Coming Home: Christmas 2017 Updated 1_25 plus pictures

Witherbark

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Hello friends! I hope you enjoy our adventures in WDW over the pre-Christmas period. We hadn't been to Disney in years, so it was a very special trip. It is just me and DH, intrepid travelers from the frosty north around the DC metro area.

I hope you find some information and inspiration in our tale, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Intro

It’s been a long time since I had a chance for a Disney report! Our last Disney experience was actually staying at Disney (Saratoga Springs) but only visiting Universal and doing a water park. Our last true Disney trip was 2014 – right when 7DMT was in soft open (we didn’t get to see it). Since then we’ve done two NCL cruises, Asheville NC, Universal, Hawaii, and most recently the UK. So only a month after our two-week trip to the UK and I’m busy planning our ‘cheap’ Disney trip. With DVC, Southwest miles, military tickets, and credit card points, I actually should be able to keep the cost rather low.

Our first choice was Dec 2-9. I spent about 40 minutes on the phone with a great vacation advisor trying to piece together a resort stay during that week. We ended up with the first two nights at Boulder Creek, one night cash at AKL, then four nights (one night cash) at Saratoga Springs. This sounded exhausting, but I was hopeful on our waitlists.

After discussing with DH, he said that almost any week between Thanksgiving and Christmas would work for him as far as time off, so would moving it a week help? I didn’t know, but I logged on to the website and saw that it looked hopeful. Another call to member services (I wasn’t quite sure how to cancel and move a reservation) and the excellent representative soon had me in a one-bedroom preferred view at Saratoga Springs for 8 nights the next week (Dec 9-17). I’m not going to lie, I didn’t love vacationing this close to Christmas. But it’s not my year to host Christmas Eve for DH’s family and we do like to get away every six months or so. Sold!

I’m very excited to unpack once and to have the full kitchen and extra space. We actually spend a lot of time in the room, so the space is appreciated. Plus it’s always fun to have breakfast and snacks in a dedicated space, not crammed into the studio kitchenette.

I’m also looking forward to seeing the parks decked out for Christmas – it’s been years since we did a Christmas party (I think before we were married!). Also new since our last visit are 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, and of course Pandora. Lots of new things to discover. I hope this trip will be rather low-key. We’ll plan for the new rides and old favorites, plus time to maybe see a movie or take in some mini-golf, have a glass of wine on the patio, and enjoy favorite restaurants.

I’ve seen lots of people have trouble with dining reservations, but I’m hoping that our small party size will work to our advantage. Right now I want to try/return to: Raglan Road, Biergarten, Sanaa, and Homecoming. I’d love to try some appetizers at some of the new watering holes as well. Since our 180 days is already open, I guess I should get on that.

Dining Update:

Woo – I got my most coveted reservation: Brunch at California Grill for the Sunday after we arrive. I also signed us up for the Sci-Fi (love this place). I tried for Biergarten, but I think they are holding reservations for the CP for now. For the others (Sanaa, some Disney Springs) I’m just not that worried about it and will make reservations closer to our actual vacation.

Dining Update Update:

So some random checking on the website and I have:


12/9: Raglan Road 6:15

12/10: California Grill Brunch 11:25 AM

12/11: Biergarten 5:45

12/13: Sci-fi 5:30

12/15: Sanaa 2:10

12/16: Homecomin’ 4:35

RR is a must-do. I really wanted to try the brunch after reading Easy WDW’s review. Biergarten is a family tradition. We both love Sci-fi. I’ve been wanting to try Sanaa forever and I like the look of Homecomin’. I’d love to snag Boathouse for one of the other nights, but so far no dinner times are available.


We’re only doing 5 park days using the military tickets, but we’ll be there for 8 nights. This makes the itinerary look like:


Arrival Saturday: Pick up car, get groceries, check in. Dinner Disney Springs.

Sunday: Probably morning workout to justify the excess of the CG Brunch. Chill. Possibly return to see the MK fireworks.

Monday: Epcot/ hopefully Biergarten for dinner and FP: FEA

Tuesday: MK/ FP: 7DMT, maybe finally try out the WL watering holes

Wednesday: DHS/ FP: RNR, TOT, hopefully hit TSMM and dinner Sci Fi

Thursday: AK/ FP: FoP and dinner Sanaa

Friday: AK/ FP: River (or whichever Pandora we didn’t do) and afternoon park hopping

Saturday: Chill, dinner at Disney Springs

Update:

Well, DH found a Spartan race in Florida on the Saturday we were set to arrive, so it looks like we’ll do a little rearranging. Actually, hotel and dining stays the same. We’ll just arrive on the Friday instead of Saturday. Now I just have to decide if it’s better to fly into Tampa and rent a car or fly to Orlando and drive over to the Tampa area to the race. Hmmm. The difference is probably just about an hour.

Discussed today flying into Tampa versus Orlando on Friday. Actually, some quick Mapquest shows that the difference is about 20 minutes. That makes it an easy decision to do Orlando round trip to save a few bucks on the rental car. Now to find a hotel near Lakeland for the race.


Itinerary:


Arrival Friday: Pick up rental and drive to Lakeland. Stop at store for fruit/Gatorade for race.

Saturday: Spartan Race. Drive to Orlando. Get groceries and check in. Dinner Disney Springs.

Sunday: I’ll do a morning workout, then GC Brunch. Pool day or shopping.

Monday: Epcot. Biergarten. FP: FEA, M:S, SpaceShip Earth

Tuesday: MK. Dinner Open. FP: 7DMT, BTMR, Space

Wednesday: DHS. Sci Fi. FP: TSM, TOT, Star Tours

Thursday: AK. Dinner Open. FP: FOP, EE, Dino

Friday: AK. Late Lunch Sanaa. FP: NRJ

Saturday: Chill. Dinner Homecoming

Sunday: Return rental, fly home


Background:


I have become addicted to the negative Disney reviews on Trip Advisor. Does this make me a terrible person? I can’t help but think that 98% of such reviews are due to people not researching/not preparing for a vacation they are spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on. Call me a scrooge, but when I spend money I like to know what I’m getting. Recently I did a last minute girl’s trip with my bestie. I spent maybe 90 minutes online and found a great local B&B with a pool and hot tub, a fun local restaurant where I made a reservation, and purchased a Groupon for a wine tasting. We had an amazing weekend, and I think I spent around $125. If I’m spending thousands? You’d better believe I’m spending hours online doing my homework.

Ticket Update:

Tickets purchased! Wow, I had not been paying attention to recent pricing hikes in the last couple of years because we weren’t doing a Disney trip. I checked online and we paid less than half of the going rate for two 5-day hoppers by utilizing the military tickets.

For anyone else buying military vouchers, linking them in MDE was a snap. I did that and personalized our Magic Bands in about 10 minutes.

Flight Update:

I had been checking SW prices and there hadn’t been much movement, so I finally took the plunge. Thankfully, I can use points gained during work travel for personal travel, which made one leg of my trip “free”. And since I decided to save nearly $200 by taking a ridiculously early return flight, I splurged for Early Bird for all of our legs. I think that 7AM return flight is going to hurt after 8 days of vacation, but on the other hand when vacation is done we both just really want to get home. I know that on the day of, it will feel good to be throwing in some laundry and dealing with the angry cats by 10AM.

Update: Rental Cars: I want to rent it, not buy it

When did rental cars get so expensive? I rented a car for 2 weeks in Hawaii for about the same amount as my 10 day Florida rental. Luckily, I found an okay price (and by OK, I mean price I could pay without throwing up) through Costco travel/Alamo. The example car is a Buick, so I can’t wait until we’re rolling dirty in a Buick Skylark driving through central Florida. I should find some rap music or something to blast.

Fast Pass Update

Ah, FP+. I love it and hate it. But I did do it at 7AM on my 60 day mark. I joined Touring Plans (with the book discount the cost was negligible) and of course I follow Josh at easy.wdw. Between the two sources, I came up with a touring plan that I think works for us. And with FPs that look like:

Mon Dec 11: Spaceship Earth, MS, FEA

Tues Dec 12: Space Mountain, BTMR, SDMT

Wed Dec 13: FOP, EE, Dino

Thurs Dec 14: TSM, TOT, ST

Fri Dec 15: FOP, Dino, KS

Yes, that’s two FOP and we’ll do NRJ one morning at rope drop. As well as several early-morning spins on EE.

Super Secret Surprise

After a very tough day at work, I remembered that Galactic Nights was going on during our trip, and it was happening on our last night. Our last night before our very early flight. But DH had mentioned something about doing a party (he meant Christmas). So I texted him a question: Last night at Disney, chilling and relaxing or party time? He asked if there would be cookies and sent a gif of cookie monster. I took that as a ‘yes’ to the party and a ‘no’ to getting any sleep before our flight. Fine with me. Galactic Nights w/ DVC discount booked.
 
Travel Day

The week was crazy, as weeks before vacation always are. Insane work schedule, Junior League obligations, errands, and a hair appointment meant I wasn’t in bed before midnight any day before we left. I was having work stress dreams, forgot to print out my park cheat sheets, and didn’t get the house all the way clean. At least I did get the Christmas boxes mailed and my hair done. And I gave myself an adorable Minnie Mouse manicure (I meant to make a nail appointment, but, well, it was clear there was no time for that).


We called an Uber about 2 hours before our flight, since neither of us was sure how the new TSA carry-on regulations would impact security lines. As it was, we went through a line that told us to leave everything on, including shoes and belts, and it was 40 minutes between leaving the house and sitting at our gate. We took turns grabbing breakfast, and I tried desperately to not pay attention to cost because we were on vacation, darn it.

I’m glad I splurged on Early Bird check in, as flights to MCO are always packed and full of kids. We were at the end of the A group, but because we were two adults we snagged the two-seater exit row seats. Score! It’s like Southwest’s version of first class.

We had both slept badly the night before, so we napped on the way to Florida. We landed fairly on time and there was a delay in getting luggage due to a belt malfunction, which gave DH time to deal with a phone call and some family drama (which thankfully did not impact our trip).

After finally getting our bags, we went downstairs to the Alamo rental car. We used our Costco discount and had no problems with that, but we found the Alamo clerk very pushy on getting extra insurance (unnecessary with our credit card) and pre-paying for gas. When we did have a question about Sun Pass, she just gave us a brochure. Doris in the garage, however, was much more pleasant and I’m pretty sure upgraded us to a full size car. I honestly don’t care, car upgrades are wasted on me, but it was a kind gesture (or perhaps they just had a surfeit of full-sized cars). I let DH pick the car, and he wanted a pick up and I amended that to “anything but a pickup” and he chose a tricked-out Altima. It was fine, but (foreshadowing), events would show the pickup or SUV would have been a better choice.

We took a very roundabout way out of the airport and off to Tampa, I’m pretty sure because our GPS had trouble kicking in. It was about 80 degrees, so very warm and the leather seats got pretty warm (turns out it wasn’t the sun and the leather, DH had turned on my heated seat because he is trying to gaslight me).

About 90 minutes later we ended up in Lakeland, FL. The Hyatt Place wasn’t ready for us yet, so DH checked Yelp and found a restaurant with good reviews in the adorable downtown area. We had a yummy meal at Harry’s and then walked around a little. We eventually hopped back in the car for a trip to Target (the mother ship, as I call it) where we picked up some snacks, bagels, Gatorade, and other essentials.

Back to the hotel where our room was ready. I like Hyatt Place properties because of the separation between the sleeping area and work/lounge area. DH took a nap and then played a computer game while I watched some Bones. The staff gave us a great local pizza recommendation, so eventually we ordered that for a late light supper and then bed. Unfortunately, a restful night was not to be. There was a sports or family reunion gathering at the hotel, and kids were running up and down the corridors all night slamming doors. Hotel management did not seem to care, so I would not recommend this Hyatt Place.

Spartan Day – Aroo

7 AM dawned early and rainy. We had the hotel breakfast (okay, nothing special) and headed out in a drizzle for the race. GPS put us about 30 minutes away, and that’s exactly what it was. Luckily, like all Spartans this one was well marked. Parking was in a cow pasture (Alamo is going to love us) and we found ourselves in a far lot on top of a hill, after going through approximately 42 mud holes. The car was filthy up to the windows. Oh well. I was also a bit worried about getting out of there as the rain continued and all the traffic tore up the “road”. We were fine getting out, but as much as I hate to admit it, that pick up truck would have been handy.

By the time we parked, got through security, checked in and found the port-a-johns, it was time for DH to line up for his heat. I got an approximate time for his return and set out to entertain myself for three hours. I used the port-a-johns, walked through the various tents and vendors, called my mother, and eventually camped out with my book. The wind and rain picked up and I had to take shelter in a tent. Finally getting a seat, I chatted with the woman next to me and the next thing I know, DH is there with his medal and covered in mud. He’d found a race friend who kept up a pace a bit faster than he normally runs, and he was done a good 40 minutes before I expected him.

I was sorry to have missed the last few obstacles and any pictures of him, but thrilled he was done – it was cold out there! He hosed off and cleaned up as best he could and we headed out. Traffic on I-4 toward Orlando was awful for no discernible reason. DH took a nap and I listened to some Planet Money podcasts as I drove east. He was still asleep when I drove under the Welcome sign, so I did a lonely happy dance.
 
We arrive in Disney – feel free to start reading here

Saratoga Springs was ready for us, of course, at about 3:30 PM. Ricardo checked us in, not the warmest CM I’ve ever had, but he sure was efficient. We were checked in, had charging and pin numbers set up, a parking pass printed, and directions to our villa in about 3 minutes. We were in 1330 Congress Park, a quick walk over to Disney Springs and about 5 minutes to the main building. A perfect location as far as we were concerned.

DH took a much-needed shower while I unpacked. Is there anything more delightful than unpacking on the first day of a Disney vacation, with the whole week stretched out before you, alive with possibilities? I didn’t love the lack of drawer space or the closet off the bathroom rather than the bedroom, but we made it work. That said, I love the rest of the set up of Saratoga Springs and it’s one of the reasons we return there. It’s very quiet, and the connecting door in the hallway means you rarely hear any noise from neighbors (we didn’t hear a peep all week). The kitchen/living/dining area is spacious and comfy. Plenty of room for DH to set up his computer on the dining table while I stretched out on the couch. The shower had good water pressure, and two sinks is helpful even with just two of us. There are…a lot of doors. Poor DH was always opening doors to try to find something.

After getting settled it was time to head to Raglan Road for dinner. We found the path and walked over in just a few minutes, much better to my mind than driving and trying to find parking. It was packed, of course, since it was a Saturday night. We had been watching the Army/Navy game before we left and DH continued to check the scores as we waited for our table. Army won just a few minutes before we were seated, much to DH’s delight.

We were seated away from the action, which was fine by me. We’ve seen the show many times. Yummy bread was served with the Guinness reduction, and our waiter was happy to chat about food, which always makes me happy. DH, shockingly and against type, did not have a Guinness. I’ve had a soft spot for the brand ever since we were unexpectedly (long story for another day) in Dublin and visited the headquarters and the complimentary pint really did perk me up. DH had the ham and I had a salad. We shared my one true love, the bread pudding. So sweet. So delicious.

We were going to walk around after dinner, but although the rain had stopped it was still damp and windy and cold, so instead we headed home. A Lifetime Christmas movie and a night cap and we were ready for bed!

Disney Day One: In Which We Eat a Lot

I could get used to this sneaking up on vacation! This was our third day, and as far as I was concerned the real vacation still hadn’t started! We both got up late and I went to the gym for while DH puttered about the villa. After a shower and a change, we were off to Brunch at the Top.

So having not visited for years, I was really not prepared for all of the road work and the new pattern. I confidently went right up to the MK gates and the attendant saw our resort pass and said “um, are you actually going to the Magic Kingdom?” She helpfully directed us to how to turn around and get back to the turn we needed for the Contemporary.

I was so excited for this, it was the first reservation I made. We arrived to quite the back-up at the entrance to the Contemporary, and the gate guard didn’t really care that we had reservations, just waived us to the parking lot. I know that valet is included in the brunch, but we really didn’t mind the small walk to the hotel.

We took the escalator to the check-in desk and immediately took the elevator up to the 15th floor, where we were greeted by mimosas. Yes, please. I’d like to be greeted by mimosas everywhere I go. Is that an option?


Our waitress was from Ohio, of course. Forget Kevin Bacon, my personal rule is that there is always 6 degrees of Ohio. She was from a town close enough to mine that our high schools played each other for football. We started with the buffet, where I kept it light with some cheese and sushi and a biscuit and DH raided the bloody mary accoutrement bar, I think, which I’m not sure was allowed? For mains DH had the Spanish omelet with bacon and I had the eggs benedict with salmon and no hollandaise sauce (so...poached eggs). And a pumpkin pancake to “share.” It was all crazy delicious and we chatted with the fun couple at the next table as well.

Eventually, after several rounds of mimosas, we decided that we had to leave. We boxed up our sweet treats and sadly headed out. I wanted to activate our military tickets and buy the Photopass, so we walked across the street to the MK. This was our first experience with the new-to-us security arrangements. Given that we were arriving after 1PM, there was no line and we were through in just a few minutes.

The Guest Services line was pretty long and the lines to get into the park were actually pretty packed as well. There was a CM roaming the line (bundled up like it was -10 degrees in about 50 degree weather, btw) asking people what they needed and directing helping them with his ipad if he could. We needed to wait for a window and also had no where else to be, so the wait didn’t bother us. About 20 minutes later we were being helped at a window. Our CM checked just my DH’s military id (didn’t need to see mine) to activate our tickets and our Photopass. I used our Disney Visa Rewards card for brunch and the photopass with no issues (I actually used it for all of our in-park meals and purchases all week and still had money left on it. Yay? Or possibly a sign I spend too much at Target?).

After finishing up our business we walked back to the car. I somehow forgot to use the bathroom? And DH had lost his sunglasses (in Florida, on vacation). I wanted to be irritated, but the night before we left I lost an earring down the sink, and I only have good earrings due to a skin allergy, so I couldn’t really complain. I may have just sighed a little.

Back to the car and to the nearest Target. And by “nearest”, I mean our phone GPS sent us on a wild goose chase. Eventually we backtracked to a Target and filled up on perishables like butter, wine, and cheese. DH picked out a boxed wine, and I have nothing against boxed wine, but the chardonnay was not to my liking at all. Luckily the pinot was fine.

Back to the villa to unpack and get settled. We both relaxed for a while and then had our regular Sunday night frozen pizza. Afterwards we walked over to Disney Springs to shop at the Under Armour store where DH got a ballcap and I got a jacket. I didn’t really need it, but it was on sale… We walked around a bit more and checked out some more stores before heading home.

Another Lifetime movie and a glass of wine before bed!
 
Disney Day Two – In Which We Finally Enter a Park

First park day! We were up early and after showers and breakfast, we strapped on our magic bands and headed off to Epcot. We had fastpass+ for Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, and Frozen Ever After. Parking and getting through security was easy on this morning. It was brisk but bright and sunny. About 20 until 9 they opened the turnstiles and then we were held at the bottom of Spaceship Earth while there was a drum show or something that we couldn’t see from our position.

As soon as we were released we walked quickly to Test Track. The line was backed up outside, but I suspected it was stacked and the line wasn’t really that long. I was right, and a couple of minutes later the line started moving and within a few minutes we were designing our car. We did well in performance and had a quick trip around the track, then we were unloading. I immediately had a notification that the photo was uploaded to My Photopass, so that seemed to be working well. We spent some time playing around with the games as we left Test Track.

After a quick bathroom break it was time for Spaceship Earth with our FP. It was weird using an FP for this, but the time was right and it probably saved us about 10 minutes. A quick trip through the future and it was time to meet Baymax. I was super excited for this meet and greet, DH less so. He veered off to get a coffee and met me in the line, which was about 20 minutes. A family behind us had also been at the Spartan on Saturday and so we all chatted about that (both DH and the dad/husband of that group were wearing the shirts, which is how they spotted each other). Quick hugs with our squishy robot and we were back outside.

It was nearly time for our Mission: Space FP so we made our way over there. I let DH choose our side and he chose Orange. I missed Gary Sinise from the pre-mission briefing! Soon we were being led into our pods. I honestly can’t remember if the mission was different or not, since it had been a while since I did the orange side and I was concentrating on not yaking. Whew. We survived, but we both agreed that the orange side is no longer for us!

It was time for a pleasant walk around the countries. I checked out the Canada booth but it wasn’t open yet. By the time we made it over to France I wanted a snack, but we were still about 15 minutes from the Holiday booths opening. Josh (from the website, whom I’ve never met but yes, name drop as if I know him) had said good things about the French offerings. We found a table in the sun and people watched until they opened. I was the second person served and my cold salmon on a bun was the perfect sized snack.

We continued our way around the world and stopped to watch a bit of the show in China, then were once again at the entrance to World Showcase. DH wanted a snack, and I suggested Canada or America. Canada didn’t interest him, so we decided on America and taking the boat across. I guess they were only running one friendship boat and it was taking a while, since several people in front of us had been waiting and gave up and walked. DH said “I like boats! We’re taking the boat!” I didn’t care, we certainly had time, but I did ask him if he was doing performance art in the fallacy of sunk costs.

We continued our way around the world to the Anna and Elsa meet and greet. Again, I was excited since I’d never done it. DH was decidedly less so. The sign said 20 minutes but it was more like 30. We passed the time chatting with the nice family in front of us.

It was finally our turn with the princesses, who were delightful and happy to pose for pictures with two adults. Note, I feel zero percent weird about getting my picture taken with characters as an adult/sans kids. I am way too old to care what other people think (I highly recommend this attitude, regardless of your age).

After the princess/queen visit our FP window had opened for Frozen Ever After, so we jumped in line. As soon as we did, I hopped onto MDE and found us Soarin FPs for that evening. I really liked FEA, DH was much less impressed but I thought it was cute and well done. I know many people were underwhelmed, but I felt that way throughout the visit. I really enjoyed things that lots of other people found just so-so. Possibly I am really easily pleased.

It was about 3PM after our ride and I gave DH the option of enjoying a drink and some shopping or people watching or heading back to the villa before dinner. He chose the villa, much to my delight. I love afternoon breaks. I’m sure a two-hour break wouldn’t be worth it for a lot of people. But since we are two adults who can move fast, and our villa had parking right in front, it was an easy choice for us. We were “home” by about 3:30 and had about 90 minutes to relax. I had several glasses of water, the cool weather meant I hadn’t realized I had not been drinking and needed to rehydrate. We charged phones and just put our feet up for a while.

At about 5:15 we left for our 5:45 reservation at Biergarten. We did have to park in the back of beyond, as a lot of people were arriving and it occurred to me that this was the DVC member night we hadn’t been able to get tickets for, which likely accounted for many of the late entrances. Still, with some quick walking we made it in plenty of time for our reservation. We were seated with a family of four and another couple. The family stuck to themselves, but the other couple were delightful to chat with, they were local and there for the Candlelight Processional.

Sadly, they did not have my favorite beer so I had a substitute that I did not love as much. However, all of the food was delicious. I enjoyed many salads, especially the cucumber salad, bread, a variety of potatoes, beets, and some salmon. DH had a lot of things called “wurst”. And of course the best desserts. We enjoyed our dinner and the company.

We slowly made our way back to Future World, somewhat getting caught up in the crush as the early CP let out. I didn’t even consider getting the CP package. Listening to the Christmas Story would not be fun for DH, and I get my fill of Christmas songs at an annual holiday concert my girlfriends and I attend. We did hear several songs while visiting the bathrooms in the American Adventure, though.

We still had plenty of time before our Soarin fast pass so we hit up Imagination and Nemo. Then finally Soarin, where we road in the middle section and had a good view. I definitely enjoyed it, although I see what people mean by the CGI.

Around the time Illuminations was starting we were heading out. DH asked why we never stayed for Illuminations, and I pointed out that we had watched it once and he had asked “is this it?” all the way through. I hear the holiday overlay is nice, though.

I realize I’m making DH sound like a grumpy guss, and that isn’t the case at all. He loves Disney and whole-heartedly throws himself into any new situation or adventure. If he truly didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t do it. He flirted with Elsa and hugged Baymax and happily wore a plaid Mickey Christmas hat all week.

Once again back to the villa and a glass of wine and Lifetime Christmas movie before bed.
 


Disney Day Three: Magic or Something Like It

There’s something special about the first day at the MK, I don’t care how old I get. Today was a party day, so the hours were 8-6. That meant we were getting up a bit earlier to be there at open. It also meant the only day we would take the bus. We weren’t up and out quite as early as I would have liked, but thanks to the accurate electronic signage at our bus stop, we were on a bust at 7:45. We arrived and were through security about 15 minutes after opening, which was fine.

Today it was again sunny and chilly. We had FPs for Space, BTMRR, and SDMT. Since we hadn’t experienced the new queue, we went directly to Peter Pan. I loved the new areas, DH didn’t really care. Back from Neverland, I wanted to hit Pooh but it was down so we re-routed and experienced the Haunted Mansion (I always love this one) where we walked right into a stretching room. Then the Jungle Cruise with the hilarious holiday overlay, where again we literally walked onto the boat that was loading. We had never done this overlay, and we both love bad puns. We also had a hilarious driver, so it was a great ride.

Pirates was next, where we barely had time to catch our breath before being loaded into a boat in the first row. I didn’t know about the new picture, so we both look like idiots. Fun!

Our Space FPs were for 9:35 to 10:35, so we finally headed over there to use them. We wouldn’t really have needed them, so DH took some time to play the in-line game before we headed up to our rocket ship. Looked like there were some folks Disney bounding in our rocket, very cute.

Here we took a break. DH enjoyed a coffee and I had my pepper jack stuffed pretzel and a bottle of water at the Lunching Pad. The CM taking my order was a sweetie, but the guy at the other window looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, one of the only grumpy CMs I saw.

After a much needed break, we headed back over through a now much more crowded old fantasyland to Liberty Square to enjoy the Muppets show. I absolutely loved this show! It’s so full of the delightful humor that made the Muppets great in the first place, and showcases one of my favorite characters Sam the Eagle. This was on my “must do” list and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We continued walking and I wanted to go into the Country Bears, since it had been years since I watched it and it was starting in just a few minutes. Suddenly, DH declared he had to use the restroom and of course that made us miss the show. I was a little irritated, and then he suggested we ride the riverboat. I know! I hadn’t done this in years, but DH had never done it and it was evidently the trip where he felt the need to ride every boat he saw, so we did it. It was actually a ton of fun, and we enjoyed going from side to side to take in the sights and perhaps make up our own commentary.

Once off the boat we had a few minutes to kill before our BTMRR ride. After the wildest ride in the wilderness, it was time for lunch. At about 12:15, the line for Columbia Harbor House was out the door. Hmmm. Instead, we used mobile ordering for Pinocchio’s. I like CHH better, but DH isn’t such a great fan and it did look like a hot mess in there. I had the kid’s cheese pizza and DH had I think chicken fingers. Anyway, first experience with mobile ordering was a hit. Everything was ready (we hit the “we’re here” button as we walked up to the front door. Easy peasy.

We took a break on the outdoor balcony with our quick lunch. We still had a bit of time before the SDMT, so we visited Ariel Under the Sea. It was the longest line I’d seen for this ride at about 15 minutes, but it gave us some time to explore the queue. Finally we got to experience SDMT. I’d still like to do this in the stand-by queue for the experience, but unless we do a special morning or stay super late, that’s unlikely. I found this great fun, although I’m not sure they made the most of the swinging cars as they could have. Also, I’m no skinny Minnie but I’m certainly comfortable in small seats, even economy class on planes, and I found those seats small.

DH was off to find a restroom and I used the break to refresh MDE a million times until a couple of Buzz FPs opened up. Once he returned we walked over to Storybook Circus, passing Pooh now back up. It was only about 20 minutes and I would have jumped in line, but I didn’t want to exhaust DH’s patience. Since we had photopass, I took advantage and did something I’ve never done – met Daisy and Minnie. I love the Storybook Circus area but we never spend any time there. This was super fun and the characters really got into it.

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A bit of shopping as we casually walked over to the Buzz area. Dh got an ice cream snack and we people watched. We would have hopped on the people mover, but it looked like it was experiencing some trouble all day and was constantly backed up with many empty cars going by.

I won on Buzz, which was awesome, at which point we decided to head out. I did do some window shopping on Main Street first. We waited a good 15 minutes for a Saratoga Springs bus. I like the new messages on the busses, by the way.

Once home we had about 2 ½ hours before our 7 PM dinner with DH’s uncle and his wife. They live nearby and had asked us if we had any time during the week to meet up. I had no trouble finding a reservation for 4 at the Grand Floridian Grill about 24 hours in advance. In fact, casually checking out dining throughout the week nearly everything came up, including an O’hana reservation.

My initial plan was to finally check out the offerings at the bar at the Wilderness Lodge tonight, and I think I am just destined to never make it over there. Sigh.

Still, we had a lovely dinner with DH’s uncle and his wife and it was great to catch up with family and hear about their new adventures (a world cruise!). They even paid, which was above and beyond. Dinner was very good, DH had a steak and I had the salmon and we both shared a dessert. Which I can’t remember, but I know I enjoyed!

Another excellent vacation day in the books.
 
Disney Day Four: On the Backs of Banshees

Surely this was the day I was most looking forward to – Pandora. I mean Animal Kingdom. I had procured two FPs for FOP, which meant I had to switch AK to Wednesday and DHS to Thursday. Hours were 9-8, and we arrived a little after 8:45 to an already open park. No worries for us. I grabbed a map and we headed to the new Avatar area. It was gorgeous! And so, so crowded. Already the line for FOP was posted at 2+ hours. We walked up to River Journey and had about a 10 minute wait to board our boat. I thought it was great, full of detail and really well done. And no, I’ve never made it all the way through the movie! The animatronic at the end was spectacular. I didn’t need a story line, as I felt the visual story telling was top notch.

DH said he was glad he’d done it and now we never had to do it again. Then we checked out the very cool Avatar bathrooms before heading to Kilamanjaro. Always a fantastic experience, and this time we had about a 15 minute wait. The animals were out and about on this cool morning, and we even saw hippos lying out of the water on the river bank! We also saw the wild dogs for the first time. Fantastic, and with a CM that you could tell just loved her job. As we came off, the CM unloading our car was from a town literally one mile up the road from us where DH grew up!

We were passing by Expedition Everest on our way to Dinoland, so stopped by to see the Yeti. The standby was only about 15 minutes. After that we headed to Dinosaur in Dinoland. Say what you will, I have a soft spot for this area. We walked literally right into the movie already in progress. It seemed as though everyone in the park was in line for FOP.

It was finally after 11 AM and time for our FOP Fast pass. We had no idea what to expect. We also had no idea where to go – we had to ask a CM for directions to the FP line. The Pandora area was still super crowded. I loved everything about this ride, from the waiting line (and we did have a wait once we were in the loading area) to the videos to the ride itself. Truly, the ride took my breath away. Now, I did take my ginger pills (Dramamine brand) today and yesterday, because BTMRR has been known to make me a bit queasy now that I’m over 35. I’m glad I did, but the constant cold air rushing at you also keeps you from feeling it. I loved the bioluminescent cave and the feel of the banshee breathing. Awesome!

We must have been in the top theater, because we had the longest walk down and were in need of sustenance. Satu’li Cantina to the rescue. OMG, this was the best lunch! DH had the steak with rice and black bean sauce, while I had the tofu with rice and creamy herb dressing and a blueberry cream cheese mousse. I never get dessert, so DH gave me the strangest look. Everything was fresh and delicious! It wasn’t busy yet and we had no trouble finding seating. I could go back right now!

After lunch it was time for Expedition Everest – nothing like a roller coaster after lunch! We had a Fast pass, and the line moved very quickly. We even showed up on the electronic posters in the line! Flights of Wonder was next. I was so sad to hear that this show would be closing/changing, so I knew I had to have one last experience. We were in time to make part of the pre-show on the owls, then filed into the auditorium. I just love this show about the natural behavior of birds, and am so glad I had this last moment with it.

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Now originally, our final FP of the day was with Dinosaur, but we’d already experienced it. So I opted to cancel it and as we walked to the parking lot tram I started to look for FPs for our evening park, DHS. After some false starts, I landed us a TSMM for before our Sci-fi reservation. This was originally our DHS day, and I didn’t want to move my dinner reservation.

Score! It was only around 2 PM, so we ambled on home and had a nice long break before leaving at around 5:15 for dinner and TSMM! Seriously, I can’t say enough about our afternoon breaks. I realize we do those and then basically leave the parks after dinner, not staying for the nighttime entertainment. I can’t tell you why, it just works for us. Also, as we get older and know we always have new Disney trips in our future, it just doesn’t seem that crucial to get in all of the rides and shows. For instance, I love shopping in Epcot but this time I barely crossed the threshold of a store. When we got home, I realized that I hadn’t really bought anything at all beyond a popcorn bucket (MK day, I forgot to mention it) and a surprise for DH for Valentine’s Day.

After our break we headed back to DHS for dinner. First we enjoyed our TSMM fastpass, just to warm up the arms as we’d be hitting it pretty hard over the next few days. I love Sci-Fi for dinner. Yes, it’s just basic food but there is something about the atmosphere, and when I was a kid it was one of the first restaurants we went to when I was old enough to realize how much of a splurge this was for my family. As I’ve mentioned, I still have trouble putting aside the cost on the menu and just ordering what I want, regardless of where I am or who is paying.

I had two choices this time and asked the waitress, who suggested the caprese sandwich. She was right, it was delicious. DH had the reuben and really enjoyed it. We loved the atmosphere and were “hitchhikers” in the back of someone’s car. We kept making comments about the movies (me: Mrs. Homemaker? That’s what I’d actually like you to start calling me) until the couple in front of us turned around because they kept laughing. We had a nice chat and I think we both enjoyed our meals.

After our trips to outer space, we finished up and headed out. I loved the holiday decorations at DHS this year, I think they really went above and beyond. We ended the evening with a trip on Star Tours. I had no idea they had changed the scenes for the new movie, but it was a happy surprise! I’d actually made a FP, but we were early so we hopped in the stand-by line. It turned out to be longer than I thought, but whatever. We hardly ever get a chance to experience the stand-by line here. We enjoyed the decorations on our way out, looking forward to our full day here the next day!

I did check Twitter tonight and was gutted to see that the two tiger cubs had been out at AK and I had missed it. That was absolutely my top priority for our next AK day.
 


Disney Day Five: Let it Go

So today, Thursday, ended up as our full DHS day. I was less concerned about getting everything in since I knew we’d be back Saturday night for the Galactic Nights party. We were there in time for 9 AM opening and hot-footed it over to RNR, where we found it was down with no idea when it would open. So we started our day on a family favorite, TOT. I used to be terrified of this ride, but now I adore it. We didn’t have an FP but waited about 10 minutes for our elevator. Of doom.

I guess I really wasn’t concerned with a schedule, because next we checked out Launch Bay. It was new to us. We skipped the movie (I thought we’d come back to it on Saturday but spoiler, we didn’t). We had pictures with Kylo Ren and Chewbacca. Both waits were around 10 minutes. We did have a strange experience with the CM at t he end of the Chewbacca line. He was a little overly friendly. I can’t describe it, but it left me feeling a bit off. I in no way mean it was a “too friendly to female guests” situation, just that the had a weird affect and was overly friendly/excited about Chewie. There’s a cashier at my Target who is the same way, just a little weirdly over-friendly and always talking about what’s in your cart and now I avoid his line.

We skipped BB8 because the line was already 30 minutes. I checked the schedule and noticed that a Frozen Sing Along was starting soon, so I convinced DH to try it out. We had no trouble going stand by here, and in fact the theater wasn’t completely full. We loved it! They were doing the holiday overlay. I hadn’t seen the holiday special yet, but when I did it made a lot more sense. It snowed at the end and was just a fun show. Highly recommend, even if you are a bunch of adults.

Next we headed to our date with TSMM using FP. DH had best score of the hour, so that was good enough for us. It was now time for our TOT FP so we utilized that, skipping a fairly substantial line. After a bathroom break we decided we needed some food. Rosie’s was right in front of us and had mobile ordering, so we ordered while in front of TOT and a minute later pushed the “I’m here” button. The wait at Rosie’s was a little longer than some other mobile areas, but we skipped a very long line of hungry people!

I had the fried green tomato sandwich, which was very good and I really enjoyed it. DH had some chicken nuggets. We sat in the sun and enjoyed our meals and just had a nice rest.

Feeling human again, we decided to check out Indiana Jones. I can take it or leave it, but DH loves this show. One was just starting and we used the stand by line and ended up in the second row. It was a great vantage point, and we enjoyed the show. We utilized the side exit from Indy and so decided to use our Star Tours FP. We had a different sequence than the night before, so that was fun.

I wanted to get a picture with Olaf but every time we passed the line was around 30 minutes, which was a bit much for me. It was around 3PM and we decided to see if there was anything over at Epcot. I was able to score Soarin’ fastpasses for later in the evening. We debated taking the boat over to International Gateway versus driving over, but driving won. If Soarin’ was our last ride, we’d be walking thru the park twice just to get there and return to our car, which seemed extreme. The drive took maybe 20 minutes from leaving DHS to getting into Epcot.

I think this evening was the time when DH was pulled aside for the magnetometer at Epcot. He was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and it wasn’t bulky or loose. I commented after we were done that they couldn’t have expected to find anything on him, and he said of course not. They don’t want to pick people that they’ll actually find anything on. Which is probably true. Besides which, I think the random checks are actually pretty effective. You never know if you’ll be targeted for an extra screening.

Anyway, we made it through and were on our way. We still had time until our Soarin’ FP, so we headed to the Imagination pavilion. We had 20 minutes until the next Pixar short showing, so we went into the Chase Visa picture experience next door and met the big cheese and Goofy. Then we were just in time for a few minutes of the pre show before going into the Pixar shorts. I really enjoyed this. I can see how it would be a waste if you had just one day at Epcot with large crowds, but for this low-key afternoon it was perfect. We both really enjoyed the three shorts.

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We still had a few minutes, so we went upstairs in the Imagination pavilion to the DVC member lounge. It was pretty basic with soda/coffee and some snacks. The couches were nice, though, and there were plenty of charging stations. The staff on this day seemed less than excited to be there, and they did say that on a sunny day it can get pretty hot.

It was finally time for our Soarin’ FP, so we headed over. We didn’t have a center section this time, so we definitely had some distortion. Even with that, though, it was really fun. I considered going to Mouse Gears, my favorite store, but instead we just headed out.

Back home, DH wanted to hit the gym and then had a date to play a video game with his friends (this is a regular Thursday night thing, and since we didn’t have dinner plans, it worked out). That was fine with me, I wanted some quiet shopping time over at Disney Springs. So I headed over the path to Disney Springs. I kept passing the Christmas Tree lane display, but never went in – oops! Still, I had a great time just walking around and window shopping. I stopped at Amorette’s and got one of those ridiculously cute Mickey cakes. I also stopped at Wolfgang Puck express to pick up dinner and had the best CM help me. I wasn’t sure I could use my MB here to pay and get takeout, and his exact words were “You can do anything you want.” Loved it.

I got DH the bacon wrapped meatloaf and chose the margherita pizza for myself. I even got a side of the mac and cheese for later. Next I went to the pantry store and picked up some cookies for my co-workers and a bottle of the Once Upon a Vine chardonnay. Fully loaded with my food, I walked back to our villa.

DH was already set up on the dining room table playing, so I gave him his dinner and said hello to the guys, then took my pizza into the bedroom and enjoyed a cheesy Lifetime Christmas movie with dinner. I also finally used our giant soaking tub tonight.

After a busy week of vacation, this was a great way to relax!
 
Disney Day Six: I’ve seen tiger cubs, so I can die happy

Today was our second AK day. We’d never do two AK days, but we were able to get a second set of FOP FPs. If we hadn’t liked the ride, I knew I could cancel those and switch things around, but we really enjoyed it and were looking forward to a second time.

We were there at about 9:30, so not at opening and it made a difference. For one thing, we parked pretty far out. It was a good 10 minute walk to the entrance. I was counting on everyone still heading to Pandora, so we decided to hit EE first. No problem there. I had planned on doing it twice, but the crowds were already building. We backtracked to do the Maharaj Trek, since what I really wanted to do was see the cubs. And they were out! And they were adorable and I just melted and spent a good 10-15 minutes just watching. There was quite a crowd.

Our FOP FP was early at 9:55, so we headed over at around 10:40 or so. This seemed like a much faster FP experience with less waiting in the tunnels. It was another amazing ride, but I think DH and I both felt a little unsteady after this one, so I didn’t try for another FP later in the day. Also, my seat didn’t release after the ride. I couldn’t do anything about it and the ride CM didn’t notice perhaps? Anyway, DH pressed in on the back restraint and it did release then.

We made our way out and over to Dinoland, where we were early for our FP. So we did some Photopass pictures and grabbed a coffee and enjoyed some people watching. Then we did Dinosaur again and decided to have lunch at Pandora because it was delicious. This time we did mobile ordering. I had the same crispy tofu and DH switched it up with steak and a different sauce. No dessert this time. It was again yummy, but definitely busier today and we were glad we utilized the mobile option.

We took our time over lunch and then headed to our last FP, the safaris. Another great ride with an engaged CM, this time we didn’t see the dogs but did get a better view of the lions. I love that big cats and house cats share the desire to sleep 18 hours a day.

Once done with the safaris we decided to head out. Again, we didn’t have dinner plans. Originally I had made a late lunch reservation at Sanaa, but I cancelled it the day before. We headed back to the room and decided what to do for the evening. I found some Soarin’ FPs for later, and then a reservation at the new Ale & Compass at the Yacht Club. I’d read a good review, so we made plans to have dinner there and head over to Epcot again. While searching for dinner reservations, both Rose and Crown and O’Hana came up, so those last minute dining reservations are out there even for popular places.

The CM at the Yacht Club security gate really did want to make sure we had a reservation, and then we parked in the non-valet lot. I didn’t ask about staying later. With a 6PM dinner reservation and a 9PM Epcot close, I just wasn’t really worried about leaving the car. I know there’s debate on whether you can have a meal reservation and utilize the parking at these resorts. But I also wasn’t trying to circumvent the parking fee, we were already staying on site.

We had a few minutes to wait for our reservation and enjoyed the train in the lobby while we did. They promptly called us, and we were seated in a back room with the excellent James for our server. He was the highlight server of the week (not that we didn’t have great service at other places, we did). Actually, now that I think about it, except for our waiter at Grand Floridian who was MIA for quite a while. Anyway, James was great and the right amount of chatty and fun. We discussed the Galactic Nights and food and he made some great recommendations.

I had a Seaworthy Breeze (my only cocktail of the trip, very good) and the grape-leaf wrapped goat cheese which was a recommendation and out of this world. For mains I had the four cheese ravioli with a lovely butternut squash sauce and DH had the pork chop? The steak? Eh, I don’t know. We really enjoyed the meal and the ambiance.

We skipped dessert, since I wanted to get over to Epcot and had my heart set on a treat from the patisserie. It was a lovely evening and we had a nice walk over to the International Gateway. There was no wait to enter here. We headed directly to Soarin’ to get our last ride in. Off-center again, but still fun. Then we retraced our steps. We stopped in England for a pint at the to-go cart. We also stopped for some Photopass pictures. It was getting to be Illumination time, but again we didn’t plan on staying. We stopped at the patisserie and I got a buche noel to go.

We walked back over to the Yacht Club and heard Illuminations as we went. Back in the car, we were only about 15 minutes from home.

Once back I had a bit of my dessert and, since the next day was our last day, started cleaning up and doing some laundry. I wasn’t sad, it had been a great week but I was looking forward to seeing the cats in a few days and getting back to my job. Besides, the next day was a treat since we had the Galactic Nights party and I would see my best friend! Through a weird twist of fate, my best friend and DH’s cousin got married, so we were now all related. They met as groomsmen/bridesmaid at our wedding. How cute is that? Anyway, they were coming down to see his dad (the uncle we’d had dinner with earlier in the week). When they found out we’d overlap, DH suggested they get tickets to the Star Wars party and they did. They weren’t even landing until 3PM, so who knew how long they would last at the party. But still, it would be great to see them!
 
Disney Day 7: A Galaxy Pretty Close, Actually

Our last full day dawned sunny and warmer. I did some laundry and hit the gym while DH did…other stuff, I guess. It was warm enough to contemplate a pool visit, but we never made it over there. I caught up on my journal and started packing while DH did his laundry. Eventually we walked over to Disney Springs for our late lunch at the Boathouse. It was so nice that we sat outside with a great view of the water and the boat-cars going by. I had the fried shrimp basket – delicious and too big, while DH had a burger, I think. Everything was very good, the service was excellent, and we had an overall good impression of the place. We’d definitely return.

After walking around our last few shops at Disney Springs, we headed home and continued to tidy up. I had asked on our DHS day and a CM said that we could get into the park starting at 5. I know people had had trouble getting FPs on party tickets, but when I checked the app it let me make FPs for TOT at 5:45. So we headed over at around 5 and parked and got thru the gates relatively quickly. We got our giant lanyards and our booklet and were on our way!

First stop was TOT, love this ride and it’s always a favorite. RNR had been down on our DHS day, so we stopped by but they said it was closed in anticipation of Galactic Nights and would be opening back up – yay! So we headed over to Toy Story and rode with almost no wait. By now we got a message that our family was here, so we met up with them outside TSMM and there were hugs and chatting all around. I don’t know why we didn’t all ride TSMM again, actually.

We did walk over to meet Groot right before he ended and then hit Launch Bay and BB-8. After walking around the store for too long, we went to get in line to meet one of the Seven Sisters. It’s a testament to how much I love my best friend that I didn’t lose my mind with all the wandering and store-gawking when there were rides to be done!

After a very fun picture, we decided to get all of the stickers for our badges. We also road RNR while we were in the area, and I felt terrible because I assured my aunt-in-law that it wasn’t too dark/scary, and the Star Wars overlay had almost the entire ride in darkness! The pictures were hysterical, though. We shared some fries/nuggets/kind bars at Sunset Ranch and then did Star Wars and caught a bit of one of the main stage shows and another ride on RNR. By now the family was flagging a bit, so we said goodnight to them. I hustled DH over to TSMM (okay, I let him enjoy a drink with a glow cube first) and we rode it about 4-5 more times, I believe. Great fun and he was super excited to several times hit the highest score. By now it was only a few minutes until midnight, so we settled for a terrible spot on the main drag to watch the projection show. We hadn’t yet seen the new movie, so some of it went over my head, but overall it was great fun and of course the music and fireworks carry it. I did stop in a shop super quick to see if there was any fun merchandise, but I mostly just saw t-shirts. They did give us a nice mini-poster on our way out.

I found the party cost, which with the DVC discount was about the same as a one-day ticket, worth it. DHS has some of our favorite rides, so getting to hit them all in rapid succession with fun party stuff going on at the same time was great. We are also Star Wars fans, although not super fans, so that was a fun time.

From getting into the car to pulling into Saratoga Springs was about 15 minutes, not bad. I stopped at the main desk to pay off our last room charges with a gift card. Then back home where we had a final snack (it’s a crime to waste chocolate cake, I tell you!). It was after 1 before we were finally in bed, with a 4:30 wake up call!
 
Day 8: Back to Reality

All good things must come to an end, including our lovely vacation. We only had to throw our pajamas and toothbrushes into our bags before heading out, since we had done everything the night before. It was still pitch black when we headed for the airport. We stopped to gas up the rental and returned it, not without some issues. The woman who checked our car in was very grumpy and nastily asked “and what is this?!” while pointing at a mark on the bumper. But then she just walked off, without waiting for a response or checking to see if it was a scratch. It was mud (remember the Spartan race?). So I tracked her down to tell her it was mud and she just grunted at me. It left enough of a bad taste for me to write to Alamo after we returned home. I spoke with a nice customer service rep and she gave us a free rental day, which was lovely but I was more concerned with registering that they have an issue at their MCO counter and they need to address it.

Anyway, then we took our bags and ran the gauntlet that is MCO. The added construction is not doing the SW area any favors. But we pretty quickly had our bags checked (I checked the carry-on this time, since I had a closet full of clothes waiting at home if our bags went missing). We had early bird again, so just had some water/coffee while we waited to board. There was a couple who had only paid for one early-bird check in (we heard them talking) and she said she would stake out the emergency exit seats for them. Which I know is not technically cheating, but sort of feels like it? Anyway, joke was on her because our plane wasn’t full so we ended up in the emergency row with 3 seats and no one in between us. Not that it mattered, we both promptly fell asleep and didn’t wake up until we were on the ground!

Our bags came out relatively quickly for BWI and we took an Uber home. As I predicted, we were back at home by 10:15 AM. We rounded out our vacation with a grocery run and a pizza (and making it up to our angry cats).

Overall, this was one of our best Disney trips. Sure, it was crowded and a bit chilly and we didn’t manage to do everything that we had planned. But on the whole we had both a fun and a relaxing week, which is really all we can ask of a vacation. Next up will be back to Aulani in 2019!
 

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