcKULUD93M5Ku7JdhKuakq9L_Ww/w640-h480/E113524B-EC8C-4E50-83FB-6D54D58D33E3.jpeg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i>Although a slightly blurry photo, it still captures our excitement for Panera deliciousness!</i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Finally, the hour had arrived. It was time to present our projects to the Disney professionals! Each group presented, and received several compliments from the audience. The professors commented on how well each group did and how proud they were of the hard work we put into those presentations. Afterwards, we were rewarded with a catered Panera lunch. As you can guess, some of us took advantage of the Zoom format to wear comfy pants and shoes- but that’s our little secret. While eating lunch over Zoom, our Disney hosts were incredibly friendly and insisted on hearing each of our career aspirations. In addition to talking about ourselves, we enjoyed learning about how each Disney professional ended up with the job they have now. </span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4oGdZZKym3DSTFwJzfMSphIw-HN5vlCJfYOVRpUzjL6pSI8Gjoz5oM1cBU9ZNcrlbm6im4o0kddiuCYz7jvx-GuvBx5IDR0rGqhz8Mck3LkaOoVG8ZhpzFeDSW5kzUilkD6IKTO5lWobzf4rVrN7WnaD6qictKuExQd8wGt6G9I4kOsfQA43ObMpkA/s2366/F9C6C2AA-8E20-4364-9312-A84AD35B240C.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2366" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4oGdZZKym3DSTFwJzfMSphIw-HN5vlCJfYOVRpUzjL6pSI8Gjoz5oM1cBU9ZNcrlbm6im4o0kddiuCYz7jvx-GuvBx5IDR0rGqhz8Mck3LkaOoVG8ZhpzFeDSW5kzUilkD6IKTO5lWobzf4rVrN7WnaD6qictKuExQd8wGt6G9I4kOsfQA43ObMpkA/w400-h231/F9C6C2AA-8E20-4364-9312-A84AD35B240C.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OQJoZOxiDpQiZkmjN0KGSHhCpx9olGlH6GvFGYJWcEJxV1tUO6qhiVbBpmN4bQ36was1l0ZGUfjnGbktaUJrb5qtr_OEOTV7HUiTvAhWYQxEhC3yNwLwZXzefslnp3TRAU1x4DtGdz2I7_fwyf7fB7dYgXr4QPMoz8vLP0bMQ2CiSevhRrtJ4wvXaA/s2524/12A1A19E-45AE-44AE-B878-FF3112B6B74C.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2524" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OQJoZOxiDpQiZkmjN0KGSHhCpx9olGlH6GvFGYJWcEJxV1tUO6qhiVbBpmN4bQ36was1l0ZGUfjnGbktaUJrb5qtr_OEOTV7HUiTvAhWYQxEhC3yNwLwZXzefslnp3TRAU1x4DtGdz2I7_fwyf7fB7dYgXr4QPMoz8vLP0bMQ2CiSevhRrtJ4wvXaA/w400-h220/12A1A19E-45AE-44AE-B878-FF3112B6B74C.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></div>A</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">fter lunch, we were treated to five more</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> presentations. These focused on optimizing the recommendation </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">system of Disney food and beverage mobile orders, using data visualization techniques to tell stories, an introduction to the mathematics behind computer vision, an application that improves attraction seating (very similar to an activity the professors gave us a few days ago) and how techniques in mathematics are pushing the innovation of machine learning. We all learned so much today, and are very thankful to the generous Disney professionals who gave up their time to present to us. Overall, our day of presentations was a truly magical experience. </span><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">(Taylor here!) My favorite part of the presentation was hearing about the recommendation system for mobile orders at Disney restaurants. It was interesting to learn about how the mobile order software was improved using the power of data analytics. I have definitely considered a future career in the food and beverage sector because it combines my data analytics skills with my interest in cost accounting. I learned a lot from the presentation and it exposed me to more career opportunities that are possible with an applied mathematics degree. I am overall so grateful that we had the ability to hear from many amazing Disney professionals, and that they allowed us to share our own work with them! Their genuine interest and feedback was reassuring to hear because it proved that what we’re learning is truly relevant in the career fields that so many of us will be entering in the next few years.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntlLxlZs1cySWDWRHMQNg3Pq8p3lI5z5qAfPhadwsw5a1vZW4faQ2lV9ghuBiC6emiJW5EY4wnQE9-YOKPG3OLwuH-_elP_-DdosCgdUiMAduaOky-3h-_Weqpnqlewv6gaPvz2ehV5KJnLU0haGBEmWTDk9wANLUJDFOmh_b6rpFpfCN_jocQonZcw/s4032/884C4EAB-4E0D-4C5B-949E-86AC052536ED.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntlLxlZs1cySWDWRHMQNg3Pq8p3lI5z5qAfPhadwsw5a1vZW4faQ2lV9ghuBiC6emiJW5EY4wnQE9-YOKPG3OLwuH-_elP_-DdosCgdUiMAduaOky-3h-_Weqpnqlewv6gaPvz2ehV5KJnLU0haGBEmWTDk9wANLUJDFOmh_b6rpFpfCN_jocQonZcw/w192-h256/884C4EAB-4E0D-4C5B-949E-86AC052536ED.heic" width="192" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">To celebrate our successful presentations in the morning and to give us some much needed free time in the parks, we headed to Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. We began by riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and then heading into opposite corners of the park. While one group rode Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad, the other enjoyed dinner at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. We all reunited in the evening for a Mickey Bar treat from the professors! After studying the mathematics behind optimal Mickey Bar cart locations, it was exciting to finally taste the dessert ourselves. Now that we have experienced the sweet taste of a project well done, everyone is excited to start our final project in the next coming days!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrhEBMuWOFjyM9AUcW3W5NzFDf7A7HEWVIHXMD_X_ZXwUD5iTHfmSGjUr4rubfUX3OIEFu-ghFAKE-qQwnCA7rLsH5n1kNuAZk-6vC-fUmlHOJvwhuDY_4VJa59K6wxORgoTzOSMfqtqD99CcOmJe62GBhv0ev00WHe-zwjx28GoNqrtmcBCBlxlMXA/s4032/BA8F149F-176F-4B7C-965F-48920AD1EB2B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzf3WSe9h2FaA7PT4MhgbQUVsYzogWtIS1evIEHtCWIUOwd-7bfKLCPfgx5G0GVruM_Cuxr1M6gnS3FzO1F15gmNVCkjgO-4KZfEjRSBKfD3t3piVfLVXtzmj1t1TQXgYyTbfVGQg1RC-ojRDVu_rN8LS8x3UfmYPCyhGydYm2DmdchJYreiRpW6m8g/s4032/7AEB0E89-2E17-4087-AABC-635690BE2A91.jpeg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzf3WSe9h2FaA7PT4MhgbQUVsYzogWtIS1evIEHtCWIUOwd-7bfKLCPfgx5G0GVruM_Cuxr1M6gnS3FzO1F15gmNVCkjgO-4KZfEjRSBKfD3t3piVfLVXtzmj1t1TQXgYyTbfVGQg1RC-ojRDVu_rN8LS8x3UfmYPCyhGydYm2DmdchJYreiRpW6m8g/w375-h281/7AEB0E89-2E17-4087-AABC-635690BE2A91.jpeg" width="375" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrhEBMuWOFjyM9AUcW3W5NzFDf7A7HEWVIHXMD_X_ZXwUD5iTHfmSGjUr4rubfUX3OIEFu-ghFAKE-qQwnCA7rLsH5n1kNuAZk-6vC-fUmlHOJvwhuDY_4VJa59K6wxORgoTzOSMfqtqD99CcOmJe62GBhv0ev00WHe-zwjx28GoNqrtmcBCBlxlMXA/w212-h283/BA8F149F-176F-4B7C-965F-48920AD1EB2B.jpeg" width="212" /></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks for following along with us,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Louisa and Taylor</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-quHbB00F4brmN2WJs5_ok3TPs2r0mW1jR97pIWNx0WscojbWVgnWdKnFJxKyQHf9INlkiKyauDH99v5yeu-T5j499U2Zn5v-BNNqtAAJf7TdYESCO4oo6SQSbSJbV_CWWEPvtgm4OHuxcofehl_k89BWCeQK_RWHy_VGfXHngyJAGBzmMfNnR3W7uw/s4032/0EB2C933-1886-4904-B90D-62774AD63309.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-quHbB00F4brmN2WJs5_ok3TPs2r0mW1jR97pIWNx0WscojbWVgnWdKnFJxKyQHf9INlkiKyauDH99v5yeu-T5j499U2Zn5v-BNNqtAAJf7TdYESCO4oo6SQSbSJbV_CWWEPvtgm4OHuxcofehl_k89BWCeQK_RWHy_VGfXHngyJAGBzmMfNnR3W7uw/w640-h480/0EB2C933-1886-4904-B90D-62774AD63309.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><i>Taylor and I with our project presentation, which involves a tasty Disney treat mentioned in this blog!</i></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span></p><div><br /></div></div><br />Louisa Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11735941466623652183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-91719159261265323662022-05-22T18:43:00.007-07:002022-05-25T20:41:38.171-07:00Day 12: Presentations and Preparations<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwmjIxh4HRwvzv0jWWKh8YHzs7Oi0ZS5ogVO9sEx5uoipjs0u5redzkThMvGHHu0uhs46e3XvnkbmrwXlCJMTJKLHxGXgJNokML3zz6uaOo1pXpXtOU_5Fxp5dteCyj-K5TbSE3g-qalfqB9dN_fxO9sdp_A_2azZaRh1uhBCwPEUi7uwboNnrM1F5w/s3088/IMG_2121.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwmjIxh4HRwvzv0jWWKh8YHzs7Oi0ZS5ogVO9sEx5uoipjs0u5redzkThMvGHHu0uhs46e3XvnkbmrwXlCJMTJKLHxGXgJNokML3zz6uaOo1pXpXtOU_5Fxp5dteCyj-K5TbSE3g-qalfqB9dN_fxO9sdp_A_2azZaRh1uhBCwPEUi7uwboNnrM1F5w/w640-h480/IMG_2121.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had another slow-paced day today! We continued to finalize our presentation for Disney executives tomorrow by getting more feedback from the professors and each other. People are starting to feel the Disney fatigue, so we were very grateful for a day just working in the hotel. Once groups were finished meeting and getting a good run-through on their presentations, some people decided to spend an evening at the pool and a small group made their way to Hollywood Studios to get out of the hotel and stretch their legs after a hard day’s work. The group who went to the parks were able to fit in many rides in a short amount of time including Rise of the Resistance, Toy Story Mania, Smugglers Run, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway railway. Nathan was also excited to get a lightsaber from Galaxy’s Edge! The group was excited to ride Toy Story Mania again and try to improve their scores from last time and were surprised to find Rise of the Resistance with only a 20-minute wait. They ended their park night with a delicious dinner of ice cream sundaes.</span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6109fdf5-7fff-9fdf-f9d9-189a5906e660"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC-i5NssBCQDHUVmUEoEdIzRDomAb5DFwCT5LTm1yFoy5vZUo7SB4pMdO7rUJyVIAPKq4e0Qn-QbqVBP2KhM6jMq2zVCKhqmEV8UZGaOXE3fkaAnB2Vp6xeoknfAvX1D1hDAi1zaQraU4h7360GczHXwbuUbedyNmp0-DGBHpezOzoSCH4sVkSerPbg/s480/IMG_5346.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC-i5NssBCQDHUVmUEoEdIzRDomAb5DFwCT5LTm1yFoy5vZUo7SB4pMdO7rUJyVIAPKq4e0Qn-QbqVBP2KhM6jMq2zVCKhqmEV8UZGaOXE3fkaAnB2Vp6xeoknfAvX1D1hDAi1zaQraU4h7360GczHXwbuUbedyNmp0-DGBHpezOzoSCH4sVkSerPbg/s320/IMG_5346.HEIC" width="241" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the big presentations coming up tomorrow, we thought we should share just a bit more about them and what we’ve been working on! All three presentations are focused on past projects/activities from the class. The first group is presenting the results from our first project, which dealt with using density and clustering to place Mickey Bar ice cream carts throughout the Magic Kingdom. The executives likely use similar, yet more complicated, considerations when deciding where to actually place the carts, so certainly it will resonate with our audience. The second group is presenting the results of the Traveling Tourist Problem, which our professors wrote a fantastic and in-depth blog post about the other day! The group will discuss the origins of the problem, the difficulties associated with solving it, and the ways in which we can go about approaching it. Of course, they get to do all of this by examining our own groups’ performances in our Epcot version of the problem! The last group is presenting the results of our second project, the workforce modeling problem. We were given a workday schedule that denotes the necessary workforce at all times, and must use equations and constraints to find the minimum number of workers total that need to be assigned to shifts that day. The complexity lies in the procedures of the workers, who must work eight-hour<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7GWBp_G29iW0cmTAwDk5HXZZuj0YDti7hV9oNYXmo7cQCYxSyKulvER-RdqszAh7Y9jmMV2JgmA7spqiqj17MW_W_BDt-7yTJoU8cHHcEZhG3UZjS0F9rLpX7arl2cQ81mJG5VBgC7SSAodYTSKRXNVGSgjWooyGz-npnrYInAodbjNnLnKU0rtEvw/s4032/IMG_5350.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7GWBp_G29iW0cmTAwDk5HXZZuj0YDti7hV9oNYXmo7cQCYxSyKulvER-RdqszAh7Y9jmMV2JgmA7spqiqj17MW_W_BDt-7yTJoU8cHHcEZhG3UZjS0F9rLpX7arl2cQ81mJG5VBgC7SSAodYTSKRXNVGSgjWooyGz-npnrYInAodbjNnLnKU0rtEvw/s320/IMG_5350.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>shifts and can take one of two breaks. It’s a complicated problem, but it doesn’t even come close to grasping the complexities of real-world workplaces, so we’re hoping for some good feedback. All groups have done an amazing job and are going to represent Furman well tomorrow!</span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being a little over halfway into the trip, we felt like now would be a good time to reflect on some of our favorite parts of the trip. So far, my (Katie) favorite part of this trip is getting closer to my fellow Furman students. We have so much fun in the parks as well as in the classroom. The professors have created such a great environment for us to learn and work together. The amount of inside jokes the group has come up with keeps me laughing all day. We are forced to spend so much time together in close quarters but we just find ways to have fun and make the most out of the experiences given to us, from playing cards in line at Toy Story Mania, to deciding who gets the aux cord in the van to play the best Disney song, or having a game night trying to decide who is the mafia and working on our trust. This trip has allowed me to meet new people as well as get close to other students who I have had classes with in the past but am unable to fully bond with. I now can not wait to get back to campus in the fall and see my peers and continue to laugh at our inside jokes and tells others it's a Math and the Mouse thing!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglylf3FhZeJvHLekk1mH96z4PXlAxCOdvunJvYAcCGF_Gr_e267FDuGkit8_zw3aTWOtzVv1m3-naIrU4diVG_CR9jnfu_tjwxd_k9oD70fLa9jG9Yq14oTv1e4t26EJBnw77HFA6ltYrgqDFMJvHde6xlRTtlbkQgf7Zg_VJSfze0dj5RZaGTL7Hr9Q/s480/IMG_5347.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglylf3FhZeJvHLekk1mH96z4PXlAxCOdvunJvYAcCGF_Gr_e267FDuGkit8_zw3aTWOtzVv1m3-naIrU4diVG_CR9jnfu_tjwxd_k9oD70fLa9jG9Yq14oTv1e4t26EJBnw77HFA6ltYrgqDFMJvHde6xlRTtlbkQgf7Zg_VJSfze0dj5RZaGTL7Hr9Q/s320/IMG_5347.heic" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for me (Sam), I completely agree with everything Katie said. The friendships and connections we’ve developed on this trip have just been amazing, and I think I speak for us all when I say that we will all be sad when the trip is over. Unfortunately, Katie put it so well that I’m not exactly sure what else can be said in that regard. So, with that being said, I would like to talk about my favorite singular thing we did on this trip, which has to be getting to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind early. I knew nothing about the ride beforehand other than the fact that it was a roller coaster (and I am a sucker for roller coasters), so I was really excited going in. The ride met all my expectations and then some. I got goosebumps during the pre-ride movie: yes, it’s as absurd as it sounds. The ride was just pure fun, and there might be no greater way to experience a roller coaster than being hurtled backwards, spinning in a circle, and having I Ran (So Far Away) blasted around you. All of this, and we got to ride it early! It officially opens on May 27th, and I’m really hopeful we will get to ride it again, but I am also keeping my expectations in check. Fingers crossed!</span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s all for today’s blog! Here’s to great presentations tomorrow!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sam and Katie, signing off!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPphJNh3tSN4Bc8GvT9vMPYYVnX5C3dLbdaH7DL-N5v_-4o_AkKtzk9BySZ3-Exi9Av8AKC9h602RAqhz-Vi5YKXcdhWhpF1NPk81NWihlqR-p7rY2kNaKncGWxoKaFyRGHFYdKZYHqiwe8_jpG7RcfA_VWxJjdOtGRzBufKXWtZCbWTA-vPxUYjscQ/s4032/IMG_6619-preview.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPphJNh3tSN4Bc8GvT9vMPYYVnX5C3dLbdaH7DL-N5v_-4o_AkKtzk9BySZ3-Exi9Av8AKC9h602RAqhz-Vi5YKXcdhWhpF1NPk81NWihlqR-p7rY2kNaKncGWxoKaFyRGHFYdKZYHqiwe8_jpG7RcfA_VWxJjdOtGRzBufKXWtZCbWTA-vPxUYjscQ/w640-h480/IMG_6619-preview.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><br />Katie Jobehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942237777917076001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-1240121840953311652022-05-22T06:06:00.003-07:002022-05-22T06:08:23.099-07:00Day 11: Work Hard and Play Harder!<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDqJ8BiT8tdAT5mJS_pfZPf-RehF5WLC40pHckmKAXnZBQpZr6mM7f_8ytAw3B-RZhOa7NT3wdvsJwlm26dSOzC-OSdtwWNsRoNTsExHoaN5kmrk5t2YAoAjPmF1oB0THMjNiSbyE5WWRD25ckoXtYKh7AugKu1JZ63ifnG-EjM5xflvRYRDqQppBCKg" style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDqJ8BiT8tdAT5mJS_pfZPf-RehF5WLC40pHckmKAXnZBQpZr6mM7f_8ytAw3B-RZhOa7NT3wdvsJwlm26dSOzC-OSdtwWNsRoNTsExHoaN5kmrk5t2YAoAjPmF1oB0THMjNiSbyE5WWRD25ckoXtYKh7AugKu1JZ63ifnG-EjM5xflvRYRDqQppBCKg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">Overview</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white;"></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today started off differently than most days here. Rather than heading to one of the Disney theme parks to work on an assigned activity and try some insane rides, we delivered the presentations we worked on yesterday. And while we were in presentation mode, we hunkered down at the hotel to start working on our new presentations which have to be ready to deliver to Disney professionals on Monday. No pressure! So we started the weekend with a whole lot of work. But we know it will be well worth it when the Disney professionals fall in love with our projects! And don't worry, part of the Furman Advantage is learning to still find ways to have fun while getting our work done. So we came together at the end of the day for an epic game night!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Morning Presentations<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">We</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> started the day with each of the groups polishing their slides and presenting on our two latest projects- The Traveling Tourist Problem and The Workforce Scheduling Optimization Problem. From last night to this morning, it was a quick turnaround from working on the Workforce Problem to presenting our solutions. But the professors were supportive, and we were able to pull together some great presentations. It was really helpful to get the professors’ feedback on these projects because we will continue to refine them over the next couple of days before meeting with Disney professionals on Monday. Oh, and by the way, remember our very first project - the Mickey Bar Cart project we worked on last week? Yeah, we will also be presenting that project on Monday too, making it the perfect trifecta to give some students a headache! But we’re putting in the work over the weekend to make for smooth sailing on Monday.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>New Presentations<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Someone call a medic because with how fast we're moving on these presentations, somebody's getting whiplash. It’s like we’re on a new Disney ride called the Presentation Plunge! Once the morning presentations were complete, we were all ready to fill our bellies with a delicious lunch at the hotel. Once we could stomach it, it was back in line for another ride on the Presentation Plunge, meeting with our newly-assigned groups to create the presentations for Disney. Things got off to a great start, with everyone getting their first preference for the topics each group will present. Here are pictures of all three groups working hard for those who want proof. (A big shoutout to Dr. Bouzarth for keeping our energy up with the Jolly Ranchers!) Our time to work on these presentations seemed to fly by, but all three teams are happy with their work and are excited to share what we have learned on Monday. We have come so far in such a short amount of time, and we want to show the amazingly cool things we have done and learned during our time here so far. These presentations have the benefit of all the feedback we received in our previous presentation sessions, so we will definitely be bringing our A-game to the Disney professionals for sure!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQYKXj65evlopU6AgVA3AUnyUvgE9cx72dppYahZ3dmjoXRh3DpgwWbBAJZsW3_CgTr7XhfrIWqnNexiAiu1iAYa9BSj4LF-H1dxQSkq2GCd1eQ6OSAkNvUjxg3rnF_UbJUpldouUH6tXCC9VwlL7v8uCC3N869jeHEPKUwQFeCxU2T7fP6FiogJJ_nQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQYKXj65evlopU6AgVA3AUnyUvgE9cx72dppYahZ3dmjoXRh3DpgwWbBAJZsW3_CgTr7XhfrIWqnNexiAiu1iAYa9BSj4LF-H1dxQSkq2GCd1eQ6OSAkNvUjxg3rnF_UbJUpldouUH6tXCC9VwlL7v8uCC3N869jeHEPKUwQFeCxU2T7fP6FiogJJ_nQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mickey Bar Carts Group</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2N7ceo4LdTEOSPqE-fl9BYvpaTbKbzXPIzxUidBhyF54869vmk9GTsi-dHwXNq_OnJOYW3iqVZH8_VHmFu6M2_MX9ibSMULCmqkmqvPY36KHvymzfZx2-HgLkVfsBLqYpEhf9QcDmyNEm0T8s5817gXPQF7J6G2PXyVwBBggbxMD3i-J9Z3naC2eJsw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2N7ceo4LdTEOSPqE-fl9BYvpaTbKbzXPIzxUidBhyF54869vmk9GTsi-dHwXNq_OnJOYW3iqVZH8_VHmFu6M2_MX9ibSMULCmqkmqvPY36KHvymzfZx2-HgLkVfsBLqYpEhf9QcDmyNEm0T8s5817gXPQF7J6G2PXyVwBBggbxMD3i-J9Z3naC2eJsw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Workforce Scheduling Group</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUYt1xUZxs-IldX3YI6q5xJAikm6LoP_i4QNCoF3tw41muoGqdMHnfWDmgecfiniT_Y7U_EWINNsbXrYPJOaPkVdgLNnEImLQ9qHQclAoZS-GPkvZolSx5zvON9h6jqEnHbkfukn9v4N9NjeM__4ddbqseB-tC5SQjkkEpwuL6iQJoju8u1iAXA0oppw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUYt1xUZxs-IldX3YI6q5xJAikm6LoP_i4QNCoF3tw41muoGqdMHnfWDmgecfiniT_Y7U_EWINNsbXrYPJOaPkVdgLNnEImLQ9qHQclAoZS-GPkvZolSx5zvON9h6jqEnHbkfukn9v4N9NjeM__4ddbqseB-tC5SQjkkEpwuL6iQJoju8u1iAXA0oppw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Traveling Tourist Problem Group</i></span></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Game Night</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After another long work session on the new presentations, of course we were ready for a well-earned dinner at the hotel. Shoutout to Joshua for making me (Nathan) some amazing sausage and peppers. They fueled me up for the evening for sure, and would make a great addition to the menu at Epcot Germany or Italy! After dinner, the groups met up again, but this time for fun. The plan was for a game/pool night, but some heavy rain and thunder threw us a curve. No worry, the Traveling Tourist Problem taught us how to adapt to the variation of unforeseen conditions. So the game/pool night quickly became an epic game night. A couple rounds of Werewolf, Mafia, and Secret Hitler</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">went by, and so did the possibility of anyone trusting Regan for a couple of nights. Trust me (Joey) when I say she is a mastermind, and shifty! It was really special to see how we are all coming together, growing as a group, and having an amazing time with one another (even if at the sacrifice of trust!). After a long day of working hard, the night was a ton of fun.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Halfway Point</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Since we’re all numbers people, of course we’re always doing the math, and it didn’t escape us that today is already the official halfway point in our Math and Mouse extravaganza! (Collective “nooooo!” like when Darth Vader tells Luke he is his father.) It is crazy to think back and realize how much we have all learned in the last ten days, and how much we have bonded as a group. At the start, we were students who barely knew each other and mostly knew our professors from class (well, other than Joshua). And now, at the halfway point, we are one big family that loves math, data analytics, Tower of Terror, rocking roller coasters, and the hilarity of Dr. Harris learning about modern culture. It is amazing to see how our shared experiences on this trip so far have brought us together in ways even math can’t really explain. The first half of the trip has been wonderfully exhausting and very memorable. We can't wait to see what memories we will all create together on the rest of this adventure! But we’ll leave that for the future blogs.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">See you later!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Joey and Nathan </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Nathan Sarrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379809346524358779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-85303503628652814192022-05-20T19:25:00.003-07:002022-05-21T04:48:03.596-07:00Day 10: Rain Rain Go Away<p>We started off today expecting sunshine in the morning and a more gloomy afternoon, so we decided to rope drop Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Dr. Bouzarth gave us a simulated activity in which we sat parties of visitors on the Tower of Terror ride. Once we got to the park, we noticed the abnormal amount of dark gray in the sky and realized that our weather apps had lied to us. We then began to book it to Tower of Terror to escape the rain. Unfortunately, the line to the ride extended outdoors, leaving us stuck in the rain. Many of us had to improvise to stay dry since the weather app suggested that rain jackets were not needed this morning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQCOWhVYTBkyM_W8g72klGKXBRJXUMWDkKgq1SmJCZOZNxAAhw_w5dNXeM5zuNJFUOMbarPkPZQdcckQUVi7GqOiWgbkna08XKvluQZ70ePhJw3na13TtImDzhzvGcxSFyFEH_2-mH1qAqjLge_CDu8jx5_NCNhyINB7XKyKAnPCNjNfJYDaPTkcU/s4032/IMG_0559.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQCOWhVYTBkyM_W8g72klGKXBRJXUMWDkKgq1SmJCZOZNxAAhw_w5dNXeM5zuNJFUOMbarPkPZQdcckQUVi7GqOiWgbkna08XKvluQZ70ePhJw3na13TtImDzhzvGcxSFyFEH_2-mH1qAqjLge_CDu8jx5_NCNhyINB7XKyKAnPCNjNfJYDaPTkcU/w291-h388/IMG_0559.HEIC" width="291" /></a></div><br /><p>After Tower of Terror, we rode another ride that related to our seating activity: Star Tours. We noticed the Disney employee who was responsible for seating people had an iPad that had an ordering program similar to the one we were using this morning. After C3PO led us through a galaxy far far away, we were given some free time in the park. Many of us visited shops and watched a short parade featuring Buzz Lightyear, Woody, the Incredibles, and Frozone, who seemed to have found his supersuit. <br /><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhm6zkOIs0U4d-_0V2Rp-HhJgwRiCyR4Qqlo8b5kZJlGiTIdgULWLDiDptOU-9GmOlG-ckgVv85FjInCJ-hdiww3ezaZOhY5ixJEW1Hg9cNEOKMxw0ME563_BPQYHpL9f3YJrD0Uef-yHiYU-z9EWmoNQskp9UbE_lKw7JIfYUfPeDSGstMgpAH7bQw/s1448/IMG_6398.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1169" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhm6zkOIs0U4d-_0V2Rp-HhJgwRiCyR4Qqlo8b5kZJlGiTIdgULWLDiDptOU-9GmOlG-ckgVv85FjInCJ-hdiww3ezaZOhY5ixJEW1Hg9cNEOKMxw0ME563_BPQYHpL9f3YJrD0Uef-yHiYU-z9EWmoNQskp9UbE_lKw7JIfYUfPeDSGstMgpAH7bQw/w323-h400/IMG_6398.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><p>We then went back to the hotel to eat lunch, have class, and continue working on our scheduling project. After a challenging few hours, we all went out to dinner as a group. As we were on the way to Pollo Tropical, we witnessed some of the worst drivers in the state of Florida. People were trying to merge from the middle lane of a three-lane road to get to our desired exit, which had become very congested by the time we reached it. There was lots of reckless driving involved, so thankfully Dr. Harris's NASCAR background gave him the driving ability to lead us to safety. At the restaurant, we faced the challenge of very slow, ineffective service, so dinner took way longer than we anticipated.</p><p></p><p>A mighty storm brewed while we ate. Once we noticed the torrential downpour, we had to plan the swiftest of escapes. It didn't work. Needless to say, the drive home was damper than anticipated. </p><p>Once we got back, we broke into groups to work on our presentations of the Traveling Touring Problem and the Workforce Scheduling Optimization for tomorrow. Due to the difficulty of Project 2, we were assigned these presentations today in order to practice for our presentations at Disney. It was a tiring day, but we're ready to tackle the presentations in the morning. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOR0iRe8xZdsjX87S1iqWKkZ1Ut6dNWs1m6PgveURzkyui3WmJeILR2hpKzFcqNqrmxWv-qesCFonaqxHpd_Oo5zaO7HF3cwU4ogdnyvxt4O7zxidCWOq7GAJVfapGPuShr69y1OkBaY8mUfJ4Cq5DcWfF8rMFHUVh7eknSX-VJ92Ts_FfYccO0nTmA/s4032/IMG_1994.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOR0iRe8xZdsjX87S1iqWKkZ1Ut6dNWs1m6PgveURzkyui3WmJeILR2hpKzFcqNqrmxWv-qesCFonaqxHpd_Oo5zaO7HF3cwU4ogdnyvxt4O7zxidCWOq7GAJVfapGPuShr69y1OkBaY8mUfJ4Cq5DcWfF8rMFHUVh7eknSX-VJ92Ts_FfYccO0nTmA/s320/IMG_1994.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvIIzUjr0nOzpZBjt2lOVOxgVXlLOGGjQZPV8pNf-vT3YG4vvoumErc2170yj0PTgXNu1D6VXjDJNk5oV96ycEiUQDR1vYQSJJgDbCX54qXIgZoWvCU0uonH9jlPOhhmhfPKT45RL5FqSy449lLWhVfIqehKF6QbwDak9-AqZjij5jdRhip7JZ7pRBA/s4032/IMG_1995.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvIIzUjr0nOzpZBjt2lOVOxgVXlLOGGjQZPV8pNf-vT3YG4vvoumErc2170yj0PTgXNu1D6VXjDJNk5oV96ycEiUQDR1vYQSJJgDbCX54qXIgZoWvCU0uonH9jlPOhhmhfPKT45RL5FqSy449lLWhVfIqehKF6QbwDak9-AqZjij5jdRhip7JZ7pRBA/w296-h222/IMG_1995.HEIC" width="296" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb1fBosnA-DaKDVe-ZuOueaovs8BKIceQvhwl1BeDtzVtAwINRXcZxZgZd9X4wosmoJ376jX_xo6clqYTOEmzjGX7WvE-Y1-fHqD1zhGyGWmJ_TdOUGFNHzJV-UWsfZj3mVOPK-cBVvFGvqyU0InWwb1Dqsfh_fSj0KNZM98tcG9P0o5RDU_6ppZ6hg/s4032/IMG_1996.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb1fBosnA-DaKDVe-ZuOueaovs8BKIceQvhwl1BeDtzVtAwINRXcZxZgZd9X4wosmoJ376jX_xo6clqYTOEmzjGX7WvE-Y1-fHqD1zhGyGWmJ_TdOUGFNHzJV-UWsfZj3mVOPK-cBVvFGvqyU0InWwb1Dqsfh_fSj0KNZM98tcG9P0o5RDU_6ppZ6hg/w289-h218/IMG_1996.HEIC" width="289" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Signing off for the night!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Rhett and Elizabeth</div><p></p>Rhett Sessionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420552996782982760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-30589519569095089112022-05-20T18:37:00.000-07:002022-05-20T18:37:10.898-07:00Timing is Everything (Traveling Tourist Problem Summary)<div class="separator"></div><p>The professors are taking a turn to write a bonus blog entry summarizing some results and observations about the Traveling Tourist Problem the students completed earlier this week. </p><p>The main subject of Math and the Mouse is the mathematics of decision-making. For some problems, such as deciding on a place to eat near Furman, it is possible to enumerate all possible solutions to help in making the decision. We could also establish a utility to each nearby restaurant based on things like what we are hungry for, its Yelp rating, etc. Finding a meal for the night then might boil down to enumerating all solutions and using our restaurant evaluation to find our way to an optimal solution of where to eat. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP-VccvNwaC5lTMnAVW2QbzXqFdvcfxd_9bTSOtOIob-7rBqQ6tnx5J3N0Nkt1dTjq1x8epXXnnZgTqSb2mTReRrfvkAEc9Cdqk5yblvtFS0Nlp7T-cMRhGT_kX5-hCg3mZ4N3EakGpfcHvyZvCBQLIkOnty7IDW8-rA8nrLcV6q5vgEAUer-IWrH/w238-h320/15%20-%20WinnerWinnerChickenDinner%20(Cantina).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="238" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first place team: Taylor, Rhett, and Maddie</td></tr></tbody></table>On Monday, the students and professors participated in an activity that we call the Traveling Tourist Problem. The Traveling Tourist Problem (TTP) is better known in the mathematics community as the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). In this problem a salesperson has some number of sites to visit during a day and wants to know the fastest route to visit all of the necessary locations and return home. It’s an extremely easy problem to state but an extremely difficult problem to solve in practice. Companies like UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and pretty much all other logistics companies try to solve this problem on a daily basis when routing their trucks to pick up and deliver packages. Touring Plans is company that solves this problem for theme park guests. When planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, vacationers can visit touringplans.com, enter the attractions they want to see during the day (including breaks and meals), and Touring Plans will provide them with a tour for their visit. The problem also shows up in a variety of other fields from crew scheduling in the airline industry to pattern cutting in the upholstery industry.<p></p><p>The Epcot Traveling Tourist Problem asks the students to find the ordering of 14 attractions/experiences that would minimize the total time it takes to complete the 14 attractions when things like wait time, ride time, and walk time were taken into consideration. This problem is a staple of the course and exemplifies the type of hands-on, engaged learning that May Experience courses are known for. The problem is easy enough to state: complete the following attractions/experiences at Epcot in the fastest amount of time.</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Frozen Ever After</li><li>Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros</li><li>Journey Into Imagination with Figment</li><li>Living with the Land</li><li>Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure</li><li>The Seas with Nemo & Friends</li><li>Soarin' Around the World</li><li>Spaceship Earth</li><li>Test Track</li><li>A selfie with an Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Topiary</li><li>One of the Epcot movie shows (Pixar Short Film Festival, Awesome Planet, Canada Far and Wide, or Reflections of China)</li><li>Ingesting three full cups of Beverly at Club Cool as a team</li><li>A selfie with the star blaster located near the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride</li><li>A selfie video with a musician playing at Epcot</li></ol><p>Sunday night, before the Monday competition, we divided the students into five teams of three. We gave each group a park map and a list of ride lengths, walking times between each pair of attractions, and projected wait times, all supplied by Touring Plans. Each group was tasked to work together to design a tour of the 14 experiences and write down their thought process in creating the tour. Then, on Monday, the five student groups and the group of professors raced to see which group could finish 14 attractions first. Further, if a group deviated from their original plan during the Monday race, they were to describe their thought process in choosing to deviate. As an added benefit, on Wednesday of this week, we met with Len Testa, founder and president of Touring Plans, who talked about how his company solves this problem for vacationers.</p><p>Unlike the restaurant decision, what makes this problem hard to solve is the combinatorial explosion of possible solutions. In arranging/ordering the 14 experiences for their day, there are 14! = 87,178,291,200 possible orderings of these attractions. Let’s say a computer could evaluate one million of these routes per second. It would still take it over a day for the computer to evaluate them all! So, the students have no hope of verifying how close the solution they come up with is away from being optimal, but that’s okay. We want them to discover that the same thought processes that they come up with to produce and augment their solutions are similar to the thought processes that mathematicians have used for decades to produce good, but maybe not optimal, solutions to this problem. (We should point out that the TTP is actually harder to solve than the historic TSP problem because the time that one waits at an attraction depends on the time one visits the attraction as many attraction’s wait times vary throughout the day.) </p><p>The students had a variety of strategies in making their plans:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Minimize walking distance (at Epcot this is a big deal since the attractions are spaced out over large walking distances). </li><li>Minimize time waiting in lines</li><li>Finish the highly popular rides (Test Track, Frozen, Remy) first then fill in the less popular rides</li><li>Finish one highly popular ride, then tackle a lot of less popular rides while the masses ride the rest of the popular rides, then go back to the remaining popular rides later in the day</li><li>Tackle rides that are in a geographically similar portion of the park together before moving to another geographic area</li><li>Be opportunistic in changing their original plan by moving big rides up in their order if they see a wait time at that ride below a certain threshold.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0EPL_AhHE8GVjDd7Y7U5_Iqkypjp8YVme9f6RCiMNq_Wf7AcJAuakWHqoaQ2moEgL_xQKF3NDjds7-osPX4BuZA1WkYoPWGQvmy70mcTgFIkDaIT-6_KBYuKGLNtmLUcM1yU8N6W9FztL-VQIRTo6LE3ta19vflQ8xpal6BVx9lI6swkksuCyYK/s4032/2%20-%20Japan%20Topiary.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0EPL_AhHE8GVjDd7Y7U5_Iqkypjp8YVme9f6RCiMNq_Wf7AcJAuakWHqoaQ2moEgL_xQKF3NDjds7-osPX4BuZA1WkYoPWGQvmy70mcTgFIkDaIT-6_KBYuKGLNtmLUcM1yU8N6W9FztL-VQIRTo6LE3ta19vflQ8xpal6BVx9lI6swkksuCyYK/w400-h300/2%20-%20Japan%20Topiary.jpg" width="400" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">The first two bullets are employing an algorithmic approach to solving the problem known as the Nearest Neighbor Algorithm. This solution approach attempts to create a tour by picking a starting ride then going to the next ride based on some metric, such as the ride within the shortest walking distance or the ride that has the minimum wait time at that point in time. The second place team (Sydney, Elizabeth, and Joshua) employed a strategy of minimizing their walking distance. However, the winning team (Taylor, Maddie, and Rhett) employed the fourth strategy above (Finish one highly popular ride, then tackle a lot of less popular rides while the masses ride the rest of the popular rides, then go back to the remaining popular rides later in the day). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhjig8OluclLG3sMTHaWDjsgNapJGzz6QLXFQ-UOaiejBrjVjod82yMDKAboD4AMDq7cqIrJrfAoLIm24qT00BhKqveBzBPrKkqvg4X-OZnySVJpMVvG_6QWbLpsZ_hSs4LLga4TtDKqiUXscDxMqzmHTt-L8tRV-9okyfONcl8fAkPAnwIcJziIR/s731/RTM%20Solution.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="559" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhjig8OluclLG3sMTHaWDjsgNapJGzz6QLXFQ-UOaiejBrjVjod82yMDKAboD4AMDq7cqIrJrfAoLIm24qT00BhKqveBzBPrKkqvg4X-OZnySVJpMVvG_6QWbLpsZ_hSs4LLga4TtDKqiUXscDxMqzmHTt-L8tRV-9okyfONcl8fAkPAnwIcJziIR/w306-h400/RTM%20Solution.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor, Rhett, and Maddie's solution to the TTP. The shades of purple get deeper as time passes, so the lightest shades are at the beginning of the day and the darkest shades are at the end of the TTP activity.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP-VccvNwaC5lTMnAVW2QbzXqFdvcfxd_9bTSOtOIob-7rBqQ6tnx5J3N0Nkt1dTjq1x8epXXnnZgTqSb2mTReRrfvkAEc9Cdqk5yblvtFS0Nlp7T-cMRhGT_kX5-hCg3mZ4N3EakGpfcHvyZvCBQLIkOnty7IDW8-rA8nrLcV6q5vgEAUer-IWrH/s1101/15%20-%20WinnerWinnerChickenDinner%20(Cantina).JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></a></div></div><br />Like all of the other teams, they rode Frozen Ever After first (Test Track was delayed in opening) then took off to go to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a new and very popular ride at Epcot, often posting wait times of over 100 minutes. However, the winning group missed the true entrance to the line and had to get out of line in order to avoid a “cutting in line” penalty. Instead of re-entering the line, they decided to complete less popular rides quickly while their wait times were still low. This turned out to be a good strategy because those teams that stayed at the Remy ride had a 75-minute wait instead of the posted 55-minute wait. The winning team was able to come back to Remy later in the day when the wait time was posted at 70 minutes but only experienced an actual wait of 40 minutes. The other teams that stuck around to ride Remy ended up following the mass of the crowd around and experienced higher wait times at less popular rides later in the day as a result. As this congestion compounded for most teams, the winning team was able to get major rides at bargain wait times as the masses dispersed throughout the park. Timing is everything! The winning team ended up finishing more than thirty minutes before the second place team. This is the largest margin of time between first and second place that we’ve ever had in the five times we’ve run the competition!<div><p></p><p>For the third place finishers, we will try again next time to win our first TTP, but it is rewarding for us to see our students discover mathematics for themselves in a fun way. What the students discovered in all of this will be important for them to remember as they carry on in school and in their future careers. First, sometimes data is unreliable, such as the posted wait time on the attraction, and you have to be able to adapt to variation (such as encountering an unforeseen wait or an attraction that you had planned to ride being closed throughout the day). Making decisions under uncertainty is difficult but is something that every manager has to do, and the students are learning that the deterministic problems that they see in textbooks only partially reflect what happens in the real world. Lastly, working collaboratively in teams, they produced their own algorithms to solve this problem, but at the same time, they reproduced some of the great ideas that great mathematicians have had before them. We hope they recognize the significance of that and that they build confidence in their own abilities! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGlf400MX-e6fv86NvAwmFNbACc8ejqipsQiBfa-SgEC87Mi7NP2Zn1p1yNysDv3vGpgp7RI7I85MfWcaLbLT97E6CWZdnr948nR7LeBBZ11ySG5GpWyddMLV7Ptnahyb1o3Pqmz-Fy85m_9AKBMY4r6qDoZ4jvd7SQqxXhoXTnV4-oggRp0ZNPE2/s5568/2022-05-19%20-%20Epcot%20-%20Epcot%20Entrance_3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5568" data-original-width="3712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGlf400MX-e6fv86NvAwmFNbACc8ejqipsQiBfa-SgEC87Mi7NP2Zn1p1yNysDv3vGpgp7RI7I85MfWcaLbLT97E6CWZdnr948nR7LeBBZ11ySG5GpWyddMLV7Ptnahyb1o3Pqmz-Fy85m_9AKBMY4r6qDoZ4jvd7SQqxXhoXTnV4-oggRp0ZNPE2/w266-h400/2022-05-19%20-%20Epcot%20-%20Epcot%20Entrance_3.jpeg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blog authors Drs. Hutson, Bouzarth, and Harris in Epcot</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-3153356106390599972022-05-19T19:42:00.002-07:002022-05-20T04:29:12.013-07:00Day 9: Project 2 and Disney Springs!<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This morning we went to EPCOT to ride the new Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster. We won’t go into too much detail for those who want to be surprised, but to sum it up, it was fantastic, a resounding two thumbs up. While we were there we also stopped into Club Cool to sample some fun drinks from around the world. We also hit the ride Soarin' Around the World as a class, since it had a short wait when we got to the park. It's amazing how they're able to create all the different scents throughout the ride!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy746N_C6pF-oUIEQYB3LTDo2mAhwwqKxGoNknDofGUQDhbfqsoLytAmeHN_XRdm7C4lGiIUsdmRLAOoo1jm3gFtZutO-0iCwyXVo5SVYgjTjZqheVdZCgjCco0Ovjxvh9-k0BgSof0t3vYSDMgQ1xp8396pOXKU0IW8CQP_jBpclnViXdT99xEBgBmw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3344" data-original-width="5016" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy746N_C6pF-oUIEQYB3LTDo2mAhwwqKxGoNknDofGUQDhbfqsoLytAmeHN_XRdm7C4lGiIUsdmRLAOoo1jm3gFtZutO-0iCwyXVo5SVYgjTjZqheVdZCgjCco0Ovjxvh9-k0BgSof0t3vYSDMgQ1xp8396pOXKU0IW8CQP_jBpclnViXdT99xEBgBmw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-312efe73-7fff-3dc7-cf1c-0c56ca74a2a7"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK2QhZRU4fpzd7XGkyR_4AzpNCexhqwGEwLA9XkkVzotPvWVF03MGkT7Lt75c8mF4b4u_mdRPeGD1RxKWgbaxzovUC2tfIOnPgzm6JNpZDllmkKCDa9bOTUhHe86UAhElFzcRffhPwcjn3daj1AlKaI0YOJHu4aXCB7YqRAMOG7nZtOrqmIEv7Q_Cupg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK2QhZRU4fpzd7XGkyR_4AzpNCexhqwGEwLA9XkkVzotPvWVF03MGkT7Lt75c8mF4b4u_mdRPeGD1RxKWgbaxzovUC2tfIOnPgzm6JNpZDllmkKCDa9bOTUhHe86UAhElFzcRffhPwcjn3daj1AlKaI0YOJHu4aXCB7YqRAMOG7nZtOrqmIEv7Q_Cupg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After that we came back to the hotel for class. Today we didn’t have a lecture, instead we used our class time to work on our n</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ew project. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our job was to model the work schedule for workers at the Yak and Yeti according to certain constraints, such as workers having to complete eight consecutive hours of work, not including a break, or that a break can only take place after a certain amount of time working. This project was broken up into three separate but similar problems, each of which involved us finding the decision variables, the objective function, and constraints. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjNI-HjGHmvOaEW-9fiPywSbHvS3Uoz6w-rrtwE66wqyj--HZrcvCtI8NL2Umi6wikFNvfj4MenDuNQakhPSkOh8qmJooJS5osSOLZ7uTnEhR0ZzW226G-pNKc2GaHFSCb6zWEFbEJK12dbC4BSUgH2adAKZCbBvvHEJIjKdli-IX_qTuRnjGiuU8OTA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjNI-HjGHmvOaEW-9fiPywSbHvS3Uoz6w-rrtwE66wqyj--HZrcvCtI8NL2Umi6wikFNvfj4MenDuNQakhPSkOh8qmJooJS5osSOLZ7uTnEhR0ZzW226G-pNKc2GaHFSCb6zWEFbEJK12dbC4BSUgH2adAKZCbBvvHEJIjKdli-IX_qTuRnjGiuU8OTA" width="320" /></a></div>For example, if our goal was to hire the least number of people that still allows our store to be staffed, our decision variables would be the number of people who clock in for every shift. Our objective function would give us all the workers we needed to hire in general, and the constraints may be something like a worker must work for eight consecutive hours. This prevents one person from just clocking in for an hour, or one person working all day. We worked on this for about three hours before stopping for the day. We had about an hour and a half of free time and then made our way to Disney Springs! </span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgadPU1-lw_JBY0g_BBVeQV_GjnbPWaZlJzmN9Z_h6BF9FL38_AjV7FTZpNjfhQE6D0pj9Z9tpP7aJoIGFUk1JPzSqeR3mD102b051b-yp4lytGRmZ-QfUznQBf3xX43TnqjlIA1SAkLFsKSV4iJYNYhQ_vnEjt3kHnsgPJsW5vqSmZRDO9NoiFwJNW6Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgadPU1-lw_JBY0g_BBVeQV_GjnbPWaZlJzmN9Z_h6BF9FL38_AjV7FTZpNjfhQE6D0pj9Z9tpP7aJoIGFUk1JPzSqeR3mD102b051b-yp4lytGRmZ-QfUznQBf3xX43TnqjlIA1SAkLFsKSV4iJYNYhQ_vnEjt3kHnsgPJsW5vqSmZRDO9NoiFwJNW6Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4OYEpcconWGXirDoEsVscEU3IfN_ed3UFpm9KMXkVn9L-Cnfh0eM9oYtXHkdJcAHfIyTNH9C3hPpKkQabD0GtwN731yRMEFO2cldQPZ5rAA_cBBAwP1dz_fGyKa2y1PxuA0GDT2b4X0MtjaLP_A_XF1JOr_XIGldarsdLSbftknTeItBAo6BPVg91g" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4OYEpcconWGXirDoEsVscEU3IfN_ed3UFpm9KMXkVn9L-Cnfh0eM9oYtXHkdJcAHfIyTNH9C3hPpKkQabD0GtwN731yRMEFO2cldQPZ5rAA_cBBAwP1dz_fGyKa2y1PxuA0GDT2b4X0MtjaLP_A_XF1JOr_XIGldarsdLSbftknTeItBAo6BPVg91g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p>Disney Springs is the shopping district that Disney has built near its resorts. It has many cool Disney stores, a movie theater, bowling alley, and lots of yummy restaurants. Once the group got to Disney Springs we were allowed to split off and explore as we liked. Eight of us went to the World of Disney store and explored for about 30 minutes. There were a lot of cool purchases, I (Sydney) bought Alice in Wonderland themed tea, and Sam bought some ears to wear at the parks. Afterwards, we went to the Lego Store, where lots of us bought lego sets, including a lego orchid set purchased by Regan. They had a lot of really cool lego sculptures, including a dragon that came out of the water! <br />We then went to Guy Fieris’ Chicken Guy restaurant for dinner. It had delicious chicken tenders, Mac and Cheese and Fries. If you chose to go we recommend the chipotle ranch sauce (Regan’s recommendation) or the barbecue sauce (Sydney’s recommendation). Then we decided we needed dessert, so we headed to Gideon’s Bakehouse where we bought some ginormous cookies. By that time it was almost time to go so we met up with the professors, piled into the vans, and headed back to the hotel. Overall the day was exhausting but fun. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well that's all for us, thanks for reading!</div><div>-Regan and Sydney<br /><br /><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></div>Regan Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340813805153971825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-29939637075034882482022-05-18T21:27:00.002-07:002022-05-18T22:17:33.699-07:00Day 8: Meetings in the Magic Kingdom<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5zfK1S6cURuX7TK-29ux7B7kA4YhGSEgoE0p5EzvaZSIn6j-0hQ97Ah0UfFGnsxFZ8BxJUSFj5rLJMnQfeVLz57fnhRPnoHMQuiKnD88ni5xO0z47LCRG0a2u7qCy4v4EuVysYbRCS3W_h4grEJWz4rzzYakSEULFVi0awXXLGKnJdxMOYEgU89H4bw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5zfK1S6cURuX7TK-29ux7B7kA4YhGSEgoE0p5EzvaZSIn6j-0hQ97Ah0UfFGnsxFZ8BxJUSFj5rLJMnQfeVLz57fnhRPnoHMQuiKnD88ni5xO0z47LCRG0a2u7qCy4v4EuVysYbRCS3W_h4grEJWz4rzzYakSEULFVi0awXXLGKnJdxMOYEgU89H4bw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Overview</b></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that we have Project 1 under our belt, we switched gears and dove deep into the operations research portion of the course. We started the day with a morning meeting with Len Testa, which led us into an afternoon crash course in operations research. After a long day of learning, we returned to the Magic Kingdom for some well-earned free time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Meeting with Len Testa</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today we were honored to meet with co-author of <i>The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World</i> and President of TouringPlans, Len Testa! At 9:30 this morning in the Magic Kingdom, we met with Len and had the opportunity to learn from and ask questions about his work. TouringPlans, the company he founded, uses genetic algorithms and predictive analytics to make guests’ time at Disney efficient. Len’s company started as his graduate thesis and evolved into the leading name in Disney trip planning. Over the years, Len has built an impressive advising system for optimizing time spent at Disney World through intensive data collection, both by his employees and app customers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjL53qicWd7SlRH6kDTys1o-tLdgup5npf4p29VcUA859xh7tdT2I2KkkJyA0EYMT2cKRZ3srLooCf7X7XncxhCcaIfAZ_AC7fpPOQUDuySK4EtLA4w9HyDFxuMkBcSCw5BY0jV_1q7IZOEACvuReKz78k3coGX8Ii9-1GEtAX90gOD5gwZAU96hNkxA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjL53qicWd7SlRH6kDTys1o-tLdgup5npf4p29VcUA859xh7tdT2I2KkkJyA0EYMT2cKRZ3srLooCf7X7XncxhCcaIfAZ_AC7fpPOQUDuySK4EtLA4w9HyDFxuMkBcSCw5BY0jV_1q7IZOEACvuReKz78k3coGX8Ii9-1GEtAX90gOD5gwZAU96hNkxA=w320-h240" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Having worked with Disney related data for so long, Len has many amazing insights about the parks. He talked to us about the many factors that went into his wait time prediction model, which included weather, parties, and surprisingly, school schedules of major nearby school districts. Len also gave us insight into the findings of his data. For instance, he told us about how Disney uses posted wait times to manage crowds in the parks. Finally, Len told us about how he and his company interacts with Genie, Disney's day planning system, and the analysis they ran on it.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Furthermore, it was cool to see the connection between what Len does for a living and what we are learning in class. In particular, he gave a shoutout to Excel and Solver, saying that they are among the greatest software tools he uses. Having worked with Solver ourselves in Project 1, it was great to hear that the tools we are using are applicable. In addition, we could tell from the way Len talked that he is very passionate and knowledgeable about his work. His energy is contagious, and his lively personality made this morning a joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Operations Research and the Mouse</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following our meeting with Len, and a quick stop at Mickey’s PhilharMagic, we returned to our hotel and began class. In class, we focused on the foundations of operations research: decision variables, objective functions, and constraints. Today’s class was our first experience with independent group work, where we took on problems on our own with minimal help from the professors. In our groups, we looked at several scenarios and attempted to represent them within the context of operations research. We tackled problems that ranged from diet plans to staffing to transportation. At the end of class, we were given Project 2, in which we will use operations research to simulate creating a workforce schedule for Yak & Yeti, a restaurant in Animal Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7V81lmqdYkOO8A--fqRbJ9NKXOL70sF5SPNNgipnPwfJvpK_mUrkEjj8o_ff5-8t0g1xLWBHzwKFHA4__-YeVDqOWDZW09a9jXpmKVRoNlbiKfdjnh7yG3cSmL3Me5eEwC_gza6FWAV7xXqzVXV-jn3IcYWOW31nVOtjjXU0zFpcU3vLuM7XcG_4J2Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7V81lmqdYkOO8A--fqRbJ9NKXOL70sF5SPNNgipnPwfJvpK_mUrkEjj8o_ff5-8t0g1xLWBHzwKFHA4__-YeVDqOWDZW09a9jXpmKVRoNlbiKfdjnh7yG3cSmL3Me5eEwC_gza6FWAV7xXqzVXV-jn3IcYWOW31nVOtjjXU0zFpcU3vLuM7XcG_4J2Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p></span></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Return to the Magic Kingdom</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ8Y2LJSnboWLt8Nuespp3fMjdLWneX-A8YOWDCJAGh0yNxadoAbQSsf57d-v8VN1XLy7ucZLCMIuS4_6lX77J7UP7kgSVDkUMn-l58Ee2UgnutGdO_sKoYGZn1LnaOde3AMIxPS2oxrhtqMHrSe0OI2vJs0-O4vAfGSZlzpIjL9kS8zic7TL1yPzkA/s4032/IMG_6562.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ8Y2LJSnboWLt8Nuespp3fMjdLWneX-A8YOWDCJAGh0yNxadoAbQSsf57d-v8VN1XLy7ucZLCMIuS4_6lX77J7UP7kgSVDkUMn-l58Ee2UgnutGdO_sKoYGZn1LnaOde3AMIxPS2oxrhtqMHrSe0OI2vJs0-O4vAfGSZlzpIjL9kS8zic7TL1yPzkA/w300-h400/IMG_6562.jpeg" width="300" /><br /><br /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Since we did not get to ride as many attractions after our meeting with Len, some of the group returned to the Magic Kingdom for free time after class. When we got to the park, we had to brave the rainfall to get to the Magic Kingdom. Many of our socks got soaked in the process; however, we were in high spirits. The group had not been to the Magic Kingdom since the first night, so we were excited to explore the many attractions we missed the first time around. Since it was raining, we started with Space Mountain, a wonderful indoor roller coaster. When we finished with Space Mountain, the rain had subsided, but many of the big rides were still down. As a result, we made a stop at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. While waiting to get on the ride, we passed the time by playing Heads Up in the queue line as seen in the picture to the left. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbwgI4iFO-M8jP2cbck2Snosxgc9ijckhVA6Ox6JtNbot_sMWQOB755PIZCverUJr-UtGPJFrHA3yWuv8f__sTzIC3a2pBfclqp5Zb5KNg9duK4X1o8j-1QQfCL0ERNfXfZpBiytHdwrag75uimNBgzRhfQzWqTLqbE2bXEz1XPuQx4gQTgZyWZWPo4A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbwgI4iFO-M8jP2cbck2Snosxgc9ijckhVA6Ox6JtNbot_sMWQOB755PIZCverUJr-UtGPJFrHA3yWuv8f__sTzIC3a2pBfclqp5Zb5KNg9duK4X1o8j-1QQfCL0ERNfXfZpBiytHdwrag75uimNBgzRhfQzWqTLqbE2bXEz1XPuQx4gQTgZyWZWPo4A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The professors made some new alumni connections today when Austin Watson '08 and Jess (Rutledge) Watson '09 noticed Dr. Hutson's Furman shirt in the Magic Kingdom (See below!). They enjoyed chatting with them and their family and discovered that Dr. Harris had Jess in class back in the day, and they also had a common math major friend. It is a small world after all!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>After we finished shooting the minions of Zurg, we were hungry and searched for food. I (Joshua) had been looking forward to a Mickey pretzel since we arrived, so I was very excited to finally get one. Finally, we finished the evening by riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Much to our delight, we timed our ride just right and caught the fireworks show while we were still on the ride! Dr. Hutson was right; it was a magical experience.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcynaazBvfxqSlhWjdv9o0GsnE5ryv80ZQD0fLmflTaRvlubHLFnTXjUfpCGCaDCdx1inGp084gjDe7EEbljRZfXJobHE8RCfWvphqkU3oO17xBRNbZpR7IbKKEc9lVeMfjcUU29T4i4NBHal0VE0qqBOB5Cdhrhiah43mMK3lH9tQWdJa5keunr3QUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcynaazBvfxqSlhWjdv9o0GsnE5ryv80ZQD0fLmflTaRvlubHLFnTXjUfpCGCaDCdx1inGp084gjDe7EEbljRZfXJobHE8RCfWvphqkU3oO17xBRNbZpR7IbKKEc9lVeMfjcUU29T4i4NBHal0VE0qqBOB5Cdhrhiah43mMK3lH9tQWdJa5keunr3QUg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Authors: </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grace Houser (front right) and Joshua Hutson (front left)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghEmS2Po-wdrR_ZORoQwOYHdQTqG4Rcfgx94XG4n3DeZLhsPRNhnrLUT-VTPaZdUaBItjyBv0carAKc66TGlMrW6esr3Eo4pTItn-V99sKwiRP71PTsMEQTqOatLU7pj_PG9GCuXuFkJ97UHbbzO28vFyuWin1sCJ02tmhfaUVAj0JrCyp_6pqXzr5Ig" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghEmS2Po-wdrR_ZORoQwOYHdQTqG4Rcfgx94XG4n3DeZLhsPRNhnrLUT-VTPaZdUaBItjyBv0carAKc66TGlMrW6esr3Eo4pTItn-V99sKwiRP71PTsMEQTqOatLU7pj_PG9GCuXuFkJ97UHbbzO28vFyuWin1sCJ02tmhfaUVAj0JrCyp_6pqXzr5Ig=w400-h301" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div>Grace Houserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028042748607552233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-82361286851171679272022-05-17T22:41:00.000-07:002022-05-17T22:41:36.588-07:00Day 7: Presentation Time with a Treat!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D39EY3qSCr4gvniHRZ3apt-pJDfpkBMdSktveBJEvn5LPtXTwljhEvGKVQ1vlqBTKB6kj360N7VsN1nBnQnFVKynCXwmGaSTHBJHB2CURFY3pb3nzqCSOAGfTYr0OSnrrjnrTXFexZRzOkm7lzrDNrzyVYMb71ft-OWcHkjKmCC5iWC0QiUI099Pzg/s4032/IMG_2105.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D39EY3qSCr4gvniHRZ3apt-pJDfpkBMdSktveBJEvn5LPtXTwljhEvGKVQ1vlqBTKB6kj360N7VsN1nBnQnFVKynCXwmGaSTHBJHB2CURFY3pb3nzqCSOAGfTYr0OSnrrjnrTXFexZRzOkm7lzrDNrzyVYMb71ft-OWcHkjKmCC5iWC0QiUI099Pzg/w640-h480/IMG_2105.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Overview of the Day:</b></p><p>All of us were very tired and a bit sore after our jam packed day yesterday at Epcot, so it was really nice to be able to sleep in until 9:00 AM this morning. We began our day by presenting our group presentations for our first project to the class. Each presentation was supposed to be roughly 15 minutes, so we were able to get through all of the presentations within two hours. We then took a brief break before returning to the classroom to get back to work and to begin learning one chapter of new material. We then had a break to go eat lunch. After lunch, we came back together to learn some more new material. We then went to Hollywood Studios for a couple hours followed by dinner at Boma. After dinner, we all got to go on the new Rise of the Resistance ride with individual Lightning Lane passes. How exciting for us!</p><p><b>Project Presentations: </b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZefdOPJF5ZPkEx60twvtQaAT1bC0A-h4pA3egU6MbWa0XE3ITSMleCqtkqRiAZzJJO8P3Hlj9x3Md9Q4sVphEmh2GnPxwcURmRcLiD4nxh8OpzhLOAZE1n9K_rhnOOEP45Zi5ShKVlcHMv_qtcErNj4Er_r0ati8XUutGORbvK2VeoJktYbDdKUxK8A/s4032/IMG_1814.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZefdOPJF5ZPkEx60twvtQaAT1bC0A-h4pA3egU6MbWa0XE3ITSMleCqtkqRiAZzJJO8P3Hlj9x3Md9Q4sVphEmh2GnPxwcURmRcLiD4nxh8OpzhLOAZE1n9K_rhnOOEP45Zi5ShKVlcHMv_qtcErNj4Er_r0ati8XUutGORbvK2VeoJktYbDdKUxK8A/w320-h240/IMG_1814.JPG" width="320" /></a>We started our morning off hearing the presentations of each of the three groups. First, the Blue Group presented, then the Red Group, and finally the Yellow Group. Most of the groups decided to do a practice run in the morning before we met all together in order to be better prepared and to make their presentations go smoother. Everyone approached how to weigh the data differently, so it was really cool to get to hear the thought processes of the other groups and their reasoning behind their weighing system. Each group had a different style of presentation and made different choices of what information to include or highlight in their presentations. After each group presented, the professors gave feedback and suggestions for how to improve our presentations if we were to give them again. Most of the feedback that the groups received was in order to make the slides more consistent and to help the information on the slides be more easily read. This feedback will also be very helpful for everyone to apply when doing the rest of our project presentations for the class and to implement when we’re presenting to the Disney professionals. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRhCNrRKiV51XTkkdrRyxssztPmgE8W65MBIhg9eteAFcK5wI25QrKX8HhpkuntCDrY-k88yRnj8m8h1GS44IygWnvTxlVSFTPf_kRVQVPWYpolKq52ctRTY2QjZTJZqzNXDKo_8IMcmarx_D8M43ilmuzhxb2aMur8v4Sg7mHUMTcA80lKtwUzo3Tw/s4032/IMG_1933.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRhCNrRKiV51XTkkdrRyxssztPmgE8W65MBIhg9eteAFcK5wI25QrKX8HhpkuntCDrY-k88yRnj8m8h1GS44IygWnvTxlVSFTPf_kRVQVPWYpolKq52ctRTY2QjZTJZqzNXDKo_8IMcmarx_D8M43ilmuzhxb2aMur8v4Sg7mHUMTcA80lKtwUzo3Tw/w320-h240/IMG_1933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp-YnUwPSld9vuAt6WNtY2g5m0mOrE3fDQpH5j8rf0qhI91Fp5AhauKcJcLOC9Rty-bGIn1UA-WfHcLG_0SSG0A8AlG4bPgUczIlANuQpoXoKGiTfod00aNwSLijJ0ZPaoQUunlSX1TpfXmyRyAh0k7ylYRy13h3j7vEJLY7ktRZ1UqEgRyE0ALxj4g/s4032/IMG_1903%20(1).JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp-YnUwPSld9vuAt6WNtY2g5m0mOrE3fDQpH5j8rf0qhI91Fp5AhauKcJcLOC9Rty-bGIn1UA-WfHcLG_0SSG0A8AlG4bPgUczIlANuQpoXoKGiTfod00aNwSLijJ0ZPaoQUunlSX1TpfXmyRyAh0k7ylYRy13h3j7vEJLY7ktRZ1UqEgRyE0ALxj4g/w320-h240/IMG_1903%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div><b><br /><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgpugXmp-D_ufgOoXRUyhvly7w-zzsgJhaoD8dF8z3oyUF7141C8nhyE6lewGVtcb1FX1MLw9yKkZk2gpzM-HRkbqDS2_4flbE4EyN04PIv5wiGnjhnGf0UgIVd-Nq8bZTOGFGRvscw6m4_DFjejnx98Ohd0bIjh12SfqPOGfG7FhqwxJvFWBE-HZ5Q/s4032/IMG_1995%20(1).JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgpugXmp-D_ufgOoXRUyhvly7w-zzsgJhaoD8dF8z3oyUF7141C8nhyE6lewGVtcb1FX1MLw9yKkZk2gpzM-HRkbqDS2_4flbE4EyN04PIv5wiGnjhnGf0UgIVd-Nq8bZTOGFGRvscw6m4_DFjejnx98Ohd0bIjh12SfqPOGfG7FhqwxJvFWBE-HZ5Q/w320-h240/IMG_1995%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><b>Class Time:</b></div>Today in class, we learned more about policies, which is chapter six for us. A policy is a course of action used to navigate the map terrain that is guided by a reward or value structure. There was a natural transition to this because the Traveling Tourist Problem that we completed yesterday required us to create a policy and try to implement it. Through this exercise we got to see how a policy is flexible and should change as more information is gained about the map. The Traveling Tourist problem also helped illustrate for us how a policy should be motivated by an ultimate goal, which in our case was completing the 14 required activities in the shortest amount of time. We also discussed how the Traveling Tourist Problem is similar to the classic Traveling Salesman Problem. The Traveling Salesman Problem consists of a salesman needing to visit multiple locations on a network to sell their goods or services and then returning to their home base in the shortest amount of time. The only way to determine the optimal solution, or route in this case, is to check all possible solutions, which means that it will often take an extremely long and unrealistic amount of time to find the optimal solution, even for a computer. This means that many times we are satisfied with a heuristic solution, which is when we find a really good solution that isn’t necessarily the optimal solution in a short amount of time and use this as our final solution to the problem. Next, we took an hour break for lunch. After lunch, we had class outside where we learned about genetic algorithms. Genetic algorithms are a method that is modeled after Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. This method is used for solving both constrained and unconstrained optimization problems. Len Testa, the founder of the Touring Plans app that we use, utilizes genetic algorithms in creating the most optimal Disney World schedule dependent on everyone’s unique tastes. <p></p><p><b>Hollywood Studios:</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sFYHi9UoIk5BQdXPQFql4xw4_ZsXUhKgSm9qcxGFpjDc7816JvdLAKYptfbttNzSJBJVIY0PueEA_57yc_cqk2cvWjmAuLEWv7LeI_XMgTYDfxVzg-3AfzaOFxeWBTOxa3IAtIEvsPluGcM1hyc7HtoMYdUK5dnd-vCXqHe3sgInjSrYo4655oUx-Q/s2784/IMG_2042.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="2784" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sFYHi9UoIk5BQdXPQFql4xw4_ZsXUhKgSm9qcxGFpjDc7816JvdLAKYptfbttNzSJBJVIY0PueEA_57yc_cqk2cvWjmAuLEWv7LeI_XMgTYDfxVzg-3AfzaOFxeWBTOxa3IAtIEvsPluGcM1hyc7HtoMYdUK5dnd-vCXqHe3sgInjSrYo4655oUx-Q/s320/IMG_2042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Right when we arrived at Hollywood Studios, the entire group rushed to the Rise of the Resistance ride. This has been something that everyone’s been looking forward to since we arrived in Florida and has been highly anticipated by all of us. It definitely lived up to our expectations and I would even say that it exceeded them. After this, I went to ride on the Disney Skyliner from Hollywood Studios to Epcot and back (Taylor here). The view was beautiful from the aerial gondolas, but we did get stopped at least six times which was quite frightening. The rest of the group did the single rider lane for Smuggler’s Run, which went a lot quicker than any other time the group had been to the ride and was a lot of fun for everyone to compete against each other yet again. </div><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMSvw4lIZZ_7dKnLhMw4VOgPb0rGKDu3xARG_Y9Y9oxO6AiCbqyytgDeTN3OTlSkttoBl--qdCd5I9tzvDT7zUMLvTzc2xSxZb0g0VP9DkP4iidtjydwNetGGc9SH85Yste9tWOY3taQxf9OVhOVPQSw1ozoiLTNmmvFO4KNqnA9AnITCp1DwHWWMfA/s4032/IMG_2715.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMSvw4lIZZ_7dKnLhMw4VOgPb0rGKDu3xARG_Y9Y9oxO6AiCbqyytgDeTN3OTlSkttoBl--qdCd5I9tzvDT7zUMLvTzc2xSxZb0g0VP9DkP4iidtjydwNetGGc9SH85Yste9tWOY3taQxf9OVhOVPQSw1ozoiLTNmmvFO4KNqnA9AnITCp1DwHWWMfA/w320-h240/IMG_2715.HEIC" width="320" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufSE7Yejc2TwW26O0VmGjywtw4MfHtiDVcdDzsfcOUtZQ7x3__3J7FaRA3Qz6Kur7Hu4z6jvbtTpZ9EfQhqN00ZMdWuM9KPufrg15VsFSepbW6tgM7B3bZLLlBILoCd_0o5jgiE46Fncp5YDUNRw_emZG6hHo1z0epgRG54VX-MNtjBZ6nIQcgWdbag/w320-h240/IMG_2132.JPG" width="320" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdiKHs3SgCTOvm6-JFDLvnCJ4qrsC8B4IJzfiYjoKyvGqtyyNGsnWuDJ_rWqBd08Hq3LDUdqyG9OQiCGIsjmDaFmgwzUOSaE614vYjlxAexGcnqWGgNX0OKPXQAgZpW-d_xLGqa3M-8gHvaXGg1JtCqG6WjE1RwfRLOFrNPDuunQcCJsDjHOVnvb-6g/s4032/IMG_6529.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdiKHs3SgCTOvm6-JFDLvnCJ4qrsC8B4IJzfiYjoKyvGqtyyNGsnWuDJ_rWqBd08Hq3LDUdqyG9OQiCGIsjmDaFmgwzUOSaE614vYjlxAexGcnqWGgNX0OKPXQAgZpW-d_xLGqa3M-8gHvaXGg1JtCqG6WjE1RwfRLOFrNPDuunQcCJsDjHOVnvb-6g/s320/IMG_6529.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><b>Dinner at Boma:</b></div>Tonight, the entire group was treated to dinner at Boma-Flavors of Africa by the professors to celebrate completing our first project of the class and all the successful presentations that occurred this morning. Boma is a buffet style restaurant that is located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We were even able to see some animals up close before and after dinner. It was really cool to get to see more giraffes since they’re one of my favorite animals (Taylor here)! Boma had such a wide variety of food at the buffet that everyone could easily find something delicious to eat, even picky eaters and those with food allergies/sensitivities. My favorite part of the meal was definitely all the desserts that I got to try! My favorite one was the zebra domes, which are staples of the restaurant. This delectable dessert consists of a layer of white cake topped by Amarula Liqueur mousse and covered in white and dark chocolate ganaches. It truly was amazing and something I would recommend everyone try (Taylor here)! My favorite part of the dinner was the POG juice that both Dr. Hutson and I had. POG juice is a blend of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices that really hit the spot! It is definitely now one of my favorite drinks (Jalen here)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9CTRCg23t4HeO_SQvh3ewrhlV1Y7lRxUraBFcQ77NxRvBiJkneJ7SLX1x9HAXfbvGcDh_aDMQ_Evlh1HFxxmHacp9a7akoYZEmBCL3DaA3dVBRhjW5cF19WhPEs0GL2GwbFvYSTsh1XRzZ0TO0Ogh37tvfrdpZ4Q1-59ddht2ybKZqDqcQE4OZWTzg/s4032/IMG_2107.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9CTRCg23t4HeO_SQvh3ewrhlV1Y7lRxUraBFcQ77NxRvBiJkneJ7SLX1x9HAXfbvGcDh_aDMQ_Evlh1HFxxmHacp9a7akoYZEmBCL3DaA3dVBRhjW5cF19WhPEs0GL2GwbFvYSTsh1XRzZ0TO0Ogh37tvfrdpZ4Q1-59ddht2ybKZqDqcQE4OZWTzg/w640-h480/IMG_2107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><p></p><p><b>Hollywood Studios (Again):<br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6M5AeSNQFmPDxZQ6NgpkE8rk3127q6XsplvUHlflwk3QmuI3B6i1oX57jF1fSEmnxPJypLshTBf_PGDITWPZHreptWpCU-Pnb4gXnA1V44LjxqnaisQZ_KYL-Q0v8DWlT_hz33ETZkbbvbwEnGkn7dXWIU-8BlrVQ9XKYfp5wcHtxd7YfLfxB-fWkg/s4032/IMG_2030.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6M5AeSNQFmPDxZQ6NgpkE8rk3127q6XsplvUHlflwk3QmuI3B6i1oX57jF1fSEmnxPJypLshTBf_PGDITWPZHreptWpCU-Pnb4gXnA1V44LjxqnaisQZ_KYL-Q0v8DWlT_hz33ETZkbbvbwEnGkn7dXWIU-8BlrVQ9XKYfp5wcHtxd7YfLfxB-fWkg/s320/IMG_2030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Dr. Harris was able to secure enough Lightning Lane passes for all of us to ride Rise of the Resistance again at 8:30 PM (happy student noises). There are multiple paths that the individual pods can take so it was amazing to get to experience one of the other tracks that the pod can go on this time. The ride truly lived up to all the hype and anticipation behind it! We then all went to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which was both of our first times on this ride. After riding these two rides, it was really nice to be able to stop to watch the fireworks and projections of scenes from Disney movies to finish off the night. <br /><p></p><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVEgWiwsNqFpJ3unR66jTnYm1tddbPvDHvdKUvr3EsswK86keDSTzbaidNXfdHPtn6SeNUCUE7-Ahgmmpg4ba-CIDko09xW0fo0bupLSTtYP1cGEtHfD8Q_HIZW5RDu7fSnd4WSJINeLRMLdo7wfs9VzRAkMjGVDpqb_ebF9THWDqmBQP6tCb9witbg/s3088/IMG_6534-1.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVEgWiwsNqFpJ3unR66jTnYm1tddbPvDHvdKUvr3EsswK86keDSTzbaidNXfdHPtn6SeNUCUE7-Ahgmmpg4ba-CIDko09xW0fo0bupLSTtYP1cGEtHfD8Q_HIZW5RDu7fSnd4WSJINeLRMLdo7wfs9VzRAkMjGVDpqb_ebF9THWDqmBQP6tCb9witbg/w320-h240/IMG_6534-1.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pYX0FywXXryktMiG6kJhC3L36whC7IJJesAZ63PPJB71D2ocGKsKS9A8yrFmQV91pSoEuhq-cgM9HbHNi-hzdyO-dRa5Yz8g1j-pxKtAO28sPi_4vYUu9Y1UD7zGwQ_hs8p9_YK8tAKV8vt-YIzpVr9bVgSzk_RQ9FQCTmQFdjK5nRn8_bWUXqEs9Q/s2968/IMG_2128.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2226" data-original-width="2968" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pYX0FywXXryktMiG6kJhC3L36whC7IJJesAZ63PPJB71D2ocGKsKS9A8yrFmQV91pSoEuhq-cgM9HbHNi-hzdyO-dRa5Yz8g1j-pxKtAO28sPi_4vYUu9Y1UD7zGwQ_hs8p9_YK8tAKV8vt-YIzpVr9bVgSzk_RQ9FQCTmQFdjK5nRn8_bWUXqEs9Q/w320-h240/IMG_2128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Signing off for the day, your authors, Taylor (left) and Jalen (right)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J0NeyAOr2RrJZ-nfwiVE3-ScorLP6SkH5wvcub9VjfdDseZE95AWHc-FB6Y4MvYtTVATMWmDHOjf085o988l075JmyEuvcAsD3Moys-JYfQHnsXDS1MI0A594QHyz6oT0MMuAOUowBeCVnXVNY8ADr0RiLa2jEvNbfUnqfDEb9HQteGJLgW1mce01g/s3088/IMG_4431.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6J0NeyAOr2RrJZ-nfwiVE3-ScorLP6SkH5wvcub9VjfdDseZE95AWHc-FB6Y4MvYtTVATMWmDHOjf085o988l075JmyEuvcAsD3Moys-JYfQHnsXDS1MI0A594QHyz6oT0MMuAOUowBeCVnXVNY8ADr0RiLa2jEvNbfUnqfDEb9HQteGJLgW1mce01g/s320/IMG_4431.heic" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Taylor Ellishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09060192616085928893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-12890558695525334032022-05-16T20:07:00.001-07:002022-05-16T20:07:45.053-07:00Day 6: Traveling Salesman meets the World Tour!<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3C4Okaw3Y7SdfZqVffKm7q-JhEMru6ZBewQGWb9W6wR7u-VwH7cXF9hysT5fmAM23p0wsTVl4oDus4HbwkT9grElchx6G3L_DCgL4euiohSeyNpNS77eD5fo3tG7ZB7EnTLr7EZdrkb662gmbjrVqEVOuQc_suezbd2wgnnp7VAp3ia9P5z4FZ9y/s3088/IceCream.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3C4Okaw3Y7SdfZqVffKm7q-JhEMru6ZBewQGWb9W6wR7u-VwH7cXF9hysT5fmAM23p0wsTVl4oDus4HbwkT9grElchx6G3L_DCgL4euiohSeyNpNS77eD5fo3tG7ZB7EnTLr7EZdrkb662gmbjrVqEVOuQc_suezbd2wgnnp7VAp3ia9P5z4FZ9y/w640-h480/IceCream.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br />Today we tackled the much anticipated Traveling Salesman Problem… Epcot edition! The Traveling Salesman Problem is a classic math challenge which involves finding the quickest route between a certain number of destinations. For our version of this puzzle, we were given fourteen attractions to visit in Epcot, from rides to photo ops to musical performances. We were split into teams of three and given our ultimate challenge: to visit fourteen given attractions in the shortest amount of time possible. Not only did this experience add an element of competition to our day, but it also previewed themes we will discuss throughout this course, such as optimization and operations research. We are excited to learn about the math behind this activity in class tomorrow! <br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy76DD6LospaXHAxrp0X2-p7Y6LCQ3H6HbH2c918EKWTrp8QXdJO1mSmGx_C9L3eSTYitqnCEfN3vBh1w1QisoRrbwCK_4Tm1FnaCQCM8tTeASEViMG5yAW6uSJxbGiVIL9A-lsUqFbvbof0TgyyjMQxdVsqz3poxOQG9ZQ2VppbSQ9RuTzucVRf2/s4876/FrozenGroup.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4876" data-original-width="3253" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy76DD6LospaXHAxrp0X2-p7Y6LCQ3H6HbH2c918EKWTrp8QXdJO1mSmGx_C9L3eSTYitqnCEfN3vBh1w1QisoRrbwCK_4Tm1FnaCQCM8tTeASEViMG5yAW6uSJxbGiVIL9A-lsUqFbvbof0TgyyjMQxdVsqz3poxOQG9ZQ2VppbSQ9RuTzucVRf2/w179-h269/FrozenGroup.jpeg" width="179" /></a></div>Our challenge began at 8:30 AM, as soon as Epcot opened to the general public. We can’t go too much into team strategies, as those details are reserved for a later blog — nevertheless, we all began our routes by visiting one of the most popular rides in Epcot, Frozen Ever After. Thankfully, we were able to beat most of the crowds, as we only had to wait around thirty minutes to board the ride. These thirty minutes were filled with smack talk, as we were all anxious to get through the line and to the next destination. As you can see from the group picture, thoughts on the ride were mixed, but us writers of this blog were personally feeling a strong desire to Let It Go. After this, each team split up, and the challenge was on!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5EvpHvU3-KsMo3oK9RpH22i15ZbUPPsT_j5zkrDzUsLRlSTocYu_YBqWG9ZEriK3NGsoEUIAVYj1LtKxdHiolVHXR6x8w95UxRI8sU06CYlKEhjyzqfQWyciEa8TvFoEFWZkFaVh3KM_znQZvRL0ptuglP53CTDaqAHlGiE36CVCRSWznZrFnkh5/s4032/teamfigment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5EvpHvU3-KsMo3oK9RpH22i15ZbUPPsT_j5zkrDzUsLRlSTocYu_YBqWG9ZEriK3NGsoEUIAVYj1LtKxdHiolVHXR6x8w95UxRI8sU06CYlKEhjyzqfQWyciEa8TvFoEFWZkFaVh3KM_znQZvRL0ptuglP53CTDaqAHlGiE36CVCRSWznZrFnkh5/w200-h150/teamfigment.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5CS9rGX9-zXZCa5duEfvqw6OPg8xd2-SByLcCz5LOTduCfIcSRW1tAqJirIx6P09oqfyxW9J_h0CrF2zPGqTclkiCwquHUxvv3OMtGIzEjeTez9Vz968bPwqD8u91ZKqPOnAXnq1uAURfPUGhW6_ocaQAjaUSjse4TbNsdzK2fllR5JuUJgtrNVu/s3088/KatieGroup.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5CS9rGX9-zXZCa5duEfvqw6OPg8xd2-SByLcCz5LOTduCfIcSRW1tAqJirIx6P09oqfyxW9J_h0CrF2zPGqTclkiCwquHUxvv3OMtGIzEjeTez9Vz968bPwqD8u91ZKqPOnAXnq1uAURfPUGhW6_ocaQAjaUSjse4TbNsdzK2fllR5JuUJgtrNVu/w150-h200/KatieGroup.heic" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-S0VxZoHiOcpfeSYAubR19p0GnrJ65J-6UtscYKRv3kpk6koPssIIrcuYTgAtF10zgZ9AiWzH3GJ3wmK_LZGyMRHHooyY9circwrhOZBK3vsJMaON1YN0Bw_lnKbsU0T21Zev4JVa82gB_Qq9jpXqaJK7YdfVSiZl9ybQI2KVVD8iuRVn8XNKejD/s4032/ProfessorGroup2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-S0VxZoHiOcpfeSYAubR19p0GnrJ65J-6UtscYKRv3kpk6koPssIIrcuYTgAtF10zgZ9AiWzH3GJ3wmK_LZGyMRHHooyY9circwrhOZBK3vsJMaON1YN0Bw_lnKbsU0T21Zev4JVa82gB_Qq9jpXqaJK7YdfVSiZl9ybQI2KVVD8iuRVn8XNKejD/w200-h150/ProfessorGroup2.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Another one of the highlights from the day came from another one of Epcot’s most famous attractions, Test Track. This ride played a pivotal role in each team’s strategy, for two main reasons. First, it is prone to sudden maintenance closures at random points throughout the day. As one of the fourteen mandatory rides of our competition, if the ride closed before we were able to board- our team would be doomed! Second, the attraction generally attracts long lines, and teams were banned from using the single rider lane. Thankfully, our team only had to wait 30 minutes or so, despite a few delays for maintenance. While in line, we created the most absurd custom car possible, and it was Furman purple! It was a hot and sunny day, so getting to feel the wind in our face while going 65 miles per hour on the track was exactly what we needed. While our group had gotten to ride this ride the previous evening, it was many groups’ first opportunity, and everyone seemed to really enjoy it!<br /><br />Not all of our tasks were high-thrill rides. One highlight took us to Club Cool, which can be thought of as a mini World of Coca-Cola inside Epcot. Park guests are free to sample a variety of Coca-Cola products, many of which are from different countries with their own unique flavors. Our group's task here was to consume, in total, three samples of Beverly soda. For those unaware, this drink is a Coca-Cola product created for the Italian market, and it is most definitely interesting. Upon sipping it, you will be met with the briefest of sweet taste followed by an intense bitter aftertaste. Every group had to video themselves struggling through this, so it was a shared and unifying experience. We would do anything to be the ultimate traveler!<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fpH3GlsdrXLMSoda9YW9-B0DzxtWfZk934rzuHjS2mFC0rb_MZ1x4pgK19cjBB7Q2BtxaO9OIlncO5UoVHXhj0CJvT0XWjTSr7Qx9tgxpHHcd6y-_E8ueI0piKa-vwY7jO7f52yveCqf11TvsYxvJxLOQjoEkUsnhAurxOTiO5IQHLuv7FdQ5m7U/s3088/GraceGroup.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fpH3GlsdrXLMSoda9YW9-B0DzxtWfZk934rzuHjS2mFC0rb_MZ1x4pgK19cjBB7Q2BtxaO9OIlncO5UoVHXhj0CJvT0XWjTSr7Qx9tgxpHHcd6y-_E8ueI0piKa-vwY7jO7f52yveCqf11TvsYxvJxLOQjoEkUsnhAurxOTiO5IQHLuv7FdQ5m7U/w200-h150/GraceGroup.heic" width="200" /></a></div><div>By the end of the day, feet were growing tired and nerves were running high. One of our final stops was Living with the Land, located in the eponymous Land. The ride is a slow water cruise that takes you through Epcot’s greenhouses and gives a general overview of Disney’s agricultural efforts. It is a very interesting ride that is right in line with Epcot’s purpose, but to say our group was shaking in our seats would be an understatement. At this point, a group could potentially be finishing any minute and sending their picture from the finish line, so we were eager to get to our next and second-to-last attraction. Eventually, the game did end, and our long and exciting day </div><div>running around Epcot did as well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapnPqSuFNsn8_KGmo1bQKGDy6eZlVi_k4kZwNphVxQCQkyKkRrISz0FLScOlvBLWrOlT6n8vKd2OgxJT1ARnZouasITRaVkA7qttwjC1u1KvUXq21E2Ocv6LwM_5xNC78KfqOhx4jdVoDO5B2ipeuMk1Qxf3bRV2AGA8ktq5L-b3GlPXJVaFheT3X/s4032/TaylorGroup.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapnPqSuFNsn8_KGmo1bQKGDy6eZlVi_k4kZwNphVxQCQkyKkRrISz0FLScOlvBLWrOlT6n8vKd2OgxJT1ARnZouasITRaVkA7qttwjC1u1KvUXq21E2Ocv6LwM_5xNC78KfqOhx4jdVoDO5B2ipeuMk1Qxf3bRV2AGA8ktq5L-b3GlPXJVaFheT3X/w200-h150/TaylorGroup.heic" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCeuowgr-F344Miouc2lLQnjXlssol3ELh7Xw8jkyY58MDGa4urSb9t6162LULhrxCe1gPWQf5EOzV6htOgkuYMStoE_Cr5MBgrik-sEYuwRxcaN9-SLal1JXZ34VxAzBY9yB_vnJyjF2HQ8cqGQe6-HMZKEL5iTl7vd6VzMrEUEpZ7zaThYSGjr1/s3088/bestteam3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCeuowgr-F344Miouc2lLQnjXlssol3ELh7Xw8jkyY58MDGa4urSb9t6162LULhrxCe1gPWQf5EOzV6htOgkuYMStoE_Cr5MBgrik-sEYuwRxcaN9-SLal1JXZ34VxAzBY9yB_vnJyjF2HQ8cqGQe6-HMZKEL5iTl7vd6VzMrEUEpZ7zaThYSGjr1/w214-h285/bestteam3.jpeg" width="214" /></a>After the competition, we all felt accomplished from our hard work, especially one group in particular. Would you like to know who won? Well, you’ll just have to wait! We will have a special blog post in the days to come to detail the winning team’s route through the park. Although there was only one winner, the professors agreed to buy everybody a sweet treat from Epcot France to celebrate our dedication and rule-following. We split up between a shaved ice stand and an ice cream shop, where the cold treats really hit the spot in the midst of the Florida heat! The group picture from this moment is at the top of the blog! After that, we piled into our van to head back to our hotel. <br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKcy24AJkKH_7S69Qmgkoz1vLNTQZbtkpnHqqllUlt7rADj5jsfJZNrJkEVQRwKtx_Cls93dL00rIymB5ZNd94xNf_UYQVLFsmI5MewkLc8XDJZQuktjP4pave2yT7RhCOwG_PzIY3iyIkWTvWULtpVf9sLnFHZ0-7k_jLlbUS0_P9hJxyOHz0xdb/s4032/GroupWorking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKcy24AJkKH_7S69Qmgkoz1vLNTQZbtkpnHqqllUlt7rADj5jsfJZNrJkEVQRwKtx_Cls93dL00rIymB5ZNd94xNf_UYQVLFsmI5MewkLc8XDJZQuktjP4pave2yT7RhCOwG_PzIY3iyIkWTvWULtpVf9sLnFHZ0-7k_jLlbUS0_P9hJxyOHz0xdb/s320/GroupWorking.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>At the hotel, we regrouped with our Mickey Bar Stand project teams. If you don’t remember, this project involves finding the optimal location for a Mickey Bar Stand based on the density of people around the Magic Kingdom. We have been working on this project for the past couple days, and are almost ready to present them to our professors and classmates tomorrow. We spent all afternoon and evening working on Excel documents, animating our data through Tableau, and completing a final presentation on Google Slides. After hours and hours of work, we are ready to share our findings! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2gfouilTPcMFe-rAneX-UMnW5SHhP83hwwEfpyK2B5elC73ONbW2mwjv0EC-8Tf_3A1j3FRvdYgqCTqK4OFSdgjbh7v2bWGzztpCw5tsTdF0hGU3Cf82-VTq3rnC4-x8l7L1u4U1ojzHKzFwqq3rf5lyKZ3v1RdhbBzG82Vox-790ptnpmeR4sPm/s4032/WorkingShot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2gfouilTPcMFe-rAneX-UMnW5SHhP83hwwEfpyK2B5elC73ONbW2mwjv0EC-8Tf_3A1j3FRvdYgqCTqK4OFSdgjbh7v2bWGzztpCw5tsTdF0hGU3Cf82-VTq3rnC4-x8l7L1u4U1ojzHKzFwqq3rf5lyKZ3v1RdhbBzG82Vox-790ptnpmeR4sPm/s320/WorkingShot.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Your blog writers of the day, Louisa and Sam, believe we speak for the entire group when we say that we have all really enjoyed this project. It has been fascinating to see how the math concepts and technological tools we learn in class can be applied to solve problems for an actual company. Everything we have learned in class has applied to this project. We have learned how to value data (larger wait times = higher density), partition data (finding different cart locations for different 15 minute time slots), and to visualize data through Tableau. <br /><br />Personally, my (Louisa’s) favorite part of the project was using Excel. I had never used the application before, but I quickly learned that it could be incredibly helpful! One Excel feature we use quite often is the Solver tool. This tool can check millions of scenarios in seconds to find the optimal solution to a problem. For example, to find a point in the center of multiple other points, the Solver tool can check every possible x and y coordinate until it finds the point in the exact center. It was interesting to see how this simple feature could find such impactful results.<br /><br />Other writer here (Sam), and my favorite part of the project was also learning more tools in Excel. I love learning different ways to manipulate data, and Excel provides so many ways for us to do just that. I love copying equations over multiple cells, only to see all the numbers change on a dime. I know, it’s as nerdy as it sounds. Louisa and I have developed a love for the “=VLOOKUP” function, which is honestly so uninteresting that it’s not worth talking about, but gets a mention regardless. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> Overall, it has been a fun and successful day in Walt Disney World! We have experienced lots of the math and the mouse today, from spending six hours in the parks and another five on finishing our projects. We are really proud of our work today, and glad we could share our adventures with you today!<br /><br /><br />Your blog authors,<br /><br />Louisa and Sam</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RmPogS6C4Nluyh7xKrijeeRRyhHTIhkkuLk7VVR0ENC-Ap4nitwVeBMoa7HdvchqdQ28juGZ_Pp74Yxbbg984UM1s4O3j4n6oyMVyq4Q34Htlua17gsY_hpYs8Z5iKf4hoW5Oci7Fgc19GdvK4ZDmM24jQgdFlRgtMMlPeTzO2Ia13nG_cWol1Pl/s4032/HoldingEpcot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RmPogS6C4Nluyh7xKrijeeRRyhHTIhkkuLk7VVR0ENC-Ap4nitwVeBMoa7HdvchqdQ28juGZ_Pp74Yxbbg984UM1s4O3j4n6oyMVyq4Q34Htlua17gsY_hpYs8Z5iKf4hoW5Oci7Fgc19GdvK4ZDmM24jQgdFlRgtMMlPeTzO2Ia13nG_cWol1Pl/w480-h640/HoldingEpcot.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Sam Housandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797215573920398064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-55287982753646426852022-05-15T21:12:00.004-07:002022-05-16T14:54:14.517-07:00Day 5: Classifying Customers, Visualizing Data, and Staying Dry!<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufcRdlyimwln52jmZfNhJ6tYXBGdyuM5mfWA3gz6u8LDdQZhjwl-tCCee-7QUz9r5EuF898r6QTedgz0h_qXDZc8QDSGcdf6FiVAsboUSLQ2fp6FglOLZbWHVhQh54Zz3URSMEnFsRNDWhlJor5qjFFIssbqOIMJlDKAw2DswiBhfx7a6vUrt4GWh/s3088/IMG_5214.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufcRdlyimwln52jmZfNhJ6tYXBGdyuM5mfWA3gz6u8LDdQZhjwl-tCCee-7QUz9r5EuF898r6QTedgz0h_qXDZc8QDSGcdf6FiVAsboUSLQ2fp6FglOLZbWHVhQh54Zz3URSMEnFsRNDWhlJor5qjFFIssbqOIMJlDKAw2DswiBhfx7a6vUrt4GWh/w343-h257/IMG_5214.heic" width="343" /></a></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"No more people with curly hair." This is how we began our day. The objective of today's lessons taught by </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. Harris and Dr. Hutson </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">was to learn about boundaries and The Classification Problem. Dr. Harris started class with a fun game called No More Jockeys. The first player named a person and a specific characteristic said person embodied. Following players then also named people, but these people couldn't have the previous characteristic mentioned. Dr. Harris started the game with John McEnroe, and ended his turn by saying “no more people with curly hair.” Thus, the remaining players could not name anyone with curly hair. The next player could have said, for example, “Ellen Degeneres, no more talk show hosts,” so following players would not be able to use anyone who has curly hair or is a talk show host. As the game progressed, the list of characteristics got longer, and it became very difficult to come up with examples of people who did not fit any of the previous characteristics. </span></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vy2bKtOndfam9T9bTq0AvttxMDYEXPTASqlERg1FkmnzvAsI-xs9Kh7iQnkGuf0Y5-Pgql8nz9vZulvdGiYt326Y55YHI_IJxkb6ytqQwg5RxpWH-JA-cip9Quvh5sPr3WZPntGuRCADyh09bd-6KgpLZwPRF8vbhE9GBT5CW7o8Y23XCTqZZoGx/s4032/IMG_0931.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vy2bKtOndfam9T9bTq0AvttxMDYEXPTASqlERg1FkmnzvAsI-xs9Kh7iQnkGuf0Y5-Pgql8nz9vZulvdGiYt326Y55YHI_IJxkb6ytqQwg5RxpWH-JA-cip9Quvh5sPr3WZPntGuRCADyh09bd-6KgpLZwPRF8vbhE9GBT5CW7o8Y23XCTqZZoGx/s320/IMG_0931.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-ca6eb245-7fff-f9d4-3477-4a458cb19d36"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you may have guessed, we were not just playing this game for fun; No More Jockeys illustrates the concept of boundaries. In this game, our initial state space consisted of people with any characteristics, and the state space was then partitioned based on the characteristic restrictions that we listed during the game. These restrictions acted as our boundaries. We discussed more examples of boundaries using numbers, such as restricting the sum of two numbers to be less than 12, and ended Dr. Harris' lesson by trying to come up with mathematical equations that described our boundaries. </span></span></p></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9yAnU7VBxxPGzKrGaL7oA-C2EKvBi_wxnzmsr5y9AXCU0ZkIZVSEj1kCT0mR0uOxHn1R39fX9IR1Vjq-NWeenEnU6FY1b9H_WrcGRsGbvmPtLQFcbMjCZkUKeNRe4bSkpQhCVuIHyGFg40iUubMGJ3FfcEfg5er0ArLzRhiiAsnAAcT_ygj1Zn0f/s4032/IMG_0933.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9yAnU7VBxxPGzKrGaL7oA-C2EKvBi_wxnzmsr5y9AXCU0ZkIZVSEj1kCT0mR0uOxHn1R39fX9IR1Vjq-NWeenEnU6FY1b9H_WrcGRsGbvmPtLQFcbMjCZkUKeNRe4bSkpQhCVuIHyGFg40iUubMGJ3FfcEfg5er0ArLzRhiiAsnAAcT_ygj1Zn0f/w400-h300/IMG_0933.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Hutson then introduced The Classification Problem, an analysis problem that heavily utilizes boundaries and is integral to many companies' operations today. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is much easier to keep an existing customer than it is to get a new one, and thus, companies try to predict which of their customers are most likely to leave by classifying customers into groups. If their predictions are effective, companies are able to minimize their churn rate (the rate at which they loose customers) by offering special promotions or specific marketing to those most likely to leave. Companies can also compare old customers with new customers to decrease new member churn as well. Boundaries are useful when solving this problem, as companies typically utilize a technique called decision tree analysis. This type of analysis partitions customers at spots most indicative of potential churn (such as a high number of customer service calls) and these partitions act as boundaries. Just as our state space narrowed in No More Jockeys, as more boundaries are added, companies are able to narrow the number of customers they focus on and can better target those who are most likely to leave.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">They say a picture is worth a thousand words. For our last lesson of the day, Dr. Bouzarth really took that to heart as she taught us how to effectively visualize the data we've been working with this week. Although all of our groups have successfully determined the optimal locations for their Mickey Bar Stands, that data currently sits in Excel spreadsheets, and the sea of numbers present is enough to make anyone's head spin. Dr. Bouzarth showed us how to import said Excel spreadsheets into Tableau, a data visualization tool. Tableau has some extremely useful features that allowed us to input Mickey Bar Stand locations and overlay a map of the Magic Kingdom. We were able to create an animation that showed each Mickey Bar's movements throughout the day, color-coordinated by group. This not only served as a useful means of communicating our findings but also helped us double-check our data and ensure that our calculations made sense in the context of the problem. As I'm sure anyone who has used Excel can attest to, it is easy to get bogged down by the data and mindlessly perform calculations without verifying that your results are logical. Visualizing our data in this way allowed us to track each stand's movements easily and make connections that would have otherwise been impossible or at least very tedious. </span></div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w_AyVAATGrRHFgA-nP_D8DP90iSa6QLLO1g7vL4LD3IWQA18_ISlWZbO5ULScTLsE2ak4ftlw6ZRmxhKbnMJYtE0KhKzn5MiovtpCAt0ZLGwMALKTdUbLXNpar36YQqJg1SOk-_dJZRHdmVkI6vnyIKumHNEfYnn6xSciCzxvuBf9JigxAvBNEfJ/s3088/IMG_5216.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w_AyVAATGrRHFgA-nP_D8DP90iSa6QLLO1g7vL4LD3IWQA18_ISlWZbO5ULScTLsE2ak4ftlw6ZRmxhKbnMJYtE0KhKzn5MiovtpCAt0ZLGwMALKTdUbLXNpar36YQqJg1SOk-_dJZRHdmVkI6vnyIKumHNEfYnn6xSciCzxvuBf9JigxAvBNEfJ/w400-h300/IMG_5216.heic" width="400" /></a></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-fbf973d3-7fff-c169-0e5d-fc15abd477e7"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After class, some made a Target run while others continued to work on our Mickey Bar projects with newfound Tableau knowledge in hand. Then at 3:00, the professors announced our next project: a spin-off of the Traveling Salesman Problem. Given fourteen attractions in Epcot, each group of three was to devise a strategy for hitting each attraction in the shortest amount of time, factoring in distance between attractions and wait times throughout the day. The professors gave some strict guidelines as we were told absolutely no running and group pairs were told to record anyone seen breaking the rules. Then, we headed to Epcot for the night to devise last-minute strategies before we test our plans in action tomorrow. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The night ended in a downpour, and many of us broke out our ponchos. Even though some of us got soaked, we gained some good information that will hopefully help us when testing our routes tomorrow. Wish us luck! </span></p></span></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab5PhW3Mz31RdQR866nYuXHPzV9qAp2DovZn5ljdHYCGhz7BnNfdGs0lsIZi4stT1lhGaq385rouekuWSXWXhVEitwA5xV5-tcYhyGJU26xx5gfZDpa7g-1OyhF55XJEg4NnYWux0DMJTEZNMC76fR9tQRrjtUrhFEAUN9ZZPM8HFuM9sERvoCyBK/s4032/2022-05-13%20IMG_1368.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab5PhW3Mz31RdQR866nYuXHPzV9qAp2DovZn5ljdHYCGhz7BnNfdGs0lsIZi4stT1lhGaq385rouekuWSXWXhVEitwA5xV5-tcYhyGJU26xx5gfZDpa7g-1OyhF55XJEg4NnYWux0DMJTEZNMC76fR9tQRrjtUrhFEAUN9ZZPM8HFuM9sERvoCyBK/s320/2022-05-13%20IMG_1368.heic" width="320" /></a></div><div><div>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Signing off for now! Lily (left) and Maddie (right)</p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p></p></div></div></div></div>Lily Feingoldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09444472234689523431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-56547556114682705062022-05-15T05:58:00.003-07:002022-05-16T04:15:48.489-07:00Day 4: Time to get to work and wild<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNP6mte5gtADenUgIzOb57jtz1EM9xITMyOr6vazDI9dUXuVhG95JBiyvTO8KG-hEqkccJm_Q9ABrWXSeZV_D0fKfQUZ6AT4bVb55iXCbhXIGAjNneO--bRrD73o6ejlVtj0jEepqNG0VNcXSx-bzQjOC-Vacg_Tvk-FGmF8_dcCmy858s2gB6C7gItQ/s5568/2022-05-14%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20The%20Tree%20of%20Life_4%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNP6mte5gtADenUgIzOb57jtz1EM9xITMyOr6vazDI9dUXuVhG95JBiyvTO8KG-hEqkccJm_Q9ABrWXSeZV_D0fKfQUZ6AT4bVb55iXCbhXIGAjNneO--bRrD73o6ejlVtj0jEepqNG0VNcXSx-bzQjOC-Vacg_Tvk-FGmF8_dcCmy858s2gB6C7gItQ/w640-h426/2022-05-14%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20The%20Tree%20of%20Life_4%20(1).jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b>Overview of the Day:</b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Day four and it’s a doozy. After a few days of getting acclimated to Florida, we continued our first project of finding the best locations to place Mickey Bar carts around Magic Kingdom. We were able to start the morning with some calculations, Excel spreadsheets, teamwork, and a special guest speaker. Then all our hard work was rewarded with a trip to Animal Kingdom and a ride on Flight of Passage!</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b>Class:</b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">After being able to sleep past 7:00 for the first time on the trip (happy student noises) we ate breakfast and continued working on our projects. Class today was completely devoted to working on the Mickey Bar Cart problem. Most groups were figuring out how to use the wait times of each ride to influence where to put the cart and how to put it in predetermined locations given to us in each of our areas of the park. Every group seemed to do things differently, whether aesthetically, simplifying different parts of the spreadsheet, or identifying ways to better use the data given. Some even started on the 15 min presentations we will be sharing on Tuesday.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkWpxLWrfqZqcX9YN4Lu0gZVqYX6pjzTxnthiBNbeuk6fXyCasRmdmGDUQegK3POq-nFDZ6D3o-Di_bfhjqamZj9nU-r_YVIWv7JCzAQJwjOh1CNMwXxjtSIMfRPDZ32OCNNSw5dDIFoq0VJ2odOu-oeQSyTBsztzb1Xl_9879HYuwL_joezmiORR/s2417/2022-05-14%20IMG_1556.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2417" data-original-width="1543" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkWpxLWrfqZqcX9YN4Lu0gZVqYX6pjzTxnthiBNbeuk6fXyCasRmdmGDUQegK3POq-nFDZ6D3o-Di_bfhjqamZj9nU-r_YVIWv7JCzAQJwjOh1CNMwXxjtSIMfRPDZ32OCNNSw5dDIFoq0VJ2odOu-oeQSyTBsztzb1Xl_9879HYuwL_joezmiORR/w127-h200/2022-05-14%20IMG_1556.JPG" width="127" /></a>After two hours of some good work, we had the great opportunity to meet Furman and Math at the Mouse Alum, Molly Petersen '18. She talked about how Furman and this trip impacted her life by putting her on the data analytics path and joked how you should not take a class with Dr. Hutson (don’t worry they hugged afterward). After Molly graduated from Furman she got her graduate degree in Business Analysis from Wake Forest and went to work at Disney, then Sea World, and is currently working as a Revenue Planning Analyst at Golf Now (which is part of NBC Universal). For us this was inspiring to see what we were doing now could be used in the real world and the different areas that math fits into.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquwMRSDf92TnRtFgHL2ByyxqKan-kh6rtENAG3nEWTSwEq4Wj3-pSU4VDVvMpU4-kZPnGARltmBYLMocuaXSk0CBjBvjJPomvi83MT0E4QjX3b8qFQQ5wnTAzgLcwNstel7o-Rpc4_M1VtlQN4FG8igXKYVc5vwQui0Zikle9rXG7CypVJLSNZ3fd/s4032/2022-05-14%20IMG_1570.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquwMRSDf92TnRtFgHL2ByyxqKan-kh6rtENAG3nEWTSwEq4Wj3-pSU4VDVvMpU4-kZPnGARltmBYLMocuaXSk0CBjBvjJPomvi83MT0E4QjX3b8qFQQ5wnTAzgLcwNstel7o-Rpc4_M1VtlQN4FG8igXKYVc5vwQui0Zikle9rXG7CypVJLSNZ3fd/w400-h300/2022-05-14%20IMG_1570.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSmHZrvb0_l4VjYokA_P0JjMcs2sEPHUF621KgaFcsJMP3_djms-W_v32xjW0uIhzuu3icI_AuDZMoEi0r99ecR8Rs6uaEasxyW57CF6lwkUeazsEOcDwmOVKTyA_0onlrCXED1LxabPZWhULezhJJ7GaU6SO9syLxdQzQUyfH68XXDbAQrmLaNo-zg/s3088/37CD7C5B-A41D-4DEF-9B11-246A10458974.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSmHZrvb0_l4VjYokA_P0JjMcs2sEPHUF621KgaFcsJMP3_djms-W_v32xjW0uIhzuu3icI_AuDZMoEi0r99ecR8Rs6uaEasxyW57CF6lwkUeazsEOcDwmOVKTyA_0onlrCXED1LxabPZWhULezhJJ7GaU6SO9syLxdQzQUyfH68XXDbAQrmLaNo-zg/w300-h400/37CD7C5B-A41D-4DEF-9B11-246A10458974.jpeg" width="300" /></a>Once we said goodbye to our amazing guest we had lunch and got back to work. Groups convened to finish work started in class and the whole class met to work on the second part of the project. We needed to, together, identify for the time periods 9:00-1:00, 1:15-5:15, and 5:30-10:00 in Magic Kingdom, which would be the best places in the entire park for three carts. This was quite possibly one of the most productive times I have ever experienced (Joey here). In the matter of one hour, we averaged the wait time for every 64 attractions for the given time period, found the best place to put the cart, and located the closest possible given location to do so three times! We have already found a rhythm to work together really well and we had great teamwork to go from planning to done in only an hour. The professors even stopped by to provide some delicious dried mango and to inquire if they made the project too easy, to which we all said, “NO”. </div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">All in all, we had a jammed-packed first part of the day filled with a lot of productivity and teamwork. We all feel like this was great progress and we want to do more stuff together as we feel closer as the days go on.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Animal Kingdom:</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-353e076d-7fff-5626-3aea-30bdc2768533"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After working hard all morning, the class was excited to get to spend some time in Animal Kingdom. Some of the students were able to spend free time here on day 2 and were happy to show their newfound Animal Kingdom expertise to those students that had yet to see the park. As always we started by getting our park adventure by getting a picture at the Tree of Life (shown at the top of the blog post).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1N2q8sHK8uc7SlRwdFdlCmvOCbD_QMpnCkM7zC9Ld51CEQ0xqQIiSg3NTtZ4KEek_oQt5dkKdcssnoQOUjQU9RfTNmb5zL7KngUPmpMpIcYaJQxGD7bVX2U60uv3sMf8DPN9TiJa3hgsoBZq6VLS0xxpLd_dUYoU7227oTWYDq2X9K2bkqaUHMqP0-w/s1280/2022-05-14%20thumbnail_IMG_2018.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1N2q8sHK8uc7SlRwdFdlCmvOCbD_QMpnCkM7zC9Ld51CEQ0xqQIiSg3NTtZ4KEek_oQt5dkKdcssnoQOUjQU9RfTNmb5zL7KngUPmpMpIcYaJQxGD7bVX2U60uv3sMf8DPN9TiJa3hgsoBZq6VLS0xxpLd_dUYoU7227oTWYDq2X9K2bkqaUHMqP0-w/s320/2022-05-14%20thumbnail_IMG_2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The class was excited to then journey to the Flight of Passage where the professors had given us Lightning Lanes. This was the first time many of the students had ridden this particular ride and many were excited to ride. Some of the comments that were made after the ride was the odd vibrations that the ride gave you as you were waiting for the flight to take off. This ride is very similar to Soarin’ in the way they pump out different smells throughout the ride and you get sprayed with a mist when you are supposed to go by any body of water. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Continuing our trek through the park we then found our way to the safari where we got to see some cool animals including a rhino which came pretty close to our vehicle as well as flamingos and crocodiles. We sadly saw no lions on the journey. After this, we split our group up to find some dinner. The professors paid for the students this time which was a very nice treat as meals were becoming very repetitive of sandwiches or forms of pasta. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAN2R6BMHTBeEo75Yve3rEIta8268mwr5N4oraF4FyHkLafYXGm7WibMZj29UTGkQdpxYL8q_QLKl34YTaCJ4bLsfvhiM9sYqi1jL4xdutiHnlGYAd4IZLPDMNaAkFdZuWV0cygIxnlvH6TSGYfuGlyTdSklvjDDMWA__3wia4GUaQ8hu97McHF2N4Iw/s3088/D7FD38F9-06F1-434D-8054-9C35EB9399F4.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAN2R6BMHTBeEo75Yve3rEIta8268mwr5N4oraF4FyHkLafYXGm7WibMZj29UTGkQdpxYL8q_QLKl34YTaCJ4bLsfvhiM9sYqi1jL4xdutiHnlGYAd4IZLPDMNaAkFdZuWV0cygIxnlvH6TSGYfuGlyTdSklvjDDMWA__3wia4GUaQ8hu97McHF2N4Iw/s320/D7FD38F9-06F1-434D-8054-9C35EB9399F4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>After everyone had finished their meal the students quickly walked to the Kali River Rapids. This water ride was a funny experience because all the students put on their rain gear hoping to come off the ride as dry as possible. We were sadly underwhelmed by the ride as many of us remembered it being more exciting. While we waited to dry off we split into smaller groups to complete our reflections for the day which consisted of us finding a quiet place in the parks and contemplate questions we had about Disney. These questions could be about anything and as deep as we wanted them. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0vPa7UeYswFvfrjjCUQZ2MMzfudCraA6FXA6svfzPPFxV48yejfaEFDDjDvfRSbZUyhIm37u3jzVEWX_PpuVb6qQ2Hc0oh6FXO843TGT-mg8g2pRkvTF8hRIti3wxqsCLpKdwIqSz2-KztolyMp2U31YwSwnKQqqxdNcwI7SkLCnCXAJM6TvM6zBhA/s3088/D1A17406-7B2E-424E-AB88-84A74FBD998E.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA5hbsTEB0m2WdjtrOmatniRI3lM5daw_Qo_xJxLyyds_JT2iS4S3WtUM0_YgoUvK2LLMuv3gKpX7LqQsbpkPNDJEbfMJLCM_d7XWiN2NzV63y2qzfX1zyk3B-y7_ni2OPLwGRxMBn0R8uNzTSEi1GVwgrL8M5gB_xeZNz8bPulrZk3N4wq2S0Pyf/s4032/2022-05-14%20IMG_1604.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSA5hbsTEB0m2WdjtrOmatniRI3lM5daw_Qo_xJxLyyds_JT2iS4S3WtUM0_YgoUvK2LLMuv3gKpX7LqQsbpkPNDJEbfMJLCM_d7XWiN2NzV63y2qzfX1zyk3B-y7_ni2OPLwGRxMBn0R8uNzTSEi1GVwgrL8M5gB_xeZNz8bPulrZk3N4wq2S0Pyf/w300-h400/2022-05-14%20IMG_1604.JPG" title="Reflection time outside Expedition Everest" width="300" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0vPa7UeYswFvfrjjCUQZ2MMzfudCraA6FXA6svfzPPFxV48yejfaEFDDjDvfRSbZUyhIm37u3jzVEWX_PpuVb6qQ2Hc0oh6FXO843TGT-mg8g2pRkvTF8hRIti3wxqsCLpKdwIqSz2-KztolyMp2U31YwSwnKQqqxdNcwI7SkLCnCXAJM6TvM6zBhA/w320-h240/D1A17406-7B2E-424E-AB88-84A74FBD998E.jpeg" width="320" /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once this was completed we continued the fun by finding our way to the closest Dole Whip stand. Many of the students had continuously been on the hunt for the incredibly refreshing pineapple treat. After each member of the group got their snack we continued to find fun and made our way back to Dinosaur. We had come to find that this ride was a lot more fun when it would randomly break down but we were able to understand the storyline of the ride better when it ran smoothly! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7ZSQyW00Ogv_yrJJYzbWQXatBBdJI-sVR6nJYssZePnmTKvd3IjI8krOvys5DV03diQiwZYN2ZO8GA1Yn0EeZUVR1GaFlPIzEdznA7XdAM-5bWvmJiJ4ekjSR76ltNB5Tx9H7OxI2KuiogPDvX1UrCIBuwd0jPaaBNzPktpTjobbl9kvylv65ucwNA/s4000/2022-05-14%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20DINOSAUR.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="4000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7ZSQyW00Ogv_yrJJYzbWQXatBBdJI-sVR6nJYssZePnmTKvd3IjI8krOvys5DV03diQiwZYN2ZO8GA1Yn0EeZUVR1GaFlPIzEdznA7XdAM-5bWvmJiJ4ekjSR76ltNB5Tx9H7OxI2KuiogPDvX1UrCIBuwd0jPaaBNzPktpTjobbl9kvylv65ucwNA/w400-h266/2022-05-14%20-%20Disneys%20Animal%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20DINOSAUR.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With fifteen minutes left before the park closed, we quickly made our way to Expedition Everest to close out the night on this ride. We were able to make it on two times before we had to exit the parks bringing out a grand total of 6 rides so far this trip. We have gotten our picture-taking skills down on this ride and will continue to find ways to pose throughout the trip!</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Signing off for the day from DINOSAUR, Joey (back left) and Katie (middle left)</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Katie Jobehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06942237777917076001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-2831979941270591072022-05-13T20:33:00.024-07:002022-05-15T10:50:10.157-07:00Day 3: Hollywood Studios and A New Project!<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overview of the Day:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had big plans for day 3 as we headed to Hollywood Studios to ride some sides! We spent our morning at the park, and then came back to the hotel at 12:00 for lunch and class. We then headed back to Hollywood Studios, this time armed with Lighting Lane passes. We took a break from our adventuring in the park for dinner, and then picked up with some more fun!</span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiBRO2r0JCqMRtZTlf0VScY8SF-mW2dt8ZS1XSKAuHUI7O5QavPcoOWH2g-YvF56d4iR9q7GcN976urcFGJdmQN2MOV7C4id1GlHmezt6qRLTDmhYWC6MA21HpOBEb9yWCi5nj0RHQVICwtW5zXwNK_Z7WKQwmxyxgIOO5KwnZwkQXnZaIbG44vcipQ/s4032/2022-05-13%20IMG_1395.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiBRO2r0JCqMRtZTlf0VScY8SF-mW2dt8ZS1XSKAuHUI7O5QavPcoOWH2g-YvF56d4iR9q7GcN976urcFGJdmQN2MOV7C4id1GlHmezt6qRLTDmhYWC6MA21HpOBEb9yWCi5nj0RHQVICwtW5zXwNK_Z7WKQwmxyxgIOO5KwnZwkQXnZaIbG44vcipQ/w640-h480/2022-05-13%20IMG_1395.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Morning at Hollywood Studios:</span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-994037fe-7fff-0fe3-26be-2e16e7dc285a"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had another early morning today when the fire alarm went off in our hotel at 6:00am. Fortunately, there was no fire and the alarm ended almost as quickly as it started. Two hours later we were outside Hollywood studios waiting for the rope to drop. Once it did, we booked it for Rock 'n Rollercoaster. We were more excited for this ride than most because it’s one of the more thrilling rides at the Disney parks. We got some great pictures while we went from 0-60 mph in about 2 seconds, especially from the first timers. After we were able to get an adrenaline boost to start the day, we walked this way to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Galaxy’s Edge. Unfortunately, Rise of the Resistance was deemed closed as soon as we got there, but we were able to call an audible to Smuggler’s Run instead. This is one of our favorite rides: you get to fly the Millennium Falcon, shoot at Sith spaceships, and engineer the task at hand. Not to mention we’re huge </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> fans. After that we went to one of the most exciting experiences of the day, Toy Story Mania, at which we waited around 100 minutes after we were informed that the expected wait time was 45 minutes. We were able to make fun out of the situation though, as Dr. Harris was able to create lots of group-based games for us to play, including one where we had to name every Furman building one by one as fast as possible. We went back to the hotel around 12 pm for lunch and class, where we started learning the basics of data analytics and got our first project of the trip! After class we went back to Hollywood Studios for dinner and more fun. </span></span></span></p><p><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Class Time:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9b65ca0a-7fff-1fc4-b2ef-e2874029b05f"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today in class we started our discussion on Data Analytics by looking at common questions industry professionals run into when determining how to sort and group data. One common problem we considered is the Similarity Matching Problem, which looks at the similarities that already exist between two sets of data. If you’ve ever used Amazon you can see this principle in place, with the “Customers Who Bought This Also Liked” feature. If someone else liked a book that you read, you may be interested in another book that person enjoyed! After working through this and other similar problems, we did an activity about grouping. Given a plot of points, we had to determine how to sort these points into two groups. To best sort these points, we learned about the k-means clustering process, which gives us a way to group a set of points into k-number groups based on their distance. Using Excel we were given a short demonstration on how to apply this process with an actual data set. We ended class with the assignment of our first project! Our job is to map out a location in Magic Kingdom to place a new mobile Mickey Bar ice cream stand for every 15 minutes the park is open. To do so we will look at data from the park like average wait time for attractions to find the busiest places and then use our new k-means algorithm to determine the best spot. We split in our groups to game plan for a few minutes, and then it was time to head back to the park!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGNhWsI4b0asjXcbCmDPMV0m-o0Dh6b6UoGR4BhHQ9Vx4768irH_wtUsPVOvvu3ygU5LE_kb7mHRuMBaxi8Yvd2tWjlxajGlbg2-1ZNX2t9TFK70P03V1A-57-bu-4Y4XLHNAlA5cKGCtRoJDJ5DK6AfaNVhsLGamOpfq-o0QcaicaXjH4BIB6RkASw/s3990/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20The%20Twilight%20Zone%20Tower%20of%20Terror.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2662" data-original-width="3990" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGNhWsI4b0asjXcbCmDPMV0m-o0Dh6b6UoGR4BhHQ9Vx4768irH_wtUsPVOvvu3ygU5LE_kb7mHRuMBaxi8Yvd2tWjlxajGlbg2-1ZNX2t9TFK70P03V1A-57-bu-4Y4XLHNAlA5cKGCtRoJDJ5DK6AfaNVhsLGamOpfq-o0QcaicaXjH4BIB6RkASw/w640-h426/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20The%20Twilight%20Zone%20Tower%20of%20Terror.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Afternoon at the Park:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-84da8754-7fff-604d-6b96-db0f62348b7f"></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-10e03989-7fff-690b-e44e-4882f923acf1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This afternoon we were treated with Lightning Lane passes to several attractions, some repeats from earlier and some new! We got to re-ride Smuggler’s Run in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Galaxy’s Edge, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Mania. Toy Story Mania was especially exciting to re-ride as most of us got higher scores than our first since we learned all the tricks and easter eggs in the ride. The first new ride we went on was the Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land. This was a small and cute rollercoaster that had lots of wavy up-and-down motions, sort of representing a slinky. We were lucky to be able to take the Lightning Lane for this ride because none of us wanted to sit through the 80 minute wait in the standard line. We then got dinner at Woody’s Lunchbox, during which we ate with our project groups so that we could formulate our first strategies. After dinner, we decided to spend time doing something relaxing, so we headed to Muppet Vision 3D for a nice show. While we were waiting for it to start, we decided to make a list of the most common/funny sayings that we’ve heard on this trip, including “PLEASE FILL IN ANY AND ALL AVAILABLE SPACE.” Our group collectively has a love for the muppets, so the show was very enjoyable for all of us. There were lots of jokes, 3D effects, and live-action pieces to the film. Our stomachs settled and the Muppets completed their grand finale (more or less). For our final ride we headed to Tower of Terror, but the night would then take an electrifying turn. While we headed to the Tower of Terror on Friday the 13th, we could tell there were thunderstorms brewing over us, and we couldn’t tell on the radar app if we would be affected by them. Everything turned out well and we got onto the ride; however, Jalen and Dr. Bouzarth’s seatbelts wouldn’t buckle once we were getting on, so they had to sit out on the ride. This was my (Rhett) first time on a free-fall ride, so I was quite scared and the excitement didn’t seem to sink in. This ride ended up being one of my favorite rides. And on another positive note, once we got off, Jalen and Dr. Bouzarth told us that we would be able to ride the Tower of Terror again with no wait! One of the staff took us through a back room and into an elevator that took us straight to the ride. I guess this was the backstage Disney experience that we were all promised. This ride was much more exciting for me (Rhett again), but I started getting a bit light headed from all the head-rushes from both this and Rock 'n Rollercoaster. The picture above says it all. Once we were done with the ride, the rain had completely stopped (that’s Florida for you) and we headed back to the van. Jalen and I got a bit distracted and lost the group on the way back, and he ended up getting yelled at by the Disney police for trying to take a shortcut that was clearly not meant to be a shortcut. We caught up and went back to the hotel to rest our sore legs, putting an end to a great day. </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD7zwwzuFin-jkCcbKFS6KoQFBtsCeVnXRCZU_cr5qgd0yFqrGRI8PCLF6dHssuPsK9fWv1S-wNavXk-H88VqtmFlnRBrpvhZJXARzWIpQ1vW0COcsEXtD4ixqJAv7fTwLP_LCvKknx6WOhE9v9iPo3GO4mx1kDso2fT-hNJaH32MGBdpH9FIdYzrfg/s2000/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Rock%20n%20Roller%20Coaster%20Starring%20Aerosmith_9.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD7zwwzuFin-jkCcbKFS6KoQFBtsCeVnXRCZU_cr5qgd0yFqrGRI8PCLF6dHssuPsK9fWv1S-wNavXk-H88VqtmFlnRBrpvhZJXARzWIpQ1vW0COcsEXtD4ixqJAv7fTwLP_LCvKknx6WOhE9v9iPo3GO4mx1kDso2fT-hNJaH32MGBdpH9FIdYzrfg/w400-h266/2022-05-13%20-%20Disneys%20Hollywood%20Studios%20-%20Rock%20n%20Roller%20Coaster%20Starring%20Aerosmith_9.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Authors: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c907066f-7fff-5226-d1a5-c9780a377085"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rhett is pictured on the left in the first row and Regan is pictured on the right on the second row</span></span></p>Regan Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00340813805153971825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-70426738831195890432022-05-12T20:52:00.002-07:002022-05-13T09:55:12.165-07:00Day 2: Experiencing Epcot and FDOC<h2 style="text-align: left;"> Overview of the day:</h2><p>After our long (but exciting day) yesterday, we woke up bright and early to be at Epcot when the ropes dropped. Our goal for the morning was to try out the Genie system on the My Disney Experience App. This feature allowed us to input rides or attractions that we wanted to prioritize and it output a suggested schedule for us to follow. After that we had an hour and a half of free time in the park to come up with our own schedule instead of following Genie. After returning from the park around 1pm, we had a short break (nap time) and then started our first class. We talked about decision making and how to quantify those decisions, i.e. give values to decisions. We also touched on visualizing data sets and interpreting them. After dinner, we took an optional trip to Animal Kingdom and concluded our magical day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpahtedJfRl8BU7NSO4OQf2zgBJuNL5aGBqmBqDAA1w2nyhco0zjg4bxXtJjcvT0q92-G_hBfGnYR26HD0ss3aRfXbenSr1pbqkKksZsEsQcv8WkCvPSCCVanNtGNJMCLWSw0LSXZ17hrEYIlKEXfcU0cZAqcZBMkL0erHILlyJd8FWyqKhZcN39D/s4032/IMG_1291.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpahtedJfRl8BU7NSO4OQf2zgBJuNL5aGBqmBqDAA1w2nyhco0zjg4bxXtJjcvT0q92-G_hBfGnYR26HD0ss3aRfXbenSr1pbqkKksZsEsQcv8WkCvPSCCVanNtGNJMCLWSw0LSXZ17hrEYIlKEXfcU0cZAqcZBMkL0erHILlyJd8FWyqKhZcN39D/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Math and the Mouse:</h2><p>We start off our math discussion by playing with a puzzle. The objective was to order numbers from 1-15 on a 4x4 grid with one square empty (sliding numbers until you got the right number). We talked about our strategies and from that discussion came the idea of placing value on decisions. The value of a decision is how close it gets you to the end goal. This idea relates back to the Genie activity we conducted in the morning. By using Genie, we were testing their decision making system based on personal preferences, priorities, and wait time. If we decided to deviate from the planned schedule that Genie gave us, we had to note why. For example, Genie recommended to one group to go to an attraction, that rarely had long wait times, at the very beginning of the day. Lines are usually shorter in the morning so a decision to go to a more popular ride first holds more value than going to a less popular attraction first thing. </p><p>Another way value could be viewed is how high a person would rate an attraction from 1-5. We each rated the rides we rode from yesterday night on a scale from one to five and put them in a spreadsheet. By placing value (a rating) on the ride, Disney can quantify their most popular rides and monetize them as such (like with Lightning Lanes- the new fast pass). </p><p>Throughout our time at the parks, we've been recording listed wait time vs. actual wait time. We're using this to form our own data set that we will use later in the class. In class, we talked about optimizing decisions. Part of that is wait time vs. popularity of the ride, so getting this data set will allow us to value these decisions. We talked about visualizing this type of data set using graphs in Tableau (scatter plots, histograms, etc.) and interpreting them. Having them in a graph form is a much more valuable 😉 form of this data (easier to interpret). Looking at a list of numbers doesn't mean much vs. a graph that compares the data for you. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Epcot:</h2><div>Most of us started our day by speed walking to Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, an immersive 4D experience of the iconic movie Ratatouille. It was overwhelmingly the favorite ride of the day for almost everyone in our group. After that we followed Genie's schedule, though some us had to change plans since Test Track was offline for most of the morning. We rode Soarin' Around the World, Mission: SPACE Green (I was too worried to ride orange), Frozen Ever After, which had way too long of a wait time for such a short ride, and many more. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJUFcn4-vJUte1WftZTJr4mZSSQqNqmCxuNA5mE8ilj2os1PAf8sKW12jcoyA-tC3uIVSOdQm2gY0ZYyrlOZKa7G19YqP4KfF_73G7yXUkiwxaDUMqUXbHP8RdswgTdv1RWAEffivDK_PFyIpKLzH8WkGLApsdOaYNVhJLeHdOTVDR87zaL8HxRtD/s1280/thumbnail_IMG_1980.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJUFcn4-vJUte1WftZTJr4mZSSQqNqmCxuNA5mE8ilj2os1PAf8sKW12jcoyA-tC3uIVSOdQm2gY0ZYyrlOZKa7G19YqP4KfF_73G7yXUkiwxaDUMqUXbHP8RdswgTdv1RWAEffivDK_PFyIpKLzH8WkGLApsdOaYNVhJLeHdOTVDR87zaL8HxRtD/w301-h226/thumbnail_IMG_1980.jpg" width="301" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='270' height='224' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxWJRRypZW9YCVPf4LQV-8xNwzP05Ylrr4sj2o-4KfyIdf2MEhk2zhk4WYEBQ0WZgNxxHqaYCTGzsksGebi_Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Animal Kingdom:</h2><div>We started out riding Expedition Everest, then we rode it again because the wait time was short... then we rode it again-picking a new pose for the picture mid-ride... and then we rode it again... pulling a stranger in to join in on our new pose. "Look right, lean left, right hand" - words to live by. By then we all had mild headaches from the bumps in the ride and had a lost a couple of items on the ride (RIP Joey's hat), so we moved onto DINOSAUR. It was a bit scary, and we got stopped 3 times in the ride which intensified the experience. By then it was too late to ride any other popular rides, so we hopped on the dinosaur equivalent of Dumbo. Then we made our way to the front of the park to wait for the professors who had gotten onto the Avatar Flight of Passage. They arrive a little past our planned meeting time, so they got us yummy ice cream from a place shaped like an ice cream cone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many pictures:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM9v3yWUqGQ_a7-7zd1nJETJ_uWBBaiYQ15_IVxtNB7SZLmzZmvP6kwc6skj7p_1jQtEQ8ys5apQIm_QelrOCHuVwhUcokIntNruCu3fWuap2NJHF8Nrg4oEtF9gAFEcWTFH3F4CoiRMbnfok8ZSiMiI2aaW4JCZzkfbtATdouIQoJlF-rCVFOoEhy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="960" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM9v3yWUqGQ_a7-7zd1nJETJ_uWBBaiYQ15_IVxtNB7SZLmzZmvP6kwc6skj7p_1jQtEQ8ys5apQIm_QelrOCHuVwhUcokIntNruCu3fWuap2NJHF8Nrg4oEtF9gAFEcWTFH3F4CoiRMbnfok8ZSiMiI2aaW4JCZzkfbtATdouIQoJlF-rCVFOoEhy=w295-h222" width="295" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDvWKhcmdXhat1hJeFXlLfzG3KuX0y0pu9UmybbPss5K_0pPi2bIlls_WxjXxEA7OPds2cLau1dMdxJzWZSokP2xVAr5UUs_rRvbVJyRJKi5RQVXBznctA-gNARSDTgLXsurKFkhDyENC4G4H4Mu7guG0kn4No4Io3MzNNSSXq6nebq8jUtjXl9tP/s4032/2022-05-12%20IMG_1341%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDvWKhcmdXhat1hJeFXlLfzG3KuX0y0pu9UmybbPss5K_0pPi2bIlls_WxjXxEA7OPds2cLau1dMdxJzWZSokP2xVAr5UUs_rRvbVJyRJKi5RQVXBznctA-gNARSDTgLXsurKFkhDyENC4G4H4Mu7guG0kn4No4Io3MzNNSSXq6nebq8jUtjXl9tP/w294-h221/2022-05-12%20IMG_1341%20(1).JPG" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizwgaT6D6y9lsOMVtelfP0Xj-y63UecRUhTDKAjQ5hZzVdCtzzu5LN1Vf-khH41fGMWme25yQd-UNIvlFuNynCWe1HfmpLSPLIDz2burclKZ_OaonusAbNqHsFtRhehNr-HYbcQTbfnl91c-0KM_-THxSKObsMnM67u3XcbPhwPBVL2dXrd7IKuUk/s3960/IMG_1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="2971" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizwgaT6D6y9lsOMVtelfP0Xj-y63UecRUhTDKAjQ5hZzVdCtzzu5LN1Vf-khH41fGMWme25yQd-UNIvlFuNynCWe1HfmpLSPLIDz2burclKZ_OaonusAbNqHsFtRhehNr-HYbcQTbfnl91c-0KM_-THxSKObsMnM67u3XcbPhwPBVL2dXrd7IKuUk/s320/IMG_1349.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m_wu1eFQ4Ti2a_yzS0hf4rmpSJathyLPxqaeeWIgT8pCzxGKg-OtEc0ymIk2uTaP0GTQtmV5EY9VeHdKk3SGX_ABusXDbXbDvLhdLr7YxEngannu8sK3uS2ghYaE1euV1beKt5F85zAfcw6i7lg6bz9oiyjoeet1zSkwmnD1VonocHiKcouF5a9W/s3960/IMG_1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="2971" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9m_wu1eFQ4Ti2a_yzS0hf4rmpSJathyLPxqaeeWIgT8pCzxGKg-OtEc0ymIk2uTaP0GTQtmV5EY9VeHdKk3SGX_ABusXDbXbDvLhdLr7YxEngannu8sK3uS2ghYaE1euV1beKt5F85zAfcw6i7lg6bz9oiyjoeet1zSkwmnD1VonocHiKcouF5a9W/s320/IMG_1347.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY5BywodSIKWBDeQvcyltWS9sPxgleKw4T2N2rVlONsiyOhvfUYl80ZAVEf-XgrbxCCuYvD-jCZ1haI2ziQihrCZkCl1KRvXILy1y0VDZBAGAspGeXX3kfUbDdKmXjBQgiDv-tKhXd8lxJNVfFSr6_SA76S8K1Ju4MZgwRQ0eumfXwNEc4x0FkT5B/s4000/IMG_1356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="4000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY5BywodSIKWBDeQvcyltWS9sPxgleKw4T2N2rVlONsiyOhvfUYl80ZAVEf-XgrbxCCuYvD-jCZ1haI2ziQihrCZkCl1KRvXILy1y0VDZBAGAspGeXX3kfUbDdKmXjBQgiDv-tKhXd8lxJNVfFSr6_SA76S8K1Ju4MZgwRQ0eumfXwNEc4x0FkT5B/s320/IMG_1356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Meet your authors and Impressions:</h2><div>Sydney Correll (pictured left) and Elizabeth Harris (pictured right)</div><div><br /></div><div>Sydney: Disney World isn't a new experience for me. I actually went this past winter break. Because of this, I feel like today was less stressful for me than it was for other people, as I have experienced all of the new rides already. Thus, unlike everybody else whose favorite ride was Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, my favorite ride of the day was Soarin'. While Soarin' isn't favorite ride in Epcot, it is definitely one of my faves. My group focused a lot on rides and the data sets that went with them, and because of this we didn't get to do a lot of shopping or eating, which are my favorite things to do at Epcot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elizabeth: I've only been to Disney one other time, when I was very young and I only went to Magic Kingdom, so this was my first time in Epcot. It was awesome. My group consisted of some of the tallest people on the trip so I really had to kick in the speed walk I use when I'm late to class. The rides were really cool, but by far the best today was Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. The waiting line showed the roof tops from the movie and the ride felt like you were literally scurrying across a kitchen. The fun continued during class with the puzzles and assigning values and it brought me back to the good ole' days of Operations Research. Then I had an absolute blast at Animal Kingdom, and enjoyed a yummy, but messy, ice cream to conclude our wonderful day.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjoARrsD41y8WqXBQcU7adqhol58-UeEkpvn3VLC5l8l9gTZ4CqkhE2I2jW8kxo1H1zh05_eREnzgEOA5ZtVLoen4Pbbk0FsExC2vkKE4GSf2HP3ZDyCxZyJS1l6dpSF6aBs77CMXwHuDs7T36d3v0W7qWXdbvl4j3XGeP45z1heyGiLvfwBlVxoz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjoARrsD41y8WqXBQcU7adqhol58-UeEkpvn3VLC5l8l9gTZ4CqkhE2I2jW8kxo1H1zh05_eREnzgEOA5ZtVLoen4Pbbk0FsExC2vkKE4GSf2HP3ZDyCxZyJS1l6dpSF6aBs77CMXwHuDs7T36d3v0W7qWXdbvl4j3XGeP45z1heyGiLvfwBlVxoz" width="319" /></a></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Elizabeth Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07962682114104467350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544279632440414075.post-59979263692186677042022-05-12T04:48:00.003-07:002022-05-12T10:51:17.573-07:00Day 1: Arriving to and Experiencing Disney<div><b>TRAVELING TO DISNEY:</b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">The day finally has arrived. May 11</span><sup style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">, 2022, 5:45 a.m. The official start of Math and the Mouse! Professors and most students traveled by van from Greenville to Orlando, while other students met them along the way. </span>For the students that traveled by van, even though it was <span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">early, dark, and pretty cold because of the wind flow, everyone was very energetic and excited to hit the road. From just the </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">ten-hour ride to Disney, we had a great time laughing, sharing stories, and bonding over some of the most simplistic games. See below a picture of one of our vans!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUEJC23DNlNsuWdgwlRTt3FfHk6GdhEKSy2IAlVPtoQ6E057jvO77cvgi1Yd23_7vGdEFbiMjhjw_7YE44hNuvgC_hsYWupL42fTjcdVe8A26XQOq6bAz_KhgRtNx0N06dOfBA0__IeMRgfeDvj_F6QiwT4Q-uz9V_W7VITJru-RjIGJowVOzqjRi6KQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUEJC23DNlNsuWdgwlRTt3FfHk6GdhEKSy2IAlVPtoQ6E057jvO77cvgi1Yd23_7vGdEFbiMjhjw_7YE44hNuvgC_hsYWupL42fTjcdVe8A26XQOq6bAz_KhgRtNx0N06dOfBA0__IeMRgfeDvj_F6QiwT4Q-uz9V_W7VITJru-RjIGJowVOzqjRi6KQ" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px;">Thank you to Dr. Bouzarth, Dr. Harris, and Dr. Hutson </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">for getting a whole bunch of hyper Furman students down to Disney safely. This group is filled with some of the most intelligent and humorous people, and we are thrilled to continue to bond and experience the Disney theme parks with each and every one. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>SETTLING IN:</b></div><div>After we all got together and did a quick grocery run, we went to Magic Kingdom! <span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At Magic Kingdom, we had two main objectives: enjoy and get into the “Disney Groove,” reminding ourselves of how magical Disney is. </span></span>Many of the group members haven't been to Disney in a long time, if any, so we refreshed our memory as to what scenery to expect in the coming days. <span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">In </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">addition,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> we were introduced to data that we will be collecting on </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">this trip: posted versus actual wait times of attractions. Using the completed data set, we may be able to answer questions like "how accurate are posted wait times throughout the theme parks?" In terms of observing the wait times, we were responsible in noting the specifics: attraction name, which queue we were in (standby versus Lightning Lane), posted standby wait time (located at the entrances to each ride), the time we entered the line, and the time we exited the line to board the attraction. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>MAGIC KINGDOM:</b></div><div>The very first activity we did was a group picture in front of Cinderella's castle! See below for the 2022 Math and the Mouse participants. We all were ecstatic to have finally step foot on Disney's Main Street and investigate what areas of math are being used behind the scenes in Disney's business operations.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGJyx3Z0qvxosBKZrm0SV2AsfP_POv5TLc5bSw6XsxiiuOLJMjsBP1yCfAQBrlt-I0XvPx180kzegbbtPOh2obhzlgj2oqhaFT4d03xLmCoKUyJHPvXNP13Dor1UF7qmAgoRm88d63zjDP_ghJJLMyzyrC7wsDVXZE-nVmHPEMQJE58XcgqEPRbVUxhA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGJyx3Z0qvxosBKZrm0SV2AsfP_POv5TLc5bSw6XsxiiuOLJMjsBP1yCfAQBrlt-I0XvPx180kzegbbtPOh2obhzlgj2oqhaFT4d03xLmCoKUyJHPvXNP13Dor1UF7qmAgoRm88d63zjDP_ghJJLMyzyrC7wsDVXZE-nVmHPEMQJE58XcgqEPRbVUxhA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>FIRST IMPRESSIONS:</b></div><div><div>Today's blog authors, Grace and Nathan, both have different levels of Disney experience, but together enjoyed the excitement of Magic Kingdom. Grace has been to Disney many times before, while Nathan has never been before and will be experiencing Disney for the first time through this trip. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Nathan's First Impressions:</b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As someone who has never been to Disney before, I was completely shocked with the amount of detail Disney integrates into each and every one of their rides, buildings, and restaurants. As a first-timer, it literally feels like you leave the real world and essentially start living this entirely different reality. I now understand why they call it Disney World, because it ultimately is like its own little bubble.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After being amazed by sites of Magic Kingdom, especially Cinderella's castle, we went on our first ride of the trip, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. As someone who hadn’t been on a roller coaster in years, I was definitely in for a quick awakening, because Thunder Mountain was filled with fast drops, bumps, and twists/turns. I would say that it was a great first ride to get under my belt, because it prepared me and the rest of the Mouseketeers for the iconic Splash Mountain ride. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Grace's First Impressions:</b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">As a returning Disney visitor, I felt confident walking around Magic Kingdom. Even though the attractions are familiar to me, Disney's rides are classic and being in the presence of everyone brought a new light to the rides. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I enjoyed both reminiscing on the fun times I've had in years previous and being inspired with the continual Disney magic my classmates and I are just beginning to explore. </span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>ATTRACTIONS: </b></div><div>After taking a group picture and soaking in the Disney magic, our first ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. In the wait line for Thunder Mountain, everyone chatted the entire hour-long wait. Below is a picture of Grace and Nathan on Thunder Mountain before the take off! Grace is on the bottom left, and Nathan is on the top right. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir6G_Ai3JCwkjorlVxsg7VyuyEuokl0Hlt0DSjYvP605UcJMvrhAd2zDxRar90BfYefCldd4ET2bagZVzRlliPwQjCayaFLXy86la_DT-skfkVKdvqWy8gzYAgLbRuRzecHZJolj9HopxNp1gx2O_NDhKU5zPNy-XCMONKPftnK9C_1z_9h1L1ODsapw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEir6G_Ai3JCwkjorlVxsg7VyuyEuokl0Hlt0DSjYvP605UcJMvrhAd2zDxRar90BfYefCldd4ET2bagZVzRlliPwQjCayaFLXy86la_DT-skfkVKdvqWy8gzYAgLbRuRzecHZJolj9HopxNp1gx2O_NDhKU5zPNy-XCMONKPftnK9C_1z_9h1L1ODsapw" width="319" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Furthermore, while waiting in line, students were proposing potential research questions. For example, because Thunder Railroad overlooks Splash Mountain, we pondered what the best seats are for Splash Mountain, whether that meant getting completely soaked or barely getting wet at all. Although today was a day of getting settled and sorted out passes, we were still able to let our minds wander about the possibilities of the remainder of this wonderful adventure. </div><div><br /></div><div>After Thunder Railroad came the iconic Splash Mountain. Luckily, the line was very short because other guests were viewing the spectacular fireworks show. Below is a picture of us riding Splash Mountain. We enjoyed being able to ride together and experience our second ride of the night. At the very end of the ride, as we were coming up to get out of our log boat, we all saw a beautiful view of the dark, night sky with beaming fireworks. It was truly magical, and we can't wait for tomorrow! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0-bKVh2CHyxwoTogyQzz7M6sSBdIMAS4jnlhz2kBBWEloVSXrF8hzgi9Lp1syDvyHeEPHOnRlH2h28wtlK8HxJrykEHh935zMgV_27vybv4S_4e0IT1rT1TniQ2n_jM1T2BB0L167EiklccBNWFYDrPHTZsykT7nuFLl3uHsFqjm4l6TvPmHm1sTHcQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0-bKVh2CHyxwoTogyQzz7M6sSBdIMAS4jnlhz2kBBWEloVSXrF8hzgi9Lp1syDvyHeEPHOnRlH2h28wtlK8HxJrykEHh935zMgV_27vybv4S_4e0IT1rT1TniQ2n_jM1T2BB0L167EiklccBNWFYDrPHTZsykT7nuFLl3uHsFqjm4l6TvPmHm1sTHcQ=w320-h320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXX01sxl2zltvtjO__mWi2URLl69RJ31o6Lgpnm6q7m5sGjVmTVJbhv6stCPAAVuQfICeDUsbRqLqmDfvcQhY2TsjeAoc0tIFjUmjXy4XsQ2krw6Y8oZ3L3nNlasZp3ZLm0VKKU2OdG0e7qk_7cQYyIoy2880oUxZF0DTUJXcRWO79HKWUnWaF9t7ag/s3796/2022-05-12%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3796" data-original-width="2530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXX01sxl2zltvtjO__mWi2URLl69RJ31o6Lgpnm6q7m5sGjVmTVJbhv6stCPAAVuQfICeDUsbRqLqmDfvcQhY2TsjeAoc0tIFjUmjXy4XsQ2krw6Y8oZ3L3nNlasZp3ZLm0VKKU2OdG0e7qk_7cQYyIoy2880oUxZF0DTUJXcRWO79HKWUnWaF9t7ag/s320/2022-05-12%20-%20Magic%20Kingdom%20Park%20-%20Splash%20Mountain.jpeg" width="213" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b>AUTHORS:</b></div><div>Grace Houser and Nathan Sarro</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK4FlbTF_HfKH1ijHDHngHYS_iGOmPsY2kDqANu99gF6sb9QPL0JXIP0iuTXuwN3P-P2F8uaKEtVoAJ1jYb-kppsjc5iBvvGDWPC_o2EnXvCWFNZxJNbFaL_rRLuIzZAHZtkrzfZQ_m3FevRrSSSDRdWQdWv_oRbGcwfzifiHvBRcIU4xKojnOmWdcMw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK4FlbTF_HfKH1ijHDHngHYS_iGOmPsY2kDqANu99gF6sb9QPL0JXIP0iuTXuwN3P-P2F8uaKEtVoAJ1jYb-kppsjc5iBvvGDWPC_o2EnXvCWFNZxJNbFaL_rRLuIzZAHZtkrzfZQ_m3FevRrSSSDRdWQdWv_oRbGcwfzifiHvBRcIU4xKojnOmWdcMw" width="319" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Grace Houserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028042748607552233noreply@blogger.com0