Originally Posted By ssWEDguy So I saw the Pluto rocket launch on Thursday! I was actually working in Epcot then and wasn't thinking about it. They had already delayed it a couple of days, and even delayed it some more on Thursday. So I figured I'd be reading about it later when I'd get home. I'm out in France taking pictures of Princess Aurora when she points behind me and says "My goodness! Whatever is that up in the sky?" I turn around and there off to the right side of SpaceShip Earth there's this smokey contrail going straight up into the sky. At the top of the contrail of smoke is this tiny, very bright spark. And it's moving. I started to holler to as many nearby guests as I could -- "LOOK! The rocket is going up! Check it out!" We just stood there and watched it climb upwards, cutting through several cloud layers until it got too high to see. (As it turned downrange) The whole thing was over in about 60 seconds. Cool. And if Princess A hadn't said something to me I would have missed the whole thing. -------------- This kind of thing hardly ever happened back in St. Louis, MO or Rochester, MN.
Originally Posted By disneydad109 My Family and I were lucky and got to see a space shot take off right behind Mexico in the early evening. We were near Canada and it looked like it was just behind the temple. It was something to see. I think this was some time in the mid 80"s. that's the 1980's not mine.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I had the pleasure of seeing a shuttle launch back in the late 1980s. It was at night, and I was able to see it right from my condo -- it was very exciting.
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney They are amazing, Jim. I saw quite a few from Disney property. My all-time fave was watching John Glenn's return to space. I watched the shuttle launch and climb behind Space Mountain and it was just so cool to see the juxtipostion (sp?) of Disney's version of space travel with the real thing rising above.
Originally Posted By CMDad One of my saddest memories - looking back from todaya's perspective, it wasn't sad at the time - was visiting KSP and seeing Challenger on its pad just days before its final take off.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy One thing struck me when I was watching the launch. Epcot is a technology park, right? At least FutureWorld is. So why don't they hype rocket launches as people are coming into the park on launch day? If people were told that there will be a launch today, about 2pm, and what direction to look in, more people could enjoy the spectacle. Why don't they do this?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Why don't they do this? < you'd hate to think it's becuase no one in charge there thought of it......
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney ^^That's likely it ... plus the fact they'd be concerned someone's trip might get ruined if something bad happened. Of course, I have pictures of folks watching the first moon landing live on TV screens at DL's Tomorrowland Terrace, so clearly they used to think of these things.
Originally Posted By trailsend What a great idea, SSWedGuy. I think the problem would be that the launch is so often delayed. However, it would get people into the park!!
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy Delays are always possible. But it would at least get people thinking. And they would at least recognize it when it actually happened. I know they don't like using the all-park PA system for anything other than a BIG problem. But they could potentially use it for something like this. "Everyone look up at the sky to the northeast..."
Originally Posted By trailsend You're in the wrong department, ssWEDguy. Your talents are not fully recognized!!!
Originally Posted By danyoung A few years back I was working at a corporate event at the Boardwalk. About 6:30 in the morning the word spread thru the ballroom to head out to the loading dock - the shuttle was about to launch. One of the local crew guys had a high band radio tuned to the NASA frequency, so we listened to the launch crew chatter as we waited. Then they lit the candle, and THERE IS WAS, over the trees, barrelling into the heavens like a . . . well, like a rocket! It was just the coolest thing ever, and I'm so glad that I saw this event from such a cool location.
Originally Posted By GalDisney I saw the space shuttle from my apt in daytona when it was launched last yr. It was so "cool'...a very emotional moment. Then after the shuttle left my view, i was on my way to the Contemporay for an overnight stay
Originally Posted By disney pete on arrival for my 1st visit to florida in 1997 we came out of orlando int airport to see everyone looking to the skies it quickly spread the shuttle was due to launch,by the time we boarded our shuttle coach to take us to the all stars music it had'nt taken off so we where a little dissapointed,about 10 mins into the journey the driver pulled over and we all piled out and watched the shuttle go up it was indeed a sight i will never forget ,my only regret was my camcorder was packed away.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I have seen a few laucnhes at Kennedy on visits, but regret I have never been there for a shuttle --
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney They are incredible to watch. Especially the night launches, which they sadly won't do with the shuttle anymore. Maybe they will for the new moon program IF it ever gets off the ground.
