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5. Assign specialties

Angela Tasting Jelly BeansAngela Tasting Jelly BeansAngela proved to be a jelly bean tasting guru, getting them all right! Image: MouseAdventure.

Each person on your team brings a unique skill set that makes him or her ideally suited to a particular aspect of the game. Some people are especially skilled at math problems, others at crossword puzzles. One teammate might have a keen eye for finding written text on set pieces, while another is excellent at identifying objects from close-up photos. Divide up the tasks according to each team member’s strengths rather than trying to solve everything together or, even worse, haphazardly assigning duties at the last minute.

6. Time management

Gate Crashers and a Boardwalk BusGate Crashers and a Boardwalk BusWe spent too long trying to get this photo in front of a bus with the hotel name visible.

You will receive quests in batches, depending on the specifics of that particular game. As soon as you get a batch, skim through all the quests to make a plan for solving them. Note the point value for each quest, as well as how easy or difficult it seems for your team. Also pay attention to any quest-specific instructions. For example, some quests involve interactions with the MouseAdventure team, such as identifying jelly bean flavors or tying a specific rope knot. Those locations are only staffed during limited hours. Others require a great deal of walking back and forth, gathering items one at a time and delivering them to a designated Mouse Central location.

Once you have analyzed the relevant data, plan a task order that takes all of the factors into consideration. Then assign time values to each quest. Make a pact with your teammates that if any quest looks like it will run over its allotted time, you will move on to the next, returning to the first one only if you have time at the end.

We found that a digital timer is one of our most valuable items. For each quest, set the timer for 15 minutes less than the total time value you assigned to that quest. When the timer beeps, take a deep breath and assess your progress. You might decide that those 15 minutes would be better used on your next task.

7. Think outside the box

Oversized BlocksOversized BlocksThese oversized blocks weren't what the game designers had in mind.

MouseAdventure is purposely designed to challenge even the most ardent Disney experts. Yet creative problem-solving methods are always encouraged and rewarded. For example, part of the 2013 2-day challenge was a photo quest across the Walt Disney World resort. We had to take photos of our entire team, including a MouseAdventure-issued Vinylmation Mickey that we had decorated the night before, doing different things in different places.

We made up quite a few points in that round by thinking outside the box. One clue instructed us to take a picture with oversized blocks. We immediately thought of the blocks outside the toy store at Downtown Disney, but when we got there, they had been replaced with Christmas decorations. Inside that same store, however, we found large blocks overhead next to the model railroad track. It turned out that the MouseAdventure team was thinking of an entirely different stack of blocks, at one of the All Star resorts, but we got full credit for our photo.

8. Learn the psychology of the game

Photo Quest Typhoon LagoonPhoto Quest Typhoon LagoonBecause we understood the psychology of the game, we knew this photo with a closed Typhoon Lagoon behind us would count.

Although some teams might disagree in the heat of the game, the MouseAdventure writers do not have super powers. Nor do they expect teams to go into areas that are off-limits to the general public. Everything you are looking for is out in the open and readily accessible. It is just obscure, and often hidden in the immensely detailed sets for which Disney is famous.

To be successful, learn to think like a MouseAdventurer. Review both your knowledge of the parks and your general knowledge of how the real world operates. For example, we got hopelessly stuck on one particular clue in the Magic Kingdom. We needed a specific number to solve a math puzzle, so there was no way to guess. The clue asked us to find the average weight for a woman in a particular year.

After wasting an hour scouring the photos on the shop walls, and even checking First Aid, my teammate suddenly remembered the old scale in the train station. We ran to the scale and found a small sign with average male and female weights for the relevant year. That bit of park knowledge ensured that we successfully completed the quest.

MouseAdventure is meant to be fun. It is often frustrating, and the physical pace can be grueling. Yet what keeps teams coming back year after year is the sheer sense of wonder when all the pieces fall into place to solve a particularly challenging quest. Relax, enjoy the process, and trust that every quest does have a logical solution.

You can find out more about MouseAdventure over at MousePlanet.

 
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