I found this company in Yogya that does day tours:

http://www.viaviajogja.com/index.php

They are the ones who quoted me the car cost only for the suggested 4 day tour. I'm thinking maybe I should have some ideas of what I want to do in mind, and then book the day trips when I get to the hotel in Yogya. The only trip to book in advance would be to Borobudur to stay at the Manohara Hotel the first night per your suggestion for day 1. This is the current cost:
Double Room
6 m X 3 m X 2,65 m
1 Queen Size Bed ( 2 m X 1,6 m )
IDR 745.000 nett/room/night include
Inclusive:
Borobudur Entrance (06.00 am up to 05.00 pm)
Breakfast (American, Continental or Indonesian)
Welcome drink
Tax and service charges
Sunrise Tour
In house guest (who staying at Manohara): IDR 230.000 per person ($24)

So $77 a night with breakfast and entry to Borobudur included, except the sunrise charge. I'd probably forgo that and enter at 6:00am, just after sunrise but before the day trippers get there. And another entrance the afternoon of our arrival. I can hire a guide at the temple for one of the days.
I'm sure they hang around the entrance offering their services.

In looking at a map of the area Borobudur is half way to the Dieng Plateau. maybe I can go there for the day before heading back to Yogyakarta. I might be able to find a 2 day tour from one company that has Borobudur and Dieng all for one price.

After hanging out in Yogya for a few days, including day trip to Prambanan, we could do a tour to Candi Sukuh and Cetho, then overnight in Solo. Tour Solo the next morning then head back to Yogya. The Mt. Lawu temples and Solo look to be in the same area.

Looks like I have much more researching to do. But I like your suggestions jiejie. Stay indoors in Beijing-I saw the articles about the air pollution. And I thouht it was bad when we visited October 2011.

After rearranging things with the gguide I'm planning on using in Java he has the following suggested:
DAY 1 ARRIVAL FROM DENPASAR BALI, GARUDA AIRLINE
� Arrive at the airport
� Pick up service
� Drive one hour to Borobudur
� Hotel check in
� Overnight at Manohara Hotel

DAY 2 BOROBUDUR - FULL DAY DIENG PLATEAU
� The temple is 200 meter walk from your room
� Morning visit the temple with tour guide
� 08.30 Hotel check out, full day tour to Dieng Plateau
� Drive through villages, nice views, mountain, volcano, agriculture.
� Also see local people, farming, sulphur spring, color lake, ancient temples
� Lunch time will be at Wonosobo regency
� Drive back to Magelang for overnight
� Overnight at Berg View

DAY 3 MAGELANG - SOLO
� We drive to Solo Via Selo (between Merapi and MErbabu volcanoes)
� Visit Sukuh and Cetho temple
� Drive to Solo and enjoy the ancient Solo city
� Overnight at ROEMAHKU Solo.

DAY 4 MORNING SOLO CITY TOUR
� Visit Mangkunegaran Palace, Museum, Flea Market and Batik village
� Lunch time is in Solo city
� Afternoon, drive back to Yogyakarta and visit Prambanan
� Visit the temple is 2 - 3 hour
� There are many hidden temples there
� Proceed for Ramayana Ballet performance (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) or will see the schedule
� Overnight at Phoenix Heritage Yogyakarta

DAY 5 CITY TOUR
� City tour Yogyakarta
� Sultan Palace, Water Castle, Traditional Batik and Silver home industry

If I pull out the hotels and pay for those separately, and eliminate the sunrise tour at Borobudur, I get a price of $432 for 2 which includes the admissions and ballet tickets. He has put a tax/service charge of 10% on everything. Is this customary for Indonesia? Is this his profit? I know there is 20% tax on hotel rooms. I would then stay 2 nights more in Yogya giving us a day and half of free time to do what we want.

I think this is a fair price, don't you? The guide, Wiedy will personally drive and guide us at Borobudur, Prambanan, and Yogyakarta. The driver out in the country will speak English.

I think the itinerary and routing is a big improvement, whirlwind Dieng but a decent plan and particularly if you are going to add 2 more nights and extra day free time in Yogya. The residual price of $432 (excl hotels and food which you do yourself) seems OK, if they will do it that way....which they might not. The 10% is probably the Goods and Services Tax (like a sales tax) and I believe is required, though whether a specific company quotes it as "included," or does it as an add-on, varies. Just as long as you know what the final bottom line price is. When I did my Indo hotel bookings, usually the quoted price was explicitly inclusive of all fees and taxes which seemed to be the most common way to do it in the price ranges I was looking at. Again, just be clear on how things are being quoted and get the bottom line. If their price including hotels is very similar to the total you'd pay for tour + hotels on your own, just let them do it but be firm if you have specific hotel requirements. 2 extra nights in Yogya you can do through tour company if competitive with a discounted retail price....or do yourself.

Additional thoughts:
--Sunrise tour at Borobudur is magical, I'd spend the money and do it. I've never regretted for a second spending the extra cash and lost sleep to get up at 4 a.m. and do this. Going at 6:00-6:30 a.m. after the sun has risen doesn't have the same impact. But it's up to you.
--Unclear if the part between Borobudur and Solo (esp Dieng) will have a guide going along with you in addition to the driver. Seems it would be adviseable unless the English-speaking driver is reasonably knowledgeable about the area. Or you could just advance research like crazy and take notes along to self-guide and augment driver's comments. Maybe even prioritize what you think you want to see on the Dieng and let the tour company comment on.
--Assuming driver will have to spend an overnight on the road when you do the Borobudur to Solo portion, make sure it's clear between you and tour company, whether the price includes provision for his overnight room and food. Most hotels will have areas or nearby quarters where drivers/staff stay when accompanying paying guests.

I think you'll be happier with this new plan since you seemed a bit lukewarm and not committed to the original idea of Malang-Bromo. Certainly, it will be much easier on the body than all those long car trips of the original 7 days. The car time on this one is more broken up with interesting stuff and distances aren't so long.

<redacted>

Indonesia turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip. You will definitely have a ton of fun

This is what the tour owner says about paying for hotels:
[Will double check and will enclose the quotation, I will give you money back guarantee if my prices higher than you find, please just let me know and I am happy with this. For hotels, if on line reservation is CHEAPER, please do it. I am also very happy for this. Because, sometimes, hotels gave cheaper promotion on line and sometimes, they forgot to update]

This is what he says about the drivers:
[Others, you travel with driver. He speaks English. If you need tour guide all of your trip, this cost USD 36 per day. I will drive and be your guide in area Borobudur and Yogyakarta. For Dieng and Solo, you will go with my driver. But I am easy to reach anytime. ]

This is how he wants to be paid:
(You pay me when you meet me here 50% and 50% when finish the tour, prefer in USD.)

I prefer to pay for as much as I can with a credit card to get more FF points to take more vacations!

I have plenty of time, 7 months to change the itinerary, change the hotels. My tour owner is very flexible and amenable to making changes so we have a wonderful time in Yogya. I signed up for the Accor Hotels guest program so if they have a sale I'll get an email and be able to book online and get a discount at the Phoenix Hotel in Yogyakarta. I could also use Starwood points to stay for free at Sheraton Mustika, although it gets mixed reviews. I usually prefer to stay in the center of cities so as to be able to walk around at night on the way to and from dinner.

Once I determine how many days we will be on Bali it will determine how many days we are on Java. This itinerary has 10 nights/9 days for Bali and 6 nights/5 1/2 days Java. One day is allocated for travel from DPS to JOG. My tour guy has even offered to buy the plane tickets for us if I have trouble using my credit card online with Garuda website to buy them myself.

I'll start another thread about the Bali part of the trip.

Thanks Will for the link to your blog. I read it all about Indonesia. We will be on Bali 9 days before coming to Java, and I had already planned to use Putu as our driver for part of the time. I will be staying at much more downscale places than you did. Nusa Dua is too far away from the real Bali. I'd like to try for a villa for some of the time. And I plan to stay in 2 or 3 different towns during our stay on Bali.

I was considering staying at Sheraton Mustika in Yogya with Star points. I am Star Gold so wouldn't be getting an upgrade to a suite. But it looks to be away from the city center and gets so-so reviews on TA.

I was looking at ViaVia Travel's web site and their tours, and it's good to have firstahnd feedback from someone who used them.