Orlando Travel Forum

Hi All,

We will be in Orlando, Florida for a convention the weekend of May 30-31st. The convention agenda ends at 5 PM and the Space Shuttle is due to take off at 5:02 PM on May 31st. We must stay at the convention until close to the end so unfortunately we will not be able to get to Kennedy Space Center in time to watch the take-off or book a Gray Line tour to the launch pad. We realize that we will be able to see the shuttle after take off but are wondering if anyone knows special places in Orlando which provide a decent vantage point for watching take-off or at least a somewhat unobstructed view of the shuttle and or launch? We will be at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort and Convertion Center and could possibly take an hour or so go to a specific place within reasonable driving and time distance from the convention. We realize that Orlando is some distance from the Space Center but we welcome all suggestions.
We know Florida is flat so perhaps there is a tall building with access for launches? What bad luck to be busy in Florida on the day when the shuttle is scheduled to take-off! We've dreamed of seing a take-off for all of our lives!
As always, thanks for your help!

Andrea

Unfortunately, you will still not be able to get too close to the shuttle launch even if you leave Rosen Shingle Creek Resort an hour ahead of time at 4:00 p.m. The Beeline Expressway is very crowded with not only rush hour traffic at this time, but also many other people are headed east to try to view the launch. One of the times my family and I were down in Orlando they actually had a shuttle launch on a Saturday morning and even then it took several hours to even get about 25 miles away from the actual launch. If you still want to venture out keep going east on the Beeline Expressway and get off at an exit before actual launch time. Maybe you will get lucky and the actual launch time will be delayed by an hour or two.

Thanks for the tip! I haven't been to Orlando in a while and I wasn't sure if we could find a decent viewing area or not.

Andrea

You will love the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort ... no need to go anywhere else!!!

Same thing happened to me the only time I was in Orlando! It was a throwaway line from the welcoming travel tour girl! The shuttle did overfly Orlando, but it was pretty high up by then.

I also saw it the time it was piggy-backed into Heathrow on a 747. Fotunately (!) it flew low below the cloud cover, but it was behind schedule so my kids had got bored waiting by then ...

Find the nearest tall building with a bar on the top floor and a view to the east north-east. It won't be the best view, but you will see the shuttle once it is more then 2-3 seconds off the ground (unless there are clouds blocking the view.) If you had a couple of hours, I would take the beachline east and 95 North to Titusville, the view from Titusville is wonderful (I went to High School there at the end of the Appolo program.)In Titusville you can feel the vibration.

David

That's good to know. The place sure looks big enough and they charge alot. I wonder if there is a place on the top of that building like a bar or restaurant where we could just hop up there in minutes and not miss any convention?

Thanks,
Andrea

Maybe by some miracle the launch will be delayed until the next day and since it's a weekday, maybe there will be tickets. Stranger things have happened in life! I'd love to have seem the shuttle piggy back on a 747.
Best Regards,

Andrea

If it's thunderstorm season out there in Florida like it is here in Kentucky, chances are good that a 5:00 PM launch might get scrubbed. I'd love to find a close bar or restaurant to gain a better vantage point. Maybe where I'm going to the convention- Rosen's Shingle Springs Resort - will have something. I've always dreamed of actually seeing it launch from the ground up - you know? But hey, at least we'll get to see it take off.
Thank You So Much,

Andrea