Candace,
There is a site (
not an official Disney site) that is called the Planning Strategy Calculator where you can enter the date of your arrival and it will tell you your date that you can start calling for Advanced Dining Reservations.
I went ahead and entered December 31, 2012 for you, and it says you can start making those 180 day out calls on the 4th of July, 2012.
As for recommendations for a family of 5 with small kids, I would start with
Whispering Canyon Cafe,
50s Prime Time Cafe, and
'Ohana for two fun dinners that do not include characters, and
1900 Park Fare,
Chef Mickey's and
Tusker House for breakfasts and dinners that do.
From there I would be glad to offer up more suggestions. Let me know what your interests are, be they table service, quick service, cuisine types, characters or no characters, princesses or Mickey Mouse or Winnie the Pooh, etc. I am glad to answer any follow up questions.
Have a magical (and delicious) vacation!