Friday, September 21, 2012

Space Shuttle Endeavour Flies Over the Disneyland Resort

When word got out that the Space Shuttle Endevour will fly over the Disneyland Resort at 10:30am as it makes its final flight, I knew where I wanted to be.

I didn't think much about leaving early. My first intention was to walk to the Disneyland Resort like I tend to do.  But it was just so hot and I knew I would only be there for a short time, that I thought I would just drive.

My first thought was to go to Downtown Disney and just watch it from the Main Entry Plaza. So I left my place around 9:45am. As I got passed the Disney Paradise Pier Hotel, there was traffic. I decided to go the back way, but as I passed the row of cars, I could see they were all going into the Downtown Disney parking lot.  So I decided to skip it.  I thought I would just try one of the hotel parking lot.  But many of them  had their employees out there, probably to either check to make sure they have a room there or possibly to charge them to park there.

I finally found a parking area and just walked to the Disneyland Resort.   By this time it is 10:15am.


As you notice, there is a misspelling of the word "Endeavour". Endeavour was named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship that was commanded by Captain James Cook.  Cook sailed to the South Pacific, around Tahiti, and observed the passage of Venus between Earth and the Sun.  Captain Cook also discovered New Zealand, navigated the Great Barrier Reef, and surveyed Australia


Waiting in Paradise Pier Park. Got to watch Instant Concert: Just Add Water a couple times which helped cool me off as the mist was blowing in my direction.

Originally the shuttle was suppose to fly over the Resort around 10:30am.  But it was just a bit late.


Several announcements were made before the Shuttle flew by. So everyone was in place.  Everyone was looking towards the East, but everyone had a different idea on which direction it was coming from

Finally at 12:30pm...


Space Shuttle Endeavour as is is coming from behind the trees


And it flies over us. Along with the Shuttle are two NASA  T-38 jets


Whoa!


It heads off towards the "mountains"






And it's gone.

People were saying that it was going to loop around and it somewhat did.  In the far distance behind California Screamin', one could see just a little bit of it.  But it only flew over the Disneyland Resort once.

I didn't know what to expect, I just thought it would just be a space shuttle flying by and that's it.  But when it flew over, it was so amazing, incredible and a little emotional (I wasn't crying or anything ha ha). As it flew over, many people were clapping and cheering. I am so glad I got to view it.

1 comment:

  1. That sounds wonderful, you got great pictures. I stayed at a Disney Resort awhile ago and it was probably the best vacation I have ever been on. Something about Disney makes you feel like a kid again! Thanks for sharing, wish I could have been there for that.

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