We found that early November is a great time to go to Disney. We did not have any wait longer than 30 minutes, and most rides were either walk-on or with a wait of 5 to 10 minutes. Plus the parks close a little earlier and open a little later, so if you are traveling with either younger or older companions, you get more time to rest.

Our favorite nighttime show (all the parks have them, except for Animal Kingdom, as it closes at dusk) is Fantasmic. Tip: Get there an hour early so you can sit in the Mickey section, as it is in the center and has the best view of the show. They have food/snacks/drinks just behind the seating area, so we like to go early, get our seats, and then send someone to get the food. This way your wait doesn't seem so long and the kids don't get bored.

We also found the temperatures to be very pleasant this time of year, with highs in the lower 80s and lows in the upper 60s. It was warm enough during the day to swim but not so hot that you were uncomfortable walking around in the parks.

To avoid lines on the most popular rides, we used Disney's Fast Pass system. You just go to the ride, find the Fast Pass kiosk, and insert your park ticket. The kiosk gives you back your ticket and a slip of paper that tells you when to return to ride. You return at the time indicated (it is good for an hour, i.e. 2pm-3pm) and walk right onto the ride without waiting in line. Another good idea if you have seen the night shows is to ride the popular rides during the night shows. We walked right onto these rides during these times.

An invaluable item is the park daily schedule. This is available wherever the maps are located (as you walk into the parks and at most vendors). It is a single sheet that lists operating hours of rides (they vary), show times, events, where/when characters are, etc.

Quick Tips:

We used pre-paid meal vouchers. They're available from various savings clubs (i.e. hotwire). We found them to deliver small savings but the real benefit was not having to carry around so much cash - just grab the vouchers and head into the parks. They come with an entrée, side, dessert, and soft drink. They are good at most casual dining places in all of the parks, resorts, and water parks.

Of course, the best benefit is using your room key as a charge card when staying on Disney property. If you give the hotel your credit card information at check-in, you can use your room key as a credit card, at least for up to ,000 worth of purchases. This is good for merchandise or food on Disney property, including Downtown Disney. It eliminates the need to carry cash and/or credit cards.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you have a character breakfast scheduled (and I recommend you schedule at least one if you have kids), make sure you check with the front desk of your Disney hotel. They can make sure you have a bus running in time to make it to your breakfast. Be sure to allow at least 45 minutes. These breakfasts start before the parks open, so there are fewer buses running.

Also, there is a walkway from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom. It is a 7-minute walk, so it is not for everyone, but it is definitely the quickest way to get between these two places.

The rooms have an island feel to them. They are decorated in tropical colors and patterns. The bathroom is well-equipped, and the dressing area has a curtain - great idea for privacy. There is also a mini-fridge and wall safe, which is nice for your valuables.

The hotel has six heated pools, so your room is never very far from a pool. The main pool has a waterslide and is located just outside the food court. They also have characters, hair wrapping, and temporary tattoos for the kids.

There is an arcade, a marina, a jogging trail, volleyball courts, and bike and watercraft rentals here as well. There is something for everyone to do. And the best part about staying on property is that you can come back to the hotel via the complimentary Disney transportation to take a break in the middle of the day. They have a white-sand beach with hammocks that are great for an afternoon nap!

The staff is a typical Disney staff - always friendly and helpful. In fact, we ran out of shampoo, so I left a note for housekeeping requesting more. When we returned, we had our shampoo, but she had also made a little doll out of washcloths for my daughter. Every day when we returned from the parks, our room was clean and in great order.

The setting is in a part of a Norwegian castle with high, heavy beam structures. The interior is decorated very old-world flavor, and you feel as if you stepped into old-world Norway when you enter. The tables are of a good size, and the chairs are comfortable. As typical with Disney, the decor is perfect down to the linens.

The people that work in the restaurant and throughout the Norway pavilion (as well as all of the World Showcase pavilions) are from Norway. Most are students and enjoy talking about the country - just ask any of them. In typical Disney fashion, everyone is friendly and helpful in answering any questions you might have.

The food was delightful. They serve it family-style, and it keeps coming until you tell them to stop. Make sure you have one of the rolls they bring - they are warm, homemade, and the most wonderful rolls I've ever had. The sausage was a bit spicy for my daughter, but I loved it. Breakfast comes with the rolls, juice, coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits with sweet butter, and fresh fruit. They also told us that if they didn't bring us something we wanted, to just ask and they would bring it. The cost was $22/adult, $15/child.

It was my daughter's birthday. When we told the staff, they brought her a beautiful birthday card signed by the entire staff. Then when the characters came by the table, and they also signed the card. It is a lovely keepsake of our trip! They also brought her a troll-shaped cookie with edible colored paints (red, blue, and yellow) to paint the troll with. She had a lot of fun with this as well.