Day 6: Free Day Exploring Walt Disney World

 

    Today was our free day during the Disney World part of our trip, giving us the chance to fit in whatever we wanted before boarding our cruise ship. After several busy days, we were all able to sleep in a little bit and enjoy some much needed rest. It was very nice to slow down and fully enjoy some more fun moments before our next big adventure begins.

Tower of Terror

    Graycie, Andrew, Ian, Brayden, and I started our day going over to Hollywood Studios. After looking at the wait times, our first ride we decided to go on was The Tower of Terror. This was my first time experiencing the ride and it definitely lived up to its name! The anticipation and sudden drops made it very terrifying, but it was also exciting and I am glad I was able to try it out. After that ride, Ian headed over to the Star Wars area in Hollywood Studios to spend some time there, while us four made our way over to Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster to keep our adrenaline going. This is now my favorite ride and this time we were able to sit in the front row! We decided to head over to a different park to try to experience everything we could fit in for the last day of our trip. After finishing up at Hollywood Studios, we took the Skyliner over to Epcot to get some more rides in.

Skyliner to Epcot

    Drew started his day by heading to Disney Springs, where he had lunch at Splitsville and ordered a very delicious looking pizza. After spending some time walking around Disney Springs, he even picked up some honey sticks to enjoy. Meanwhile, me, Graycie, Andrew, and Brayden explored the Moana walkthrough water experience at Epcot. We wanted to cool off before riding anything else. It was very interactive, with flowing water, beautiful plants, and colorful flowers throughout. One of the highlights olf this was seeing a unique statue of Moana, which we stopped to take pictures with. Afterward, we headed over to ride Soarin’, which took us flying over different countries and landscapes around the world. It was an amazing way to experience global scenery.

Drew's Lunch

Moana Walk Through

    Later in the evening, the four of us took a bus to Disney Springs to meet back up with Ian. While we explored the shops, Drew had a dinner reservation at The Edison. The rest of us ended up heading back to Splitsville for dinner. We wrapped up our last day at Disney by watching the Hoosiers go duck hunting, ending the day on a very exciting note. Tomorrow, our journey continues as we head to Tampa to board our cruise ship, We are all so excited to begin our adventures in the Caribbean! 

-Emi

Hoosiers Win!!!

Keys to the Kingdom: Magic Kingdom Day 2

Stepping behind the scenes at Walt Disney World is like unlocking a door most guests never even realize exists, until the Keys to the Kingdom tour hands you the key. From hidden corridors beneath the Magic Kingdom to the carefully crafted stories behind some if the parks most iconic attractions, this immersive experience reveals how imagination, logistics and story telling work together to create Disney magic. More than just a tour, Keys to the Kingdom pulls back the curtain on the history, secrets, and meticulous planning that keeps the park running seamlessly, offering Disney fans a deeper appreciation for the world Walt imagined. 

We kicked off out tour by meeting out tour guide Josh. Josh has been working for the Disney company for over a decade, during his time he has had many roles in entertainment and guests services. After meeting Josh, out tour began with a walk down Main Street. Josh let us know that Main street is set up much like a movie experience, beginning with the rolling credits at the beginning of the movie. He pointed out many of the windows on Main Street have the Imagineers names who helped create Disney World. After our walk down Main Street we made our way to Adventureland, as we walked we were told many cool facts about the land and the rides. During our walk we made our way to the Jungle Cruise, which is a boat ride through exotic landscapes matched with the Skippers pun-filled jokes. After telling us all about the ride, we got to go on the ride and see all the fun facts Josh was telling us. After Jungle Cruise, we made our back to Tiana's Bayou Adventure  to and back the first backstage area of the tour! As we were backstage we got to see just how efficient Disney is at getting their cast members, parade floats, etc. to and from each area of the park.  After going backstage we made our way to Columbia Harbor House for lunch. After lunch we made our way towards Haunted Mansion (which is one of my personal favorite rides.) Josh explained to us how many of the effects work in the ride and we even got to take a ride to see these effects in action. After our ride we made our way to Fantasyland to go into the most coveted backstage area. Most people don't know this, but Magic Kingdom is actually on built on the second level! Underneath all the hustle and bustle of the Magic Kingdom is a place to make moving through the park more efficient and helps preserve the magic, these are call the Utilidoors (Utility Corridors). As a Disney nerd I was internally freaking out that I was finally seeing a place I had only heard about! These Utilidoors connect all the lands of the Magic Kingdom together so cast members, especially ones who are friends with the characters, can move though the park efficiently. After emerging from the "basement" of the Magic Kingdom our tour wrapped up and we headed our separate ways. 

(Group with our tour guide Josh) 

After going our separate ways, a few of us headed to do some rides and while the rest hung back to watch the Festival of Fantasy parade. Ride wise we decided we wanted to do more of the thrill rides so we headed for Space Mountain. This is such a fun coaster that all of us to ride, it makes us laugh and scream the entire ride. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, because after Space Mountain we checked the wait time to see Tron (the newest ride at Magic Kingdom) was at a 35 minute wait! For those of you who may not know it is rare to see this ride under an hour wait. Combining our total with these two ride we rode about 6... or 7 rides before we went to our group dinner Liberty Tree Tavern. 

(Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) 

 Liberty Tree tavern is a table service restaurant in Magic Kingdom that severs early American comfort food. Set in a colonial style home, the restaurant serves classic dishes like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese, as well as warm deserts. With its warm atmosphere it allows for guests to take a break from the park while still tying into the patriotic storytelling of the land. Our group demolished dinner, with the group favorite being the Homemade mac and cheese. With our bellies full we set out to finish the night at Hollywood Studios. Some of us have been trying to ride Rise of the Resistance for two days now! Andrew, Ian, and Brayden are all huge Star Wars fans, so this ride was a must! After two days of disappointment from the ride breaking down we finally got to ride. The boys loved it so much we rode it two times in a row, it was well worth the wait just to see their reactions! Brayden had the whole "transport vehicle" laughing when he couldn't believe we weren't on the ride yet! After our two fun rides on Rise we headed back to All Star Sports for the night. 

(Finally on Rise!) 

We have even more fun planned for tomorrow! We have our free day and can't wait to enjoy all of our favorite rides one last time before we head off to our cruise. Overall our day at the Magic Kingdom was the perfect blend of discovery, storytelling, and classic Disney charm. From going behind the scenes at Keys to the Kingdom to enjoying the reactions to the first time on Rise and a comforting meal at Liberty Tree Tavern, each experience added a deeper appreciation for the thought and care behind the magic.  It was a day filled learning, laughter, and memorable moments. 

-Graycie Branham 

P.S- Nanny we will miss you!

Day 4: An Adventure Across Nature

     What a trip this has been indeed. Hello everyone I'm Brayden and this is my first time at Disney. Today we had the opportunity to explore the greatest creation ever, nature. That's right, we went through Animal Kingdom today. While going through Animal Kingdom we were tasked with examining how Disney teaches their guest both explicitly and implicitly. 

    Our class had our earliest morning yet leading us to meet at the bus at 6:30 am! However, Andrew and I might of possibly been late and missed the first bus because the Micky Mouse waffles were calling our name. Fortunately, we were able to make the following bus and meet our group in line to rope drop the Avatar: Flight of Passage. (Frist time and I'm already starting to get the Disney lingo down thanks to Guide Graycie) As a self proclaimed Avatar fan, I was in awe. The scene depicted in the Flight of Passage in tandem with the environment Disney places you in, shows the beauty of nature. Disney gives you a sense of something greater; nature is meant to be cherished, protected. 

    Following the Flight of Passage we went off to do a safari. Disney taught us about various plants and animals in a mock natural environment. Interestingly their were hardly any fences separating us from the animals. (only for the predators, but if those animals really wanted to get out they could)  Disney shows us first hand that it really is possible for us to live in harmony with these majestic animals. I mean look at this Giraffe aura farming. He has no care whatsoever we are there. Also, here's a cool pic of a Flamingo.

    Shortly after we met for lunch and debriefed as a class. We spoke about the different means Disney uses to teach their visitors. An explicit message is what someone is trying to intentionally teach you. For today many of Disney's explicit messages was history or facts surrounding the animals or locations depicted in their park. Such as, did you know the reason rhino's role around in the mud is that when it dries, the mud becomes a protective sunscreen for the Rhino's skin. Conversely, an implicit message is something that is unintentionally taught to you. In Animal Kingdom, Disney uses implicit messaging as a way to inspire people to be more thoughtful in ecological practices. Disney allow us to interact with these animals giving us the "warm fuzzy" feeling towards them. By playing on our emotions Disney effectively conveys to tourist that each of us must do our part to protect nature. 

   

    

    

     After our discussion and with full belly's we went to ride a nice and relaxing river ride. Relaxing it was because following the Na'vi River Journey, the miles started to catch up with a few of us. After an estimated 100,000 steps, 50 miles, and all that being in a couple of days, we were exhausted. Those of us who were tired traveled back to the resort and took a much needed, and well-deserved, two and a half hour nap! I will be the first to tell you, that nap hit so hard it was better than taking a post-finals nap. 

    With only a couple hours left in the day a few of us traveled back to Hollywood Studios to ride what's proving to be our favorite coaster: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Staring Aerosmith. Fortunately, we got one of my favorite Aerosmith songs "Walk this Way" to enjoy while riding. I went ahead and played a mean air guitar for the camera. Once finishing we had about 20 minutes until closing time and closed the park by riding Slinky Dog Dash.

      Tomorrow were doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour where we will get to see some of the behind the scenes on how Disney manages to operate such an extensive park. Unbeknownst to me it turns out Disney has underground tunnels under the parks and we will have the opportunity to explore some. 

Be sure to stay tuned in because we still have many more new thrilling experiences to come!

-Brayden Millick

P.S. - Disney World has been an amazing first experience while being surrounded by amazing people. Go Griz!

Be Nice to Cast Members

Hollywood Studios is a park to escape the world either to the far of planet of Batuu or to Andy’s

back yard. This will be my 7th time coming to the park and every time there is always something

new. But for others on this trip it was their first time.

Our day started off with a rocky start with Rise of Resistance being down a majority of the day.

We made do though doing Smugglers Run with the group and earned the rank of pirate. During

the queue to this ride we received the first compliment of our t-shirts that read be nice to cast

members. This was a part of our class work for today about give a positive feedback to cast

members.

For the assignment we had to talk to a cast member. And we met a cast member who has been

working at Disney for a few months on Smugglers Run and has been in a bad mood due ti gues

not being acting the best to him and he said our shirts made his day better.

We ended the night at Fantasmic and had a great viewing experience. The trip was an all

around success and the trip back to the resort was smooth. When we got beck my feet felt like

they had just walked the length of america after the last few days and im excited to got on.

                  Day 3: The Enchanted Experience of Magic Kingdom

Today was a very fun and busy adventure in the exciting world of Magic Kingdom. The day started bright and early in Tomorrowland at the Tron ride at 8 in the morning, followed by Space Mountain. We then explored Frontierland's Haunted Mansion and Hall of Presidents attraction. In Adventureland, we gave the Enchanted Tiki room, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean ride a visit. Our last ride for the night was the People Mover for a break from walking and a calming view of the park just before sunset.

Once we finished up with park attractions, we went on a pontoon boat ride in the lagoon to finish the day with a firework show. We had a perfect view of the magical Disney castle! It was a breathtaking experience that captivated our excitement. It was the perfect way to end our day. My personal favorite moment of the firework show was when the Pirates of the Caribbean theme played. The amount of fireworks and bright lights amazed me. It is such a unique feeling how all visitors and workers can meet together at the end of the night to pause time. The fireworks unite people from all over the world in a powerful way to distract people from hardships in order to feel like a kid again. The way they play songs from different movies and how each night is different is so unique. I was truly in awe of the beauty of these amazing fireworks.

We finished discussing the book Married to the Mouse by Richard Foglesong. The main theme of this book was that Disney World and Orlando share a relationship similar to a marriage. Disney's corporate power shaped Orlando's urban growth, governance, and economy. This led to immense prosperity and significant costs like low wages, housing shortages, traffic, and a unique private dystopian government structure for Disney. We also discussed how Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fought Disney by revoking its long self-governing status through the Reedy Creek Improvement District after Disney opposed the Parental Rights in Education Act. He replaced its board with his own appointees who then sued Disney to void development deals. This led to legal battles over free speech and government overreach. Ultimately, both Disney World and Orlando came to an agreement to collaborate together.

Brayden got to explore Magic Kingdom for the first time today which is very exciting. Unfortunately, he could not seem to make it passed any of the security checkpoints without getting patted down. He also had the opportunity to pull the magic sword. I had a great time riding the Tron ride for the first time. It is now my second favorite ride, after Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. All in all, it was a wonderful day full of adventure and laughs. Tomorrow, we plan on wearing our Be Kind to a Team Member shirt to appreciate all of the wonderful, hard working team members that go unnoticed. They are ultimately the people who make the park such a great experience since they offer top quality service. These team members are always so generous to everyone despite being mistreated by angry visitors at times. It is now our time to return the generosity back at them. I am extremely excited to see their reactions to our shirts and hopefully make their day better. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post!

-Andrew Spomar

Day 2: Around the World in 13 Hours

 Day 2 of our exciting Disney Adventure, as recorded by Drew Furgeson!

We started our day off bright and early getting on the first bus to the EPCOT Center at 7:30 AM to take advantage of early entry.

Our first task of the day; ride Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind. Thanks to our early entry, the wait times weren't terrible. Afterwards, we took a group picture then set out to do our assignment for the day; examining how EPCOT handles its position as both Theme Park and Global Showcase.

 

(I'm the one in the purple shirt! More on that later)

 

EPCOT, in its park incarnation, was proposed to be a permanent World's Fair, showcasing technologies of the future and global cultures. Our assignment for today was primarily focused on the many pavilions that make up the world's showcase, and how they educate others about other countries. A large part of this was interviewing cast members, as the cast members at EPCOT's world showcase pavilions are all from the countries the pavilions represent. Trying to stay ahead of the crowds, we decided to stay together and head to our first stop for the project: Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion.

 

Frozen Ever After is flume-style dark ride that takes guests on a magical (and musical) journey through various scenes that continue the story of the popular Disney movie Frozen. It is very popular among younger park guests due to its theming, often accruing wait times of over 50 minutes. Is it fun? Yeah. Is it educational? Absolutely not.

The Norway Pavilion was once home to a different attraction called Maelstrom, which was later re-themed to Frozen due to low attendance. According to a cast member we talked with at the pavilion, Maelstrom had a much more authentic approach to Nordic culture, drawing on both history and myth to provide an educational (but still thrilling) experience for guests.

Nevertheless, we got our ride photos (Thank you Jenny!) and continued on to the next stop; China!

 

 

 China was much less crowded than Norway, especially this early in the day. This was likely due to the fact that China does not have an attraction like Norway, France, or Mexico. Instead, like many other pavilions, it has a walk-through museum and a short film meant to pique guests interest. The film itself was very dated and, according to a cast member, had not been updated in 26 years! The museum was also lacking, as it was primarily dedicated to showcasing Shanghai Disneyland, rather than Chinese cultural artifacts. It's a shame that Disney has been neglecting their less popular pavilions, but hopefully in the near future they will receive their much-needed updates.

After China, we traveled on to Germany, to talk with the cast members there. While in Germany, some of the group decided to partake in a cultural experience and try German Chocolate Liquor. When talking to the cast members at Germany, they said that the pavilion was very accurate to German culture, but they wished that there was more emphasis placed on Germany's robust public transportation system and technology. I couldn't agree more.

As our final stop as a group, we went to the America Pavilion to watch the animatronic show The American Adventure. The thirty minute show was a very sanitized showcase of American history from the founding fathers to the 1940s. While the animatronics and special effects were very impressive, the show was very patriotic and often brushed over more complicated elements of America's past.

After our American experience, the group split up and decided to travel to different attractions throughout the park and to try different foods. A lot of this time was spent heading back up to the front of the park towards Future World. Technically, the front half of the park goes by a few different names now, but it's just so much easier to call it all Future World. This is where we come back to the shirt.

EPCOT was, as mentioned before, meant to be a showcase of the world and new technologies. An "Edutainment" park, if you will. However, in recent years, Disney has decided that educational experiences do not sell as well as attractions based off of their intellectual properties (movies, television shows, established brand mascots, etc). Many of EPCOT's original attractions have been either slowly eroding over time, or have been replaced by IP (intellectual property) based attractions. Thankfully, several still stand, like Living with the Land and Test Track (originally World of Motion). It's up to all of us to preserve the legacy of "weird" attractions past and support EPCOT's "weirder" modern attractions.

We ended the day off by watching the fireworks show, Luminous the Symphony of Us. The show featured stunning fireworks, light displays, and beautiful music. It was a relaxing way to end the night. After such a long day, we all loaded up into the buses to head off to All Star Sports and get settled in for the night.

 

 Now to rest up for the night so that I can bother everyone with trivia tomorrow.

Signing off, Drew. 

PS - to Brad back at home - we miss you!! Wishing you a speedy recovery!!
 

Day 1: Welcome to Walt Disney World!

 And so our adventure begins! We met as a group at 10:15am this morning at the Indianapolis airport. The weather was not bad for this time of year in Indiana, but I think it is safe to say we were all looking forward to warmer temperatures down south.

Our journey through security was uneventful, and things seemed to be progressing smoothly (if a few minutes behind schedule) right up until we were next to board the plane. Just before our section was called, the pilot came up the gangplank to talk to the boarding agents (never a good sign). Apparently a hold had been put on our flight! After a brief discussion as to whether to unboard the people who boarded or just keep boarding, the decision was made to continue boarding the plane. 

Soon we were all loaded and waiting to pull away from the terminal. The was a brief (10-15 minute or so) delay, but at least we we given the all clear. We taxied out, and then taxied, and then taxied some more. At this point, I am pretty sure I wasn't the only one wondering if the plane was just planning on driving to Florida!  Finally, we stopped on the runway and were told that there was another delay. They would try to get us moving, but in the meantime we could stand up and walk around the cabin (never a good sign!). Eventually, we were able to take to the skies and after an uneventful flight we landed in Florida where we were greeted with some liquid sunshine (aka rain).

A Mears shuttle bus ride later, and we arrived at our first hotel of the trip: Disney's All Star Movies! We were all starving by this point, so after check-in we headed to the World Premiere Food Court for a meal and a discussion of the first half of Richard Fogelsong's "Married to the Mouse."

It is interesting tracing the history of how Walt Disney World came to be built in Florida, from the failed St. Louis project through the creation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District meant to help Walt built his vision of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The creation of Walt Disney World has left a major impact on the central Florida area, both for good and bad. Class discussion was great, I look forward to continuing it further as we enjoy our time in the parks!

After our meeting wrapped up, we headed our separate ways, some to get a good nights rest, others to Disney Springs to explore the nightlife there. Tomorrow is an early morning for us, we check out of Movies and send our bags over to All Star Sports where we will be checking in next evening. We will also head to EPCOT to see what became of the reason the RCID was created in the first place. Exploring how Disney portrays various cultures will be the topic for tomorrow, along with a possible Cosmic Rewind on the way!

All for now, join us again tomorrow when the students get to take over the blog!

Paul Fonstad

Math and Computing Department and lead instructor on our study away trip

PS Brad, if you are reading this we miss you on the trip and hope you are back to 100% soon!