The Mellado's Disney Adventure ReportDates: 6/26-7/5, 1999 (ten day trip) Adventurers:
Copyright 1999-2006 |
Day 6: Thursday, July 1,
1999 Since we wanted to leave by 7:30 (actually, when I say 'we' I really mean "me" but since Dad told me to make all the plans, I basically tell them, "We want to do this, We want to go here," etc. Lol.) Okay, since we wanted to leave early, I had to wake the kids early enough so we could all get ready. Our sleeping arrangements worked perfectly for us - the boys in one bed, Kelly & me in the other, and the parents in the room next door (away from all the noise). Soon we were on the road to the Kennedy Space Center. This is the one non-Disney activity I had planned for our vacation. I took the exit to the I-4, but somehow missed it and ended up on a toll road. (I had the hardest time with that I-4 exit!) The toll-road person told me that there would be no problem, and we'd get to the 528 then the 405, and on to the KSC with no problem. Okie dokey keep the quarters handy! We played our music, and singing along (me, that is) wove our way to the coast. We noticed a couple of things on the way. It was very, very green. Dad said no 'kidding' (well, he really said something else, but hey, the subject is Disney), anyway - no wonder it was so green with all the rain this area receives. We also noticed that there seemed to be nothing but vegetation. I was glad I had enough gas (barely) because I would not know where to go to gas up if we needed to. Soon we were passing the exit to Cocoa Beach (snatches of the theme song for I Dream of Jeannie running through my mind) the Space Camp (hmm, is that THE Space Camp?), and a lot of water (could that be the Indian River?) and then there it was - the entrance to the Space Center. We could see a mock-up of a shuttle on the grounds. We were excited to be there. This is World Famous - this is History! We arrived before 9:am, and got a parking spot up close (AAA Parking Pass didn't work here). I had requested a Go Orlando Magic Discount card months ahead, and we were able to save on our entrance tickets. We decided to get the bus tour with two IMAX movies. We entered a building that had on one wall three screens together showing scenes from the various Apollo missions and President Kennedy giving a speech. From there we went outside and straight to the gift shop! Hey, gotta take care of the important stuff. Dad got a cool cap from here, and Lucila got a t-shirt. I got a pictorial book on KSC, (shoulda got some type of clothing, too, though). Now we were set to go on our bus tour, and spend one of our more impressive days of the trip. The bus tour takes you through some restricted areas, and makes three stops. While touring, there are little TV's that explain what you're passing - like the bald eagles nest in the trees near the road. We didn't see the eagles, though the nest was HUGE. The guide said that the Everglades is the largest wild animal preserve in the U.S., then comes the reserve that surrounds the KSC. We then passed the VAB (Vehicular Assembly Building). It's the third largest building in the world, and is where they used to assemble the huge moon rockets, and now assemble the space shuttle (oh, I learned that the shuttle is the name given to all three components - orbitor (which is what they drive), booster rockets (which fall back to Earth and are reused), and the huge orange fuel tank. The doors are so big that the Statue of Liberty can fit through it, and the interior is as big as 3-1/2 Empire State Buildings. Okay, my word for this tour is IMPRESSIVE. We also saw the Launch Control Center, and an empty launch pad & crawler. I believe the crawler is the largest vehicle in the world, and is 2 inches lower than the launch pad. It goes right under it, and lifts it right up, takes in into the VAB and then out to the launch pad. It goes a mile an hour, and takes 8 hours to get to the launch site. We weren't allowed to stop there, but I think it was great that we drove right past it. Our first stop was the LC39 Gantry that has a viewing center where you can see the various launch pads. We first saw a film about space exploration, and then went into an observation room where we could see people actually at work. There was a glass separating us, with an over-voice explaining what we were seeing. We also saw exhibits on satellites. From there we went outside to the Gantry, and were joined by thousands of native mosquitoes. (Tip: If you go to the KSC, bring your insect repellant!) The Gantry is probably 3 stories high, I think. From there we could see the VAB building in the distance behind us, and the launch pads in front of us. There were also a couple of small lakes between the launch pads and us. On one launch pad we could see the orange nose of the shuttle that was supposed to take off on 17 July. That was pretty exciting. I noticed that Kelly was using one of those powerful scopes with two viewfinders (the ones you put a quarter in), but she was focused more down than on the shuttle. Upon closer examination, I realized she was watching some alligators down below. One of the neat things on the KSC bus tour is that you can stay at the stops for as long as you want and catch a subsequent bus - just get in line - but there weren't any real lines when we were there, which was nice. Our next stop was the Apollo/Saturn V Center. I was totally amazed by this place. There is an actual moon rocket held up over our heads, with signs depicting the various stages. On the side is a model that shows what is inside these stages of the rocket. There are three left in the world, and we were right there with it. There was also a capsule that was used in the test flights for the astronauts, and we could see the cramped quarters that the three astronauts were in. I was 9 years old when man first stepped on the moon, and it was such a historic moment that made such an impact on us. (Who can forget Tang? okay, that is minor, but hey, when you're 9 it's big stuff) There was a show that depicted man's landing on the moon. Before we went into the theater, we went into a room that had the actual controls from the control center that were used when Apollo landed - not a replica, but the real thing! After the show we went into another room that had interactive exhibits. I would recommend the bus tour, even if it only stopped at this Center; it was so impressive. We passed the longest runway in the world on our way to stop #3, the International Space Station Center. Here we learned about the International Space Station, and got to walk through what the living quarters would be like - think of a bathroom on an airplane and cut it in half - get the picture? They also had plants growing to show how this would be done in space. Flags from the various countries participating in this venture, and what they're contributing, were shown at this Center. It was very interesting, and gave the kids a little better understanding of where the Space Program is headed. We went back to the Visitors Center, and had a bite to eat. The food was okay there. After that it was time to go to the IMAX Theater. We watched the film, The Dream Comes Alive, which was a film about the Apollo Program - excellent. I think the kids nodded off, though. After that we strolled around the grounds, and explored the orbitor mock-up, and the Astronaut Memorial, which had an alligator in the water down below. Wow, a wild alligator. I'm glad they have that Memorial up there to remind us of the sacrifice that people are willing to give for their country. It was pretty hot, so we rested outside in the shade. It was soon time to watch the 2nd IMAX film, L5 First City in Space, which was a 3-D film about a family living in a space station. While the kids preferred this film, I enjoyed The Dream is Alive better. By now it was after 5:pm and time to go back to WDW. The ride back was uneventful, although we did enjoy the scenery. At WDW, I drove to the Wilderness Lodge for our PS at the Whispering Canyon Café. Dad didn't want to be picked on, so we asked the waiter not to pick on us. It was loud there, and I think too much for the parents after a long day. The food was delicious, though, and the kids had a great time watching all the interaction going on with the other patrons and the CMs. The CM did get Kelly, and put straws in her hair, then had her lift up her coke & call her the Statue of Liberty - she loved it, and we all laughed. It was getting late, and so we just went straight back to the resort. Upon entering our room, Kelly started laughing, and we all rushed in. There they were, Iggy & Mel, sitting on the boys' bed again; and this time they had the room service menu in their paws AND the telephone! Not only that, they had written on a piece of notepaper, "We want cheese pizza." Hmph - demanding little rascals. That's just like something Chip & Dale would do. Hmmm.. I wonder if they have something going at the Disney Institute, and the beanies & plushes are going there while we're innocently having fun at the parks. Could it be happening? I think we'll have to take another trip there and investigate further. Kelly scolded the beanies, and put them to bed. The rest of us followed right after. Day 7 coming up - Magic Kingdom
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