Third Gate Games press release:
MouseAdventure Returns to Walt Disney World for The Florida Project. Third Gate Games photo.
It was a clear and promising Saturday on March 4 at 9:30 a.m. as more than 200 players gathered at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) near the ferryboat dock for MouseAdventure: The Florida Project. The Florida Project was the seventh MouseAdventure event at Walt Disney World, and the fourth event produced by Third Gate Games. This event, the 42 MouseAdventure event overall, was the biggest at Walt Disney World to date, with 59 teams competing.
Teams prepare to board the ferryboat on their way to a day of adventure. Third Gate Games photo.
Teams began the day on the ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom Park, and received eight quests for the morning portion of the game at the original three WDW resorts: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The quests at the Polynesian Village highlighted the Pacific Island décor and tiki artwork found there. The Contemporary Resort’s Mary Blair mosaic was the main feature of a quest at that resort. The Tri-Circle D Ranch horses at Fort Wilderness played a key role in the quests at that resort. Teams also received a “newspaper” with accompanying quest to occupy their time on boats, buses, and monorails as they traveled among resorts.
A team searches for the final answer to a quest in Tomorrowland. Third Gate Games photo.
In the afternoon, game play shifted to the Magic Kingdom, where teams dodged Main Street entertainment to make their way to Tomorrowland Terrace to receive their packet containing eight quests. Crowd levels were high in the park, which made strategy and time management a key factor for successful teams. At one point during the day, the line for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover was more than an hour long; even the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland had a line.
Best New Team The Monorail Marauders work on a quest at Fort Wilderness. Third Gate Games photo.
A quest in Frontierland became more complicated than expected with the overnight disappearance of the cigar store Indian. Third Gate Games crew worked hard to spread the word to minimize teams' frustration and lost time. As can happen, attractions went down at times during the day, causing some inconvenience to those having the misfortune of walking up just as the Liberty Belle went down. Teams had until 6 p.m. to complete the park portion of the game, and then the crew was off to grade and tabulate the winners.
The Midnight Madness Marauders stop for a photo and still manage to place second. Third Gate Games photo.
At 10 p.m. MouseAdventure crew and teams assembled at the pavilion on the edge of Crescent Lake between the Disney's Boardwalk and Disney's Beach Club Resorts for the informal post-event gathering. After the MouseAdventure crew announced the winners and handed out awards, players had the chance to mingle, swap strategies, check their scores, and ask questions about undiscovered eye spies or unfinished quests.
Team Delirious for Disney is excited about completing the “it's a small mural” quest. Third Gate Games photo.
Results
The highest point total possible for the day was 630 points.
- Best New Team: The Monorail Marauders – 375 points
- Third Place: Pquizadactyl – 490 points
- Second Place: Midnight Madness Marauders – 535 points
- First Place: Conflicting Weenies Social Club – 540 points
This is the third straight WDW game win for Conflicting Weenies, making them the first ever Florida-only masters team, which means they are now retired from “official game play.” Although not eligible for any prizes during non-Invitational MouseAdventure games, many master teams return to compete against one another, mainly for bragging rights and the thrill of the puzzle hunt. Some even return to help crew events.
The Conflicting Weenies Social Club work a quest at the Polynesian Village on their way to a win. Third Gate Games photo.
About Third Gate Games
Third Gate Games (TGG) formed in 2016 to take over production of MouseAdventure and expand the concept to hold similar events at locations outside of Disney theme parks. The TGG team was involved with production of MouseAdventure when it was still under the MousePlanet banner, working as quest writers, designers, emcees, and more. Visit Third Gate Games online at thirdgategames.com. For more information on MouseAdventure, visit mouseadventure.com. Follow Third Gate Games on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Follow MouseAdventure on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
