Is your baby or toddler too young to have fun at Florida's Disney World and Universal Orlando resorts? No way. I know that a vacation in Orlando, the world's theme park capital, with Tiny Travelers might be a dream come true, just remember that kids' and parents' dreams might not be exactly the same!

To start planning: first look for discounted tickets so you won't be so upset when your babies ask to go back to the hotel for a nap.

A few more tips:

• Make sure everybody's dreams are covered by researching ahead on the best bets for younger kids.  Check height/weight restrictions carefully; the parks are very strict about these. Rent a stroller if you need to.
• Be sure to allow plenty of free time for the older kids to have a ball.
• Take water bottles and snacks for each child and throw them in one backpack (you can check it for free on all the big rides.)
• Take another adult and do the Parent Switch, a courtesy system that allows one adult to stay with under-age kids at big rides, then switch places at the head of the line so everyone gets a turn.
• Remember it's supposed to be fun; take it easy. I remember a toddler asking if there was "an inside museum" to go to on one very hot day!

Here are my favorites for little ones at both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.

Walt Disney World Resort, Magic Kingdom

We all know that everyone from grandparents to college spring breakers love Disney World, but let's face it -- the Magic Kingdom is the stuff of dreams for the park's youngest visitors especially. A chance to meet beloved characters alone could make the trip, which is why a stop at Mickey's Toontown Fair is imperative. Here, just in case you didn't bump into them around the park, your kids can meet famous Disney characters in the Toontown Hall of Fame before exploring Mickey Country House, Donald's Boat, or Goofy's Wisacre Farm Barnstormer kiddie coaster. Great for photos and autographs.

Fantasyland is another area for little ones, with classic rides like the spiffed-up It's a Small World, where lines move very quickly and you can rest. Perhaps the most popular ride of all: Dumbo the Flying Elephant (scheduled to double in size in 2012) is worth the wait. And, yes parents, there's an original Dumbo in the Smithsonian Museum. Other top rides for toddlers include Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Tom Sawyer Island in "Frontierland" involves a steamboat ride to an interactive playground. Save wait time by betting a Fastpass ticket to Jungle Cruise or play together in the Swiss Family Treehouse for more classic family adventures.

Starting on May 25, 2012, a new summertime version of "The Magic, The Memories, and You!" will project onto Cinderella's Castle.  The nightly spectacular, a park favorite since it debuted in 2011, includes hundreds of photos of Magic Kingdom guests taken that day.

And, coming in July 2012 is the first phase of the New Fantasyland, the largest expansion project in Magic Kingdom history.  Scheduled for this summer is the opening of the second "Dumbo the Flying Elephant," doubling the size of the ride and offering clockwise and counterclockwise flight. There will be a new Big Top indoor waiting area with interactive games to make waiting time fly by.  Also new this summer will be the Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station; a revised Barnstormer featuring Goofy, with  twists and turns on a family-style roller coaster flying above the circus fun; and a new Fantasyland Train Station, a stop on the Walt Disney World Railroad, encircling the Magic Kingdom on 20-minute journeys. Stay tuned because much more of this expansion will be opening in time for the 2012 Holiday Season.

And of course, just walking around the Magic Kingdom with your kids will reveal more surprises and little gasps of joy. Whatever parade or nighttime spectacular is running at the time of your visit will be a must-see.

Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot

Traditionally, Epcot isn't the strongest park on activities especially for very young children, but there are some fun attractions that will entertain little ones while older family members get their cultural fix. The most exciting is Turtle Talk with Crush, an interactive attraction on the Living Seas Pavilion that features the sea turtle from "Finding Nemo" chatting with his visitors.

The Journey Into Imagination with Figment (a purple dragon) is another sensory experience appropriate for young children. Braver kids will have fun on the Maelstrom, a popular and somewhat random boat ride through Norway's history and culture, complete with pirates, trolls, and polar bears.

Just stroll around Epcot's World Showcase, and you'll be sure to find someplace to rest your feet. Music, dance, interactive activities, movies, rides, displays, and interesting food are scattered throughout the colorful pavilions devoted to different countries of the world. International family travelers might shop for a destination here for their next big trip! If you're thinking of eating an early dinner at one of Epcot's international restaurants, make reservations early in the day. And try to stick around in the evening so you can catch IllumiNations, the fireworks show around the globe that enlivens Epcot's central lagoon.

Walt Disney World Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios offers great move-themed entertainment. Even if they haven't seen "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," children will enjoy the large air-conditioned playground based on this imaginative live-action movie from the 1980s. It's all a matter of perspective as kids slide down blades of grass and ride on giant ants like the speck-sized characters in the film.

Disney's Hollywood Studios also features shows based on some of television's most beloved puppet characters. Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D creates a tour through Muppet Labs with 3-D film and animatronic appearances. At Playhouse Disney Live On Stage, kids can watch their favorite morning TV friends from shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Disney's Little Einsteins as they sing and tell stories.

The Great Movie Ride is a classic, just like the Hollywood films that it travels through, but keep in mind that the scene from "Alien" may be too scary for very little ones. Overall, this is one of MGM's signature rides and a dream-come-true for movie buffs of any age. The Magic of Disney Animation and the Studios Backlot Tour are low-key but interesting ways to get behind-the-scenes of popular Disney animated films and some television shows.

Very popular is Toy Story Mania, a combination video game and old-fasioned midway game. The Studios are also home to the Beauty and the Beast Live stage show, which you might want to hit if you never got to see the Broadway production.

Walt Disney World Resort, Animal Kingdom

Few things capture children's imaginations more than dinosaurs. Children too young to go on the DINOSAUR ride can head instead for Animal Kingdom's The Boneyard, an area where budding paleontologists can play at digging up dinosaur and ancient mammal skeleton fossils.

Kids Discovery Clubs are interactive learning stations located throughout Animal Kingdom that complement the areas in which they appear. The TriceraTop Spin creates a prehistoric version of the Dumbo ride, while the Wildlife Express Train offers a fun ride behind-the-scenes in the animal care areas. Speaking of animal care, Affection Section is a shaded petting zoo done Disney-style, where animal lovers of all ages encounter goats, sheep, llamas and more.

At the core of Animal Kingdom are the Kilimanjaro Safaris, which take passengers on a ride through herds of real African animals, including lions, elephants, hippos, and giraffes. Animal Kingdom is also home to the Festival of the Lion King, an in-the-round stage show with song, dance, and audience participation in its tribal celebration, and the universally acclaimed "Finding Nemo" musical show.

Universal Orlando - Universal Studios, Florida

Favorite cartoon stars from different generations, but with "universal" appeal, contribute to some of the best attractions for younger children at Universal Studios. Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast rockets families through a journey featuring not only Jimmy, but also Spongebob, the Rugrats, and characters from The Fairly OddParents and Hey Arnold! Those who meet the height requirement of 40" will enjoy the ride. The best bet for the littlest of tykes at Universal is Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, where Woody's Nuthouse Coaster offers a pint-sized thrill. Barney, Curious George, and An American Tail's Fievel also make an appearance in this area -- each has a colorful and interactive playground, while Barney also performs a sing-a-long with Baby Bop and BJ. And, don't forget to heck out The Simpson Ride.

Shrek 4-D picks up where the first Shrek movie left off, on Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon, and involves the film’s original cast and creative team. For a classic family movie ride experience, try the E.T. Adventure, which offers a journey to the mild-mannered alien's planet on flying bicycles. Animal Actors on Location is a fun mix of amizing live animal performers and video sgements destined to amuse the whole family.

Universal Orlando - Universal's Islands of Adventure

Although Islands of Adventure are marketed for "serious" thrills (as if those at the original Universal park weren't enough!), they also contain plenty of rides and attractions for little ones. The entire island of Suess Landing is a great place to start and to meet some of the world's most beloved characters. This island includes the non-height-restricted Cat in the Hat ride, the Caro-Seuss-el with Suess creatures instead of horses, the One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish water play ride, and an interactive playground area. Don't forget to pose with Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Over on Jurassic Park Island, the Jurassic Park Discovery Center offers games and educational displays, while Camp Jurassic is yet another themed playground to take the kids to while your teens brave facing T-Rex. See if the kids are tall enough to ride the new wings of Pteranodon Flyers.

Remember Popeye the Sailor Man and his girlfriend Olive Oyl? You'll find rides themed after these characters as well as Krazy Kat and The Simpson's on the Toon Lagoon island, where teh youngest visitors are sure to get splashed, one way or another. Littler kids will enjoy playing on Popeye's ship, Me Ship, The Olive, while the family can try out Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (whitewater rafting ride) or Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls (log flume ride). This was voted the "Best Water Ride in a Park" for 2011 by the experts at Amusement Today magazine.

Of course no one wants to miss a day in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal has kept litte ones in mind with the sweetly rolling Flight of the Hippogriff mini-coaster. Forget the other rides, they are truly terrifying for avid Potter fans.

For more information on family specials and a schedule of seasonal shows, visit Walt Disney World Resort (407/939-6244), or Universal Orlando Resort (877/801-9720; 407/363-8000).