Shuttle Launch 3-11 where to watch

[Douglas711]

Hello,

My wife and I are going on a land sea packadge. We are going to be at WDW when the shuttle launches at 2:30am on the 11th. My question is where should we watch it from? Would is be worth to rent a car and drive over to Cape Canaveral to watch it there? What would be the best viewing area to see it from?

Thanks,

Doug

 

[tm2924]

We happened to have a shuttle launch a couple of days after our 4 night last June. We had scheduled 3 nights at Vero Beach Resort after the cruise for some extra beach time. Resort staff told us we would be able to see the launch from there but we decided to make the trip north to get a better view. I'm really glad we did. We made it as far as Melborne Beach. The launch was spectacular. Although it will probably be a once in a lifetime thing, if we were in FL again we would make an effort to get to the launch. One suggestion would be to avoid the area around Cocoa Beach, We heard it is near gridlock after the launch with everone leaving the area. Hope this helps.

 

[Douglas711]

was it a day or night launch?

Thanks,

Doug and Claudia

 

[tm2924]

It was a day launch.

 

[luv that cruise]

we've been lucky enough to see two night launches, one from boardwalk, one from the end of the dock at the contemporary. not too many people so peaceful. orange glow from ground until it gets high enough to see, several seconds after lift off. Then clearly see until it leaves the atmosphere. Being on the dock, cool to hear the quiet night fill with cheers as the shuttle becomes visible. You will enjoy. We are cruising 5 days later, so if any delay perhaps we will be lucky enough to see it again!

 

[ols386]

We were at WDW a few years ago and drove over close to Port Canaveral to see a launch, it was during the daytime. I'm really glad we saw it, it was probably a once in a lifetime thing, especially since we don't live in Florida. We rented a car and drove over on, what I think is called the Bee-Line
Expressway. It only took, probably less than an hour to get there, and we watched from this huge, grassy field, which was turned into a parking lot for the launch (we couldn't actually get very close to the launch site....you have to have a special pass to even get remotely close to it), but it was definately worth it to witness the event. The return drive back to Orlando, however, was a nightmare. It took us 3 hours to drive back....it was bumper to bumper traffic, huge lines of traffic backed up at the toll booths (we saw more than one car pulled off at the side of the road...they ran out of gas...we knew this because they had a sign that said "out of gas"). But if the launch is at 2am, you may not have the same traffic issues on your return drive back to WDW. Just make sure you have plenty of gas for the drive back.