Kennedy Space Center trip - suggestions?

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

I'm taking the family to KSC over Christmas break (wife asked me 'what do you want to do at Disney' ... And that was my answer!) 

Have not been in a decade or more. 

Any 'must do' things or new stuff we should look out for? 

[PakledHostage]

3 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Have not been in a decade or more. 

Any 'must do' things or new stuff we should look out for? 

I was last there for the STS101 launch, so you've been there more recently than me and I am afraid my advice would be very dated.

[darthgently]

5 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

I'm taking the family to KSC over Christmas break (wife asked me 'what do you want to do at Disney' ... And that was my answer!) 

Have not been in a decade or more. 

Any 'must do' things or new stuff we should look out for? 

Kind of a no brainer but the bus tour seemed worth it to me.  It would have been better if some rockets were on pads leading up to launches, so maybe time it right for that?

[TheSaint]

I can tell you that Playalinda Brewing Company and Dixie Crossroads were two of the best places we ate on our entire two week road trip when we were out there in 2022. Other than that, yeah, just do the tours. We did the entire center with tours in one day. 

[tater]

Yeah, do the tour stuff, I got there too late to do any of that. The visitor center is great, Atlantis is spectacular. There's a nonzero chance you can time trip to KSC to catch a launch (I know this has to mesh with however many days in a row of handing your wallet over to Disney you shelled out for—that place is a wallet-ectomy).

https://maps.app.goo.gl/C3mTZoGHudqam3p57

This is actually a decent place to watch a Cape Canaveral launch should it happen after visitor center closes. That's the gate to the Space Force base, but when there's a launch, they show you where to park, and have bleachers, etc, right next to the water with SLC-40 right across (though fairly far). There's some places to eat at Port Canaveral with F9 boosters (and someday soon NG booster?) right across the water, close—I went there and had a beer and burger to kill time before 8:30 launch after KSC closed.

[magnemoe]

Only been their once so the buss trip watching the pads and the Saturn 5 facility was an obvious one also as its timed. It was an alligator in the SpaceX pads retention pool. 
We only got the 39 pads as in 2 and the upper one still had the shuttle setup, this was back before covid. 
Its an longer trip showing more pads like ULA and Blue Origins ones. 

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

 

[Gargamel]

If you’re in cocoa beach, Nolan’s Irish pub is fantastic, excellent food.