If you’re ever just bored without a thousand things to do, you should do a mini video for us so we can see the motion/lights. I love Christmas villages/trains, etc.
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I’ll need to figure out how to post it. I tried before and I get a notice saying the file type isn’t supported
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Don’t trouble yourself 
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It’s never any trouble to brag about myself!! 
@Jeff_AZ - You’re the expert on posting video around here…at least I think you are!! Any advice on how to post a video from my phone to TP?
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You can either upload it to a video sharing site like YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, etc. or you can make a gif of it if it’s short and post the gif.
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That is an absolutely lovely village! DH and his sisters gifted me 3-4 starter buildings the first Christmas we were married and I’ve added a building or two or decorations throughout the years. I’m also at the Oops I’m out of space point.
Add me as #21+ who wants to read your TR!! So excited to follow along 
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Looks like my family of 4 will be there at the same time. We’ll be staying at Portofino Bay (booked a nice deal a year ago through MVT) this weekend. I’ll keep an eye out for ya…hope you have a great birthday weekend!!
BTW…Galaxy’s Edge tip if you haven’t heard…single rider line for Millenium Falcon is close to a walk on. You’ll probably be an engineer, maybe a gunner. Rarely a pilot. There are two stair cases that lead to a grouping area…everyone sees the one on the right, so turn back to the left staircase for a best chance at zero wait. May the Force be with you!
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Mama Della’s is my favorite place to eat at all of Universal. If you have time do yourself a favor and eat dinner there one night!!!
Also, Sal’s Market has great quick service pizza!!!
Please do!! I’ll be “live” posting the entire trip. It should be pretty easy to find me! I would love to say Hello!!!
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Thanks! Are reservations recommended for Mama Della’s?? We tend to avoid reservations when at Universal as we never seem to know where the day will take us!
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I’ll be at Portofino Bay too, this coming week Sunday - Tuesday.
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I’ve walked in before… like a lot of places it’ll be busier on weekends & at peak dinner times!
@OrlandoGirl357 - I hope you have a great time! I’m so jealous of y’all at Portifino!! I am back at Dockside as Aventura has been sold out for months and any rate I could find was nearly triple what I’m paying at Dockside ($71 / night)
This trip was a “bonus” that I didn’t think was happening until this summer. While I’m not a budget I already went “crazy” at HHN this year!! If I can stay for a week for $600 I can spend the rest on fun extras!!
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I am there on the MVT deal. We arrive late Friday-Monday.
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I’m jealous of all of you that will be at Universal this weekend! It would be so nice to be able to travel during the school year.
Ooh, @darkmite2 I thought of something you might be able to check out for me. We’ll be spending one day at Universal on December 29th. Hoping to make good use of early entry and our express passes to hit all of the rides we love. I think most of the Christmas stuff will still be up then. The one thing we all want to see is the Hogwarts lights. Do you know anything about how that works? Start time, how long it takes, best place to watch from? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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I’ve seen all 3 Hogwarts shows! (Regular / Halloween / Christmas) They tend to start once it’s really dark - after 6pm. It’s a 5 minute show and it will repeat about every 15 -20 minutes until park closing.
Personally, I like to watch it just past the Frog Choir stage. There’s a rock wall that lines the area and I can lean / sit there until it starts. I hear the bridge going into Jurassic Park is nice, but it gets full early. I’ve even watched it while riding Flight of the Hippogriff! It was a lucky / random chance. There’s really no “bad” place to see it unless you are waaayyyy back into Hogsmeade.
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Random question for you:
What is the best place to Uber to to get to IoA (not at park opening if that matters).
Secondly: is there an Uber curb next to VB?
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I would take an Uber to Sapphire Falls and take the water taxi to CityWalk. You will not need a hotel reservation. No security guards stop you like at WDW trying to use the Contemporary as a quick way to MK
You could also do Portifino as well. Hard Rock Hotel is closer to USF
Nope. You have to go to either the parking garage and take the shuttle OR go to any hotel and take a shuttle from there.
If you have access to any hotel key you could just “flash” it at the private entrance for on-site guests at Cabana Bay and just stroll in. They do not check it at all…You could even, most likely, just use that private entrance without them even stopping you. I have NEVER had any security check my hotel key unless I was going to Early Park Admission. Then they just glance to see IF you have a key - they don’t “examine” it or ask to see your ID…
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Thanks! Any reason why Sapphire Falls rather than walking from Royal Pacific?
RPR is really about the same distance. However, the campus is HUGE. It’s a convention center hotel. I’ve gotten lost there more than once!!
At SF you just go in and either take the elevator or stairs down one level from the lobby and walk right out to the boats
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You reminded me that I got lost at RPR last time I tried to Uber there so I could drop off luggage and hit the parks. 
Might as well give SF a try I guess.
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Plus, if you want a “date night” for just you & DW the Strong Water Tavern at SF has really, really good tapas and cocktails!!
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