Back from Disney World

Our family just returned from a trip to Walt Disney World.  I tried to avoid reading articles about politicians, and instead had visits with Mickey, Goofy, and the rest of the characters.  (Insert joke here ...)

Our kids love Disney World, and my wife and I have fun too, which is why we've gone a few times and will go back.  The rides are fun, but the entire atmosphere is amazing.  In econ-speak, I get large amounts of consumer surplus from my visits to Disney World.

It was a great trip.  Some links:

Touring Plans uses queueing theory to figure out the best way to tour the parks to minimize waiting times.  I use it to minimize the time we spend waiting in lines for rides/attractions, but as an academic I love this product.  Operations researchers determine the average length of the lines at all points of the day for each ride, then determine a plan that will minimize the time you spend in line for the list of rides you want.  I strongly recommend using their services if you plan a trip to Walt Disney World.

Here are articles on Disney by the Economist.

Finally ... the video below was from the trip.  This is Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.  His character is cocky, arrogant, etc.  The person playing Gaston here did a great job and had us all laughing.