LarryFmScotland
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 6, 2003
- Messages
- 357
Larry Live and Loud Day Ten.
Wednesday 7th August 2003.
Posse
Larry Wilmot 44 Social Work Manager.
Jill Wilmot 43 Nursing Home Inspector
Greg and Ed Wilmot. Attendees of A School in Darkest Scotland.
Good Morning Folks on this bright morning, not too hot today, we set the alarm for six thirty to go do early entry at Magic Kingdom, but none of us got up until I did at Eight . So the good burgers of the Magic Kingdom had to get by without us.
But onward and upwards, to boldly go where no one has gone before, the Kennedy Space Centre. The drive over there was very pleasant partly because I found the map Alamo gave us when we picked up the hire jalopy. So up the I4 and across the 528, Jill was in charge of finding the tolls and she single-handedly managed to get rid of all the crud in the bottom of my bum bag. So that makes me 20 pounds lighter coz there were a lot of coins hanging out in there.
The space centre seemed quite when we arrived. Those guys could teach Disney a thing or two about security. They used metal detectors and a thorough search of bags, including you show them that electrical items worked e.g. our digi camera. But One is a Military Airbase and one - well isnt.
First of all we paid up our dues, and it was more expensive than I remembered we opted for the Pauper Pack, i.e. basic entry and tour inc the IMAX.
We went over to the tour busses first, they were very slow and disorganised with no sense of urgency whatsoever. But after a fairly lengthy wait, considering there were not that many people about, with tons of tour busses doing precisely nothing, we got on the bus to the Viewing Gantry for the two Launch Pads. This is not that interesting nor that close, but there is an engine that has flown 15 times there, so respect to that piece of machinery. Im sure that the film they show there used to be on the monitors on the bus and the quality is poor when projected onto a big screen. There are a couple of marginally interesting models that show the sequence of a launch.
We then had a very long wait for the busses to the Apollo Saturn Five Exhibition. This is very cool. You have to be inspired by the power of this machine, has there ever been a more powerful man made machine than this, (other than those designed to create mass death.)
Most of us 40 somethings can remember what they were doing when the Apollo Missions were happening, my abiding memory was as a little chap in Huddersfield Yorkshire in the centre of town by the Church Rose Garden, having got off the bus from Bradford and looking up at the moon, and thinking, there are men walking on that tonight!!
The launch sequence and the Lunar Landing are fun exhibits. I enjoyed those. But I enjoyed reading the boards about each mission the most. One other little high spot for me was walking outside and seeing the empty benches (Bleaches????) where the family watch the launches from and thinking of the emotions that must go through there minds, excitement, pride and fear.
The opportunity to touch a piece of Moon Rock is seriously under whelming, but hey Ive done it now. After we got the tour bus back, we went to Astronaut Experience this is where you get to ask questions of a real life Astronaut we got to meet Don Peterson, he had been back up crew for Apollo 16 and a member of the crew which flew the first Discovery Mission STS 6, he made the first Spacewalk from an Obiter. So quite a cool guy. He was interesting and Edward got to ask a question about how you get to sleep in space, apparently some guys just float but he liked to be strapped down, because he was worried that if he floated he might hit some switches or circuit breakers which might not be a terribly clever thing to do. Afterwards Ed got his photo taken with Don. I bought the STS 6 medallion and I will frame it with the Photo for Ed, it isnt every day you get to chat to an Astronaut. I shook his hand and he was very gracious. I really enjoyed that 30 minutes.
Afterwards we looked at couple of minor attractions which were no great shakes. Then we did another big highlight. The 45 minute IMAX 3D film about the International Space Station. This was really good, you were almost floating in space with these guys and there is a very funny joke by the cosmonauts and astronauts about bringing supplies to the space station. The film and the centre on the whole is very good at recognising the role of the Russians in the space programme. Lets face it if it wasnt for the competition with the Russians there would have been no American to walk on the moon. And there achievements have been equally as important. The first Satellite, First Man in Space and the First Woman is not a bad record. And dont forget the First Pooch in Space, I hope it wasnt a Poodle. This film is a MUST DO.
After this the boys were spaced out so they went to the shop to buy things, Jill and I went to look around the mock up Obiter, and to see the Memorial. The memorial was closed, and one of the staff said they may be adding the names of the Columbia Crew, I dont know if that was true, but it was a sad thought, we had seen the hanger that the remains of Columbia are kept on the tour.
By then we had been there seven hours and it was time to head back to WDW.
We had tea at the Movies and then the boys went swimming. Jill and I drove over to MGM to see Fantasmic, but it was chucking it down so we thought it would be cancelled and we didnt fancy sitting for an hour in the rain, even if it was on. Though there were a lot of people queuing up by the secret entrance having had the meal deal. (I hope they get in.) Jill did Muppets, (I couldnt face a third showing!) so I went and did the dreaded Star Tours, I enjoyed the queue the most, with the tale of the naughty droids in sector 2.
We also did the Great Movie Ride, it has had a re-hab recently but you would be hard pushed to tell. It looks a bit more spruced up but they could have at least taken the opportunity to update the films at the end. Obviously the lame acting is up to its usual standard, so bad its great.
Well with an early night to write up the TR, Ill say toodle pip and have a nice night.
Cheers Larry.
Wednesday 7th August 2003.
Posse
Larry Wilmot 44 Social Work Manager.
Jill Wilmot 43 Nursing Home Inspector
Greg and Ed Wilmot. Attendees of A School in Darkest Scotland.
Good Morning Folks on this bright morning, not too hot today, we set the alarm for six thirty to go do early entry at Magic Kingdom, but none of us got up until I did at Eight . So the good burgers of the Magic Kingdom had to get by without us.
But onward and upwards, to boldly go where no one has gone before, the Kennedy Space Centre. The drive over there was very pleasant partly because I found the map Alamo gave us when we picked up the hire jalopy. So up the I4 and across the 528, Jill was in charge of finding the tolls and she single-handedly managed to get rid of all the crud in the bottom of my bum bag. So that makes me 20 pounds lighter coz there were a lot of coins hanging out in there.
The space centre seemed quite when we arrived. Those guys could teach Disney a thing or two about security. They used metal detectors and a thorough search of bags, including you show them that electrical items worked e.g. our digi camera. But One is a Military Airbase and one - well isnt.
First of all we paid up our dues, and it was more expensive than I remembered we opted for the Pauper Pack, i.e. basic entry and tour inc the IMAX.
We went over to the tour busses first, they were very slow and disorganised with no sense of urgency whatsoever. But after a fairly lengthy wait, considering there were not that many people about, with tons of tour busses doing precisely nothing, we got on the bus to the Viewing Gantry for the two Launch Pads. This is not that interesting nor that close, but there is an engine that has flown 15 times there, so respect to that piece of machinery. Im sure that the film they show there used to be on the monitors on the bus and the quality is poor when projected onto a big screen. There are a couple of marginally interesting models that show the sequence of a launch.
We then had a very long wait for the busses to the Apollo Saturn Five Exhibition. This is very cool. You have to be inspired by the power of this machine, has there ever been a more powerful man made machine than this, (other than those designed to create mass death.)
Most of us 40 somethings can remember what they were doing when the Apollo Missions were happening, my abiding memory was as a little chap in Huddersfield Yorkshire in the centre of town by the Church Rose Garden, having got off the bus from Bradford and looking up at the moon, and thinking, there are men walking on that tonight!!
The launch sequence and the Lunar Landing are fun exhibits. I enjoyed those. But I enjoyed reading the boards about each mission the most. One other little high spot for me was walking outside and seeing the empty benches (Bleaches????) where the family watch the launches from and thinking of the emotions that must go through there minds, excitement, pride and fear.
The opportunity to touch a piece of Moon Rock is seriously under whelming, but hey Ive done it now. After we got the tour bus back, we went to Astronaut Experience this is where you get to ask questions of a real life Astronaut we got to meet Don Peterson, he had been back up crew for Apollo 16 and a member of the crew which flew the first Discovery Mission STS 6, he made the first Spacewalk from an Obiter. So quite a cool guy. He was interesting and Edward got to ask a question about how you get to sleep in space, apparently some guys just float but he liked to be strapped down, because he was worried that if he floated he might hit some switches or circuit breakers which might not be a terribly clever thing to do. Afterwards Ed got his photo taken with Don. I bought the STS 6 medallion and I will frame it with the Photo for Ed, it isnt every day you get to chat to an Astronaut. I shook his hand and he was very gracious. I really enjoyed that 30 minutes.
Afterwards we looked at couple of minor attractions which were no great shakes. Then we did another big highlight. The 45 minute IMAX 3D film about the International Space Station. This was really good, you were almost floating in space with these guys and there is a very funny joke by the cosmonauts and astronauts about bringing supplies to the space station. The film and the centre on the whole is very good at recognising the role of the Russians in the space programme. Lets face it if it wasnt for the competition with the Russians there would have been no American to walk on the moon. And there achievements have been equally as important. The first Satellite, First Man in Space and the First Woman is not a bad record. And dont forget the First Pooch in Space, I hope it wasnt a Poodle. This film is a MUST DO.
After this the boys were spaced out so they went to the shop to buy things, Jill and I went to look around the mock up Obiter, and to see the Memorial. The memorial was closed, and one of the staff said they may be adding the names of the Columbia Crew, I dont know if that was true, but it was a sad thought, we had seen the hanger that the remains of Columbia are kept on the tour.
By then we had been there seven hours and it was time to head back to WDW.
We had tea at the Movies and then the boys went swimming. Jill and I drove over to MGM to see Fantasmic, but it was chucking it down so we thought it would be cancelled and we didnt fancy sitting for an hour in the rain, even if it was on. Though there were a lot of people queuing up by the secret entrance having had the meal deal. (I hope they get in.) Jill did Muppets, (I couldnt face a third showing!) so I went and did the dreaded Star Tours, I enjoyed the queue the most, with the tale of the naughty droids in sector 2.
We also did the Great Movie Ride, it has had a re-hab recently but you would be hard pushed to tell. It looks a bit more spruced up but they could have at least taken the opportunity to update the films at the end. Obviously the lame acting is up to its usual standard, so bad its great.
Well with an early night to write up the TR, Ill say toodle pip and have a nice night.
Cheers Larry.
