Space Shuttle Launch And WDW

[WEDWDW]

I am thinking of going to WDW in May if they launch the Space Shuttle then.(What a great excuse to plan another WDW trip! )Would it be worth renting a car and driving over to the coast?Is it that impressive?Where would be the best place to watch the launch?Also,I understand the Space Shuttle can be seen from Orlando after launch.Can it also be seen from WDW?Thanks for the info.

 

[Jamesbyr]

It is impressive, but unpredictable. Launches are often postponed, so planning a trip around them can be tricky. On the other hand, if one is scheduled on a particular day, it is worth the drive over.
Personal experience: we drove over a few years back, the local radio stations picked up the count-down, and we just pulled off the road when the time came. (More knowledgable people could tell you specific places to be.) Then EVERYONE got back on the Bee-Line and headed west. The toll booths were impossible. Allow lots of time.

 

[ADisneygirl]

It is impressive in my opinion. When they launch the shuttle, it can even be seen faintly on the other coast of Florida. It certainly is heard all over.

We drove over and stayed at the Doubletree hotel. They had a wooden walkway out to the beach behind their hotel, and we lined up along it with others to watch the launch. It was a great spot. No one could tell if you were staying at the hotel or not. Anywhere along the beach is a great spot to watch the launch from. Just park in a public lot alongthe beach road A1A and walk out onto the beach and look north! We could even watch the Disney crusie ships sailing by.

The other poster is correct though about the uncertainty of launch dates. They change them frequently due to weather conditions, etc.

 

[GUNER]

When in May are they plannning on sending the shuttle up???A few years ago we drove over from Disney two days in a row and both got cancelled due to wind at the last minute. The las two years we have gone to tour Kennedy Space Centre. The centre is closed on lift off days.

 

[DisneyWisher]

When the first shuttle went up over 20 years ago we were in Orlando, not for Disney but because my brother had a soccer tournament (now they have them at Disney, my luck). We stayed at a HI off the turnpike and Orlando's south exit. You could see the shuttle from there. I live in Ft Lauderdale and you can see the fire and smoke from the engines from here.

shirley

 

[KirstenJB]

My last trip down to disney back in 1996 or 1997...(cant remember which year), We were at MK and saw a shuttle going up. Some kid just pointed out "look, there goes the space shuttle" It was quite impressive, even if it was fairly small. I think i got a bit on the video camera. Something I'll remember for the rest of my life.


Kirsten

 

[sunkissed212]

I've been lucky enough to see 2 shuttle launches from Cocoa Beach. My family used to go there for 1 week and then to WDW for one week. We've never "planned" a trip around a launch simply because they are so unpredictable but it's a remarkable sight and something that I'm glad I've gotten to see. As long as the sky is clear, you can see very well from the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area.

 

[Princess Wannabe]

We were in Orlando in January 2003.... The Columbia was scheduled for lift-off, but there was uncertainty about the exact day. I went ahead and kept to our original schedule, which had us in SeaWorld the morning of the launch. SeaWorld showed the launch on the big screen in Shamu Stadium, and they announced it over the loudspeaker, as well, directing everyone in the park of where to look in the sky as it launched.

We took some wonderful pictures of the Columbia as it went over our heads up into the sky; the pictures turned out great.

The next day was our trip to Kennedy Space Center; everyone there was so psyched about the mission. We got to go & listen to the broadcasts from the astronauts, as they checked in that day. We went to the souviner shop and bought t-shirts and pins with "Columbia" on them, as it was the first shuttle launch I had ever seen, live.

Tragically, a few days after our return home to Kansas City, is when the Columbia broke apart over Texas. I will never forget how shocked and upset I was, as I felt so close to this mission, since I had 'been there'. My 'souviners' I had purchased have now been put away, as a memorial to the courageous astronauts.

Sorry so long; just wanted to share. And to let you know that even if you aren't IN Kennedy the day of the launch, you will still be able to see alot of it if you're in the area.

Good luck.

 

[MCK588]

I've seen it from the horseback riding parking lot near WL a few years back. It was impressive but small, but still exciting.

 

[JABEAR]

Yes, it is very impressive! We were lucky enough to see a night launch the last time we were there in 2002. It wasn't the shuttle launch that ended in tragedy but the one before it. We just happened to be there during the week, and like mentioned above, it was put on hold once. We were in EPCOT the night it was originally scheduled to launch. I kept telling my wife "There it is....There it is...." each time I saw airplane lights in the area. Now that I have actually seen it, I would never mistake it for an airplane again!

On the second try a couple of nights later, we waited in our hotel room (ASMovies), watching the countdown on the local channels. I set my watch timer with the countdown timer and with a couple of minutes left to go we left for the top floor of our hotel facing west. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!!

We recorded the whole thing. I even get excited watching it today.

When I heard that it would be launching sometime in late May or early June I got excited again. My guess is that they will wait until conditions are near perfect for this launch. That would make it more likely to happen in June. I would never hope for delays in the launch, but maybe we could be fortunate enough to be there again when this one lifts off.

We had thought about driving to the coast to watch it, but everyone we asked in WDW said the traffic is horrible. Nevermind if you drove there and the launch was rescheduled.

 

[dreamscometrue47]

Back in 1989 (I remember the year because I was pregnant with my first child!), my husband and I drove over to Titusville and had PERFECT seats on the rocks to watch the shuttle take off. Seconds (or it could have been a minute or 2, I can't really remember) before takeoff, the shuttle was cancelled. It was really disappointing because we spent all morning and early afternoon (takeoff was around 2:30 pm) waiting. But we met so many wonderful, nice people that it was still a great day, sitting on the rocks in the sun, having a GREAT time.

A few years later (can't remember the exact year, either 1995 or 1996; son was either 2 or 3!), we stayed at Orange Lake Country Club, when the shuttle had another flight. We obviously didn't see the take off up close, but saw it way up in the sky. It was a great experience.

And then in 2002, again at Orange Lake, we were sitting by the pool, heard like a sonic BOOM, looked up and saw the shuttle after it re-entered, heading back to base! Everyone around us was in awe; it was so awesome.

Just remember that the shuttle is very unpredictable,but it you catch it in any way, just incredible.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

I live about 30 minutes south of KSC and it's still impressive to me even after almost 20 years living here. Although once I got to see it from the Press Site VIP stands and it was a night launch...and WOW, it was so bright it was like midday! It was amazing.... you can see it from anywhere along the coast, or most of 528 has a decent view... there is a park called Jetty Park you can also go to that cost I believe $3 and they have vendors, music, etc when there are launches.

 

[DOOM1001]

It must be impressive to see the shuttle launch from anywhere near the cape considering that during a night launch about 10 years ago or more I saw the shuttle's fire trail very clearly from my house in Miami.

 

[SueM in MN]

The shuttle launches are visible even in Orlando (although I'm sure it has to be much better closer.
You can see a fairly large triangle of light that moves up along the sky until it gets too small to see. We've seen launches from several of the parks, from CBR and once from the Orlando airport.

 

[wfloyd]

I will agree that it is an impressive sight. Living on the space coast, I have been able to watch the shuttles go up for the past 10 years. I make it a point to go and see all that I can because it is a memorable experience. I have seen a couple go off when I was at Epcot. It wasn't as clear as being on the coast but you could tell what was happening. I would say if you get the opportunity, take advantage of it.

I saw the Columbia go up and it was hard to believe that a couple of weeks later I didn't hear the twin sonic booms.

 

[ralfrick]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that when you are watching from a few miles away, you will feel the launch. I was fortunate to see Epcot during it's first year, and the first American woman, Sally Ride, launched into space on the same trip in 1983. It was possibly the only shuttle launch that happened at the time originally scheduled.

Cheers.

 

[jcemom]

Oh, a space shuttle launch is just SO COOL!!! ralfrick is so right, you will FEEL it if you're anywhere nearby. Amazing. The closer you can get the better.

 

[countingmomma]

We saw a launch in October of 2000. We actually left for WDW a day early so that we could get into FL before the launch, which they delayed while we were driving down. DH and DFIL drove back to the coast a few days later to watch the launch. The rest of our group stayed at OKW for a "down" day. We watched the launch on TV and my DSIL stepped outside for something and yelled back that we could see the shuttle. So, yes, you can see it from Orlando. DH said that from where they were the launch looked like a sunrise. Our trip is scheduled for May also, and DH was happy to hear there might be a launch then! NASA has a web site where you can check the progress of the "Mission" including launch dates.

 

[countingmomma]

I checked the launch schedule and the "window" for the the launch is 5/12/2005 - 6/3/2005. I'm so excited. Our trip is May 26 - June 4. BTW, the web site is

kennedyspacecenter.com

 

[Tabetha]

If you can be in the area during a launch, as others have stated, it is truly worth the effort. It is an amazing, and awe-inspiring spectacle.

I've been lucky enough to have been visiting my parents in Vero Beach and Jupiter for a couple of these - my favourite was the night launch!