Non-Disney Theme Parks
Topic: Kennedy Space Center

#	Author	Message
1	Kar2oonMan Wed 4/2/2008 11:06a	(I'm not sure where this thread belongs. KSC isn't a theme park... but I couldn't see where it belonged?) Last Friday, we visited the Kennedy Space Center. It's a full-day experience and definitely something I'd recommend to anyone visiting the WDW area. The drive to Kennedy Space Center is easy (how great are Florida's smooth, tree-lined highways?) and if you keep your eyes peeled, you'll see lots of gators in the trenches along the roadside. To us Californians, this was pretty neat stuff. It's $38 for a day pass to KSC, well worth it as the center exists only because of the admission fees it charges, no tax dollars support it. You travel by busses to the various launch pads and exhibits. Along the way, the drivers tell interesting facts about the history of various locations, including the movies and TV shows (I Dream of Jeannie) it has "starred" in. They're also great at pointing out even larger gators that seem to be everywhere. Walking below an Apollo rocket was an amazing experience I'll never forget. My dad and I built a plastic model of this rocket back when the moonshots were making headlines. Seeing the real thing was emotional and awe-inspiring. The multimedia "shows" along the way do a spectacular job of building the sense of drama, suspense, achievement of the early space program right up to Neal Armstrng's first steps on the moon. They were just great, and seeing the actual Mission Control after watching it all those years ago on TV was amazing. It's patriotic without being hokey, moving without being mawkish, just hits every note perfectly. And it makes you excited about the possibilities of science and exploration and what humans can do when they set their mind to it. There is also part of the tour centering on the International Space Station. They do a great job explaining which country contributed what, and what it might deliver ultimately in terms of medical, agricultural and other advances. It's very cool to see components being readied, knowing they'll soon arrive in space and be orbiting above us for years to come. The merchandise in the huge gift shop was pretty unique stuff as well as the expected sort of items. A large collection of books are available, with a huge selection of kids books. The food was fine, nothing to write home about but it hit the spot. Burgers, pizza, salads and such, in a "scramble service" type of setting. There's also a retro diner of some kind which we didn't try, and a "lunch with a real astronaut" offering, which sounded kind of neat. On the way back to our hotel, we passed a little bay with a boat moving along, and we saw a group of dolphins leaping through the waves behind it. A very "magical" day all around!
2	wahooskipper Wed 4/2/2008 11:38a	Did you try out the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction? I was curious how it compared to Mission: Space. Particularly, is it nauseating? I love the KSC. I haven't been there since the kids were born but I'm looking forward to them being old enough to head back. I was VERY fortunate to live with someone on the WDW College Program who had a connection with the KSC. We went over one day and got the "real" tour. A highlight was going up in the Vehicle Assembly Building and I mean way, way up. On the same day we also got a chance to go out to the landing strip b/c a shuttle was coming back from California atop the 747. We were right at the runway...good stuff. Eerily, it was the Columbia. If that wasn't enough of a day the Air Force was launching what I think was a Titan rocket from one of their pads and it really capped things off. I hope the changes to the space program after the shuttle is retired keep the KSC relevant.
3	Lisann22 Wed 4/2/2008 11:53a	Great report! I can't wait to take my godson.
4	Kar2oonMan Wed 4/2/2008 12:01p	>>Did you try out the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction?<< Sadly, no. We were on too limited a time. I wish we'd had much more time to explore. We were there a total of about 6 hours and it wasn't near enough for us. I think for kids 10 and older, this is ideal. A little pre-visit reading about the space program would really enhance the experience, but it certainly isn't a requirement as the various presentations tell the story.

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