WDW Magazine April 2016 - Disney's Hollywood Studios | Page 140

If you’ve ever watched in awe as the Space Shuttle blasted off into the last frontier, now’s
your chance to experience it for yourself.
The Kennedy Space Center is actually two different parts. The first is the main visitor
complex where you arrive, which is home to the rocket garden, as well as some amazing
IMAX movies. The highlights of this area though are the Shuttle Launch Experience, and
Atlantis.
The Shuttle Launch Experience puts visitors through a simulated shuttle launch. You begin
in a vertical position, and get to experience the thrills of launching off the pad. I will note
that this is very accurate in every way except the g-forces that you experience on
Mission:Space at Epcot. This attraction does not involve spinning.
Atlantis takes you on the story of the space shuttle program and brings you face to face
with the actual Atlantis orbiter up close and personal. This is a very emotional experience,
as you stand just a few feet of this amazing piece of technology that blasted us into the
stars for so many years. In addition to the orbiter itself, the exhibit encompasses all the
pieces of the shuttle program, from the engines all the way down to the tires. This is a truly
hands-on experience that can easily take an hour or more, depending on how long you let
it all soak in.
The second part of the Kennedy Space Center is the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which is only
accessible by boarding a bus at the main visitor complex. On the way, the bus takes you by
many of the most iconic structures of the space program, including the Vehicle Assembly
Building, and the Shuttle Launch Pads. Once you arrive at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, you
will come face to face with a full size restored Saturn V launch vehicle and learn all about
the Apollo program that took us to the moon. Visitors can also see and touch a slice of
moon rock on display, which means you can literally touch the moon! Other exhibits
include the Lunar Module, a Lunar Rover, space suits, moon rocks, and even the van used
to carry astronauts to the launch pad.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is easily a full day experience, so make sure to
arrive early. Additionally, it is also a quite emotional experience as well, as you see, touch,
and feel what it took to get our heroes off the ground and into the abyss of space. There is
also a fitting memorial to all the astronauts that were lost.
A visit to the Kennedy Space Center will leave a lasting impact on your life. John Chapman,
a Space Shuttle Engineer, may have said it best: “It has been the stuff of dreams since
humans first gazed up at the heavens”.