Today was the first of our Disney classes—Physics of
Motion. We got off to an early start,
arriving at the Magic Kingdom at 7:15 am.
Proceeding down Main Street we started in Tomorrowland. We talked about
Newton’s Laws, gravity, speed, velocity, and acceleration and proceeded to
Space Mountain. There we got to ride
first with the lights on, and then rode again with the lights off. What an
awesome experience—and such a difference in the atmosphere and sensations of
the ride. Afterwards, we discussed these
differences and how that affected our perceptions. As we were leaving, the line for Space
Mountain was very long—70-minute wait—and From there we walked to Buzz
Lightyear. Prior to the ride our
discussion focused on audio-animatronics and the difference between pneumatic
and hydraulic devices. We were asked to look for devices that were
pneumatic, devices that were hydraulic, and devices that utilized both types
while we enjoyed earning points from shooting lasers at targets. It was hard trying to do all of that! Off to
the other side of Magic Kingdom to Adventureland and the Big Thunder Railroad.
We came back to the discussion on Newton’s laws and gravity as well as hill
height, energy conversion, and forces. Afterwards we had the option to ride the
railroad, but instead chose to grab lunch and head to Animal Kingdom for our
afternoon class.
Wednesday afternoon’s class on Careers in the Zoological
Sciences began in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom. We were introduced to the Tree of Life and learned
that a chimpanzee had recently been added to the tree. Jane Goodall had noticed
that there was not a chimpanzee carved on the tree—quite an oversight! We
learned the importance of bridges in Disney World—each is used as a sign that
the theme is changing. We experienced the sights and sounds of Africa from the
huts to the music and food unique to that area.
Our first stop was the Kilamanjaro safari. On this safari ride we were given the task by
our guide of checking off as many of the animals listed on the card he gave us.
Our goal was to find a minimum of 50% of the animals to pass the visibility
check. We learned how important
visibility was to keep people coming back to the attraction. Making slight
changes to the animal’s habitat—cutting shrubbery, changing the food location,
more or less light or heating and cooling are some of the techniques used to
improve visibility. We saw the new baby rhino born a few days before our
arrival and the baby elephant Stella on our adventure. From there we took the train on Rafiki’s
Trail to Conservation Station. Here we
saw the Disney facilities for the care and preservation of the animals,
including a surgery center. Behind the
scenes we saw the other male elephant receiving enrichment activities and
learned how Disney uses hidden enclosures and barriers in the park. We learned
how Disney Through interactive activities we were shown how animals are tested
for endocrine imbalances. We were able
to visit the animal food kitchen where all the food is prepared. Specific enrichments are added to different
animals’ food as needed—tumeric, cinnamon, baby food, peanut butter, honey to
name a few. Even food dyes and edible
glitter may be added to help in the testing of the poo. Many of the animals
have a special trainer who is responsible for their care and has a special bond
with the animal. We even met a sheep who bowed to us and waved goodbye to
us—all on a cick from the trainer, kind words, and a reward. Collectively we decided that Disney trainers
use a lot of treats as rewards. We ended the class by watching a de-scented
deaf skunk respond to a trainer’s commands.
