Viewing a shuttle launch and planning a trip

[rocio]

Woo hoo! There it is!!!

 

[myDISboards]

I have no answers for you but I was out there at KSC yesterday and here is picture for you of The Shuttle Atlantis sitting on the launch pad waiting for May 13th!!

Correction: May 14th, it all goes well!! Go Atlantis Go!!

Bringing back memories for DS13 and I for STS-131 Discovery launch on Monday April 05, 2010 from NASA Causeway!!

Edited: added KSC pic 4 days after STS-131 Discovery took off

We also did the “Guided Tour - Discover KSC: Today & Tomorrow” on our second complimentary visit within 7 days of launch, a 2-hours tour, where I bought the tickets online KSC website which I chose a time on drop down boxes. We received special pink stickers read “KSC TOUR, name, time, SPECIAL GUEST”. We got on an all-white paint scheme bus with more comfortable seats, NOT the buses with red/blue stripes and “Kennedy Space Center” written on sides of the buses. These red/blue stripes buses are for tours on the day of paid admissions and launch day purposes.

Our KSC tour brought us closer to everything including launch pads explained the tour guide. The KSC tours on the day of paid admissions are not the same explained the tour guide.

This picture taken inside that all-white paint scheme bus with no flash and no zoom.

 

[Dismom+two]

Correction: May 14th, it all goes well!! Go Atlantis Go!!

Bringing back memories for DS13 and I for STS-131 Discovery launch on Monday April 05, 2010 from NASA Causeway!!

I stand corrected!!

 

[myDISboards]

I have no answers for you but I was out there at KSC yesterday and here is picture for you of The Shuttle Atlantis sitting on the launch pad waiting for May 13th!!

Correction: May 14th, it all goes well!! Go Atlantis Go!!

I stand corrected!!

what?? you stand corrected!! ???????

you originally mentioned May 13th (Thursday)

I corrected you May 14th (Friday)...tentative date per KSC/NASA

Remember launches can be scrubbed at the last seconds

 

[rocio]

what?? you stand corrected!! ???????

you originally mentioned May 13th (Thursday)

I corrected you May 14th (Friday)...tentative date per KSC/NASA

Remember launches can be scrubbed at the last seconds

She was agreeing with you "myDISboards" http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/I+stand+corrected

 

[myDISboards]

Pardon me!

 

[Dismom+two]

Thank you Rocio for having my back....I was agreeing with the date correction.

 

[mykidsrqts]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a little advice. We'll be staying at the CBR and have tickets through one of the tour agencies to go see the shuttle launch. The tour bus will pick us up at the Swan at 6a.m.

Any suggestions on how to get there that early? We will have a car. Will the Swan allow us to park there for the day?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[rocio]

You can park there, but there is a parking fee. This is why I chose to get picked up at ASMusic. As a Disney guest, you can drive there and park there for free.

 

[mykidsrqts]

Rocio,

Are you traveling through Gator tours too? They didn't give me a choice about pick up locations. They just told me the Swan. But I'd rather park for free at ASMusic.

Also, I recognize your name from the facebook conversations. I don't participate as much but I was keeping up on the ticket dilemmas. Glad to see you got tickets!

 

[rocio]

Yeah, I don't shut up over there do I?

Yes, I'm going through Gator Tours and when I called the guy tried to put me in for a Swan pick up and I told him I rather do do All Stars Music as I didn't want to pay for parking. He said he had never heard that you had to pay for parking at the Swan. I wanted to tell him he should read up on the disboards

He said that was fine but that it was further from where I was staying. I think I'll be okay driving that extra 10 minutes if it means free parking

 

[mykidsrqts]

Thanks for the tip, Rocio. I'm going to call Gator Tours back and switch to ASMusic. Maybe I'll see you on the bus! We're arriving at Disney on May 9!!!

 

[mykidsrqts]

Yeah, I don't shut up over there do I?

Yes, I'm going through Gator Tours and when I called the guy tried to put me in for a Swan pick up and I told him I rather do do All Stars Music as I didn't want to pay for parking. He said he had never heard that you had to pay for parking at the Swan. I wanted to tell him he should read up on the disboards

He said that was fine but that it was further from where I was staying. I think I'll be okay driving that extra 10 minutes if it means free parking

Just called and made the change. Thanks for the info, Rocio. We're getting picked up at 5:50. Should be interesting with two kids. What time are you getting picked up?

 

[NoahCA]

I have just received the Launch Causeway viewing tickets via fed ex.
It states that I need to be at KSC no later then 6:30 AM.

I am going to be coming from Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Lake Buena Vista,
since the Launch is scheduled for 2:04pm. And I will be heading to KSC to be there at 6:00 do you still think I would need to leave 3 hours earlier to make it to KSC? (Leaving Holiday Inn Sunspree resort at 3:30 am!?)
I will be following Truck1's advice regarding taking the road 528.

Thanks so much!

 

[pktbMouse]

We are staying at CBR and will be driving...is there no easy way anywhere else to park other than Space Park? I know its free but Ive been told not to go near it unless I plan taking 5 hours to get back out!! Also be there at least 4 hours before hand...we have a 2 yr old in our family and I cant see him sitting that long. Is there anywhere we can park where we can still see it going up? How close would you need to be to actually hear it in miles?
thanks in advance.

 

[safetymom]

I watched the last one from Space View park and it took an hr. and 15 mins down and 2 and a half hours back.

 

[rocio]

mykidsrqts: We're watching from the VC so our pick up isn't until 8am.
Noah: I have no idea but I can't imagine it taking 3 hours. Remember people are being let in in batches so it will be easier to get in than to get out.
pktbMouse: This is why we're watching it from the VC....lots for them to do there. We sacrifice a good view, but oh well. Bring lots of sunscreen, an umbrella, and some balls?

 

[truck1]

I have just received the Launch Causeway viewing tickets via fed ex.
It states that I need to be at KSC no later then 6:30 AM.

I am going to be coming from Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Lake Buena Vista,
since the Launch is scheduled for 2:04pm. And I will be heading to KSC to be there at 6:00 do you still think I would need to leave 3 hours earlier to make it to KSC? (Leaving Holiday Inn Sunspree resort at 3:30 am!?)
I will be following Truck1's advice regarding taking the road 528.

Thanks so much!

An hour and a half to 2 hours will be fine to get there.Id lean a little closer to 2 hours though since you have never driven that way before.Its not a big deal on driving,I just dont know how you drive. We were there for the night launch and didnt hit any traffic at all,even getting into the Visitors Center Lots.

 

[myDISboards]

With 3 launches left (July postponed to November), and if you want to be as close as possible to the launch pad, whether be Space View Park or NASA Causeway or count down clock area, DS13 and I would do it again in a heart beat no matter how long it takes EACH way to KSC or come back to Orlando area.

DS13 and I witnessed STS-131 Discovery Launch (April 05, 2010) from NASA Causeway. You have to witness the engine roaring sounds in 20-25 seconds about 6 miles from NASA Causeway.

We wish we could be in the clock down clock area about 3 miles to the launch pad with the press, NASA families/friends, and high ranked officials.

To KSC we took beachline no traffic...return to orlando we took back roads in little over 2 hours.

 

[MeLaNie9]

We just found out that we could have gotten launch tickets from our congressman. After we struck out getting causeway tickets for next Fri, DH contacted our congressman, thinking maybe they would have some tickets for Ohioans wanting to see a launch. Sure enough, they do have tickets, we were just too late for the upcoming launch. I am not sure which tickets they are, but maybe this info will help someone else out there looking to go to one of the final 2 launches and interested in avoiding the nightmare of the KSC ticket-buying situation!!!

We just got our KSC ticket package! We are really excited! So far, weather looks ok for next Fri. Of course the rest of trip, they are calling for rain! We spent last May in WDW soaked to the bone in the monsoon! We are praying for great weather on the 14th and beyond (we will be in WDW the 18th-23rd).