Leave a day early for KSC?

[minniesfriend]

Hello Everyone!

We are anxiously counting days to our trip to WDW and Disney cruise. We will be arriving WDW on a Tuesday and will be leaving early Sat. to embark.

Should we shave off one of our WDW tour days and do Kennedy Space Center? Our kids are DS 10 and DD 12. We did two Smithsonian Space museums this past Jan. Will we see anything different?

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

If you've been to WDW before and know what you want to do, then fine, go ahead and take a day out for KSC. But, if you haven't been, or it's been a long time since you've been, then I would be hesitant about cutting from 4 days to 3 days at WDW.
We are leaving WDW after 5 days this August. Then we drive to Cocoa Beach and spend Fri/Sat there, checking out the area, heading to KSC on Sat. Then on Sunday we leave on our cruise.

 

[HeatherC]

We are doing a Royal Caribbean cruise over Feb. break next year with 21 family members and are planning on doing the same thing. Arriving Tuesday night and then we embark on Sunday.

Since we haven't taken the kids there yet, we are planning on doing KSC. I have been to both the National Air and Space Museum and KSC. I think your kids would still enjoy it. But...if you've never been to Disney, I would say stay there and just drive over on Saturday morning.

If you are looking for a hotel in the area, I just booked a 2 bedroom at the Marriott Residence Inn in Cape Canaveral for the night before our cruise. It includes a full breakfast for everyone the next morning. Since we have so many people, we figured that would be worth it. I think we're paying $169, but the one bedrooms were less. It comes highly recommended on tripadvisor.

Enjoy your trip!!!!!

Heather

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

We did KSC many years ago('96) and though interesting, didn't feel it worth the price of admission. Our oldest DS was 10 at the time, and even though interested he got bored after the first hour or two. The biggest problem is that we didn't get close to anything (possibly due to heightened security for an upcoming rocket launch, launch vehicle transport and fueling safety concerns). From their website it appears they have expanded the "tour" and program which would be good, as it was lacking when we visited. There are full size decommissioned rockets, a shuttle mock-up, some decommissioned stuff, and a museum, but basically IMO it was an overpriced visitor center. I would call ahead to make sure there aren't any restrictions in place on the date you want to visit should you choose to do so.

Why I should have to pay to see a program paid for with my tax dollars in the first place is another subject altogether - though I have the same gripe with the current National Park system - WE paid for all this and now I get charged to see it? I can do THAT at WDW

 

[Vivianne]

Why I should have to pay to see a program paid for with my tax dollars in the first place is another subject altogether - though I have the same gripe with the current National Park system - WE paid for all this and now I get charged to see it? I can do THAT at WDW

I understand what you're saying. Last year, we went to the Grand Canyon and got the National Parks pass to save money. Our strategy was to visit as many parks as we could to get our money's worth. Unfortunately, it expires this month. Wish it didn't or we would visit a few more within driving distance. The only vacation we got entrances for free was Washington D.C. Maybe that's changed too?

 

[Lisa BC]

I would vote to stay at Disney, unless you head to Disney regularly.

My folks and my DS & DBIL (no kids) went to KSC last year, and they all left feeling a little disappointed with the experience - based upon the cost of admission. They told me that they couldn't really get close to all that much, and it got a little boring.

It has been a long time since I was at KSC... 30+ years. But I've been to both Smithsonian complexes in DC recently and was really impressed by both.

Of course, I'm biased... I love WDW, and always hate to leave.

Lisa

 

[Beejie]

When does the OP plan on going to KSC? Will it be after the new ride "Shuttle Launch Experience" opens at the end of May?

I was there this weekend (2nd of 3 planned trips this year because of Scouts) and saw the commericial for it before seeing an IMAX movie. If it is as good as it looks this ride will put Mission to Space to shame. The best part is NO SPINNING (from what I'm told).

I've not been on the KSC - Up Close Tour but I took the Then and Now tour in February with DS 10 (who is a space freak like his mom). It was so cool to go on to the Cape Canaveral military base and tour the Air Force Museum, then the launch site for Alan Shepard Mercury flight (with a Mercury Redstone standing on the launch site I may add). We got to go into the room where they launched him from and as they opened the thick blast doors, they told us, "This isn't mold you smell. Its history". Of course, it stinks like mold, but the computers are there, the launch control switch is there (DS got to flip it). You also get to go to the Apollo 1 fire site where Grissom, White and Chaffee were killed. You drive past the active launch pads and when we were there we saw the Delta 2 which was launched in February and the Delta 4 Heavy which was launched in March. It was cool.

As for the regular tour, you can only get so close because of security. But, they get you as close as you can get. They also have oportunities to hear an astronaut share their experiences. I was there Saturday and Wendy Lawrence (4 time astronaut) spoke to the Girl Scouts and Al Worden (Apollo 15) was there speaking to the public. Worden was there in February and spoke to the Boy Scouts.

I highly recommend going.

Beejie

 

[sundail]

We are anxiously counting days to our trip .

We Will be arriving on tuesday and will be leaving early.

 

[tiggermei]

I will put in more information on the new shuttle experience that KSC has opening on Memorial Day. Talked to astronauts who have ridden it (yes, really) as well as Mission:Space. Yes, they say it is better than M:S (though I still doubt it ), and there is NO spinning. They've got technology that very closely simulates the real shuttle (including weightlessness). I cannot wait to go and ride.

I do think KSC is overpriced, but the tour is really fun if your kids have learned about Apollo and if you're going when the shuttle is on the pad (though you can't get as close if it is). Personally, I would go with what other posters have said -- if you don't do Disney enough to feel like you're getting "jipped" perhaps you don't want to do KSC, however it is an amazing place that is getting more amazing. AND your kids can meet real astronauts and can occasionally get Mercury or Apollo astronauts, at that.