AskWhatWhen t1_j6j7khv wrote
Local here. Do not plan a launch as your primary visit to Central Florida. The Kennedy Space Center does have a very cool tour, which will undoubtedly be very crowded surrounding a launch date. There are other attractions in the Central Florida area as well, including beaches, theme parks, reserves, and state parks.
Plan your visit around the launch. Make plenty of time to be there for it. You won't get as close as the TV reporters or VIP spectators do, but you will be close enough. There are plenty of beach and intercostal parks that have very good viewing points for a launch. Leave yourself a lot of buffer time around a launch, as traffic is pretty horrible during those timeframes.
There are no refunds on anything from anybody.
You're not going to be paying KSC to watch the launch. You're most likely going to be in a water side park or even a parking lot.
If you come solely for a launch and it's scrubbed, now you're miserable.
My advice is to come visit Central Florida during a launch window , pack a cooler and head to the coast for it. If it's a clear day, you can see the flames from the boosters from Orlando very easily. On good days, you can watch the SpaceX boosters come back down as well.
If the launch is scrubbed, you're pretty much at the beach, so spend the day there with the family. If it isn't scrubbed, watch the launch and then spend the day at the beach with the family.
It's a long wait for a relatively short window, but it's totally worth it. Just make it a potential highlight of your visit and everything will be fine
WontStopAtSigns t1_j6jbx6g wrote
This is good advice. I would add Orlando is a nightmare to me and some people would have more fun staying in St Augustine, or even Savannah. Since you will be spending good time in a rental, splurge for a van or large SUV. I would fly into Tampa or Jacksonville if it saved me $500 on tickets and/or car rental.
After the launch, drive that badboy down to key west and experience one of the greatest American road trips. Your family will never forget it.
gofishx t1_j6joojv wrote
Im going to agree, stay away from Orlando. Far away. Dont even drive near it. That city has its own gravitational pull, and if you get caught anywhere within 20 miles, you are 100% going to get stuck in a traffic jam. I call it the mousetrap.
sddk1 OP t1_j6jukzr wrote
Thanks! My husband and I are miserable traffic people. The rental car is a good idea since we’ve never been to Florida we’d be able to make the most of it no matter what!
Lurcher99 t1_j6jsi2g wrote
This is perfect. Lived in Cape Canaveral for a while, many disappointed tourist, but when that candle lights, it's spectacular. SpaceX booster returns to the cape are a bonus, 8 min after launch.
sddk1 OP t1_j6jucui wrote
Thank you, this exactly what I was looking for. I’ve actually never been to Florida so it would be a nice vacation either way.
Dont____Panic t1_j6k85hl wrote
The launches are in the northerly part of the state, but the real “Florida experience” is in the far south, quite far away.
The road trip down the coast isn’t amazing but it can be a fun drive if you take your time and stop at a few places along the way.
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