space shuttle launch

[dimoe]

Okay it looks like it is happening on Dec 7. I will be in mgm where would be the best spot to see this?
thanks Diane

 

[dimoe]

If I remember right that there was someone who posted where to look at every park but I cant find it now.

 

[lucincia]

If I remember right that there was someone who posted where to look at every park but I cant find it now.

Don't you just look to the east?

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Hello Again

Being that it is a night launch this time 9:36PM, the glow will be very easy to find,, provided it is not cloudy. If you are looking East you will have no problem... and if you are not looking East it will draw your attention to the east when your periferal (sp?) vision catches it. Night launches are AWESOME to say the least. I have been in Florida since 1982 and seen many launches, my best friend moved here in 1998 and her first launch was a night launch. She wanted to watch it, so we went outside, she asked me what to look for and I said "the street light that appears to be moving higher and higher in the sky". She laughed at me until she saw it and said "It does look like a street light". Anyway, launches get scrubbed quite frequently (and they are now saying there are issues with the Space Station not being in the right position) so don't be suprised if it does not go up on the 7th as planned.

Here are 3 threads that talked about watching the launches from WDW If you go to the last page of the first link you will see my pictures from the launch of Atlantis. We went to Kennedy Space Center to watch that one... Have fun on your trip. I hope that it goes as scheduled, it is an awesome sight!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1144755

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1288647&page=1&pp=15

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1276907&page=1&pp=15&highlight=shuttle+launch"

Here is the info I think you were looking for, it was posted by WillCad on the third link above:

KSC is due east from WDW, so from anywhere on WDW property all you have to do is look east. The scheduled time for this launch is 9:38pm, so if it launches on time I will be at MVMCP that night, hopefully just finished watching Wishes. By that time the other parks will probably be closed or getting ready to close, but if the launch is postponed (as they are so often), who knows where we will be when it finally lifts off? With that in mind, here are some simple directions for each park so you will know which direction to face:

In MK, Tomorrowland is the eastern side of the park - the walkway from the Hub to Tomorrowland runs directly east.

In Epcot, Future World is north, World Showcase is south, so wherever you are in the park, line up with Spaceship Earth to your left and the American Adventure to your right, and you will be looking east.

MGM is more difficult, because it doesn't have a centralized hub/spoke design like the other parks, but there are two places I can think of that face due east: Stand in front of RnRC with your back to the giant guitar, and you are facing east; stand with your back to Gertie the Dinosaur, and you are facing east. The MGM entrance plaza and Hollywood Blvd face northeast, so if you are in the entrance plaza outside the gates, stand with your back to the gates and turn 45-degrees to the right, and you are facing east.

AK is laid out better, but the vegetation makes direction finding more difficult from within the park. However, you can stand with your back to Tusker House and you will be facing slightly north of east; you can stand in the entrance plaza outside the gates, with Rainforest Cafe at your back and the gates to your left, and you are facing east.

At Downtown Disney, the West Side is to the west and Rainforest Cafe is to the east, so face RFC from pretty much anywhere at DTD and you will be facing pretty much east.

There are too many resorts to list each one, but I can list a few off the top of my head:

At Pop Century, the Classic Years are all on the east side of Hourglass Lake, so stand with the lake at your back and Classic Hall in front of you and you are facing east.

At any of the All-Stars, stand at the bus stops with the building at your back and the main road in front of you, and you are facing slightly north of east.

In the Epcot resort area, stand so that Stormalong Bay is to your left, the Boardwalk is to your right, and Swan & Dolphin are at your back, and you will be facing generally east.

At the monorail resorts, stand so that MK is to your left, Poly is to your right, and GF is at your back, and you are facing east. Note: Contemporary's tower is aligned north-south, so the lake side rooms all face due east. If you are eating at California Grill during the launch, your view will be blocked; go out onto the observation deck and face right, away from MK.

At Wilderness Lodge, stand with the main building at your back and the lake in front of you, and you are facing northeast. Turn 45-degrees to the right, and you are facing east.

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

We will be watching for the shuttle launch on 12/7, this will add a little extra to our trip this time. We have seen one other launch when we were to depart for a Disney Cruise, although when the Captain woke us up to view the launch, I forgot my camera before going up on the deck, being half asleep.