Brad,
Thanks for the praise from Connecticut! As a former Rocky Hill/New Haven resident, it is always great to hear from the Nutmeg State!
It is too early for Disney to have posted their August 2011 Extra Magic Hour schedules, making it hard to be exact in the best daily recommendations. But with lighter crowds you certainly will want to take advantage of those evening Extra Magic Hours!
I will say that with kids in their teens (or almost, anyway!), hopping is a well-spent extra few dollars. Some nights you will want to hop to Epcot for an exotic international dinner, other nights you will want to flock to another park for the roller coasters or other attractions!
Since you are going to take some afternoon breaks at the hotel (great idea, by the way!), make sure you time it right. If you can make the break start at lunch time (noon), and therefore end a bit earlier (say, 4pm), you will miss out on even more of the crowds.
Finally, consider looking into
Surfing Lessons . Something fun you can do together, and how cool will they be when they brag to their friends that they learned to surf?!?
Have a magical vacation!