Day 16

 

Our final day (and a half) was largely spent getting home.

After breakfast most of the group took the local trolley bus to an Outlet Store complex. Some students were keen to spend a few more US dollars on the cheap clothing, shoes and electronics while others were happy to window shop or rest back at the hotel.

The final packing required some creative solutions to the 50 pound/single piece of luggage restrictions with some students ’renting out’ spare space to those who had none.

We had an opportunity to review our tour while waiting for the bus- the feedback from the students was very positive and there was also some useful suggestions for improvements for future tours.

The first flight to New York was late arriving which made it very tight for Emma to meet her mum. We were able to get her off the plane before anyone else so she could get to her flight to Germany.

The check-in and security lines for our next flight were very long which used up two of the three hours before our next flight. We then had a 13 hour flight to Dubai with most students getting a reasonable amount of sleep. This flight was an hour late which meant we had to be rushed through security to get to our waiting plane. Our final leg to Perth took 10 hours.

Before leaving the plane we all put on our Space Camp flight suits which prompted many queries from the surrounding passengers. We finally cleared customs and walked out to meet the many friends and family who had come to meet us. It felt good to be home!

 

I would like to thank all those who have supported this tour-the parents for giving their children this wonderful opportunity and the school’s administration for allowing it to run. A special thankyou to Janet Mengler for her help with the organisation and supervision and to Jeff Mengler for his help on tour.

 

Graeme Roberts.

Day 15

Day 15 blog:

Today started as usual at the Palms Resort. We met for breakfast at 7:45 and we were ready for the bus at 9:00. Logan and Katie both celebrated their 16th birthdays with muffin birthday cakes and a card signed by everyone.

Today’s destination on our (very comfortable) Jet Set bus was Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure.  We arrived at around 9:30, and walked past many novelty shops and photographers who would hassle you to buy their pictures. We then entered the queue for our tickets, and went through the regular bag checks. As soon as we finished we divided into groups and went our different ways. My group and I rushed to the towering Incredible Hulk Rollercoaster that was just past the gates. We survived the 4G forces and 200 foot (~55 metres) drop of the coaster, it was excellent fun and most of us did the coaster 2-3 times. We then walked through the marvellous Marvel Super Hero Island where we met our childhood idols, including Spiderman, Wolverine and the Fantastic Four. We conquered the Dr Doom’s Fear Fall, a ride similar to Adventure World’s Free Fall, and also went through the Amazing Spiderman Simulator, which throws you into a 3D battle between Spidey and his foes. The movement, illusions and special effects were amazing and made you feel as though you were there.                        

We then continued clockwise around to Toon Lagoon, where the theme was comic strip characters and the rides were wet. The first ride we went on at Toon Lagoon was Bilge-Rat Barges, an unnecessarily wet rapids type ride that drenched our uniforms and filled our shoes with water. Being already drenched, we decided to do all the water rides before we dried, which included Rip Saw Falls, a log flume ride that featured a steep waterfall drop that drenched us further. We then travelled through time to Jurassic Park, where we were met with the fierce predators of the past in an epic flume ride that weaved its way through animatronic dinosaurs and scenes from the films, there was also a tour like ride called Pteranodon Flyers ride that soared around the park, however we did not go on this ride because we were too old/tall.

 

The main attraction (for us) was the magical and enchanting Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a themed area of the park. Most of us diehard fans spent most of our time and money there. It included rides such as the thrilling and exciting dragon rollercoaster, which clocks at speeds of 175 km/hr. it was terrifying because we were hanging from overhead rails and the coaster inverted several times which made some of us (Michael and Sam) wish we’d stayed on the ground. We wandered through Hogsmade which sold magnificent hand craft wands, delicious Butter Beer (non-alcoholic) and Bertie’s Every Flavoured Beans. The Hogwarts simulator launched us into an escape with Harry and his pals.

 

We then took a poetic journey through the great Dr Seuss’ land of childhood memories. This area featured the Cat in the Hat ride that gave us a tour of Dr Seuss’ world with a twist, literally (the ride involved spinning)

To conclude our splendid last full day in the US we all met back at the entrance at 7:00 pm to get on our fancy bus, the Jet Set. We then took at very short detour to Burger King for dinner because the shops at Universal Studios were closed.

-          By Reece K and Tom B

Day 14 – Kennedy Space Centre

We all woke to another fabulous breakfast at the International Palm’s resort, before heading back to our rooms to prepare for the journey ahead. Today we were heading to the Kennedy Space Centre, but to get there we had an hour long drive ahead of us. The drive itself was very scenic; with planes landing overhead, alligators and turtles scattered either side of the road, all of which we saw from the wrong side of the road. When we arrived it was like we’d gone back to Space Camp. We were still 3 miles away when we spotted the first of the centre – the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). It’s the largest single story building in the world and the 4^th largest building in volume. It wasn’t long afterwards that we spotted dozens of space craft, marking our arrival. We swiftly collected our tickets, passed through security and hopped on board the tour bus.

 

Dana, our guide, took us around to see all of the facilities available for viewing by the public. There were some amazing sights. Launch pad 39 a – this was where the past shuttles and Apollo rockets where launched from, with its huge protruding arm that kept the elements away from the rockets prior to launch. A short distance away was a water tower that used water to soften the shockwaves of the launch. Without it, every single window in the surrounding county would shatter. We drove past launch pad 39b which is being constructed in preparation for the Orion program’s new shuttle design that is nearing completion. Leading up to both of these pads was  an 8 lane wide and 7.00m deep, pebble path. This was what the vehicle known as The Crawler would travel on when transporting the spacecraft from the VAB to the pad/s. We were able to see the crawler up close, and it was nothing short of spectacular. Millions of pounds heavy and capable of carrying even heavier loads, we could see why it needed the 8 lanes. It took 5 hours to travel from the VAB to the pad, with a top speed of 1mph. On top of this it had to travel up a slope just before its destination using its hydraulics system to keep the rocket horizontal.

We were dropped off at the Apollo/Saturn V Centre where we saw a presentation on the history of space travel. Starting from the Soviet Union’s Sputnik, all the way through to Apollo 11 and the first steps of man on the moon. We sat in the very room that launched Apollo 8 around the moon and back, re-living the events that took place. Lunch split the presentation in two, and we made our way into the final part of the show – the Apollo 11 moon landing. With props and replicas to assist the narrator, it was a good finale to the show. Afterwards we caught another bus ride back to the main centre; just in time to catch the Imax showing of Space Station 3D, narrated by Tom Cruise. It did a great job of capturing life in space along with the incredible possibilities that come from the orbiting space station.

 

 

We then moved to the Atlantis space shuttle exhibit which began with a short film, showing how it took them 12 years to design and build the first ever reusable space craft. We moved through to a second viewing area showing the lifecycle of the one of the shuttles; Atlantis. It explained how the shuttle took off, distributed and repaired satellites or docked with the ISS, re-entered through the Earth’s atmosphere and safely landed back on Earth. The screen then lifted and we moved through to  a museum featuring the original Atlantis shuttle and rows of simulators. The simulators were a little like the simulators at Space Camp; where you either docked or landed the shuttle. They were very basic however when compared to the ones at Space Camp.   

Time was up, and we hopped back on the bus and were on our way back to the hotel. Everyone was beginning to feel the hunger building up which led to the question – ‘What’s for dinner?’ After freshening up we faced a decision. Pizza hut, Chinese, or Indian. In the end the group split in all directions, but everyone was satisfied all the same. We all met outside the restaurants and did 30 minutes of shopping along the street, passing through the gift shop and taking a peek at Gator Golf. Everyone was exited to head back down to the pool for another dip, and that’s exactly what we did. We all had a blast frolicking in the water and eventually tired ourselves out. Sauntering back to our rooms we prepare ourselves for the day ahead.

 

By Jono and Logan.

Day 13

Day 13

Today was absolutely wonderful at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. We were brought back to our childhood with characters we love and adore, like Minnie Mouse and Cinderella.

The day started off at 7:45am in the breakfast hall, where we had Mickey Mouse waffles and scrambled eggs. After our delicious breakfast, we sang happy birthday to Ben, who got a birthday cake made of muffins. The candles were the trick ones that kept relighting, it was really funny to watch Ben trying to blow them out. Although we were happy for him, we were all secretly jealous that he got to celebrate his birthday with all the Disney characters.

 

We were all buzzing with excitement on the bus ride as we passed the signs with Mickey Mouse on them. After we turned a corner, we saw the iconic Disney castle. We were all dumbstruck as we saw the castle that most of us have ever only seen in movies before.

This time, we didn’t have the problem with the entrance card, like we had at Epcot, so we got straight in. Mr Roberts let us go our own way so long as we stayed in groups of 3 or 4. Everyone was excited to go to Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, Magic Kingdom’s most famous rides.

Space Mountain was the ride we went on first. It is nearly pitch black except the stars all around you. It was like falling through the stars in directions you weren’t expecting. We then went through a portal to the future, where flashing LED lights guided our rocket to the end! The ride was a great one that finished too soon, so we went a second time but took a different route. Overall, this ride was one of my favourites.

Splash Mountain, as the name suggests, is a water ride. In a boat, you explore the world of Brer Fox, and see all of the exciting places based on the movie. After going through the relaxing part, the atmosphere turns dark – signs telling you to ‘enter at your own risk’ and ‘turn back now’ made us scared. The ride ends with a 50 ft drop, past large animated thorn bushes, into the water below. We didn’t get too wet, except the people at the front!

 

Big Thunder Mountain was set to the back drop of the Wild West. Although there was a long wait for this ride, it was fun, as you got to blow up Dynamite by pushing the detonator. When we got on the ride, it was a high-paced rollercoaster. We passed many ‘wild west’ themed items, such as TNT, gunshots, crates of explosives, and more. We felt like we were in an old Wild West movie! It was a thrilling and entertaining ride!

After we did some of the rides, we went to get autographs and photos with some of our favourite   characters! We were like big kids waiting in the line to meet the princesses and other characters.  I think we were more excited than some of the kids there! Our favourite character was Peter Pan – he was so nice and handsome 😉!  The lady behind us in the line was getting angry because we took a long time with him – but we didn’t want to leave! Some of the lines were very long; the line to see Tinkerbell and Cinderella was over 45 minutes, but it was worth it!

 

After dark, the Disney castle became illuminated with beautiful fairy lights on the top and changed colour below. It was even more magical at night than in the day time! Many people were out to see the Minnie and Mickey show in front of the castle, so it was really busy there! Around 50 000 people visit Magic Kingdom every day!

Overall, we all had a great time at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. It was a magical day, where all of our childhood dreams came to life.

-         By Katie and Nicola.

 

Day 12

Day 12

Our first morning in Florida was one of comfort compared to the gruel of Space Camp. We woke up to a luxury breakfast, from beds that were actually beds, a nice change of pace. Compared to Huntsville & our other destinations Florida had nice warm temperatures in the morning, a nice change

After waking up at 7:45 we were let free to go and fill our plates with all we could eat. There was crispy bacon, a chef offering to make an omelette, waffles, scrambled eggs and one of my favourite, hash browns. After breakfast we headed up to our rooms until 8.50, where we prepared for a long day. The bus ride to Epcot took around 20 minutes, our first sight of our destination was the gates, full of Disney characters. After yet more driving, and a lot of parking we arrived at the front entrance. We were all prepped to go in, before realising that the papers to get in were back at the hotel… whoops. Mr Roberts started ringing around and after a while we obtained the entry numbers.

We walked in and then after choosing a meeting spot split into small groups for the day. Epcot was full of attractions, each more different from the last. The Epcot dome was easily the thing that caught the eye. Inside was an attraction on time and space, a slow moving ride throughout the dome looking at the invention of civilisation and technology, right from the Ice Age to today’s  time. It was filled with moving lifelike figures depicting everything that was going on in the scenes.

Past the dome were strings of other attractions leading to the centre of the park, a HUGE lake. Around the edges of the lake were the world showcases, attractions showing the history and culture of all the famous powers of the worlds. Each attraction was a little theme park of its self, with plenty to do and see. Around the lake there were over 25 different counties and cultures represented. Each showcase was beautifully designed to show off the culture and style of each country. The showcases ranged from traditional Holland to feudal Japan to ancient Mexico etc.

 

Around the dome its self the other exhibits were placed. Most of these exhibits were slow moving presentations teaching many different things, ranging from space and time to engineering challenges to using your imagination. Many of the displays and presentations used the same moving lifelike wax figures as used in the centre dome. The presentation by Ellen DeGeneres on energy through the prehistoric ere was absolutely amazing, well worth seeing again…and again.

After 7 hours of touring the park darkness fell, and the whole place changed. Everything was lit up spectacularly for Christmas, lights everywhere. To me the whole atmosphere changed, it was truly incredible. One of the smallest yet best features were the jumping fountains, jets of water propelled carefully into places on their own, lit up colourfully. We spent a good half an hour just messing around there. After leaving the fountains behind it was time for the famous Epcot fireworks. To say they lived up to expectations would be underdoing it just a bit. Incredible bursts of colour lit up the sky across the lake, right in front of us. Meanwhile a story of imagination was being told to bursts of fire and music. The whole experience was incredible.

 

After the Fireworks we headed for the exit, along with every other like-minded person. We were going strong till we hit the hotel, then we realised just how weary we were. We had been at it for over 12 hours after all….

All in all Epcot was an amazing experience and a great day, something truly worth doing. We all loved it and want to go back some day. Anyway, it’s getting late here and we have even longer days to come. See you all in just under week…

By Ben and Nathan.

Day 12

Day 12


Had a great day at Disney's EPCOT.

Didn't get back till late. I will get the students to do the blog when we get a chance- sleep is more impotant.     Graeme.

Day 11

Day 11 Blog

We have spent most of the day travelling.
Up at 7.30am, packed our bags, breki, said our final goodbyes and on the bus by 9.15am.
Some of the students emotional; all raving about their Space camp experience.
Delayed flights (heavy rain in Huntsville). Flew via Atlanta to Orlando.
Arrived at the hotel around 5.30pm, checked-in, out to tea (Pizza Hut), back to the hotel for a swim in the pool. Warm and sunny here today and it should be fine for the next few days.

We have 3 or four students trying to fight-off colds- nothing major as yet just soar throats and blocked noses; fingers crossed they don't sink too far and recover quickly .

All looking forward to Disney (EPCOT) tomorrow. Another long day ahead- wont be leaving till after the fireworks at 9.30pm so I can't promise another expansive blog for a few days.

Graeme.