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Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour Review

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On my most recent trip to Orlando, I was able to do something totally new and different for me – I took the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour!

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour

I’ve been wanting to visit KSC for a few years now, but never could make it fit my schedule. Then, I decided that I would make it fit on this solo trip. That way, if it wasn’t worth giving up a theme park day, it didn’t impact my family who doesn’t go as often. I hope to make a separate post on visiting the Space Center at a later date. Today, I want to focus on the Add-On Enhancement: Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour!

Now, I will preface this by pointing out that everyone who visits can take a bus ride to view different areas of the complex. However, this bus ride takes you to additional spots that the other bus doesn’t go. Additionally, you get to actually get off of the bus to take photos where the other bus can’t. So, I will highlight the differences in this post to help you decide if this tour is worth the added cost.

The Gantry at LC-39

The first stop on this tour is the same stop everyone else gets to make. It’s the Gantry at LC-39. It features a four story gantry with a full-scale model of a rocket engine. You can take the stairs or an elevator to view the launch sites and Florida grounds. There’s also information on how rockets are built and launched. There’s even a simulated static test fire. Finally, there’s also information about the wildlife in the area that they must care for. Overall, it’s a neat stop and I can see why everyone gets to experience it.

Following The Gantry, the regular tour bus takes visitors over to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The Explore Tour rides over to the Launch Sites.

Launch Sites

Following the Gantry, we rode the bus over to the launch sites for shuttles and rockets. It was so cool to see where countless historic launches have occurred. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to get off of the bus at the launch sites, but the bus did stop to allow us to stand up and take photos from inside the bus.

Next, we rode over to a private beach that is government owned. We were allowed to get off of the bus here to take photos of the Atlantic Ocean and of the launch sites. We couldn’t walk right onto the beach, but we could still see the ocean. It was a neat experience that I wasn’t expecting on this tour.

Vehicle Assembly Building

The last unique stop for the Explore Tour is the Vehicle Assembly Building. The other buses drive by it, but the Explore Tour allows you to get off of the bus and take photos! This is where they assemble shuttles and other large space vehicles. It’s also commonly used in imagery for NASA and is an icon in its own right. It was really cool to be able to get a photo in front of the building. We also got to walk across the Orbiter Access Control Arm and White Room at this stop.

Following the VAB stop, the tour ends at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, just like the regular bus tours.

Pros

  • Access to reserved areas – The Explore Tour allows you to view launch sites more closely, see a private beach, and take photos at the Vehicle Assembly Building. You can’t get those things on the regular tour.
  • You can learn more – Our tour guide was knowledgeable and I’m sure we learned more about space and the launches on this tour in comparison to the other one.
  • Feels historic – If you are coming to the complex to see historic things, this tour gets you closer to the actual launch sites than the other tour.

Cons

  • Costs more – If you are on a budget, you may not want to pay an extra $24-30/person.
  • Takes more time – There’s so much to see and do at Kennedy Space Center. This Explore Tour can take up to two hours (mine took 1.5 hours). So, you may have to skip other things you wanted to see if you book this tour.
  • Limited time slots – This tour is only offered at 10 AM and 2 PM. It’s very likely it will take place during an astronaut talk or some other activity you may wish to see.

Is the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour worth it?

The KSC Explore Tour costs an additional $30 plus tax for adults and $24 plus tax for children. Personally, I felt like it was worth it because I can’t imagine traveling that far and not seeing the actual launch sites or getting photos in front of the VAB. I feel like that’s where the history is made and I want to see it in person. So, I thought it was worth it. However, it is an added cost that can eat up your budget. It also takes up a good chunk of your day. If other activities are of a higher priority, you may want to skip this one. Have you taken the Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour?

HHN Scream Early Review

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A few weeks ago, I was able to visit Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights and did the add-on HHN Scream Early Ticket! Today, I will examine if it was worth it or not to help others decide if they should spend the money.

HHN Scream Early

HHN Scream Early

In prior years, I had an Annual Pass to Universal Orlando. So, I could enter the park whenever I wanted. However, I haven’t had an AP to Universal in a few years. This new Scream Early ticket sounded good to me. It gave me entry to the park at 2 PM and access to some houses early. So, I purchased the add-on ticket for $74.55, including taxes and headed on my way.

Sidenote: A tip I gave in my Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Tips for Anxious Folks post years ago was to get acquainted with the park and its layout before the sun goes down. This new Scream Early ticket allows you to walk around the park during the day and spot where the scare zones, food booths, shows, and houses are. I highly recommend entering early if you are a nervous person.

Early Entry Houses

As I stated above, I was able to enter the park at 2 PM. However, due to the heat and rain, I opted to wait until closer to 4 PM to enter the park. Immediately upon entering the park, I headed towards Strangers Things since three houses open at 2 PM for Scream Early attendees. I could have also entered the lines for Hellraiser or Jack & Oddfellow as those also open at 2 PM. After a really reasonable and pretty quick 20 minutes or so wait, I was able to complete the Stranger Things house.

Opening at 5:15 PM, I lined up for Ozzy Osbourne’s house an hour early around 4:15 PM. Thankfully, Universal has opened additional sound stages for guests to wait in this year. So, I sat in a cool area for about an hour. Then, the line started moving and we went back outside for another 20-30 minutes. I was done with my second house by 5:50 PM. Then, I hopped over to the Tribute Store and purchased an Ozzy shirt.

Early Food

After knocking out the two houses I wanted to do, I headed towards some food. The food booths in Gramercy Park opened early. So, I got the Deathbringer Tempura Shrimp to enjoy around 6. Then, I walked around and got the Fried PB&J Bites around 6:20 PM. By 6:30 PM (the official start time for the event), I was sitting down enjoying some Pork BBQ Eggrolls from Sinners!

Is HHN Scream Early worth it?

As I stated above, the HHN Scream Early ticket is perfect for folks who want to wander around and get comfy in the park before it gets dark. It’s also perfect for folks who want to hit up multiple houses. The main drawback is the heat/sun and possibly afternoon storms. However, as I have proven, even if you wait until almost 4, you can still accomplish a lot before the event officially begins! I highly recommend this ticket and thought it was a great deal. I was able to see two houses, eat some food, and grab some merch before the event even began!

2026 Unmasking the Horror 6 House Tour Review at HHN

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I’ve just returned from a visit to Universal Orlando, where I was lucky enough to take the 2026 Unmasking the Horror 6 House Tour! Here’s a look at that experience.

2026 Unmasking the Horror Tour

2026 Unmasking the Horror

Back in 2023, I went to Halloween Horror Nights to see the Stranger Things house. While there, I did the Daytime Lights On Tour and posted a review of that experience. I’ve gotten a couple of comments on that post over the years, so when Stranger Things and Ozzy was announced for 2026, I decided that a trip back to UO was in order! Today, I want to go over my experience and compare it to 2023’s tour.

I’ll start by pointing out that in 2023, I received an email from Universal with a list of houses included on the tour. This year, that wasn’t the case. I booked my tour after someone posted on the HHN subreddit claiming that both Ozzy and ST were on the 6 house tour. So, I don’t know if that’s a permanent change or not. However, I would have preferred some communication from UO stating the houses. Nonetheless, the list the person shared on Reddit was correct.

Once again, this tour is listed as a 5 hour tour. I selected a 10:15 AM slot in order to sleep in some after attending HHN the night before. My tour wrapped up a little after 4 PM. So, I guess the new time guidelines are a little over 5 hours of tour, plus 45 minutes for the included lunch. Also, you have lunch after the 4th house instead of the 3rd now.

This year, the six house tour included: Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Evil Dead Burn, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack & Oddfellow, and Madlands. New for 2026 is that each tour did the houses in the same order, just 15 minutes apart. That way, all of the tour groups cleared the houses that open early for Scream Early (Stranger Things and Jack & Oddfellow open at 2 PM).

Light On Tour Before Lunch

We started out with Jack & Oddfellow. Our tour guide walked us through the story for the house and used his flashlight to show some of the effects in the house. Next up, was Stranger Things. I was happy that we were allowed to take so many photos in this house. Unfortunately, you can’t take photos in the scene where Will uses his powers against a Demogorgon for the first time. I loved being able to photograph the Wheelers kitchen though. Then, we paused for a restroom break.

Afterwards, it was time for Evil Dead Burn. No one in our group had seen the movie, so the guide walked us through the house and the storylines. Our tour guide made it seem interesting enough. I was impressed that he told us that a Universal creative hand-drew some of the artifacts in the room to match a book given to Universal from the film’s folks.

Then, it was time for Ozzy’s house. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to photograph in the first and last rooms of this one. I would have loved to have taken a photo of the train, but that wasn’t included. It was neat to see the little Easter eggs or references to various albums/songs in this house.

Tours After Lunch

We had a 45 minute break for lunch before heading over to Sinners. Once again, we couldn’t photograph a really big scene here: inside Club Juke. However, it was neat to see how the club can appear to be on fire.

Lastly, we toured Madlands. This was an original house that allowed you to photograph to your heart’s content. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really into the premise and didn’t feel compelled to take many photos here. I was impressed with Universal creating a park map and tickets for this fake zoo. So, props for attention to detail. It just wasn’t for me.

Lunch

In my previous review of this tour, I mentioned the stress of having to find lunch during the tour’s break. I’m happy to report that Universal heard our complaints and added a lunch buffet to this tour. Granted, the cost of the tour has increased significantly since I took it three years ago. However, a large part of that is probably going towards the food. It was great to not have to run around looking for food and being scared of missing part of the tour.

We were given 45 minutes to eat lunch. Unfortunately, I was on the last tour group of the day and they were literally taking down the buffet as we entered. In fact, we didn’t get a chance to try all of the food because they ran out and didn’t replace it. So, if food is important to you: don’t book the last tour.

The food itself was ok. I enjoyed some salmon, chicken strips, broccoli, and ravioli. I also liked the pumpkin pie. Supposedly, there were some crepes, but I never even saw them on the buffet. Again, I felt like it wasn’t right that they were clearing the food before we had a chance to eat.

Should you book a 2026 Unmasking the Horror Tour?

I paid $276.89 for this tour, after taxes. That’s a pretty good chunk of change. It also took almost 6 hours to complete the tours. I think it’s worth it if you are a big fan of one of the IPs, HHN in general, want to take photos in the houses, or are interested in seeing how the houses are built. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily a must-do to enjoy the event given the cost and time.

So, have you done a 2026 Unmasking the Horror Tour?

Pancakes and Penguins at Ripley’s Aquarium Review

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Last week, I was lucky enough to do the Pancakes and Penguins experience at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies! Today, I thought I would review it and help you decide if it’s worth your time and money.

Pancakes and Penguins

Pancakes and Penguins

Pancakes and Penguins is a new-ish addition to the offerings at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. For $99 + Tax for Ages 3+, it’s an early morning activity that includes admission to the aquarium. Held once or twice a month, you are served a buffet breakfast and are allowed to see some penguins!

We booked this experience back in May for August. A few months out, the event was booked up. However, when I checked back later, there was additional availability. So, if you want to book this experience but it appears full, keep checking back as people may cancel.

The Breakfast

Before the event, every group is assigned a table number. You are told your table number and its location when you check in. At the table is a bag containing a penguin painting for each guest! So, that was a nice start to the meal.

Breakfast was a small buffet of items. It included: pancakes (duh!), eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, fruit, coffee, apple juice, and orange juice. The pancakes were seemingly frozen and heated up. I highly recommend using some butter and syrup to make them good. The friend potatoes were pretty good. The eggs weren’t bad. I had a piece of bacon, but I typically eat turkey bacon. So, I probably shouldn’t judge that. Haha! I got a bottle of orange juice, which was as expected. Overall, the food wasn’t bad. It was probably about what you would expect from a hotel’s free breakfast. While not groundbreaking or gourmet, the meal was basic but filling.

The Penguins

In addition to the breakfast, you get to see two penguins. We got to take a photo with a penguin too! They attempted to begin the breakfast with everyone getting a photo with a penguin. However, the penguins weren’t initially interested in sitting for photos. So, they allowed everyone to eat breakfast first and come up by table/group to take pictures during the breakfast. Afterwards, the penguins walked around the tables as an employee told us facts about penguins. Towards the end of the hour, they had the penguins go around for some additional photos with guests.

Ending

At the conclusion of the program, you are free to explore the aquarium at your leisure! Having just visited the Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach last year, we knew what to expect here. We picked up our included free photo prints with the penguin and started touring the aquarium at the beginning. This way, we ended our visit back at the Penguin Playground. It was neat to spot one of the penguins we met (Tessa) in their habitat. Then, we exited through the gift shop where we both purchased a penguin ornament and t-shirt to commemorate the experience.

Is the Pancakes and Penguins experience worth it?

At $99 per person, this experience is not cheap. However, it typically costs $42.99 for aquarium tickets. This also includes breakfast, a picture with a penguin, a penguin painting, and some information on penguins. My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We both felt that the price paid was more than worth what we got in return. It’s not everyday you get close to a penguin! If you have a penguin fan in your family, then I think you should book it.

El Capitan Theatre Tour Review

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Back in September, while visiting California I went down to Hollywood for a guided El Capitan Theatre Tour! I couldn’t find many reviews prior to my trip, so I wanted to be sure to write one myself.

El Capitan Theatre Tour

El Capitan Theatre Tour

Just a primer for anyone reading this who doesn’t know, the El Capitan Theatre has a storied history. It’s perhaps most-known for being the theater willing to premiere Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane film. However, there’s so much more to its history. Additionally, for any Disney fans reading, the building is currently owned by Disney. In fact, Disney Hollywood premieres (and lots of press events) are held here. Jimmy Kimmel’s show is currently filmed next door. So, the building has lots of history and would be of interest to many different types of people.

Scheduling a Tour

Similar to scheduling a tour at the other famous Hollywood theatres, it’s a matter of luck of the draw if it fits your schedule or not. They do not publish the tour schedule online. In fact, you have to call to actually book a tour. I was able to get a schedule of tours via email a few weeks out. Once again, the other historical theatres don’t know their tour schedules more than a few weeks out either. Since they are historical and located in Hollywood, they are often used for premieres, award shows, and press events. So, they can’t schedule tours too far out.

Currently, the tour costs $25/person and lasts approximately 45 minutes. Tours are typically available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I had a tour on a Saturday afternoon.

The Tour

I was shocked to discover that I was the only person to book my tour time slot. So, I was lucky enough to get a solo tour of the theatre! It was so neat to learn more about the history of this building and to be able to ask questions freely. I enjoyed learning about the restoration efforts that took place when Disney came in, especially the detail about having to remove years of smoke from the ornate celing.

It was surreal to go backstage and be able to step on the stage itself! It was so cool to be reminded of the various events that took place right on that very stage! I also got to go into the Richard & Robert Sherman Star Dressing Room! If you know anything about the Disney Parks history, then you who they are! Well, they named the dressing room here after them!

I also got to see the organ up close. It’s a beautiful piece! I also got to see some unique equipment that is used to put people on stage and there’s one even used in Fantasmic! So, that’s a was another nice park reference!

I also got to go behind the theatre and see the back entrance to Jimmy Kimmel! It was neat to realize just how many famous people have been right where I was standing!

Souvenirs

The tour ends with some small gifts. They provide you with a free bag of popcorn and a El Capitan Theatre postcard featuring Mickey & Minnie Mouse! I thought both of those were a nice touch. I was hoping for a little more theatre specific merch in the ice cream shop next door, but only saw one shirt. So, a postcard is a nice way to remember this tour.

Is the El Capitan Theatre Tour worth it?

At only $25/person and 45 minutes, I think this tour is very much worth it. It would be the perfect Hollywood activity for any movie buffs or Disney fans. I enjoyed being somewhere historic and hearing stories about the place. It was a nice addition to my Disney history evening in LA since I had dinner at Tam O’Shanter after my tour.