MouseAdventure, Spring 2004Fun
in the… intensely hot… sun!Wednesday, March 31, 2004
by Alex Stroup
Over 300 players, and 99 teams, participated. Photo by Lani Teshima.
It
is our perpetual chant: Biggest… event… ever! So far we have been fortunate
to say that about every single MouseAdventure. Before the event the staff says
it with a hint of trepidation, but afterwards it is with accomplishment.As
always, I should start by thanking the great crew I have to fulfill the vision
for the event. As with everything else about the event, it was also the largest
crew ever with 17 people fulfilling some role or another. A few of them are missing
in the photo below (I think they're shy and hiding), but please join me in applauding
the efforts of each one (except me, as that would be horrendously gauche). We
certainly appreciate and applaud each team that came out and made it so much fun
for us.
Most of the MouseAdventure crew. Photo by David Michael.
MouseAdventure
is a full work day, and not just for the staff. Sign-in began at 9:45, and most
teams did not head home until well after 5:00 p.m. It's a long, hard day of playing,
but hopefully all the teams left having had one of their best times ever at Disneyland—even
if the sun had somehow moved millions of miles closer to Earth. 
Two teams run into each other on Tom Sawyer Island. Photo by Ed Perkis.
For
this MouseAdventure, we altered the format a bit. In the past, teams were given
only a portion of the game at a time, and many of our veteran teams had developed
solid strategies for this. This time around, however, we simply dumped the entire
game packet on them at the beginning (and some teams relearned the lesson that
you should be careful what you wish for). The most interesting thing about
this change was the number of veteran teams who responded that it was pretty overwhelming
to receive everything in that way. It's interesting, since we actually cut back
on the number of tasks this time around (from 15 quests to 10). But maybe
it was the heat talking. We had tried to schedule the spring event a little earlier
in the year to avoid high temperatures and huge crowds, and were defeated on both
counts. Fortunately, our players had such great attitudes that you'd have never
known it was a difficult day to hold the event. 
It is always great to see the outfits many teams put together. Photo by Jeff Moxley.
Side
GamesWith the new format, we were able to offer a bit more in the way
of side games and staff interaction. Many teams were willing to risk catch Lani
on the Mark Twain for a chance at some extra points and not a few found
themselves taking a tour of the Rivers of America while time dwindled. Over
on Tom Sawyer Island, Ed Perkis and Kevin Krock hung out and watched teams play
Choose Your Own MouseAdventure and try to figure out just what was supposed to
happen when someone rang the bell. Over in Town Square, Sheila Hagen sat under
her umbrella waiting for people to come take her quiz. Since people always
seem to miss our “Find So-and-So” person, we decided to double the odds.
Two staffers were planted in the park, and still many people walked right by them.
One team even said “hi” to Jennifer Rich as they passed, not realizing
they needed to find her. 
Taking a few moments to just think things through is always a good strategy. Photo
by Jeff Moxley.
In the end, the active teams walked many miles to earn their
points. All appearances are that most enjoyed themselves despite the crowds and
heat and a great participants returned to the picnic are for chances at raffle
prizes and to learn the final results. 
Some of the winners selecting their prizes. Photo by Ed Perkis.
With the
help of some new amplification technology, I'm sure many people were hearing my
voice for the first time. With Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix pumping up the crowd with
raffle prizes while waiting for final results, everybody was cheerful and worked
up by the time I was up there—Even the unsuspecting family who was also having
a birthday party in the picnic area. Everybody sang “Happy Birthday,”
and hopefully we weren't too much of an intrusion even though we completely surrounded
their tables. Finally, to end the recap on a bit of a down note, our worst
fear finally happened. A scoring error was made that had an impact on the accounced
results. So to Helen and Danny of team BabyFishMouth, we express our regrets.
Their corrected score would have put them in third place in their category and
the final results have been corrected. The winners are below, and at the
end are links to the full results and team photos. Thanks again to all who
participated. I hope to see everybody back in the fall (and if you are just learning
about this event, I hope to see you for the first time). It is not
the official date yet, but if you want to pencil something in, we are targeting
October 10, 2004. Park and format still to be determined.
Team Spirit Award – Team Smiley
Best First Time Team – Team Zlick
First Place – Quest & Trivia Category
The John Henchmen, 1015 points
Second Place – Quest & Trivia Category
DF4, 985 points
Third Place – Quest & Trivia Category
San Diego Mouse Catchers, 915 points
Fourth Place Place – Quest & Trivia Category
Brother Bears, 910 points
First Place – Quests Only
Happy Haunts, 1180 points
Second Place – Quests Only
Finding Teamo, 930 points
Third Place – Quests Only (Unannounced)
BabyFishMouth, 890 points
Third Place – Quests Only (Announced)
The Yippies, 860 points
Fourth Place – Quests Only
No-Names, 810 points
Team
Results | Team Photos
Contact Alex Stroup here. |
mouseadventure-side
Teams walk a lot during the event. If you are
not used to walking for extended periods, get yourself in shape beforehand.
Walk at least three times a week, and wear old, comfortable shoes with good
treads for the event to avoid blisters.
Make sure you get some breakfast in the morning.
Although caffeine may help you wake up in the morning, you might want to avoid
it (caffeine acts as a diuretic, causing you to need more bathroom breaks).
Although you need only show up with a writing
instrument, the following is a helpful list. Consider packing everything into
a backpack (or a hydration pack) so your hands are free:
• Water bottle in a holder or hydration
pack such as a Camelbak
(you will not want to waste time buying soda)
• Comfortable shoes
• Sunblock (the higher the SPF the better)
• Writing instrument
• Clipboard
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Scratch paper
• Small snacks (raisins, nuts)
• Water bottle
• Rain poncho or large garbage bag (poke arm holes) if weather calls for
drizzle); umbrellas just get in the way
• Bandages for blisters
Are you a parent who is considering registering for MouseAdventure?
The following may help you decide whether to bring your children with you.
If you want to bring your children, consider registering and
playing leisurely just for the fun of it, since you want to make sure to allow
for potty breaks, diaper changes, and periodic breaks.
MouseAdventure lasts all afternoon, and your children will
have to wander around the park without going on any rides until after the event.
Consider this and your children's demeanor.
The Trivia category may require an extended period of sitting
while you concentrate on the exercise, so your children may feel ignored and
get bored.
The extra amount of work involved in doing both the Trivia
and Quests activities is such that you might want to consider doing just the
Quests.
If you have a child small enough to ride in a stroller, find
a friend or a sitter to watch that child while you participate, or decide which
parent will participate, and which will be the sitter. You will be moving non-stop
through the park to get everything done, and a stroller will slow your
entire team down.
For more information and advice for parents by Adrienne Krock,
visit her “Parenting in
the Park” column.
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