Shuttle Launch Next Week.....

[bom_noite]

About 15 years ago I was at WDW and was watching CNN and a live nighttime shuttle launch! I thought - hey - I can probably see that outside! I did and it was wonderful.

Next week we drive from Atlanta to WDW on the day of the next launch: 31-May. We will be arriving in Orlando at 2:00, maybe 3:00 and the launch is scheduled for 5:00.

I assume that we will be able to watch it from the Hotel -- but -- being day time my son and I wanted to get a bit closer. I am not sure if time will permit (and am a bit reluctant) to to drive to the cape area and get stuck in a log-jam of cars and such.

Does anyone have any suggestions of a halfway place?

P.S. Obviously the launch has created additional threads. And, I am sure there have been others in the past. I have looked through them and cant find what I am looking for. And, I guess what I am looking for is:

1) A good halfway destination.
2) If time allows a quick and easy destination in the general cape area.

Thanks in advance.

 

[spaceace510]

I really would not suggest driving or going near NASA on that day. I was going from WDW to DCL. It just happen to be on the day of a shuttle launch!! The traffic was HORRIBLE!! I mean bumper to bumper almost the whole way. As we got closer, cars were parked on the side of the highway, and it was chaos!! I mean parked cars everywhere! Disney had to delay the ship departure because one of their buses was in the middle of all that traffic and could not get out of it. The really sad thing is that at T-minus 5 minutes NASA scrubs it due to distant thunder storms which never came... (better safe than sorry but still) You could hear everyone on deck sigh at the same time. But if you wanted to get close, you could see if you plan a trip to the Space Center. I have no clue if they change what they normally do on a launch day, probably though. But maybe you could go the day before and take the Up and Close tour and see the shuttle on the launch pad. I did that with that launch, a couple days before. It was amazing just actually seeing it! They don't let you off the bus as often for obvious reasons, but it was still amazing. I would really do that instead.

 

[Metro West]

About 15 years ago I was at WDW and was watching CNN and a live nighttime shuttle launch! I thought - hey - I can probably see that outside! I did and it was wonderful.

Next week we drive from Atlanta to WDW on the day of the next launch: 31-May. We will be arriving in Orlando at 2:00, maybe 3:00 and the launch is scheduled for 5:00.

I assume that we will be able to watch it from the Hotel -- but -- being day time my son and I wanted to get a bit closer. I am not sure if time will permit (and am a bit reluctant) to to drive to the cape area and get stuck in a log-jam of cars and such.

Does anyone have any suggestions of a halfway place?

P.S. Obviously the launch has created additional threads. And, I am sure there have been others in the past. I have looked through them and cant find what I am looking for. And, I guess what I am looking for is:

1) A good halfway destination.
2) If time allows a quick and easy destination in the general cape area.

Thanks in advance.

I think you can forget about trying to get anywhere near KSC on the day of the launch...the traffic is just too solid. Heck...you'll have enough trouble navigating our fine area with regular traffic especially around late afternoon. I would just try to see it from the hotel. A lot is going to depend upon the weather and any wild fires that might happen to be around...it may not even go up that day.

 

[Mintaka]

My sister teaches in Fort Pierce about 80-90(?) miles south of the Cape and she has taken her class outside to see several launches. She says it is just a bright ball of light. You should have a great view from Orlando even in the daytime.

 

[BPCooper]

And I will give you the other side of the coin and say get as close as you can because you'll never forget it. There are just 11 shuttle launches left.

Titusville on the river is the place to go.

It is worth the traffic.