Space Shuttle Launches Viewing Tips? Etc?

[TitanBrett]

-Just a warning, I DO NOT recommend leaving WDW and driving over to the cape for the launch. The launches are almost always delayed for hours, days or even weeks, valuable Disney time.

-As far as viewing, as has been mentioned, find somewhere that you can look to the east. you will see it. Night is better obviously.

 

[Rainkiss]

Oooh, awesome, thank you! That'd be perfect. Now... I wonder if I can get launch updates without my hubby catching on... If I can time it right, get to Space at the right time, and tell him to get his camera ready...

 

[That'sNotVeryMagical]

THAT IS AWESOME!! Now my trip is more anticipated than ever!!! Any way you can imbed that picture in the post? Make it larger?

I'm actually pointing at the trail left behind; you can tell it was already out of sight as no one is looking up anymore. That's my "OMG!!" face; seeing a space shuttle launch is something I've always wanted to do, and it was totally unexpected to be able to see anything from Disney.

 

[TimandTanya]

THAT IS GREAT!! I'm not sure which I liked best, the vapor trail from the Shuttle, or your look on your face.

Thank you for sharing!!!

 

[ParrotBill]

LOVE the picture.

I watched one shuttle launch from the bridge between Boardwalk and Beach Club a few years back, and last month's night launch from the bridge between Boardwalk and Yacht Club.

The night launch was awesome, made even more special by a crystal clear night - no clouds whatsoever.

A few others wandered out at 1:45 asking if it was a good spot also, and others wandered by asking "hey, whut's going on?"

By the time 11:59 came around, we had a crowd of 50 on the bridge.

A bright orange plume carried it up from behind France (the EPCOT one, not the real one). Solid rocket booster separation was clearly visible at night. Then it became a bright white star, and then it faded to the same brightness as the other stars, and then, strangely, it started to come back down... actually, it was that we could still see it as it sped away from us into orbit following the curve of the Earth! We could see it almost all the way back to the horizon. Amazing.

 

[That'sNotVeryMagical]

The night launch sounds really cool; I'd love to see one of those too, and see a launch close up, but if I never get to either of those, at least I've got something. We'll be arriving at WDW on Oct. 31, and they've got a rocket launch that day, but there's no time on the website yet, so we might miss that.

 

[ParrotBill]

Oooh, awesome, thank you! That'd be perfect. Now... I wonder if I can get launch updates without my hubby catching on... If I can time it right, get to Space at the right time, and tell him to get his camera ready...

Link up with someone back home who will give you updates via text messaging?

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

I've always wanted to see a shuttle launch but it's just never worked out. Just look at our next trip.

We arrive on 11/4 and fly home on 11/11...there's a shuttle launch scheduled for the day after we fly home, 11/12 (Atlantis)

 

[restful urchin]

Nov 12 in the afternoon, a shuttle is scheduled to life off. I recognize that they rarely get up in time. But regardless what is the best viewing area from WDW? Which park? Hotel??
Thanks Liz

 

[Endeavour105]

Be advised that you may not be able to see the shuttle from WDW as the Cape is some 50-60 miles east of WDW and seeing it is dependant on the amount of cloud cover between there and WDW.

You may only get a fleeting glimpse of the shuttle going up if there is a lot of clouds, if at all.

Best bet is to head over to Titusville to avoid disappointment.

 

[macphrsn]

We watched a night flight take off, it was fabulous and breathtaking!

We positioned ourselves about 2 hours before liftoff at Epcot. We found a spot on the stairs in the Canada pavillion and with the help of a small compass waiting in anticipation for lift off. I was on the phone with my parents who were online watching it and gave me the word when it was a GO! Within seconds we saw a glowing and then had a visual on the shuttle as it lit the sky of EPCOT up like daylight. The shuttle headed north over Fast Track flying what looked like behind Spaceship Earth then making a hard right headed upwards and easterly. It just gives me goosebumps talking about that evening. Priceless!

 

[Margie J]

I watched the last launch from Vero Beach. The view was spectacular. If you don't have tickets to be onsite at NASA the beachfront from Cocoa on down is a great place to watch.

 

[TimandTanya]

One of the things we are looking forward to most from our upcoming trip to WDW is that the Space SHuttle will be launching while we are there. We are going into the MK at 4pm for MVMCP and the shuttle is scheduled to launch the same day at 4:04. Here is an example of what we hope we see:

Here is a link to the schedule for NASA for both upcoming Shuttle launches as well as Rocket launches. Just wanted to share this with you, and hope some of you will be able to take advantage of this.

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

 

[chrisn]

We were at MK one afternoon in Februay right around that time when the space shuttle took off. It was VERY cool. My pics are pretty similar. Everyone stops and shoots pics of it.

I had never seen the space shuttle take off in real life so it was a pretty neat thing.

 

[rn448698]

I read the title of this post from the board and thought, "No... you can't take a space shuttle from WDW..."

 

[TimandTanya]

I read the title of this post from the board and thought, "No... you can't take a space shuttle from WDW..."

If you could, would that be an E ticket attraction, and would they offer Fast Pass for it?

 

[dvcdisney]

We were in Epcot this past August and the CM was us and anyone he walked by that the space shuttle launch will be soon and we thought it was in the middle of the night so we didn't think much of it. But it was around closing time, I think.

It was absolutely amazing to see it at night. Amazing.

 

[bfamily5]

so I thought I had read somewhere that there would be a launch coming up soon. I googled it and sure enough, Nov 12th!!! (of course that's subject to change) This is our last day at DW! Can you actually see anything from the parks? Not sure where we will be that day..trying to leave it open for favorites...but man it would be cooool to see!

 

[Wild4Walt]

You'll be amazed at how much you can see. The skylights up really really bright and red and you will see the trail of smoke from the shuttle itself.

We accidentally caught it one year when we were at DTD. We were outside by House of Blues facing towards Pleasure Island.

I'm sure there are lots of other sites too, but this is the only one I've had experience with.

 

[TimandTanya]

Space Shuttle is scheduled to laungh at 4:04pm on Nov. 12, 2009. With the time change Nov. 1 at 2 a.m. it shoud be getting near dusk by then, with the sun going down behind the trees, buildings, etc. Here is a picture of what you should be able to see, if the day is clear.