One Day in Port Canaveral with 6 & 7 yr olds -- what to do?

[Quixotic]

We are going on FOS sailing 11/21 out of Port Canaveral on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. I'm 29, DH is 30, kids are 7 and 6.

 

Depending on flight costs and schedules, we are going to fly to FL either on (Fri) 11/19 or (Sat) 11/20.

 

We'll have at least one day in Port Canaveral then, before we cruise.

 

With that one day, would you take the family to Kennedy Space Center? Do you think the kids will be old enough to enjoy it? Is it too much of hassle to get there and back?

 

We live just outside of DC and they really love going to the local airplane museum as well as the National Air & Space Museum, which is why I thought KSC might be a good excursion.

 

What alternative would you recommend for our family in Port Canaveral, if we just had one day and could only do one thing?

 

Thanks for your suggestions and tips!

 

Kris

[cruisinreunion]

We took my kids who were 6,7 and 10 to Kennedy when we also had the one day in port. We rented a car and drove on our own. The rental companies pick you up at the ship. I had even found some online discount coupons to bring with us and saved $4 or 5 per person. My kids loved it. You could walk through the rockets, we saw one of the movies, had their pictures taken with someone dressed up like an astronaut They really enjoyed their day here. I would highly recommend it.

[cb at sea]

Oh, yeah! They'll love it!

[seashell36]

I have to agree! That would be the best thing to do with one day in Port Canaveral. If your kids enjoy the Smithsonian Air and Space they'll like the Space Center.

[ShannonSto]

Hi!

I would totally recommend the Space Center. If time allows, make sure you visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame. I believe it's included in the main admission, but it's in a different location not far away from the visitor's center. It has simulator rides and games.

 

Enjoy!

[RoadTripFanatic]

It's another yes for the space center from me!

[Tggrtoes]

Another yes from me too! They'll love it!

[highbridge5]

My kids - 4, 6 and 9 enjoyed KSC very much. I don't regret choosing it over the theme parks. We did the more expensive bus tour and it was worth it - the shuttle just happened to be on the launch pad and the more expensive bus tour takes you to some great vanatage points for seeing it. Might not be worth the more expensive tour if there is nothing on the launch pad to see.

 

That time of the year, you will proably have free run of the place almost.

We found almost no lines anywhere when we went in Feb.

 

I would recommend finding out when the "Meet The Astronaut" is scheduled and work your day around that. A real, live astronaut - giving a talk and answering questions. I wish that I had known about it in advance of my trip - I think that my kids would have enjoyed that the most.

 

If you do one of the bus tours and there are 2 IMAX films (included in the admission) and everything, it is easily a 10 hour day.

 

Do NOT skip the simulator - awesome and worth standing in line. Bring a quarter for the lockers. You get it back but you have to have one to activate the locker.

 

Another plus: much of it can be done inside if the weather is lousy (either on a bus or in the exhibits). The same is not true of the beach or theme parks. This was a main factor for us in Feb as we had no idea if it was

going to be 40 and rainy or 70 and sunny.

 

hb5

[jerin]

Definitely KSC. My ds still remembers when we went there when he was 5. Of course, we're space buffs and will drive 3 hours down and 3 hours back in the same day to use our Johnson Space Center memberships.