IT`S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...COCKTAILS, STEAKS AND CAKES..11 JOLLY HOLIDAY NIGHTS @ RPR-DEC 2019

[schumigirl]

We arrived yesterday, but I had WiFi issues and couldn’t use my iPad. The guys were fine, it was just me... It is beautiful here! So much sunshine, we are ecstatic! I will catch up after we get back, I really look forward to reading the rest of your report!

Yay...….glad to hear you`re there and weather is so good!!!! Glad to hear it.....

Have a blast and catch you when you get back

 

[schumigirl]

That fish formation was quite creepy! Almost as though they were animatronic lol. We look for the turtles, large ones usually sunning themselves on cement bank down in water near Seuss restrooms. Haven’t seen them last few trips. Don’t think turtle soup is ‘a thing’ in Orlando lol, probably just moved to different section of the lagoon.

It’s always nice to find something ‘free’ in town. You’d pay $120 a person to see it snow on MK Main Street, not factoring in the other special offerings of the party lol. Seems as more than a few have never seen it based upon how excited they are, good for them

Haven’t tried hibachi other than at epcot in MCO. That place you feature above looks promising. Last few outings as a couple away from home, seem to be placed with large groups who all know each other. Had the distinct vibe we were ‘crashing’ their party, awkward. Wish they’d take more care to set multiple groups together to encourage interaction.

The only turtles we`ve seen recently are the ones at the boat deck at RP....they`re always around there, but, yes, haven't seen the lagoon ones for a while.....will look in May for them. It was freaky Janet....yes, they did almost look animatronic....

Yes, the snow was a new thing for quite a few folks there.....but one dad did seem a little underwhelmed by it all.....Tom chatted to him as Kyle and I enjoyed the snow....he was from Wisconsin.....lol.....guess he was bemused at going to Orlando to see the very thing he was escaping from

Yes, the Kobe on Kirkman is very good....we`ll go back. Yes, if you get put with either a large group that's together it can be awkward....or folks that just don't like to mingle......we had two younger girls around early 20`s that just sat on their phone the whole meal.....and they barely ate anything at all......the woman beside me whispered she wondered why they even bothered.......but, it would look good on their Instagram page as they took a million food pics with the same amount of pouts as they pretended to eat!!! It was quite something to watch.....but a little scary!!!!

 

[I-4Bound]

So glad Kyle liked Hagrid's! We will be down there in February, and my son and I plan to ride Hagrid's as many times as possible! Our annual passes expire in March, and I know it will be a few years before we get back to Universal.

 

[schumigirl]

FRIDAY DECEMBER 6TH​

We all slept amazingly well last night, which was ideal as we were getting up extra early this morning. I heard Kyle up just before us, we had all set alarms just in case.....wouldn`t that be typical and be the day we all slept later than we ever do.........

But, we were fine. Kyle was showered before we even went through, so he was sitting all shiny faced and ready to go while I waited for my face to fall into place.......

The weather forecast was a bit confusing today, some were saying it would be cool, and others said hot. So I put sunscreen on and would take my hoodie just in case, Kyle who doesn`t really sweat, so doesn`t feel the heat like we do, decided to avoid sunscreen, except for the back of his neck and wear his hoodie....Tom would also put sunscreen on his arms. I decided to go with leggings just in case it did cool down......and with a light weight tee shirt, I`d be fine.

We were up at the lounge just as it opened and as the doors were open at 7am exactly....very precise.....we walked in the door to the general surprise from the folks working there......there was an audible gasp from one of the girls!!! We are always fairly early, but even this was a little too early.....and we finally saw some of the folks who were staying who were all doing EE!

We ate breakfast fairly quickly this morning, and it was a little early for me, but I tried to eat a decent amount as I knew if I didn`t I`d be starving by lunchtime. So, I ate as much as I could. Those two were fine, cereal for Kyle and croissants for Tom.

Back downstairs we pick up my bag and make sure we have the camera....most important thing today.....and then we head off for the hour or so it takes to get there.

To say we are looking forward to this is an understatement. This was one of the most looked forward to days of our trip. Since our visit last year we knew we`d be back again, and of course it should have been yesterday but the delayed launch meant we visited today. And it looked to be a gorgeous day, even if it did cool down a little, the sun was going to shine all day.

And the conversation all the way over was what we were most looking forward to and things we had seen last time.

I think we passed through 3 maybe 4 tolls on this road, I`m never sure why folks avoid tolls as they`re only a couple of dollars, and the road is so much easier than the traffic light city road it took us last year when we followed the satnav! Never again......

It`s very obvious when you get close to KSC. Land just stretches out with not very much around except traffic all seemingly heading the same way. And then we can see the VAB from a fair distance away.

This building is one of the world’s largest buildings by volume, and it is the world’s largest one-story building. I won`t drone on with loads of info like I did last year, but this is one stunning and impressive building.

There is a new entrance to the facility, which took us a slightly different route than last time....and we had a Japanese lady driving in front of us who got completely lost once we had paid at the gate and were driving to park.....she missed the vast open space that said car park this way.....and headed to the new exit.....she was completely flummoxed!!! Once we parked she appeared behind us and drove round past us twice...…there were a million spaces!!!! When she eventually chose one, she drove straight into it....almost, then took another three attempts to get inside the lines! You worry about folks like that one the road...if you can`t even park between two lines with no other cars around??? Scary.

We were parked in only the second row but as we looked to the side I think we saw every Florida school kid there is get off many, many coaches!!!!! This didn`t look like a lot of fun!!! It was hot, so opted to leave my hoodie in the car as I was sure I wouldn`t need it now. And already I was wishing I had worn a dress. Although most of the things are inside, so it would be fine.

Last year, we were here on a Wednesday round about the same date, and there were one or two smaller school groups, and around another maybe 10 people in the place as we went in. This was completely different.

Kyle and I wandered over to the huge Christmas decoration at the entrance, although we couldn't really get near it for thousands of kids all sprawled over the ground and throwing bottles of water at each other while some folks tried to get around them.....and this particular group`s chaperones didn`t seem to care.....

Tom got our entrance tickets, and although we could back before next December Kyle said we couldn`t go without him! So, we didn`t buy the multiday which is a fabulous bargain, but 3 regular daily tickets. This is still a fabulous price for what you receive in return from here.

This was the line to get through the gate and security check.....and every lane was exactly the same.

Every kid having backpacks of varying size didn't help the line. And folks who weren't travelling with the schools were all complaining there should be a separate line for us non school trip people. But, as it was we had to wait. It did take longer than it should have. One of the Staff members we spoke to called it Frightful Friday. He said, yes they get a lot of school trips most days, but a Friday was the worst.....we`d remember that next year!!!

Once we were in our first stop would have been the Heroes and Legends show. This had been so good last year, we wanted to do it first again, but......the line was already all the way down to the rocket garden with school kids.......we did actually join it, but after 20 minutes when it didn`t move, we decided to give up for today. Just to get in to the first part with this corwd would take an hour or so. As we had done it before, it was an easy pass.

So, we wandered into the Rocket Garden and noticed at that point that most of the groups had dispersed naturally and there were no huge clumps of kids at this point. The odd little group were around but the ones here were all so well behaved and some chatted to us as we looked at the same objects.

Three youngsters were amazed when we said we came from Scotland...….I think we could have said we were from Mars and they wouldn`t have as impressed. They did look like the thought we had come from another planet. One of the girls first question was had we seen the Loch Ness Monster.....of course we had was my answer....everybody had seen it...…lol.....not sure they believed me!!!

They do have some very not too obvious Christmas decorations around.....

This is the Saturn 1B rocket which was being restored when we were here last year. It`s the last remaining intact and flight-configured Saturn 1B rocket left in existence. And it is huge!!!!

The first one launched Apollo 7 on 11 October 1968.

And we were massively impressed with what they had done with it since last year.

Kyle again was entranced again with all the information available...….

We spent around 30 minutes wandering around the Rocket Garden today, it was fairly quiet as most of the kids seemed to be elsewhere at this point. There are little tours you can take where the guide will take you round each rocket and tell you it`s history in detail, but as our son had already done that with us last year we had no need of a guide. But, it did sound very interesting to do if you have no knowledge of the rockets.

We were heading towards the Journey to Mars building we had missed out last year. And again, it didn't look too busy around this area.

I think my son is making fun of how short I am!!!!!

Going inside the journey to Mars was new to us, last year we were more aware of wanting to do the two largest exhibits and we missed this one out, so we weren`t exactly sure what we`d see in here.

There are some spectacular images around in various forms and it was a busy little place when we went in.

There is short show where one of the employees gives you a brief history and there are films and images shown. I wouldn`t say it`s a must do, but there were some interesting displays to see further back.

We did enjoy it, and would do it again next time. You could do it in around 30 minutes. Depending how interested you are in the displays on offer.

On to one of the main reasons we were here, and that was to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis display and boy was it a display and a half.

You can also see where you take the bus tours that take you to see the VAB up close and Saturn V.

Coming up.....Atlantis.

 

[schumigirl]

So glad Kyle liked Hagrid's! We will be down there in February, and my son and I plan to ride Hagrid's as many times as possible! Our annual passes expire in March, and I know it will be a few years before we get back to Universal.

Yep, he absolutely loved it! He also adored Duelling Dragons, and does miss that ride a lot, so we knew this one better be amazing for him to think it wasn't a mistake replacing what was our favourite coaster here.....and yes, he thinks it`s a worthy replacement. But like us, would prefer it was still here in addition to Hagrid`s.....lol......

I`m sure you`ll both love it. It is worth a wait, not too long but, yes, I`d wait a little while for this one.

Oh they expire in March???? But, my goodness when you do come back there`ll be so many more new things to discover, I think that`s the best part of taking a break for a couple of years.

 

[I-4Bound]

Yep, he absolutely loved it! He also adored Duelling Dragons, and does miss that ride a lot, so we knew this one better be amazing for him to think it wasn't a mistake replacing what was our favourite coaster here.....and yes, he thinks it`s a worthy replacement. But like us, would prefer it was still here in addition to Hagrid`s.....lol......

I`m sure you`ll both love it. It is worth a wait, not too long but, yes, I`d wait a little while for this one.

Oh they expire in March???? But, my goodness when you do come back there`ll be so many more new things to discover, I think that`s the best part of taking a break for a couple of years.

Yes, a little break will keep things fresh. I will miss it, but we are going to Disney, s Sea world, and Aquatica this summer.

Waiting an hour or so for Hagrid will feel like a cakewalk compared to the 9-hour wait last summer!

 

[angryduck71]

OMG I finally caught up again! Some thoughts:

Tom said I was definitely due a treat........

I think this man is one of the greatest ever.

But, I did see them at Live Aid and Queen were the highlight of the whole day......they were spectacular......

They were AWESOME -- but I would say tied with U2.

I could NOT get Davy to try Confisco this trip. Maybe next! Last time we were there, Spider-Man was there and spent 30 minutes with Davy. He had just turned 5.

You catch so much more stuff than I do. We didn't do a lot of time in the parks this trip, but one morning, I spent some time just looking around, taking pics, determined to "be like Carole." I got distracted by warm butterbeer. LOL.

Your report is so much fun.

 

[schumigirl]

Yes, a little break will keep things fresh. I will miss it, but we are going to Disney, s Sea world, and Aquatica this summer.

Waiting an hour or so for Hagrid will feel like a cakewalk compared to the 9-hour wait last summer!

lol......oh I forgot you waited last year!! I really admire you for that......that’s dedication......and yes, sounds like you have some lovely visits still planned........that’s always good!!

 

[schumigirl]

OMG I finally caught up again! Some thoughts:


I think this man is one of the greatest ever.


They were AWESOME -- but I would say tied with U2.

I could NOT get Davy to try Confisco this trip. Maybe next! Last time we were there, Spider-Man was there and spent 30 minutes with Davy. He had just turned 5.

You catch so much more stuff than I do. We didn't do a lot of time in the parks this trip, but one morning, I spent some time just looking around, taking pics, determined to "be like Carole." I got distracted by warm butterbeer. LOL.

Your report is so much fun.

lol.....yes, he’s a keeper!!!!

That sounds fabulous with Spider-Man and Davy.......love the interactions at Universal.......does he remember that?

Yes, it’s easy to get distracted.......lol......especially by food or drink!!!

Well, I detest U2, can’t abide Bono ........so never been a fan. Honestly, no one got near Queen that day for performance and crowd reaction......they lifted the whole arena and no other band got a better response than them......it was phenomenal. I take it you like U2Did I mention I can’t stand Bono........

Thanks my friend, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.......

 

[disneyfam23]

Hi Carole - I don't post much on here and have probably never commented on one of your reports but I want you to know that I have read and enjoyed them all! I started reading them about this time last yr as it has been kind of a dream for us to visit UO at some point. In April last yr I started poking around on the site and next thing I know, I had booked a surprise trip for me and my hubby and my kids! It was their gift from Santa this year and it was SO hard to keep it under wraps. In the meantime, I binged all of your trip reports just soaking up the fun and the knowledge! So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person!

I just wanted to post here and say THANK YOU for all of the reports you have shared with us! The tips and photos are just so outstanding! I love that you and Tom adventure to other places around the area and share your experiences and feedback with tons of us "strangers" from all over the world! It really in invaluable! Thank you again and who knows, maybe we can plan a trip one day during one of Carole and Tom's trips and say thank you in person!

 

[schumigirl]

This is a true highlight of our day.

The Space Shuttle story and the history of this magnificent machine is completely mind blowing. No one can fail to be impressed surely seeing it in operating, and I don't think you ever forget that first time seeing it land the way a plane would. I know I still remember that and being overwhelmed by just what we were all witnessing.

Well, before the internet fed us every single detail of the process, we had no clue just how much effort went into getting the programme up and running and becoming the impressive success it was.

The Pre Show before you are given the reveal is a condensed story of the successes and failures of the employees who worked tirelessly to get this amazing achievement up and running successfully. And they did have some knocks and setbacks along the way.

The giant screen show you some of that process with footage and commentary and is really interesting.

This is the room that you see the show, and we were again lucky, as there were only around 20 people in with us, so it wasn't busy at all.

And then you go through to another room where you get another visual treat complete with sound effects which are loud.....and then the big reveal itself.

I said the first time we went and saw this, we had no idea this was how they did it....well I think Kyle had an idea, but for me it was incredibly emotional and is quite overwhelming to see the actual Space Shuttle Atlantis, especially the way it is revealed to you.

And it was quite the same this time.

The reveal is beautiful and one of the most impressive things I`ve ever seen.

The size of the engines is impressive and I`m 5 7" and it completely dwarves me.

There are two former Engineers who worked on the programmes over the years and they are so interesting to chat to. They are always opposite the Shuttle itself and they are keen for folks to talk to them and ask any questions. They have a wealth of knowledge and are very nice too, you really could stand and chat to them all day.

A kind of simulator of the Shuttle cockpit.....there are always folks waiting to sit in and have a feel what it was like in there...…cramped I can imagine.

There are many interactive elements for people to have a go at and they are a lot of fun.....it showed me how uncoordinated I really am!!!

Tom and Kyle however could do most tasks easily......of course they could!!!

The replica of the Hubble is something that really interests Kyle as something of an amateur astronomer.......and there`s no doubt the Hubble is a spectacular piece of equipment. Some of the pictures it has shown us over it`s time in space have been truly spectacular.....and has taught us so much about the origins of the Universe.

This picture below is one Kyle took with his telescope......it`s the Orion Nebula or M42 to give it a technical name. It is huge and can be visible with the naked eye. Very beautiful thing to see and I love this picture although it hasn`t appeared as clear as it really is.

Some of his pictures are spectacular, despite not having anything like The Hubble at home. Although when we saw the size of his most recent telescope purchase....we did gasp slightly!!! But, he loves it and it`s something he really enjoys in his spare time.

And again, an almost side view of the Shuttle with the main area open so we can see inside.

At this point those massive doors opened and a whole crowd of people came through from the pre reveal room.....and I was glad we had come in when we did......there were hundreds of them....the rooms must have been filled to capacity. And now those mostly kids, were descending on these displays...…..so we headed downstairs.

The underside of the Shuttle is as impressive as the top part....you can really see where the tiles had been replaced over time.

There are many things we pass and don't do, a lot are for kids who can walk a glass tunnel with no shoes on, and many more, but we are down to look at some of the exhibits here.

Also, the amount of information around to read is wonderful. There are detailed comments all around and packed full of facts a lot of folks like us won`t know. We`ve learned a lot in just over two visits.

The Forever Remembered area is sombre and a very reflective place to walk through. Full of emotional pictures and personal objects of the brave men and women who have died in pursuit of the programme.

Last time we felt a little guilty at taking the pictures of these items, but one of the Employees assured us they are there to be pictured and immortalised forever. We still felt a little uncomfortable though.

I won`t post as many pictures as last year but suffice to say, if you go to KSC don`t miss this beautiful but poignant area.

Here we have the remains of Challenger`s Body Panel and from Columbia, the cockpit window.

We were quite dismayed to see a few of the kids that had come down were running around here laughing and joking and not really understanding what area they were in. Their chaperones seemed to have disappeared at that point. One employee was actively seeking out who was in charge of these kids. I don`t even think they had a clue. The employee was annoyed at the lack of respect shown here. And yes, so did we and the other few people they ran around.

Once we had left that area Tom and Kyle wanted to do the Space Shuttle Experience. It simulates take off and although I would like to have done it, one of the ladies said it does knock your head a little. So, I gave it a pass and they went on. They were very lucky as it only took them around 15 minutes to get on, after they went through a whole mass of folks mainly kids wen to get in line to go on this too. The employee who let folks in ended up getting a megaphone and had to shout for their chaperones to come forward as they couldn`t go on without them.....that seemed to take forever, and of course kids are noisy.....she almost gave up when the chaperones finally appeared. It didn`t leave a good impression with staff I`m guessing. But, I was glad they hadn`t waited and would have been behind that crowd!

I will say though, there were some lovely well mannered kids around. I went to the bathroom and one group stopped and held the door open with a smile.....some kids you would have been proud to have been their parents. And I did tell one group leader how polite those kids had been.

They came off and said it was alright....Tom and Kyle both said I`d have been fine with the amount of movement it had. Well, maybe next time. But they were glad they did it and shuddered when they turned to see the line now for the experience.

But, we had loved this experience this morning.....it is completely awe inspiring.

Now we were all hungry.

The food here is just to fill you. It`s not fancy and not anything special, so we didn't care where we ate. So as the place we went to before was right next door, we came back out of the gift shop where of course every ride ends.......and walked the short distance to Orbit for lunch.

We walked in the door and our face fell.........this what we saw...….












Every single kid that was here, I swear were lining up in front of us, there were millions of them.....and I have never heard noise like it in years...….We did think about going to the other food place but one very frazzled looking teacher who looked as if she`d rather be anywhere else in the world right now, mentioned that the other half of the kids were there......

So, we stood in line....well, as much as we could find a line as they were bouncing around everywhere......and as we stood it got noisier.....and noisier and then another new level of noisy, until eventually in my head I heard a sound...…..

I didn`t actually yell at them …...only in my head. But, it felt better....although it wasn't any better really.....the teacher in front of us was lovely.....she tried to chat though the din and I barely heard much of what she said so I left Tom to talk to her while I rather unusually felt incredibly grumpy........the noise was incredible!!!! She was also bemoaning the lack of chaperones, or rather how they had disappeared and left her to it.

You order from a machine where you see pictures of the food and you press what you want and how many. You can customise this too and add anything you like. The machine we used took cash, but some were card only I believe. We ordered mac n cheese for Kyle who had wisely wandered off to find a table about twenty minutes before, Tom got the burger with fries and I chose the pulled pork bun. The sauce was on the side with the ketchup and mustard you just helped yourself.

Tom`s burger was actually nicer than it looked, and Kyle loved the mac n cheese which we were glad about. My pulled pork was at best, just ok.....the sauce was also just ok, but the pork was already too cool.

And the tables to the side of us were full of the chaperones eating their lunch with no kids around them. They were all to the other side of us and most took great pleasure on banging the salt and pepper containers on to the table.....I was desperate to leave and carry on with our day.

The food isn't the reason you come here that`s for sure and it wasn't too bad. I think it was just under $50 for three of us. Kyle had a bottle of water and we had a pepsi each. Not expensive, but not great either. It really did just take the hunger away.



Next up.....Saturn V

 

[schumigirl]

Hi Carole - I don't post much on here and have probably never commented on one of your reports but I want you to know that I have read and enjoyed them all! I started reading them about this time last yr as it has been kind of a dream for us to visit UO at some point. In April last yr I started poking around on the site and next thing I know, I had booked a surprise trip for me and my hubby and my kids! It was their gift from Santa this year and it was SO hard to keep it under wraps. In the meantime, I binged all of your trip reports just soaking up the fun and the knowledge! So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person!

I just wanted to post here and say THANK YOU for all of the reports you have shared with us! The tips and photos are just so outstanding! I love that you and Tom adventure to other places around the area and share your experiences and feedback with tons of us "strangers" from all over the world! It really in invaluable! Thank you again and who knows, maybe we can plan a trip one day during one of Carole and Tom's trips and say thank you in person!

disneyfam23...….


So good to see you post!!! I`m so happy to read you`ve enjoyed the reports....always makes my day!!!

And I`m kind of jealous I have to say.....I`d love to go back and see it for the first time once again....especially today with everything it has now compared to 12 years ago.

I know you'll have the best time on your trip, and I can imagine what a lovely surprise that must have been for your kids....how old are they???

And thank you too for your lovely comments....I do appreciate hearing that.....I love doing trip reports for several reasons, and glad when people enjoy them. And yes, it would be lovely to say hello one day....

Have a wonderful trip and don`t be a stranger....come back and let us know how your trip goes......

 

[J'aime Paris]

Loving all these pictures!
I will get to KSC for a visit someday!!

 

[schumigirl]

Loving all these pictures!
I will get to KSC for a visit someday!!

Thanks!

It really is one of the highlights of our December trips.....amazing place and we could kick ourselves for not going before last year!! I think you`d love it......

 

[Tink2Day]

Sorry but I would have told those kids to shape up! I used to teach elementary school, still am certified to teach K-8 and my classes NEVER misbehaved.

I was warned off two little 2nd grade boys in my class, I adored those two, they reminded me of my brothers when we were all small....Guess what? Those two little boys were the most well behaved in the class, even their parents noticed a change at home. I NEVER sent one child to the principal, I just treated them with respect and they returned it. Now I can't say the same for all of the parents and other teachers, part of the reason I changed professions.

 

[schumigirl]

Sorry but I would have told those kids to shape up! I used to teach elementary school, still am certified to teach K-8 and my classes NEVER misbehaved.

I was warned off two little 2nd grade boys in my class, I adored those two, they reminded me of my brothers when we were all small....Guess what? Those two little boys were the most well behaved in the class, even their parents noticed a change at home. I NEVER sent one child to the principal, I just treated them with respect and they returned it. Now I can't say the same for all of the parents and other teachers, part of the reason I changed professions.

Well, between you and I......I did in the Forever Remembered area.....but.......I was “advised” to keep it to myself by my son......lol......Yep, whether or not it was my place, I spoke up.

I hear you. I worked in a school for a while and some kids surprised you.....usually in a good way. Discipline seems to be lacking in so many parents.....it’s not hard to bring children up properly.

Although not sure I’d want to be a teacher today......

 

[JAMIESMITH]

So we leave for our first every trip this Wed (1/15) and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I could be if it coincided with one of yours and Tom's trips so I could meet you in person!

We arrive on the 18th, our first time at Universal as well, so maybe we will see you there. Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.

 

[schumigirl]

We arrive on the 18th, our first time at Universal as well, so maybe we will see you there. Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.

Hope you have the best time!! And thank you.....that's lovely to hear.....just hope you love them now......lol......

 

[schumigirl]

Lunch had been far too loud an experience, and I had the beginnings of a headache, not surprisingly, but a couple of Tylenol and I`d be fine!!! I was very sorry at this point, that KSC does not sell alcohol!!!!

We are still in awe of Atlantis after lunch. It truly is one of the most impressive things we`ve ever seen. The history of it is beyond words at times and it`s one of these things you have to experience.

Before we go for the bus tour to see Saturn V we stop off at the Kugel Constellation Sphere. This is a massive sphere which has 88 constellations etched into it and as most will know a Kugel floats on fountains of water and shows the tremendous force of buoyancy and friction! Science is amazing!!!

The buses have got better since last year. They seemed a little in need of replacing and seems as though they had been. The ones they have now are more modern and seats are a little comfier.

The line is huge when we arrive at the tour area, and we think we`re going to have to wait for the next one. They really do come one after the other, so you`ll never wait too long.

But, rather surprisingly we did get on this bus, although we were almost at the back, but we did get on the side we wanted to sit this time. For the best views when you get on the bus, sit to your left......

The tour last year passed the launch pads, but this time it avoided them completely which was a big disappointment. They never told us why the change or if there was a reason. So, maybe it was just for that day we were unlucky. I hope so as seeing the launch pads is something special.

The VAB you can of course see for miles, and this is something everyone wants a picture of as we approach......and this is why we liked to sit on that side of the bus...you got the best view of this behemoth of a building.

The Crawler Transporters are so impressive!! They really are giants in slow motion, that first carried all the Apollo Saturn V rockets, and thereafter have taken every space shuttle on the last Earth bound part of their journeys into space.

The stats fascinate us, but I know they`re not for everyone. But, just a few....it is between 20-26 feet tall, 31 feet long and 113 feet wide.....and it looks so much bigger when you see them close. It does weigh 5.5 million pounds and has a fuel capacity of 5,000 gallons. And you certainly don't get much value out of fuel consumption!!! Maximum speed 2mph.

They were working on one of the older ones as we passed I`m guessing for something that is upcoming.

Our bus driver was pretty good this year and he did give out lots of relevant info, everything expect why we didn't visit the launch pads.

I turned to look out of the other side of the windows at this point, and a woman beside me who was with her son and husband behind.....had rather amazingly......fallen asleep!!! She was out for the count!

And she stayed asleep till we arrived at the Saturn V building!

The giant doors to the one storey VAB takes around 45 minutes to open and close, and they are almost open here today. That seems to take an awful lot of patience!! Our driver did tell us what was in there today, but I was chatting and missed it!!

When we arrive at the Saturn V building, the woman beside me jumps with a start as the bus stops and he son who is around 7 I think gives her into trouble for sleeping but they speak another language so it`s just a guess, but she didn't look happy with him lol........we get off the bus and today we have to wait a few moments for the doors to open, then you wander into a room that again shows videos and has information on the subject. You are standing quite a while in here, but you can go through the exit doors if you really want to. It is worth seeing though.

Then relive history in the Firing Room as you watch the first crewed Saturn V mission blasts into space.

Saturn V is an immense monster of a rocket.

Truly...….it is huge and till you stand underneath it you simply cannot appreciate just how much effort and technology it would take to get this thing into the air!!!

Like the one in the garden, you just can`t get the whole of this amazing structure in one shot.....

I have a thousand pictures of today in this building alone, but obviously not going to post all of them!!! But, there is so much to see and do from the moment you step into this building, it really is a complete assault on every emotion you have concerning the Space Programme.

It is also incredibly busy over this way. But, the building is vast and we never feel crowded.

I think we had missed this little area last year, so made sure we went in today and it was a decent little display. Ad Astra Per Aspera

The Apollo 1 Tribute is dedicated to the lives, accomplishments and memories of Roger Chaffee, Gus Grissom and Ed White. They were sadly the three astronauts who perished in training for the Apollo 1 flight.

I could not imagine being stuck in an area this size for all the tea in China!!! You certainly couldn`t suffer from any type of claustrophobia to do this job!!!

They had changed this little display.....you used to be able to put three separate hands in to touch the little piece that came from the moon...but now you can only have two hands touch it at the same time.....

And here we had some lovely polite children who actually stood back till we had taken our picture, I made sure to take the time to thank them.

We then went into another area we had missed last year, The Apollo Treasures Gallery. And this place was fascinating and we could have spent so much longer. I think next time we should really do two day here as there is so much to see and do. We all spend a lot of time telling people not to try and do Universal in a day, and this feels a bit like that, and to do it complete justice takes more than one day. Everything we did today was included in the regular admission with no additions which we would like to do at some point.

Apollo 14 command module is so small. It is incredible to imagine this little piece of history going further than a roll around the beach!!!

The image doesn't show just how neat and tiny the inside is, but holy moly.....it is tight.

Rather amazingly, you can still clearly see the moon dust on Alan Shepherds space suit.

We wander around here for at least a couple of hours exploring and we could have stayed longer. Eventually we head outside and although it is late afternoon now, it is beautiful and still hot.

Looking over to the launch pads and the VAB from here it is still as impressive as being up close.

We were on the grass wandering over by the fence, and about now Kyle pointed out an area under the fence where "something" had burrowed either in or out!!!! That was enough for me.....I was up on the podium steps......funnily enough with Kyle close at my heels!!!!

Not really fans of possibly running into rogue wildlife!!!

Standing up on the podium steps you can see everything so much clearer and we are imagining folks standing here watching all the historic and successful missions that left. And of course the ones that weren`t. I can only imagine what that would have been like, seeing history made in such a triumphant way. But I also remember seeing the camera focus on Christa McAuliffe`s parents and all the children when the Challenger disaster happened. It`s funny how out of any disaster there are some images that remain out of them all. And her parents faces were one of them that stayed with me. But, I also have amazing memories of the ones that were highly successful.

It is an amazingly beautiful place and we could have stayed her for hours just taking it all in.

Coming up.....last few pictures of KSC including one of my favourite pictures ever...….and dinner!!!!

 

[disneyfam23]

Carole's trip reports definitely contributed to us giving the other theme parks a try.

If she isn't already she should definitely be on the marketing payroll!!