Last thing...I said on another post,
Radiator Springs Racers which may be out due to the height requirement anyway runs out of fastpasses around 11 a.m. last time I checked. Don't forget to cross out all rides your child is too short for.

<<<They were popular when my teenagers were little: Little Mermaid...>>>

I had to laugh - Little Mermaid came out when MY son was 4 -- and he's 27!

Even though the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel are more costly than some off-site hotels, the convenience may be well worth it with such small children. As mentioned before, the best attack plan is to go as soon as the park opens, head back to the room around noon (depending on regular nap times) to avoid the increasing crowd and mid-day heat. Go back after a good nap and maybe a swim. We did this~went back to the park with refreshed children at around 5 and passed many exiting families with exhausted, screaming children!

I have stayed at both the HoJo and the Residence Inn Maingate that were mentioned above~both are convenient, about a 10-15 minute walk, and the RI had a shuttle.

<We did this~went back to the park with refreshed children at around 5 and passed many exiting families with exhausted, screaming children!

We observed this and it really made me sad. We also left and came back when the kids were little and I enjoyed the park more with a second wind too. Certainly a Disney park makes it easier but if you can't afford one, it's certainly still possible with the parks across the street.

We went to Disneyland bi-annually when our kids were little. We never stayed at a Disney hotel, and we always took a midday break. Since my kids are not early risers, we just got to the park when we got there, stayed through mid-afternoon, went back to the hotel for a swim and a nap, and either ate dinner and then went back, or went back and ate dinner at the park. We would stay until park closing time (we've always been late starters, but late-nighters, too, even when the kids were toddlers).

richmond, don't worry about the movies being out of date. With DVDs, they live forever! I'm sure they are just as beloved today as they were when your kids were little.