GO Beyond USA!

Your GO Schoolies adventure takes off today! Depart Australia for Orlando, Florida. This day will feel like it never ends, given you will arrive in the States on the same day you left Australia. Check in to your hotel, grab some dinner in the huge food court and get some sleep.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Overnight: Orlando

You’ve seen it on TV and in the movies, now you get to live it! Put on your space suit as you’re off to the incredible NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for two-days Astronaut Training and center exploration.

Your challenge today is to graduate from the Astronaut Training Experience program (ATX), as the next generation of space explorers. You will experience what it’s like to land on Mars in the Mars Rover, the challenges of a spacewalk within a microgravity environment and one of the most advanced virtual reality systems you’ll probably ever get your hands on.

Once you’ve aced your training, it’s time to GO your own way at the KSC Visitor Complex. Check out the retired Space Shuttle Atlantis, jump on the Shuttle Launch Experience, visit the Heroes and Legends Hall of Fame, and so much more. 

After a full day of space exploration, head to Universal City Walk for dinner of your choice – Bubba Gump’s and Hard Rock café are always popular!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Overnight: Orlando

Have a sleep in or a morning dip in one of the many resort swimming complexes before getting ready to head back to Kennedy Space Centre to enjoy a NASA certified lunch with a real NASA astronaut! Hear all about space from someone who has experienced it firsthand. This personal presentation by a veteran astronaut also gives you a chance to participate in an open question and answer session and ask about anything you have always wondered about planet earth and beyond.

Next up its time for a behind the scenes, restricted access tour of the KSC on the explore bus tour. Visit once-in-a-lifetime locations such as the rocket launch pads (including Launch Complex 39A), Vehicle Assembly Building and SpaceX operations. Finish up at the Apollo/Saturn V Center to explore America’s Apollo missions, including Apollo XI which successfully put humans on the Moon for the first time.

Finish checking out anything you have not seen yet at the complex, catch an IMAX, or do some final retail therapy in one of the biggest NASA stores in the world before jumping on the bus to head to the Disney Springs complex.

Enjoy some free time to explore the many stores and restaurants and GO your own way for dinner tonight with choices like Planet Hollywood, Blaze Pizza, Earl of Sandwich, Starbucks and many more!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Overnight: Orlando

You have to check out more of Orlando while you are here so jump on your private coach and discover this unique city that was built entirely on swamps. Keep your eyes peeled for some alligators!

Stop off at the award-winning Orlando Science Center with four floors of interactive exhibits, labs, workshops, theatres, an observatory and our favorite, the flight simulator! Ever thought about what it would be like to fly a plane? Well this is your chance to experience the exhilarating ‘Flight Lab’ as you virtually climb into the cockpit and experience flight in this timed experience.

Next up, off to Orlando airport for your flight to Los Angeles. Have dinner on the run at the airport before your flight. Tomorrow’s another big day, so once you get to the hotel check in and get some sleep.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Overnight: Los Angeles

You’ve got a date with roller coasters, ghost towns and side show antics at Knott’s Berry Farm, America’s first theme park. First up, learn all about the rides and rollercoasters, including some of the biggest in the world, as part of the ‘Energy in Motion’ program. Test out some of the more thrilling rides, including the Xcelerator and the Silver Bullet, and don’t forget Hangtime, the first and only dive coaster in California, which features a beyond vertical drop, gravity-defying inversions and midair suspensions.

After a day of theme park adrenaline, tonight, join the fun and adventure of one of the world’s most interactive dinners at Pirates Dinner Adventure. Pyrotechnics, stunts, fierce sword fights and guaranteed fun! Will your team be victorious?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Overnight: Los Angeles

Time for a coastal road trip to the Mexican influenced city of San Diego. Visit Balboa Park, where culture, nature and science collide. It’s home to over 16 museums, including the Fleet Science Center, San Diego Air and Science Museum and the much-anticipated Comic-Con Museum (set to open in 2021)! Before you head back to LA, pick up some bargains at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, including Nike, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, followed by dinner at Ruby’s Diner. Step back into the 1940’s American diner culture and try out the famous burgers and shakes!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Overnight: Los Angeles

Rise and shine. You’ve got an entire day to experience Disneyland, ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’, home of Walt Disney, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and all your favourite Disney characters. With nine lands to explore, including all new Star Wars Galaxy Edge Land, you’ll be run off your feet trying to fit everything in. Don’t miss iconic rides such as Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones and the tea cups. For dinner the options are endless. Be sure to explore the many shops and dining options outside the park at Downtown Disney for inspiration.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Overnight: Los Angeles

Today marks the end of your days in the States, so let’s go out with a bang. Pack your bags and head to Universal Studios in Hollywood. Take a back-lot tour and see where the blockbuster movies are made, including Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, War of the World and Transformers. You’ll also be able to check out some of the sets from popular TV shows such as The Good Place and CSI. At the entertainment center, explore different elements that go into making movies, including stunts and animal actors. And, of course, there are the rides! Jurassic World, Revenge of the Mummy, Transformers: The Ride – 3D, Despicable Me Ride and the Simpsons. For Harry Potter fans, we’ve got you covered. So much awaits you in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Discover the mysteries of the Hogwarts Castle, visit the shops of Hogsmeade and visit some of the wizarding world’s best-known establishments.

Be sure to check out the restaurants along City Walk for a bite to eat for dinner before your coach whisks you away to LAX International Airport for your flight home to Australia.

Arrive back into Australia from your epic adventure with a lifetime of memories!

The number one highlight of your GO Beyond tour? Having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore, learn and play at NASA's one and only Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of human spaceflight since December 1968, and is famously known for hosting the launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs. Today, KSC is home to major NASA operations, astronaut training programs, and runs regular rocket launches as part of the Launch Services Program, responsible for launching satellites and robotic missions on journeys to learn more about our home planet and unlock the secrets of the universe. Many of your favourite interstellar movies were filmed here too, including Contact, Apollo 13, Armageddon and Tomorrowland. So, you've seen it on screen - now it's time to experience it for yourself! Explore historic launch sites and working spaceflight facilities, marvel at the actual Atlantis Shuttle and a Saturn V rocket, enjoy interactive exhibits at the many museums around the center, and - of course - shop till you drop in the biggest NASA store int he world!

Are you ready to get Physical? Take part in the Energy in Motion program - an innovative and totally fun way to experience the science of matter, energy, motion and force - all put into perfect display by the roller coasters at Knott's Berry Farm. Get ready to scream on the Ghost Rider, the Xcelerator, Hangtime and the Silver Bullet - or enjoy the views while you wait for the drop on the Supreme Scream! Afterwards (definitely afterwards) make sure to fill up on Mrs Knott's Fried Chicken and a slice of boysenberry pie before hitting one of the park's popular "Old West" themed shows or picking up some souvenirs in the marketplace.