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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
December 14, 2006 * Issue 6.48
PassPorter.com - http://www.passporter.com
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Welcome to PassPorter News, an online newsletter
about PassPorter travel guidebooks, the
Walt Disney World Resort, and Disney Cruise Line.
PassPorter News is available by free subscription
to all readers and friends of our labor of love --
PassPorter Travel Guidebooks.
Learn all about them:
http://www.passporter.com/aboutpassporter.htm
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In This Newsletter:
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From the Authors: Cruise
Guides, Free Shipping, MouseFest, and Laugh Floor Comedy Club
Travel Feature: Oslo, Norway
Disney Feature: Sneak Peek at The
Laugh Floor Comedy Club
Updates: What's New
and Changed
Tips: TV Trick, Perfect Postcards, Moving On
Main Street
Q&A: Is it acceptable
to tip Cast Members?
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Cruise
Guides, Free Shipping, MouseFest, and Laugh Floor Comedy Club
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Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
We're bursting with news this week:
1. The new edition of PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line guidebook is now available for pre-order and is
expected to arrive around January 22, 2007. The new edition is 320 pages (our
longest yet!) with in-depth information on all 2007 ports, including the new
Mediterranean ports. As an added bonus, readers who pre-order the guidebook
through us will receive the Mediterranean cruise sections (over 70 pages) in a
preview PDF file as an immediate download. Pre-order at
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2007.aspx
2. We're offering FREE SHIPPING for orders over
$10 in the
PassPorter Store at http://www.passporterstore.com/store from now to Monday,
Dec. 18 at midnight Eastern Time. This offer is only available for orders
placed online through this store or through our toll-free number 877-929-3273
(open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm). Orders qualifying for free shipping will ship via first
class mail (for orders under 1 lb.) or Priority Mail/UPS Ground (for orders
over 1 lb.) which is what we estimate are the best domestic shipping methods
for arrival in time for Christmas. If you need expedited shipping, please
indicate that in the comments section and we will contact you with the extra
charges.
3. MouseFest 2006--It was more
than a year in the making, and all of a sudden, it's all over! MouseFest 2006 -
the four-night cruise on the Disney Wonder, the five days of meets and
merriment at Walt Disney World - has come to a close. It'll take us a while to
sort out all our wonderful memories and share some of them with you. The great
news is that this was definitely the best MouseFest yet (practice makes
perfect). Everyone we met was having a wonderful time, all the events went
smoothly, and despite the largest turn-out yet, everyone was able to get
up-close and personal with all the many notables in attendance. We had a great
turn-out from the PassPorter community, and gave out oodles of our new
"PassPorter Pal" cloisonnŽ pins to folks we met carrying PassPorters
and/or wearing PassPorter Pouches, pins, buttons, lanyards... or attending
PassPorter-hosted meets.
While we have so many people to thank -- the many
communities, web sites, authors, podcasters, sponsors, and exhibitors who put
so much time into making this event a huge success -- we want to make special
notice here of several members of the PassPorter community who made a special
mark. First and foremost, we want to thank this newsletter's editor, Sara
Varney, who put in sterling service as Volunteer Coordinator for the Mega Mouse
Meet. PassPorter Guide Debbie Wright (Debe) not only thought-up and hosted the
first annual Christmas Ornament Exchange, she also made stained glass ornaments
for each person that attended! LauraBelle Hime volunteered her time as a
greeter during Mega Mouse Meet. And finally, special thanks to PassPorter Guide
Carol Ray (ripkensnana), who volunteered to slip each day's MouseFest Navigator
under the doors of MouseFest cruisers and manned the PassPorter table to help
answer questions about PassPorter and the PassPorter community. Our thanks to
all!
4. We were fortunate enough to be passing through
Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom when a special preview showing of The
Laugh Floor Comedy Club opened up! See
Dave's report of our sneak peek later in this newsletter!
In other happy news, PassPorter Walt Disney
World 2007 is in stock and orders from the PassPorter Store are shipping on the
next business day. Place your order today at our online store. And don't forget
to use the 20% off coupon code at the bottom of this issue of PassPorter News!
In this issue of the newsletter veteran contributor
Cheryl Pendry takes us on a delightful tour of Oslo, Norway while and
PassPorter Author Dave Marx gives you a taste of the new Monsters Inc Laugh
Floor Comedy Club. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Oslo, Norway
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by Cheryl Pendry, Guest Contributor and
PassPorter Message Board Guide
Norway is a country that Walt Disney World fans
will already be familiar with from visits to Epcot's World Showcase and that's
exactly where my fascination with Norway started.
As we walked around the pavilion on our honeymoon,
marvelling at the beautiful replica buildings of a fishing village outside and
enjoying Maelstrom with its journey into a world of trolls, Vikings, polar
bears and oil exploration, I knew this was somewhere we had to visit.
Norway is a huge country, with so much to see. It
stretches more than 1,000 miles from the Arctic circle, making it one of the
largest countries in Europe. Bordered by the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and
even the Arctic Sea; it's also home to breathtaking fjords, long and narrow
ocean inlets that can be just as deep as the mountains surrounding them. They
were created in the last Ice Age by glaciers that gouged out steep crevices in
the landscape. When the ice finally receded, water burst in and filled the
space left behind.
Of the four and a half million Norwegians, around
500,000 live in the capital city of Oslo towards the south end of the country,
and that's where we decided to head. Apart from the height of winter, Oslo
shares fairly similar temperatures with Britain, hitting highs in the summer
that are into the 70's and getting up into the 50's in spring and autumn.
Tempting though it was to go in mid-winter and see the Norway at its coldest,
we opted for the height of summer and managed to hit a heat wave, which
regularly saw temperatures up in the 90's. Wandering around Oslo in shorts was
not an experience I ever thought we'd enjoy, but it was a very pleasant
surprise!
One of the beauties of visiting Oslo in the summer
is the daylight. Because it's so far north, it doesn't start to get dark until
around 9pm at night and even in the early hours of the morning, it's never
pitch black, which gives you lots of time to be out and about, getting all the
photos you could ever want of the city.
There is certainly plenty to see, although much of
it is outside the city itself. The two biggest attractions in Oslo are in
Bygdoy, which means the inhabited island. It's across the harbour from Oslo and
ferries take you there during the summer months, while a bus service runs year
round. The place is home to the Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship Museum), which is
where you will be able to see some of the original Viking ships, dating from
the ninth century, which have been excavated from farmland. These ships were
used to transport the bodies of high-ranking Vikings on their last journey to
the kingdom of the dead and it's amazing how much of these boats have been
preserved. Considering that they're over 1,000 years old, about 90% of the
Oseberg ship is still original wood!
Nearby is the Norsk Folkesmuseum, Europe's largest
open-air museum, which celebrates Norwegian life. As you walk around this
massive site, you'll see more than 150 buildings that have been reconstructed
from all over Norway, showing you how life used to be in towns, farming and
fishing communities. The most striking exhibit here is the Gol Stave Church,
originally built in 1200 and is immediately familiar to Disney visitors, as
this was the model for the Stave Church in Epcot's World Showcase.
To the north of the city is the striking
Vigelandsparken, Oslo's largest park, named after the sculptor Gustav Vigeland
and packed with 212 of his sculptures. It's a stunning sight and well worth the
tram or train ride out there. Public transport in Oslo is not only reliable;
it's also very easy to use.
In the city itself, star attractions include
another part of Norwegian life from Epcot, Akershus castle. OK, so in Oslo, the
Disney Princesses don't dine here, but you will be able to explore a castle
that has a history of more than 700 years and is still used today for state
functions. It also offers some breathtaking views across the harbour.
The City Hall (Radhuset) is also well worth a
visit. It's where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented every December and
although this was only opened in 1950, it's hard to remember that when you walk
around, as it's so richly decorated. It's like stepping into a castle or a
Royal residence.
Close by is the beautiful harbor-side development
of Aker Brygge. But be warned -- this is Oslo and Norway's downfall. It's an
exceptionally expensive country to visit. I had been warned by friends about
how pricey food and drink would be and I thought they were joking.
Unfortunately for us, they weren't. It's very difficult to eat cheaply here and
any visitor needs to budget accordingly.
One other thing that should go into your budget is
a cruise into the fjords. We took an evening cruise from Oslo, which included a
seafood buffet, and within a few minutes of leaving Oslo harbour, it was as if
we had entered another world -- peaceful and beautiful. By the end of the
evening I could understand why so many cruise ships offer trips along the
Norwegian fjords. It really is one of the world's most amazing sights.
There is so much to see and do in Oslo that it's
hard to pack it all in. We had three days here and we came away feeling that
wasn't quite enough time. But then again, it's a place that has a history
dating back more than 1,000 years to the time of the Vikings, so perhaps it's
no surprise that today it's a city packed with opportunities for visitors.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live
in England and love to travel, particularly to America and around Europe. They
aim to visit a capital city of a different country every year and of the
Scandinavian countries, have so far visited Oslo, Stockholm in Sweden and
Helsinki in Finland.
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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail
us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss
your Disney travel plans.
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DISNEY FEATURE: Sneak Peek at
The Laugh Floor Comedy Club
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by Dave Marx, PassPorter Author
Walt Disney World's newest attraction, The Laugh
Floor Comedy Club at Magic Kingdom, is scheduled to open in early 2007. That
doesn't stop folks from hoping to get a sneak peek at the attraction now (see
our Updates section). On our
recently concluded visit to Walt Disney World for MouseFest, we learned that
the show is in active rehearsal, and is occasionally opening for public
"tests." Since MouseFest had wrapped up on Monday evening, we had
scheduled one "off" day for ourselves on Tuesday before heading home,
and because we wanted to spend that day in Magic Kingdom, we decided to swing
through Tomorrowland to see if we might get a lucky look at Imagineering's latest.
Just how lucky were we? Soon after we arrived
outside the theater (new signs for the attraction proclaim that it's coming
soon) the doors opened and a throng of guests issued forth including, as it
turned out, several old friends from the RADP online community. They gave us a
brief, enthusiastic review of the new attraction, and someone managed to learn
that another public test would take place in about 45 minutes! We took care of
our rumbling tummies and returned about 35 minutes later, prepared to camp out
on the doorstep. After about 15 minutes without a hint of activity, Jennifer
headed off with Alexander and his Grandma Carolyn to try to get him a haircut
at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street. I stayed behind, and about ten
minutes later was rewarded for my sloth when the doors opened and Cast Members
emerged to invite nearby guests to try out the attraction. A minute later my
cell phone rang - Jennifer wanted an update. I told her I had just gone inside,
and she must have had some help from Tinker Bell, because within a few minutes
we were reunited in the pre-show area.
The Laugh Floor Comedy Club is based on
Disney-Pixar's Monsters, Inc. Located in the same space occupied by Timekeeper
in the Tomorrowland Metropolis Science Center, hosts Mike Wazowski and the
always-sour Roz are on hand to generate the laughs that now power the city of
Monstropolis. Mike introduces three would-be comedians (four, if you count
heads, three if you count bodies), who take their turn trying to tickle our
funny bones and fill the canister full of laugh energy. The attraction is the
latest evolution of the concept found in Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot's The
Seas with Nemo and Friends (and at Disney California Adventure's Disney
Animation attraction).
The new show's pre-show area has been redecorated,
but still resembles the pre-show area for Timekeeper. On the walls, in place of
the technical diagrams of Nine-Eye and the time machine are technical diagrams
that explain the laugh energy-capture process. A bulletin board on the
left-hand wall includes reviews of past comedy acts (definitely take the time
to read this). Video screens play animated messages that set the stage for the
attraction, including an invitation to guests to "text" jokes to Mike
and Roz via cell phone (text to 42319, start your text with MIKE or ROZ and
include your name and hometown; normal text messaging charges apply). Your joke
may not be included in the show you view (or at all). The guest-supplied jokes
we heard came from people in places like Glendale (California), suggesting that
Imagineers were submitting some or most of the "texted" jokes.
The theater doors opened, and we entered a
totally-revamped theater. At the front of the theater is a large, central
screen flanked by two smaller screens. In place of the level, seat-less
Circlevision theater setup from Timekeeper, we found a traditional theater with
a sloping floor and row upon row of bench-style seats facing the stage. The
grating voice of Roz "encourages" guests to move all the way down to
the end of the row. This is one case where nobody would dare disobey! The seats
are less than comfy, made of plastic with no body-accommodating curves, just
flat slab seat bottoms and seat backs with barely-rounded curves at the corners.
The seat bottoms are also a bit higher than normal for no apparent reason, so
your legs are more likely to dangle than stretch out. Perhaps it's just that
monsters need slightly different seating than the humans that will be present
for most shows?
Like Turtle Talk with Crush and the early prototype
"Talk to Stitch" at Disneyland's Innoventions, the attraction is a
combination of live performance and real-time, computer-generated animation.
Live performers back stage provide the voices (two actors provide all six
voices, according to our sources), and the on-screen movements of the
computer-generated characters are influenced by the live performer's own
actions, especially their lip movements (getting a computer-generated character
to move its lips convincingly while an actor ad-libs dialog is no mean feat).
As with Crush, a cast member circulates about the audience with a microphone
and the characters on screen interview the guests. Another twist is added to
this show, as there are now video cameras trained on the audience so we can see
the guests being interviewed or otherwise incorporated into the act.
The show moves along briskly, with Mike Wazowski
introducing comedy acts, Roz dropping them down a trap door if/when they bomb,
and the acts themselves doing their best to get laughs. This is live comedy
folks, and Disney has drawn upon its extensive experience with live,
improvisational comedy to make things work. Cast members have been recruited
from Pleasure Island's Adventurers Club and Comedy Warehouse, and no doubt from
among the many "Streetmosphere" performers in the parks. Based on our
preview, though, the cast has been given an especially tough job. The entire
show runs about ten minutes, which is precious little time for any comedian to
warm-up and amuse an audience. Clearly, Disney's show producers and writers
recognize this. Following the show, an Imagineer came out and asked several
questions regarding the various comedy acts - which did we like best, which
needed the most work, etc. There was also a small army of Imagineers at the
back of the theater throughout the show, taking notes.
All in all, I'm cautiously optimistic about this
show. Yes, as with any live comedy show, there will be times when none of the
jokes connect, and other times when folks will be rolling in the aisles.
Speaking as a long-time fan of the Adventurers Club, where they've been putting
on essentially the same show with only gradual evolutionary changes for many
years, I'm sure Disney's cast members can pull it off. Repeat visitors will
learn the show nearly by heart, and will savor the subtle and not-so-subtle
changes that come with each new, live performance. I'm looking forward to
seeing this again, the next time we're down at Walt Disney World!
About the Author: Dave Marx is the co-author of
many PassPorter travel guides, including the bestselling, award-winning
"PassPorter Walt Disney World."
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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail
us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss
your holiday plans.
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UPDATES: What's New
and Changed
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Here's a few relevant news items:
Christmas Day Services will be held
on Monday, December 25 in the Fantasia Ballroom of Disney's Contemporary
Resort. Catholic Mass will be held at 8:00 am and 10:15 am with a Protestant
Service in between at 9:00 am.
The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club will be open
January 19 - 21, 2007 for a special sneak preview for Disney Vacation Club
members and their guests. Just present your Member ID to the Cast Member to
this attraction housed in the former Timekeeper space in Tomorrowland. (The
show is also currently in "Test and Preview" Ð see DaveÕs report elsewhere
in this newsletter.)
Is a Walt Disney World vacation going to be under
the tree this year? Have Mickey call your family and make the announcement! If you've
already booked your trip or will be booking by December 27, visit http://www.mickeyholidaycall.com
arrange for the call. Your date of birth, reservation number and the phone
number to contact you at on December 25 is required.
Our thanks to http://www.allears.net from which we
get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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Our readers are a wealth of information! Here are
the winners in this month's tip contest:
TV TRICK
"After experiencing some noise while trying to
go to sleep our first night in our resort, we came up with a little trick we
used the rest of our trip. we turned our TV on to an inactive channel (we used
999) and turned the volume up to a comfortable level for the "white
noise" the static provided. Then we closed the doors to the armoire to
hide the light from the TV. If you need a night light, just turn the Lazy Susan
under the TV so you can't see the screen, for a soft glow for-middle-of-the-night
restroom trips. We all slept soundly until Mickey gave us our wake-up call each
morning."
--
contributed by Lisa H.
PERFECT POSTCARDS
"Early in my trip I buy lots of postcards of
the characters I like best and of various attractions throughout the park. When
we find characters who are giving autographs, I ask them to sign their
corresponding postcard. A friend back home loves Tigger the best, so after
Tigger signs his postcard, I send it to my friend--as if Tigger is writing to
her! I use the postcards of the attractions to keep a "journal" or
"trip report" notes. Your PassPockets will be the perfect place to
keep those postcards handy throughout the day."
--
contributed by Marnie W.
MOVING ON MAIN STREET
"If it's really crowded on Main Street in the
Magic Kingdom, a quicker way to walk is through the stores along Main Street.
They are all connected and travel all the way to the tip board at the end of
Main Street."
--
contributed by Rick G.
>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in
this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/tipsandstories.htm
>>Want more Disney tips? For Walt
Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips submitted by readers over
the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. For
details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page at
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.asp
>>For Disney Cruise Line fans, we
have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise line
comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information, visit
the Disney Cruise Clues info page at
http://www.passporter.com/dcl/cruiseclues.asp
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CAPTAIN'S CORNER: Treasure
Hunting Game
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Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game,
hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our new book, "PassPorter's Treasure
Hunts at Walt Disney World."
The Captain makes a study of the delightful details
-- sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight but often overlooked -- at Walt
Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Using notes from his journals,
he will lead you to this "treasure" at Disney with clues, questions,
photos, or riddles. Your challenge is to discover the answer by searching your
memory, visiting Disney, or even just looking really hard on the Internet. If
you think you've found the answer, e-mail it to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the
first person to correctly submit the FULL answer will receive a free PassPorter
enamel pin or PassPorter name badge pin.
Here is this weekÕs journal entry:
"I had a rousing good time meeting many
old and new friends at the Dolphin Resort this past weekend for MouseFest.
Between that and my recent stints at the Adventurers Club, I find myself in
need of a wee bit of recuperation. I've always heard that laughter is the best
medicine, so I'm now on the lookout for a comedy club of some sort. My old pal
Roz told me about a new one opening soon in the old Science Center.Ó
Where is the new comedy club opening and what is the full name of the "old science center?
Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the
winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next newsletter, along
with the correct answer!
Congratulations to Tammy Rea who was the winner
of last week's treasure hunt game! Tammy correctly identified the resort the
Captain was looking for as The Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort. To view the
original clues, seehttp://www.passporter.com/news/news120706.htm#captain
If you enjoy treasure hunts, we've got an entire
book with over 100 distinct treasure hunts and over 1500 questions, complete
with clues and contributions from Captain Skatt. ÒPassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" is
now available! You can order the new book today at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx
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nanpchef asks: "The last
time we were at Walt Disney World, there were several Cast Members that went
out of their way to make our trip special. Besides sending a note to Disney
saying what a great job they are doing (did this), is there something else we
can do for them? I thought I saw something about them not being able to accept
monetary tips. What about some kind of relatively inexpensive gift
certificate?"
Dave & Jennifer answer: "Officially,
Cast Members in non-tipping job classifications are required to refuse any kind
of gift. Things like pins and similar low-value tokens of esteem aren't likely
to get anyone into trouble, but gift cards can have some real cash value and
many don't have a denomination printed on them, so supervisors may just choose
to think the worst of a Cast Member that accepts one. Most gift cards are worth
at least $5. A $5 tip to, say, the Cast Member at a restaurant podium (for
assigning a nice table, let's say), would definitely be unacceptable, as would
a $5 tip to a bus driver for making an unscheduled stop. That's precisely the
kind of thing that Walt wanted to prohibit when he created his no-tipping
policy. Magic shouldn't be doled out only to those who look prosperous enough
to hand out a big tip in gratitude. People are "guests," not "customers,"
partly to drive-home to cast that all guests are entitled to the same quality
of hospitality ("customers'" value tends to be measured in dollars).
By
far, the best "tip" is a letter of commendation to management. Disney
keeps track of that sort of thing and rewards Cast Members for it. Other gifts
can actually endanger a Cast Member's employment -- not exactly the reward you
had in mind."
Have a question? Post it at http://www.passporterboards.com/
-- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered
the same question that's on your mind!
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PassPorter News is now published weekly, and this
means we need more articles than ever! We're on the lookout for guest
columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional
writing experience necessary, just a desire to share your experience with
others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter
community, but you get to see your name in "print" and receive a $25
gift certificate.
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the time of an order,
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If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a
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friend, please join us! You can subscribe at:
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Please ask your questions and help each other in
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Message Board Community:
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Copyright (c) 2006 - MediaMarx, Inc. / PassPorter Travel
Press, PO Box 3880, Ann Arbor, MI
48106
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