Please give me your two cents on decision about parks: Seaworld or kennedy space !

[ducky_love]

KSC is better than a sharp stick in the eye.. but when you compare it to SeaWorld there is no comparison. I've lived in Florida my entire life and been to both attractions many times.

 

[dsmom]

We live in Florida and go to Kennedy all the time. My husband LOVES it and I enjoy it too. We did Seaworld for the first time last year and my husband hated it and I loved it, so I suppose it depends on your interests.

 

[wegs3000]

I hate to say it but my 8-year-old daughter was bored most of the day at KSC. We were with my dad who was geeked beyond belief and I found it very interesting also. We did lunch with an astronaut which was great we thought. The astronaut talked to my daughter twice (go figure since grandpa was the guy most interested in the whole thing). But overall DD was bored and so we left earlier than we probably would have had she been into it. Space dots where her favorite part of the whole day. Now if you have kids with you who are space/flying geeks that might be a whole different story.

 

[tamaraten]

Why not just do a vote with your family?

DH and I are theme park, roller coaster, thrill seeking, people. We are also one of those fascinated by Kennedy Space center. It can take a half day to a full day depending on what you do and what time you get there (they're only open from 9-6). With admission you have the main visitor complex and the bus tour that has 3 stops. Yes, it is more like a museum, but if your kids are really into space, they'll probably appreciate seeing where the shuttles launch from and viewing the different artifacts and history. We went several times last year (we bought the annual pass) and our dd was 2, and the only time she seemed bored was when we had to wait in line for something, and during the astronaut encounter when the astronaut was giving his little presentation (it's only like 10-15 minutes, then you get to ask questions and take your picture with the astronaut). This past April we took our 8 yr old nephew and he enjoyed seeing everything and riding the launch simulator. Have you checked out Kennedy's website?

BTW, choosing between Sea World and Kennedy would be tough for us too as we love going to Sea World! We LOVE feeding the dolphins and enjoy the shows as well!

Thanks for reply! Would you say the bus tour included in admission is enough or if we went should we do the bus tour that you pay extra for coming closer to the launch pads? Did you see the Star Wars show?

My kids are into space stuff, but I'm just a little worried about my youngest being bored (almost 6). But then I saw they had a Star Wars show and he is very into that.

And SW also sounds amazing!!!! It's so hard!

If you had a choice between the two, and you HAD to choose, which would it be?

I have checked out the website and it looks fantastic - of course it's another thing in real life I'm sure. I'm a little worried about fitting everything in to one day. Could you tell me which things are doable as "must-sees" in a just-one-day visit?

thanks again.

 

[tamaraten]

IIRC, there are two bus tours, right? We only did the regular one - which was still a couple of hours long, and included a stop at the very cool SaturnV building. Sorry, can't comment on the longer tour.

ETA Ah I see that they've revised the tour structure a bit. We definitely only did the included tour.

How was it?

 

[tamaraten]

KSC is better than a sharp stick in the eye.. but when you compare it to SeaWorld there is no comparison. I've lived in Florida my entire life and been to both attractions many times.

OUCH, that sounds painful!! Can you say why KSC is such a dud IYO?

thanks .

 

[tamaraten]

We live in Florida and go to Kennedy all the time. My husband LOVES it and I enjoy it too. We did Seaworld for the first time last year and my husband hated it and I loved it, so I suppose it depends on your interests.

Which would you choose if you HAD to choose one?!

thanks!

 

[tamaraten]

I hate to say it but my 8-year-old daughter was bored most of the day at KSC. We were with my dad who was geeked beyond belief and I found it very interesting also. We did lunch with an astronaut which was great we thought. The astronaut talked to my daughter twice (go figure since grandpa was the guy most interested in the whole thing). But overall DD was bored and so we left earlier than we probably would have had she been into it. Space dots where her favorite part of the whole day. Now if you have kids with you who are space/flying geeks that might be a whole different story.

Thanks for the insight. My 8-yr-old is also a girl! What are space dots?

Did you do bus tour (the included with admission one or the extra one)? What did you think of that?

 

[Darcy03231]

thanks Darcy. Did you do the bus tour, and if so did you do the extra one (where you pay extra)? If so, was it worth it? And if you did the regular one, was it good enough?

thanks.

We did the regular one that was included with the tour. As I said before, all the adults really enjoyed the day, but the kids only thought it was ok (and DS loves Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.) and have never asked to go back.

Please, please, please take this as well meaning, but I really think you're trying to cram too much into four days. Most of my trips are 7-9 days, or 14-16 days, we've had multiple trips (been going to Orlando at least once a year for the last 21 years - and sometimes we get two to three trips a year in) and we don't try to do as much as you're trying to do in four days. I know my whole family would be miserable if I tried to get that much in in such a short time frame. While I understand you're coming from quite a distance away, and want to see/do as much as possible, I'd concentrate on US/IOA with maybe a day at SeaWorld since its close by. My kids really like to have some downtime on vacation and enjoy just spending some time at the pool, seeing a movie, shopping, etc.

Have a great time whatever you decide!

 

[tamaraten]

We did the regular one that was included with the tour. As I said before, all the adults really enjoyed the day, but the kids only thought it was ok (and DS loves Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.) and have never asked to go back.

Please, please, please take this as well meaning, but I really think you're trying to cram too much into four days. Most of my trips are 7-9 days, or 14-16 days, we've had multiple trips (been going to Orlando at least once a year for the last 21 years - and sometimes we get two to three trips a year in) and we don't try to do as much as you're trying to do in four days. I know my whole family would be miserable if I tried to get that much in in such a short time frame. While I understand you're coming from quite a distance away, and want to see/do as much as possible, I'd concentrate on US/IOA with maybe a day at SeaWorld since its close by. My kids really like to have some downtime on vacation and enjoy just spending some time at the pool, seeing a movie, shopping, etc.

Have a great time whatever you decide!

OMG, of course I take it as well meaning!!! And thank you for being so kind and considerate. And I do want to hear opinions; that is why I'm writing.
I happen to agree with you - I do think it's a cram. The thing is, we are going to be in Miami after the four Orlando days for another 12 days or so, just hanging out with the grandparents who will be down there from Canada (where I'm from originally). That's sort of the down-time vacation time for all of us. And that's why I'm thinking, maybe I should do the cram considering we have only the four days (My DH, however, is leaving the Miami part much earlier for home, and therefore can't extend the Orlando part even 1 more day).

And that is why I'm having such a difficult time deciding. I'm so grateful to hear from people like yourself who have the experience and can tell me that it's way too much to do.

On the other hand, we will be having the FOTL perk, which I'm assuming will make things at Universal a little less commando-ish, and also, I understand the crowds will be slower my week. So that's why I'm thinking maybe doing KSC is doable possibly. On the other hand, it will definitely closer driving-wise going to SW obviously.

The other thing is, I'm thinking SW is another amusement park, albeit incredible and all that....but maybe we should go for another experience that isn't so high octane! But then you have to weigh that with the drive, etc.

But don't forget the veg-out time in Miami afterwards!!

Do you still vote SeaWorld??

thanks so much for your thoughtfulness.

 

[padawans]

OMG, of course I take it as well meaning!!! And thank you for being so kind and considerate. And I do want to hear opinions; that is why I'm writing.
I happen to agree with you - I do think it's a cram. The thing is, we are going to be in Miami after the four Orlando days for another 12 days or so, just hanging out with the grandparents who will be down there from Canada (where I'm from originally). That's sort of the down-time vacation time for all of us. And that's why I'm thinking, maybe I should do the cram considering we have only the four days (My DH, however, is leaving the Miami part much earlier for home, and therefore can't extend the Orlando part even 1 more day).

And that is why I'm having such a difficult time deciding. I'm so grateful to hear from people like yourself who have the experience and can tell me that it's way too much to do.

On the other hand, we will be having the FOTL perk, which I'm assuming will make things at Universal a little less commando-ish, and also, I understand the crowds will be slower my week. So that's why I'm thinking maybe doing KSC is doable possibly. On the other hand, it will definitely closer driving-wise going to SW obviously.

The other thing is, I'm thinking SW is another amusement park, albeit incredible and all that....but maybe we should go for another experience that isn't so high octane! But then you have to weigh that with the drive, etc.

But don't forget the veg-out time in Miami afterwards!!

Do you still vote SeaWorld??

thanks so much for your thoughtfulness.

Its funny that I stumbled across this thread because I have been debating the same thing. We will be in Orlando 14 days and I still can't fit everything in without losing my sanity. I really want to ride the coasters at seaworld, but my dh really wants to go to kennedy space center. I know my kids would prefer seaworld, but I think I have decided on the space center for my dh. My other reason I'm not sure my thrill seeking ds will make the 54 inch mark before we get there so were going to busch gardens where they have coasters I know he can ride. Planning these trips is fun, but it will drive you nuts. Good luck with your descision.

 

[kventventx]

I live in San Diego and we have Sea World here so I have never been to the one in Orlando. We were at KSC 2007. Enjoyed the tours and guest lectures. Kids were excited to talk to a "real" astronaut. It is a better choice if they are launching rockets, satelites, etc. as there is more to see. But if you want a full day Sea World is more entertaining while KSC is more educational.

 

[Phil Cirrone]

I agree with Brenda Kennedy was a little boring.

 

[wegs3000]

Space dots are these frozen mini balls of ice cream that you can find at just about any mall so to have that be the highlight of our day at KSC was pretty disappointing.

Also consider there is a bit of a drive and we had horrific traffic on our way back into Orlando which we all wished we could have avoided. My suggestion is to poll your trips and find the thing close by that has the most interest. Aquatica sure looks like fun to us and we are going to try it on our next trip and skip going to Cape Canaveral this time.

Have a great time whatever you decide!

 

[keishashadow]

OP - if your family are truly fans of space program, why not let them make the callafter they check out the KSC website. Im biased, we've planned countless trips trying to catch a shuttle launch without success due to their necessary delays. Least we got to see a rocket launch!

btw, the most recent cancellation now schedules shuttle launch for no earlier than Nov 30...who knows...you might luck out & catch a launch if it's delayed yet again if that's on your to-do list!

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/discover-nasa.aspx

we booked a tour similiar to the one above, if interested suggest u book the 1st one of the day to allow time to explore everything at your own pace. You won't have to stretch as much when writing that school excuse for the vacation either lol their teachers could likely set up a report, etc. for ur kids to get some extra credit.

We revisited SW for the 1st time in ages last year, glad we did, forgot what a sweet park it is.

We've visited U during the 1st two weeks of December in the past and crowds were low during the week, hours short though. jmho, unless u want to spend an extraordinary amount of time visiting HP, 2 days would likely be sufficient if u wanted to include the other 2 parks.

 

[tamaraten]

Its funny that I stumbled across this thread because I have been debating the same thing. We will be in Orlando 14 days and I still can't fit everything in without losing my sanity. I really want to ride the coasters at seaworld, but my dh really wants to go to kennedy space center. I know my kids would prefer seaworld, but I think I have decided on the space center for my dh. My other reason I'm not sure my thrill seeking ds will make the 54 inch mark before we get there so were going to busch gardens where they have coasters I know he can ride. Planning these trips is fun, but it will drive you nuts. Good luck with your descision.

Thank you for the reply. Fourteen days sounds like a dream! I hope you enjoy.

 

[tamaraten]

I live in San Diego and we have Sea World here so I have never been to the one in Orlando. We were at KSC 2007. Enjoyed the tours and guest lectures. Kids were excited to talk to a "real" astronaut. It is a better choice if they are launching rockets, satelites, etc. as there is more to see. But if you want a full day Sea World is more entertaining while KSC is more educational.

How old were your kids when you went to KSC? Were any of them bored?

thanks for reply.

 

[tamaraten]

Space dots are these frozen mini balls of ice cream that you can find at just about any mall so to have that be the highlight of our day at KSC was pretty disappointing.

Also consider there is a bit of a drive and we had horrific traffic on our way back into Orlando which we all wished we could have avoided. My suggestion is to poll your trips and find the thing close by that has the most interest. Aquatica sure looks like fun to us and we are going to try it on our next trip and skip going to Cape Canaveral this time.

Have a great time whatever you decide!

I'll say. That's kind of sad, and surprising. It's amazing how many different viewpoints there are on KSC. Some people think it's incredibly fascinating, and some that it's really boring. It's interesting that there doesn't seem to be any type of consensus, not even close.

thanks for reply.

 

[tamaraten]

OP - if your family are truly fans of space program, why not let them make the callafter they check out the KSC website. Im biased, we've planned countless trips trying to catch a shuttle launch without success due to their necessary delays. Least we got to see a rocket launch!

btw, the most recent cancellation now schedules shuttle launch for no earlier than Nov 30...who knows...you might luck out & catch a launch if it's delayed yet again if that's on your to-do list!

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/discover-nasa.aspx

we booked a tour similiar to the one above, if interested suggest u book the 1st one of the day to allow time to explore everything at your own pace. You won't have to stretch as much when writing that school excuse for the vacation either lol their teachers could likely set up a report, etc. for ur kids to get some extra credit.

We revisited SW for the 1st time in ages last year, glad we did, forgot what a sweet park it is.

We've visited U during the 1st two weeks of December in the past and crowds were low during the week, hours short though. jmho, unless u want to spend an extraordinary amount of time visiting HP, 2 days would likely be sufficient if u wanted to include the other 2 parks.

Thank you so much for reply Keishashadow. I really wanted to know which tour would be advisable to book - there's the included one in admission price and there's the one you mentioned above (in link) that's extra, but if it's worth it, I'm happy to pay it. There are conflicting views on whether it provides more than the regular included tour. Did you feel it was really good?

The suggestion to do 2 days at Universal and then one day each at the two other parks is something I'm really thinking about. Just wondering if it's cramming too much in to four days - what do you think?

 

[ducky_love]

OUCH, that sounds painful!! Can you say why KSC is such a dud IYO?

thanks .

Honestly? I think it is dragging DH around. He is worse than a kid and tells me 200 times how bored his is.. then he starts offering me jewelry to leave!!

If it is your cup of tea then it is really fun and interesting. If you're not really into the space program you wonder why you bothered.