"Mommy! Dey heads is fweaky!" 8 (otherwise) wonderful days in March 2011

[camsmomE]

Hey Alicia! Your family is too cute and I'm loving your report!!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Hey Alicia! Your family is too cute and I'm loving your report!!

Thanks! and

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

After seeing everything we wanted at the Kennedy Space Center visitor’s complex, we boarded buses for a 2 stop tour of additional buildings. The Space center in general wasn’t what I was expecting at all – NASA owns all the property around their buildings for so many miles and they’re the only buildings around. You really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, which makes sense since you’re launching rockets, I suppose. NASA’s worked with the US govt. and the land they haven’t used for buildings is protected wildlife land now, which made the bus trip neat because the driver pointed out some of the wildlife we passed, including birds, a huge eagles nest that we were told was currently holding some baby eglets and an good sized alligator. (Unfortunately I was never on the right side of the bus to get a good shot of either of those!)

(I took this pic from the bus and I can’t for the life of me remember what it is now! I’ll have to ask Buddy when he gets home tonight!)

So our first stop on the tour was the LC 39 Observation Gantry. You can go up 4 levels and get a 360 degree view of 2 shuttle launch pads.

(I gotta be a baby again and say how chilly it was!! Oh my gosh, we were even more in the middle of nowhere now, with lots of wide open space and that wind was just so cold!) I think they said observation gantry is about 2.5-3 miles from the actual launch pad, but don’t quote me on that. I was very glad for my zoom lens.

It was neat knowing that the launch pad you were looking at is the same you see on television when a shuttle lifts off. They also had a shuttle engine on display which totally blew the mechanic in Buddy away – he was so cute, he just kept saying, “I don’t recognize any tiny piece on this thing! Whoever built this is a genius!” From this area you could also see the crawlerway, the Launch Control Center and the Vehicle Assembly Building. Buddy and Benjamin especially liked seeing the crawlerway, the pathway that the huge crawler takes to carry the shuttle to the launch pad for liftoff. They told us that it takes 8 hours for the crawler transport vehicle to travel the 3 miles to the launch pad and that it’s so massively heavy that the first layer (there are 7 layers) of the crawlerway has to be completely repaved/redone after each trip down it. I enjoy little tidbits like that.

It was back on the bus for the 2nd stop of the tour – the Apollo/Saturn V Center, dedicated to America’s quest to get to the Moon. When we got there we first saw a short film about current events that were going on in the world in the 60’s and the years leading up to the US sending a rocket to the moon, the space race with the Soviets, etc. I found it interesting, having not lived through that period and it was short with enough rocket footage to hold the kids interest.

You’re then taken into a control room where they do a reenactment of the lift off of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the moon, complete with windows shaking and seats vibrating like they actually would during a lift off. That was very cool. More tidbits I enjoy – the computers and equipment in this room are the actual ones used during that liftoff, not recreations. Photo NOT my own and taken from the website of BRC Imagination Arts.

We then entered an enormous section of the building that houses a huge (363 feet long) restored Saturn V launch vehicle, suspended from the ceiling. I took tons of pictures, but I couldn’t capture any that really show just how huge this thing is, so I found some online. First two photos from BRC Imagination Arts, last one is my own.

Buddy, who isn’t easily impressed, called it the most impressive thing he’s seen in his life. I think it would have been even more impressive and awe-inspiring to people our parents ages who were alive to witness the space race and moon landing and for whom space travel wasn’t always just a given. We were told they actually built the building around the Saturn V and it’s the world’s largest indoor artifact.

Other exhibits in there were an Apollo command module and an unused Lunar module and a moon rock that we could touch.

We also checked out the Apollo Treasures gallery, which houses artifacts from Apollo moon missions. These include astronaut Alan Shephard’s spacesuit, gear used by Apollo moonwalkers, Apollo 13’s spacesuit repair kit and instructions on how to deploy the American flag on the Moon. It was definitely the coolest part of Kennedy Space Center – we weren’t prepared for how much there was to see between the visitor’s complex and the 2 stop bus tour. We took the bus back to the visitor complex and left shortly before 4pm.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

We had promised the kids a chance to go to the beach and see the ocean, so we were off to Cocoa Beach next. Either Mapquest had it wrong with their time estimate of 22 minutes or we got off track somewhere (and I surely can’t imagine that! ) but it was about an hours drive. It was close to 5pm by the time we got there and figured out where we could park. The breeze was still very strong and while it had been gorgeous sunshine all day, that breeze kept it from warming up very much (at least where we were – my mom stayed at the resort and met up with one of her oldest friends who lives in the area and she told it was very warm and pleasant) We only stayed there about 30 minutes or so, but it was worth it – the kids were amazed at the ocean and Eliza had been eager to collect shells – and they were everywhere! We came home with a bagful.

I had already told the kids it would be way too cool to go into the water but we couldn’t resist dipping our toes in. I always forget how much I love the water and the beach until I’m there. Buddy kidded that I took more pictures in 30 minutes at the beach than the whole day at the space center. I just LOVE the beach and would absolutely love to live on the water…unfortunately I’d be living alone because my husband doesn’t share that love.
(he’s totally faking it here!)

The kids loved when the surf came in and covered their ankles and they were all squeals and laughs. They started venturing further, bit by bit, every time glancing at Buddy and I with an expression that said, “How much further can we go before they tell us to scoot back?”

That “scoot back!” directive came after Benjamin tripped (maybe on accident…hard to tell ) and ended up soaked from the waist down. Brrrr! I think you can tell in some of the pictures that his shorts and half his jacket were soaked. That signaled the end of the beach trip so we changed him into dry clothes and headed back to ASMo.

It was close to 7pm when we got back to the hotel and we picked up a quick McDonald’s dinner on the way back. I had told the kids we could try to go to Downtown Disney that night because I wasn’t expecting to be gone all day – they were both in good spirits and wanted to still go, so my mom and I decided to head down there for a little shopping. Buddy decided to stay behind and chill out with some TV at the hotel. The kids were talkative the whole way there (only about 15 minutes or so) but by the time we pulled into the parking lot, about 8:30-8:45, this is what we found in the backseat (I cringe at the way they’re falling out of their boosters, but it was too cute not to take a pic!)

So back to the hotel it was and another great day done!

 

[Harters2WDW]

Just subbed and can't wait to read it! We were there the exact same time frame!

I just ate one of the final snacks we brought back this morning. So sad, so sad.

OK, going to read now!

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Such a cute family! Your daughter beyond cute!

 

[OThopeful35]

Those pics of the children sleeping are adorable! I am loving your TR

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

OMG!!! That pic of the kids cracked me up!! I remember those days...now with a much smaller car they lean so nicely onto the door.

I was surprised by your experience at KSC,..I'm wondering if my girls might actually enjoy it now? And I never realized how close Cocoa Beach was..now I might need to add a day to our next vacation.

 

[lovethattink]

Those pics of the children sleeping are adorable! I am loving your TR

OMG!!! That pic of the kids cracked me up!! I remember those days...now with a much smaller car they lean so nicely onto the door.

I was surprised by your experience at KSC,..I'm wondering if my girls might actually enjoy it now? And I never realized how close Cocoa Beach was..now I might need to add a day to our next vacation.

Once again, great pics! Did the kids get a kink in their neck on the trip back to Disney?

 

[Mrs. Sojourner]

Glad your boys enjoyed KSC. I love your beach pictures; beautiful!

 

[teachermommy78]

I love the pictures of pure joy at the ocean! So cute and priceless!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Just subbed and can't wait to read it! We were there the exact same time frame!

I just ate one of the final snacks we brought back this morning. So sad, so sad.

OK, going to read now!

I know the feeling! I put on a jacket the other day that I hadn't worn since Disney and in the pocket was a receipt from Aloha Isle for a pineapple float. It made me SO sad.

Such a cute family! Your daughter beyond cute!

Thank you!

Those pics of the children sleeping are adorable! I am loving your TR

Thank you! It cracked me up that they were talking one minute and that out cold the next!

OMG!!! That pic of the kids cracked me up!! I remember those days...now with a much smaller car they lean so nicely onto the door.

I was surprised by your experience at KSC,..I'm wondering if my girls might actually enjoy it now? And I never realized how close Cocoa Beach was..now I might need to add a day to our next vacation.

They would have been more comfortable in a car, that's for sure!

Your girls are a few years older than my son, I believe. I think in a few years, he'd enjoy it even more - maybe be able to appreciate it a little more. Like I said, there's way more than we realized there to see and do. The bus tour really made the ticket price worthwhile.

And yes, my husband and the kids had never seen the ocean so when we decided we were doing the space center, I started poking around to see if we could hit a beach that day without going too much out of the way. I would definitely love to spend more time there - if it was about 20 degrees warmer. It was a nice drive from the space center too - we passed Port Canaveral and saw some gorgeous huge cruise ships.

Once again, great pics! Did the kids get a kink in their neck on the trip back to Disney?

Thanks! Isn't it funny how kids can sleep like that with no problem?? My neck would STILL be sore! Didn't bother them at all - we got back to the hotel and I was trying to decide how best to get them to the room. Realized I had the double jogging stroller in the van, DD never opened her eyes getting out of the van and into the stroller and DS opened them, looked around and closed them again.

Glad your boys enjoyed KSC. I love your beach pictures; beautiful!

Thank you! I swear I've looked at our beach pics as much as our Disney ones! Just love those views!

I love the pictures of pure joy at the ocean! So cute and priceless!

Thanks! I know that's why I took so many - the looks on their faces were just too great.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

We left ASMo shortly after 8am to make it to DHS with plenty of time for rope drop. We knew it would be super crowded with TSM and it certainly was. Lucky for us, we had our expert map reader.

By the time the park officially opened and we made it to TSM, the FP line was unbelievably long. I wish I had taken a picture of it because I swear I’ve never, in any previous trip to Disney, seen a line like this! But we were on a mission and there was no stopping for pics. (I think I would have gotten run over anyway!) We got into the standby line and the posted wait was already 40 minutes. We only ended up waiting about 25 minutes . And this is one line I don’t mind being in – I think it’s second only to ToT as my favorite queue in all the World.

After we rode, I grabbed a FP for ToT and then we shopped for a little bit. Gotta love silly hats.

We did the Great Movie Ride (about a 20-25 minute wait) and then I used my FP for ToT – LOVE that ride but until Eliza gets a little braver, I ride alone. We also checked out some yummy looking snacks for later, made more pressed pennies (seriously, are your kids as nuts over these as mine?? It’s an awesome, fairly cheap souvenir at least!) and headed over to the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater. Our reservation was for 12:30p and there was quite a back up I walked Benjamin over towards Star Tours and he looked at it longingly – we didn’t do it last trip and I kept promising him we would this time until we found out it was going to be closed. Bummer! But like I told Benjamin – “That’s why we come back!” We didn’t end up getting seated at Sci-Fi until almost 1pm, by which time we were all starving.

I know the reviews I read weren’t great, but we all enjoyed it. It may have helped that we were all SO hungry too. Benjamin LOVED the campy film clips they showed and laughed out loud throughout the meal.

After lunch we walked around the Streets of America a little bit and then did the Studio Backlot Tour (about a 25-30 minute wait) and Muppet Vision (only about a 5 minute wait for the next show)

At that point the kids were starting to fade a little and get bored so we decided to do one last thing – my boys went to the stunt show (I can’t say I was sad to miss it – once was enough for me!) and my mom and I took Eliza to the Disney Jr. show. She was wide eyed and enthralled with the whole thing – she’s a huge Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan and just squealed with delight when Mickey and the gang were onstage (because apparently puppets do not have fweaky heads) She danced when it was time to dance and loved gathering the gold “kabloons” (dubloons) that fell from the ceiling at the end.

We got done shortly before the boys did and we met up for a snack – time for some of those delicious goodies we were eyeing earlier! I had an awesome, huge peanut butter cookie, B chose cheddar cheese popcorn, E chose cotton candy, Mom a toffee crunch bar and Buddy a chocolate chip cookie.

We left after that and decided to check out Downtown Disney for a little bit.

Looking back, we were at DHS most of the day (RD at 9a-about 5p) but I feel like we missed stuff we wanted to see and I’m not sure how I could have planned it better – DHS always throws me for a loop when laying out the day for some reason. Buddy and Benjamin would have liked to have seen the Indiana Jones show, Eliza would have liked to see Beauty and the Best and I always like Animation Courtyard and One Man’s Dream. I know some of it was that the kids were getting bored and wanted to do to DD and we spent almost 45 minutes waiting at Sci-Fi, but I just don’t feel like we did ALL that much for being there all day. Gotta give some thought next trip as to how better to do the day at DHS….

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

We got into DD a little before 6pm. Eliza was dying to get some Potato Head pieces – she had been ever since I told her they had them at Once Upon A Toy. She’s a big Potato Head fan and plays with them nearly everyday so I knew she’d love some new Disney pieces. We had a great time picking them out and were very grateful to a CM who pulled us aside, dumped our full box and repackaged it so we still had about ¼ space left. Yay! She got some really cute pieces. While we were getting those, Buddy and Benjamin were at the Lego store where Benjamin picked out a cute Toy Story set. We did a little more window shopping and rode the carousel.

(Benjamin just LOVED the moving eye on this window display!)

Things were pretty busy at DD and we were getting hungry, so we headed back to the hotel for a late dinner and off to bed….we had to be refreshed for our breakfast with royalty the next day!

 

[nvsnot]

I'm a sucker for a catchy title...I'm in!!!!

 

[lovethattink]

Love your son's Buzz and Woody shirt while posing with Buzz! I also like how both he and Eliza have their feet in the same position with Mr. Potato Head!

How did they like TSM and the Mr. Potato Head there?

I'm so glad you took pics at the Disney Jr. Show. We haven't seen it yet. I know my little guy is really looking forward to seeing it.

 

[jc040404]

Awesome updates! I so love all your pictures. Too bad about that Sci-Fi wait. 45 minutes is nuts!

Do let me know if you figure out DHS! I have the exact same issue much of the time. It doesn't seem like there's all that much at this park, but it's so tough to fit everything in. Even if you didn't quite get it all, it does look like everyone had a great time!

DTD pics are great! Can't wait to read about breakfast!!

 

[Mrs. Sojourner]

I always feel the same way about DHS too. When you figure it out...let me know!

BTW, each time I read your title I still laugh!

 

[megan926]

Adorable pictures! Your family is beautiful! Enjoying reading all about your trip!

 

[tink1972]

loving your trip report!! can't wait for more!