Back from June 30 China ABD—thoughts and additional tips

abdgeek

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
I just returned from the June 30 China ABD and had a great time. I arrived several days early to Hong Kong and, based on Cousin Orville’s recommendation, used Hello Hong Kong to do Lantau Island and a food tour. Both were awesome and worth the cost. I also took a tour to Macau that allowed me time to sightsee, spend time in the casino, and have dinner at Robuchon a Dome before taking the ferry back. The average wait time at HKDL on my pre-day was about 30 minutes and I was able to ride everything I wanted.

Below are some tips based on my experience and things that I really obsessed with in the planning stage. I hope these suggestions will help others planning or who are concerned about similar things.

1). Weather— it didn’t really rain on our tour during the day until Shanghai even though the weather app said otherwise. We were in SHDL in the rain which wasn’t the best but Korey said would keep the lines down. Even with that wait times were about 60+ minutes for the popular rides. The fast passes really made a difference but could only be used for Tron, Roaring Rapids, and Pirates. I took my raincoat but rarely wore it. The guides gave us ponchos in the duffle and lots of people had umbrellas. Bring a hat and wear it! Being from the south, I still wasn’t prepared for the humidity. Moisture wicking clothes are a must!

2) Squat toilets— I really obsessed before the trip about having to use these. Thankfully, I never had to. If you use the bathroom at the places ABD gives you access to, there are typically 1-2 western toilets along with plentiful squat toilets. Bring your own tissues to wipe with. Not all bathrooms have TP in the stall or on the wall as you enter the bathroom. I also brought wet wipes which were very useful for wiping surfaces and hands.

3) Guilin—Due to weather, our group never got to Guilin. Our flight was delayed leaving Xian because planes weren’t leaving Beijing or getting into Guilin. The guides also mentioned that the boat tour in Guilin would probably be canceled by the government, which it was. Thankfully, we were in the airport having dinner before our flight when Disney made the decision for us to spend another night in Xian. They got us rooms at the airport hotel and we toured the Ancient City Wall,Tang Bo art & history museum, Muslim Quarter & market& puppet show, and had lunch at De Fa Chang restaurant. Dinner was at the hotel with the white elephant exchange. We were the first tour that had ever done these activities and IMO they were a good enhancement to the Terra Cotta Soldiers. We later found out that the Guilin airport was closed for 2 days because of the rain and our original flight from Guilin to Chengdu would have been delayed 8 hours. Good call Disney!

4) Dressing for dinner— You only need nice clothes for dinner for the welcome and farewell dinners. The other dinners we had were normally at the end of a day of touring and we went straight to dinner from the last activity. Other times, we had maybe 1-1.5 hours before dinner. If you do a restaurant dinner OYO on the free nights, you will want business/smart casual clothing. Many families opted for KFC, pizza, McDonalds, or room service on the OYO nights because everyone was so tired. Starbucks are plentiful, so you won’t have a problem getting your fix.

5) DL— Everyone in the group was really tired by time we got to HKDL because of the heat. We were given the option of going back to the hotel on our own before the parade if it was too much, but nobody did. Most people tried to ride the rides that had AC and the night parade was worth it.

SHDL wait times are outrageous!! It was difficult to ride a lot of rides in the time provided because of the wait times, but I did more than most. I went back the next day but didn’t arrive until the afternoon, because I was so tired, when wait times were even longer. Definitely consider getting the premium ticket if you go another day. By time I arrived all the free fast passes were gone. Some families purchased additional fast passes on the day ABD went. That is really the only way to ride the big rides without standing in line 1+ hours. Soaring had a 2 hour wait, Winnie the Pooh- 1 hour, 7 dwarfs mine train—2 hours. What the heck???

6) Souvenirs— if you’re looking for a specific gift or souvenir, ask the guides which city you should buy it in. The markets are fun and each is slightly different. I liked Stanley Market in HK best.

This tour has A LOT of walking and early morning departures, but is soooo worth it. I’m glad I was finally able to check it off my bucket list.
 
Wow! Sorry to hear Guilin was cancelled, but wow, this is when it pays to be on an ABD. Sounds like you had an amazing time in Xi'an! That's amazing they, or Wild China the host tour co, was able to arrange a tour through Xi'an so quickly. I'd love to go back at some point and spend more time in Xi'an and see what the city has to offer beyond the Warriors...
 
SHDL wait times are outrageous!! It was difficult to ride a lot of rides in the time provided because of the wait times, but I did more than most. I went back the next day but didn’t arrive until the afternoon, because I was so tired, when wait times were even longer. Definitely consider getting the premium ticket if you go another day. By time I arrived all the free fast passes were gone. Some families purchased additional fast passes on the day ABD went. That is really the only way to ride the big rides without standing in line 1+ hours. Soaring had a 2 hour wait, Winnie the Pooh- 1 hour, 7 dwarfs mine train—2 hours. What the heck???

What does the premium ticket get you? I'd be very interested in that. Those wait times didn't actually surprise me. The 7 dwarfs wait time is often horrible at Magic Kingdom. A friend of mine waited almost 4 hours for Flight of Passage a few months ago and that ride is over two years old now. :(
 
When we were at Toyko Disney Sea we saw the longest line I have ever seen at a Disney park -- Toy Story was 180 minutes. The line was so long I thought people were lined up for the theater because I couldn't fathom that the line for TS was so far from the ride. Again, like @Cousin Orville said it was one of those times when it paid to be on an ABD because we had FPs for the rides and we were able to ride all the rides we wanted to (I think we rode 11 rides between 10:00am and 4:00pm {with a stop for lunch} when the park was packed).

Glad you enjoyed your trip. We LOVED the ABD China! How amazing is it that ABD was able to arrange a tour so quickly for your group?! Very impressive!
 


I just returned from the June 30 China ABD and had a great time. I arrived several days early to Hong Kong and, based on Cousin Orville’s recommendation, used Hello Hong Kong to do Lantau Island and a food tour. Both were awesome and worth the cost. I also took a tour to Macau that allowed me time to sightsee, spend time in the casino, and have dinner at Robuchon a Dome before taking the ferry back. The average wait time at HKDL on my pre-day was about 30 minutes and I was able to ride everything I wanted.

Below are some tips based on my experience and things that I really obsessed with in the planning stage. I hope these suggestions will help others planning or who are concerned about similar things.

1). Weather— it didn’t really rain on our tour during the day until Shanghai even though the weather app said otherwise. We were in SHDL in the rain which wasn’t the best but Korey said would keep the lines down. Even with that wait times were about 60+ minutes for the popular rides. The fast passes really made a difference but could only be used for Tron, Roaring Rapids, and Pirates. I took my raincoat but rarely wore it. The guides gave us ponchos in the duffle and lots of people had umbrellas. Bring a hat and wear it! Being from the south, I still wasn’t prepared for the humidity. Moisture wicking clothes are a must!

2) Squat toilets— I really obsessed before the trip about having to use these. Thankfully, I never had to. If you use the bathroom at the places ABD gives you access to, there are typically 1-2 western toilets along with plentiful squat toilets. Bring your own tissues to wipe with. Not all bathrooms have TP in the stall or on the wall as you enter the bathroom. I also brought wet wipes which were very useful for wiping surfaces and hands.

3) Guilin—Due to weather, our group never got to Guilin. Our flight was delayed leaving Xian because planes weren’t leaving Beijing or getting into Guilin. The guides also mentioned that the boat tour in Guilin would probably be canceled by the government, which it was. Thankfully, we were in the airport having dinner before our flight when Disney made the decision for us to spend another night in Xian. They got us rooms at the airport hotel and we toured the Ancient City Wall,Tang Bo art & history museum, Muslim Quarter & market& puppet show, and had lunch at De Fa Chang restaurant. Dinner was at the hotel with the white elephant exchange. We were the first tour that had ever done these activities and IMO they were a good enhancement to the Terra Cotta Soldiers. We later found out that the Guilin airport was closed for 2 days because of the rain and our original flight from Guilin to Chengdu would have been delayed 8 hours. Good call Disney!

4) Dressing for dinner— You only need nice clothes for dinner for the welcome and farewell dinners. The other dinners we had were normally at the end of a day of touring and we went straight to dinner from the last activity. Other times, we had maybe 1-1.5 hours before dinner. If you do a restaurant dinner OYO on the free nights, you will want business/smart casual clothing. Many families opted for KFC, pizza, McDonalds, or room service on the OYO nights because everyone was so tired. Starbucks are plentiful, so you won’t have a problem getting your fix.

5) DL— Everyone in the group was really tired by time we got to HKDL because of the heat. We were given the option of going back to the hotel on our own before the parade if it was too much, but nobody did. Most people tried to ride the rides that had AC and the night parade was worth it.

SHDL wait times are outrageous!! It was difficult to ride a lot of rides in the time provided because of the wait times, but I did more than most. I went back the next day but didn’t arrive until the afternoon, because I was so tired, when wait times were even longer. Definitely consider getting the premium ticket if you go another day. By time I arrived all the free fast passes were gone. Some families purchased additional fast passes on the day ABD went. That is really the only way to ride the big rides without standing in line 1+ hours. Soaring had a 2 hour wait, Winnie the Pooh- 1 hour, 7 dwarfs mine train—2 hours. What the heck???

6) Souvenirs— if you’re looking for a specific gift or souvenir, ask the guides which city you should buy it in. The markets are fun and each is slightly different. I liked Stanley Market in HK best.

This tour has A LOT of walking and early morning departures, but is soooo worth it. I’m glad I was finally able to check it off my bucket list.

We are on the early August departure (our first ABD!) so this is really helpful and timely - thank you! My sisters went on this trip last year (hi @DollyM) but I believe that they didn’t have quite the same crowd/heat extremes to deal with. I am also interested in the premium ticket/purchased FP options for SHDL since we have a post day before we head to Tokyo and TDL for 3 days. Are these purchased ahead of time or at the park? I am also considering the Hello HK food tour but the only day that works for us is Saturday at 9:30 am. Is this the one that you did? Finally, how strict were the airlines about carry-ons? Based on past threads it seems like the checked bagged weight limit of 44 lbs must not be exceeded but that the airlines were less stringent about weight/dimensions of carry-ons. Is this still the case? We are planning on bringing a 20” hardcase roll-aboard carry-on and a 28” checked bag.
TIA!
 
Wow! Sorry to hear Guilin was cancelled, but wow, this is when it pays to be on an ABD. Sounds like you had an amazing time in Xi'an! That's amazing they, or Wild China the host tour co, was able to arrange a tour through Xi'an so quickly. I'd love to go back at some point and spend more time in Xi'an and see what the city has to offer beyond the Warriors...

I agree. I was definitely proud of the ease with which ABD/Wild China did everything once they knew of the delay. It was kind of funny because some guests were trying to figure out other options for us (plane, train, etc.). When we would mention them to Korey, he would explain that they had already thought of the option and why they were hesitant to use that option. I think the main concern was that if we continued on to Guilin that the boat tour would be cancelled and we would not be able to leave there on schedule, thus impacting the rest of the tour schedule. We were back on schedule when we left Xi'an and actually got to Chengdu earlier than we would have coming from Guilin. We were amazed that Joe was able to book 40 people on a 6am flight just one day before its departure.
 
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What does the premium ticket get you? I'd be very interested in that. Those wait times didn't actually surprise me. The 7 dwarfs wait time is often horrible at Magic Kingdom. A friend of mine waited almost 4 hours for Flight of Passage a few months ago and that ride is over two years old now. :(

The premium ticket (Disney Premier Access) is the paid fast pass option. When I purchased my tickets online before my trip, I had the option of buying a ticket with fast pass access, but the offer is no longer there. It appears they change their promotions regularly and you can't buy tickets that far in advance. Once you're in the park, you can log into the app and choose Premier Access and buy fast passes if no free ones are available. Without them, you will spend more time standing in line than riding rides. When you go to SHDL on the ABD, you get three fast passes for Tron, Roaring Rapids, and Pirates. Here is the complete list of all the rides you can use fast passes for from the SHDL website:

Premier Access is available for the following attractions:


When you buy tickets online, you will need to enter your passport number and bring your passport with you to SHDL to claim your paper ticket. I wasn't crazy about the procedure, but that was the process. You can take a cab or metro to SHDL from the Peninsula Shanghai. The closest metro station (East Nanjing Road) to the hotel is about a 10-15 min walk from the hotel. Download the Shanghai Metro app before you leave and it will tell you what trains to take to get to SHDL. The trip takes about 53 min and you then have about a 10-15 min walk from the metro station to the park. The cost was only 5 CNY each way and the metro was very easy to use. The park is about 45 min to 1 hour away from the hotel by taxi depending on traffic. I was told the cost should be about 100 CNY for a taxi one way.
 


We are on the early August departure (our first ABD!) so this is really helpful and timely - thank you! My sisters went on this trip last year (hi @DollyM) but I believe that they didn’t have quite the same crowd/heat extremes to deal with. I am also interested in the premium ticket/purchased FP options for SHDL since we have a post day before we head to Tokyo and TDL for 3 days. Are these purchased ahead of time or at the park? I am also considering the Hello HK food tour but the only day that works for us is Saturday at 9:30 am. Is this the one that you did? Finally, how strict were the airlines about carry-ons? Based on past threads it seems like the checked bagged weight limit of 44 lbs must not be exceeded but that the airlines were less stringent about weight/dimensions of carry-ons. Is this still the case? We are planning on bringing a 20” hardcase roll-aboard carry-on and a 28” checked bag.
TIA!

When I purchased my tickets online before my trip, I had the option to do premier tickets at that time but the option is no longer there.
The premium ticket (Disney Premier Access) is the paid fast pass option. It appears they change their promotions regularly and you can't buy tickets that far in advance. Once you're in the park, you can log into the app and choose Premier Access and buy fast passes if no free ones are available. Without them, you will spend more time standing in line than riding rides. When you go to SHDL on the ABD, you get three fast passes for Tron, Roaring Rapids, and Pirates. Here is the complete list of all the rides you can use fast passes for from the SHDL website:

Premier Access is available for the following attractions:

When you buy tickets online, you will need to enter your passport number and bring your passport with you to SHDL to claim your paper ticket. I wasn't crazy about the procedure, but that was the process. You can take a cab or metro to SHDL from the Peninsula Shanghai. The closest metro station
(East Nanjing Road)
to the hotel is about a 10-15 min walk from the hotel. Download the Shanghai Metro app before you leave and it will tell you what trains to take to get to SHDL. The trip takes about 53 min and you then have about a 10-15 min walk from the metro station to the park. The cost was only 5 CNY each way and the metro was very easy to use. The park is about 45 min to 1 hour away from the hotel by taxi depending on traffic. I was told the cost should be about 100 CNY for a taxi one way.

Yes, I did the Saturday 9:30am food tour and you don't want to eat breakfast before the tour. It was great and there were only 2 other people on the tour. You have to meet the guide on the Hong Kong Island side. Once you book the tour online, Hello Hong Kong sends a very detailed email with the meeting place and other information. As it gets closer to your tour, they will email who the tour guide will be. I was easily able to take the metro to the meeting spot. The guide was always on time, but was seldom early--don't get concerned if they aren't there 10 minutes before the tour starts.

The whole carryon issue caused me much angst before the trip. I even bought a smaller carryon for the trip because of the dimensions listed. When I saw the size of other people's carryons, I really needn't have bothered. Most people had a regular size US carryon and were fine. Lots of people used the duffle bags we were given as carryons. Our carryons were never weighed and HK was the only place where we had to check in our own bags. Everywhere else, Tinkerbell took our checked bags and checked them in for us. When we got to the airport, we were just given our boarding passes and went through security to the gate. My checked bag was 43 lbs when it left the US. I'm pretty sure it increased a little bit as I bought souvenirs. ABD has the disclaimer that anything over 44lbs will be charged to the person, so as long as you are aware that you may be charged if your bag is over the limit... Your checked bag dimensions just have to be no more than 80 inches. Keep in mind that just because something was ok today in China that it doesn't mean it will be ok tomorrow. We were always told to "yield to China" and just roll with whatever new rules China implemented on the trip.
 
Thank you so much for your very detailed response @abdgeek! This is incredibly helpful information.

I too have been having a lot of angst about the luggage issue and have a couple of additional questions on the subject - is the 80 inches simply a function of H + W + L (x 1 including wheels) ? Also, my DH is considering just packing those zippered convertible type of shorts/pants for the two dinners with a dress code in order to save space. I have been suggesting that he will be more comfortable those evenings if he packs at least a pair of khakis or he might feel underdressed. Any thoughts on this?

With regards to the SHDL tickets, if the Premier Access Tickets aren’t available to us online before our trip and the only option is to buy the Premier Access FPs on the app once we are in the park, do you know whether this option tends to sell out at some point in the day or is it always available to purchase?
 
Thanks @abdgeek ! That list looks like it would cover all of the attractions I would really want to see.
 
Thank you so much for your very detailed response @abdgeek! This is incredibly helpful information.

I too have been having a lot of angst about the luggage issue and have a couple of additional questions on the subject - is the 80 inches simply a function of H + W + L (x 1 including wheels) ? Also, my DH is considering just packing those zippered convertible type of shorts/pants for the two dinners with a dress code in order to save space. I have been suggesting that he will be more comfortable those evenings if he packs at least a pair of khakis or he might feel underdressed. Any thoughts on this?

With regards to the SHDL tickets, if the Premier Access Tickets aren’t available to us online before our trip and the only option is to buy the Premier Access FPs on the app once we are in the park, do you know whether this option tends to sell out at some point in the day or is it always available to purchase?

You’re very welcome. Yes, the 80 inches is the sum of the H+L+W of the suitcase and you are correct that the airline websites always say the dimensions should include the wheels and handles.

Most men wore a pair of khakis for the welcome and farewell dinner, so your DH only needs one pair. However, he would also be fine in the zippered pants—the guides normally wear a long version of their shorts for the dinners (same material). The dress code for the farewell dinner required long pants for men and a collared shirt. You bring a change of clothes to the park so that you can change; however, your DH would be ok in the long version of his zippered long pants if that is what he wants for SHDL. As long as he is comfortable with his clothing choice he should be ok. I was surprised by how dressed up most people got for the dinner. I changed into a pair of pants and a top, but a lot of women changed to dresses. The men had on dress shoes, collared shirts, and khaki type pants. People weren’t as dressed for the welcome dinner, but had on pants and a shirt. You eat in one of the hotel restaurants, hence the dress code.

While I’m not certain if the Premier Access Tickets sell out, I don’t think so. You can buy the regular ticket in advance and then upgrade to Premier once you’re in the park by logging into the app and scanning the paper ticket. You will probably have to create a new account for the SHDL app. I wasn’t successful in using WDW or My Disney Experience username/passwords to sign into the app.
 
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You’re very welcome. Yes, the 80 inches is the sum of the H+L+W of the suitcase and you are correct that the airline websites always say the dimensions should include the wheels and handles.

Most men wore a pair of khakis for the welcome and farewell dinner, so your DH only needs one pair. However, he would also be fine in the zippered pants—the guides normally wear a long version of their shorts for the dinners (same material). The dress code for the farewell dinner required long pants for men and a collared shirt. You bring a change of clothes to the park so that you can change; however, your DH would be ok in the long version of his zippered long pants if that is what he wants for SHDL. As long as he is comfortable with his clothing choice he should be ok. I was surprised by how dressed up most people got for the dinner. I changed into a pair of pants and a top, but a lot of women changed to dresses. The men had on dress shoes, collared shirts, and khaki type pants. People weren’t as dressed for the welcome dinner, but had on pants and a shirt. You eat in one of the hotel restaurants, hence the dress code.

While I’m not certain if the Premier Access Tickets sell out, I don’t think so. You can buy the regular ticket in advance and then upgrade to Premier once you’re in the park by logging into the app and scanning the paper ticket. You will probably have to create a new account for the SHDL app. I wasn’t successful in using WDW or My Disney Experience username/passwords to sign into the app.
Thank you so much!
 
On average, Shanghai Disneyland lines are 3-4x as long as Hong Kong Disneyland. It's amazing that Mystic Manor has 5-20 minutes line all day long while Roaring Rapids can be 120-150 minutes. If you're in Shanghai Disneyland when they open 8.30 to 10, lines go down dramatically after the fireworks. All the kiddie rides (including Peter Pan and Pooh) would be walk-ons after 9. Tron and Pirates are usually 15 minutes and under. Only Soaring and 7DMT have lines over 30 minutes after the fireworks.
 
Your experience in getting to Guilin is one of the reasons I travel with ABD. Can you IMAGINE trying to figure this out and make these arrangements on your own? And how much you'd PAY for making those last minute arrangements? ABD and the Adventure Guides do it all for you, and absorb the cost.

I saw you mention Joe as your Chinese Adventure Guide. He's fabulous! Who was your other Guide?

When I did this trip 2 years ago, Pirates was not a Fastpass ride at SHDL. A 90 minute wait was considered short. There really aren't enough rides for the number of people at SHDL, which is why the waits are SO long. And they have no concept of what the Single Rider line is really for. When I went in they'd only let you go so far, and then made you stand there and wait for 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour so that you "caught up" with the folks in the regular line. It made NO sense, and was extremely aggravating!

On average, Shanghai Disneyland lines are 3-4x as long as Hong Kong Disneyland. It's amazing that Mystic Manor has 5-20 minutes line all day long while Roaring Rapids can be 120-150 minutes. If you're in Shanghai Disneyland when they open 8.30 to 10, lines go down dramatically after the fireworks. All the kiddie rides (including Peter Pan and Pooh) would be walk-ons after 9. Tron and Pirates are usually 15 minutes and under. Only Soaring and 7DMT have lines over 30 minutes after the fireworks.
We were told people don't go to HKDL as much any more because people from the mainland need a Visa to go to Hong Kong. So even if it takes a lot longer to get to SHDL, it's easier and more convenient.

Sayhello
 
Yea, HKDL needs to attract visitors from other regions like South East Asia. They have halal restaurants now.
 
Yea, HKDL needs to attract visitors from other regions like South East Asia. They have halal restaurants now.
We'll be at SHDL in late September, for two days. We are planning on getting the park tickets at our hotel (Disneyland Hotel), including the one fastpass for each day. Anyone know-- for that time of year will we need the additional fastpass package? I am banking on a much less crowded park at that time of year! Thanks!
 
We'll be at SHDL in late September, for two days. We are planning on getting the park tickets at our hotel (Disneyland Hotel), including the one fastpass for each day. Anyone know-- for that time of year will we need the additional fastpass package? I am banking on a much less crowded park at that time of year! Thanks!

Should be ok as long as you leave before October 1 (Golden Week). School starts early September. Take advantage of Early Entry (75 minutes before posted opening hour). Tron is just to the left of the Early Entry entrance. You can always buy the paid FPs anytime during the day if you need to.
 
I saw you mention Joe as your Chinese Adventure Guide. He's fabulous! Who was your other Guide?

Korey was the other guide. He was a blast and was definitely the extrovert. His energy level was infectious.

And they have no concept of what the Single Rider line is really for. When I went in they'd only let you go so far, and then made you stand there and wait for 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour so that you "caught up" with the folks in the regular line. It made NO sense, and was extremely aggravating!

I totally agree. I stood in the Single Rider line for 60+ minutes for 7DMT because it was shorter than the 90 min standby line at SHDL. I really needn’t have bothered. There were clearly families in the line and the cast members pulled people from the line so infrequently it made me wonder what was taking so long. That was annoying and so was the flagrant line cutting. You had to always be on your guard or people would slip past you. They also will sit someone not in your party with you on a ride. While I as fine with it, they don’t always do that in WDW. At SHDL rides didn’t leave with empty seats.
 
I agree. I was definitely proud of the ease with which ABD/Wild China did everything once they knew of the delay. It was kind of funny because some guests were trying to figure out other options for us (plane, train, etc.). When we would mention them to Korey, he would explain that they had already thought of the option and why they were hesitant to use that option. I think the main concern was that if we continued on to Guilin that the boat tour would be cancelled and we would not be able to leave there on schedule, thus impacting the rest of the tour schedule. We were back on schedule when we left Xi'an and actually got to Chengdu earlier than we would have coming from Guilin. We were amazed that Joe was able to book 40 people on a 6am flight just one day before its departure.

We were on the July 7th departure and our flight to Guilin was delayed because of weather. Our boat tour was cancelled the next day because the water levels were too high and it was still raining. Instead we went to the Reed Flute caves which was very cool, had lunch back at the hotel and went to market for our White Elephant shopping. We were lucky because our local guide sent us video clips of the street where we did our shopping a few hours after we left and it was totally flooded.
 

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