Dear Nykedtra,
From a mom who has two kids very close in age to yours (my sons are 5 and 2), I will tell you there's a lot of fun to be had and planning ahead will make your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth an unforgettable experience!
So...where to begin? I'd say book a
vacation package directly through the Disneyland Resort. This way, you can select a Disneyland Resort Hotel, Park Tickets and even a character dining meal as part of your vacation and pay as you go. Meaning, you can leave a deposit and you'll have until 30 days before your arrival date to pay the balance.
Next, I would recommend a four or five night vacation. This way you can spend three days at the Parks and take a day or two to enjoy your hotel features like the amazing pools and shopping at the Downtown Disney District.
As far as Park Tickets, I would go for two regular park tickets and one Park hopper ticket per person.
Here's why–– In my opinion, you should start your Park experience at Disneyland. You'll need a full day to enjoy the many classic attractions and enjoy incredible shows like Fantasmic! and the Fireworks.
The nice thing about staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel is that you can walk (or take the monorail) back to your hotel for a Park break or nap time!
The second day, I would explore the hotel, spend a day at the pool and take the kids for a walk at Downtown Disney so they can relax a bit from the Park crowds and hang out at the Lego Store (they have outdoor block building activities) and enjoy lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.
The third day, I would visit Disney California Adventure Park... they'll absolutely LOVE Cars Land and the super cute Pixar Parade.
Then on day four, I would use the Park Hopper tickets to return to both Parks and buy/ride/experience/see anything you may have missed the first time around.
I hope this helps!
-Anabel M.