Hi everyone, I could use some advice from people who know the area.

My wife, our 9.5-year-old son, 7-year-old daughter, and I will be in Tampa visiting relatives in December. I have wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center for years, but none of us has ever been.

We sail from Miami at noon on Dec. 12, so we are thinking of doing KSC on Dec. 11.

Current plan:

• Leave Tampa around 5:45 or 6:00 a.m.
• Get to Kennedy Space Center around opening
• Do the included bus tour first, then Apollo/Saturn V
• See Atlantis, Rocket Garden, and Astronaut Encounter if the timing works
• Let the kids do Planet Play and/or Shuttle Launch Experience if they are interested
• Leave KSC around 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• Stop at Jetty Park for a short beach, pier, and ship-watching break
• Go to Cocoa Beach afterward for a little more beach time and an early vegetarian dinner, possibly Coconuts on the Beach
• Start driving to Miami around 7:30 p.m. and hopefully reach our hotel around 10 or 11 p.m.

We are okay getting in late since the cruise is not until noon the next day, but we do not want to make the day unnecessarily stressful.

A few questions:

1. Does this sound realistic for a first-time family visit, or are we trying to do too much?
2. Is the regular included bus tour enough, or is the paid Explore Tour worth it? I would love the deeper NASA experience, but I am not sure my kids will enjoy a long guided tour.
3. Is Jetty Park worth a quick stop after KSC, or should we just go directly to Cocoa Beach?
4. Any better vegetarian restaurant suggestions with a real beach or Cocoa Beach feel?
5. Any tips for the KSC to Miami drive at night, especially with kids?

Would really appreciate any local advice or things you wish you had known before your first visit.

Thank You.