We were there on what they estimated to be the bus...

We were there on what they estimated to be the busiest day of the year, and we should've turned around the minute we . Very aggravating atmosphere the moment we entered, with loud blaring Christmas music, exhausted employees who seemed as hopeless as most of the visitors, a five hour wait for the bus tour (and for another tour option, a flat out refusal because it'd be dark by the time they'd be able to leave), and everything that had no wait required some upcharge or pre-booking. Incredibly disappointed at how commercialized it all was. The "must see" shuttle experience was too long of a chaotic wait (a huge mass of people waiting to get, apparently, into another hall?) and most folks seemed to have no idea what they were even waiting for. It was like being in a large international hub airport when there's fog on the ground - no one knows what's going on or has any hope of getting out anytime soon. We 100% regret going, though it could possibly have been a decent experience with about 60% less people.
Avoid Christmas Break at all costs! Go to the Museum of Air and Space in DC or the Air Force Museum in Dayton OH instead (for free), or look at all the things online available from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab online. The bits we did enjoy were two speakers discussing -wait for it- info available there. #facepalm. We could have spent that time on the beach or exploring the natural beauty of Merritt Island or just being somewhere that didn't raise your BP 40 points. Ugh, such a bummer NASA!