I have driven from the Northeast to WDW twice. Once with my parents in the 1970s and once with some friends in the late 1980s. (Wow, you're really taking me down memory lane now.) But I have never attempted it with the kids. The 80s trip started in Fairfield County, CT (not so far from you) and took us about 20 hours straight through with no stops other than for gas. There were four drivers and we took turns driving and sleeping. I remember it being a veeery long and uncomfortable day. I just Mapquested the trip from LI to WDW. It looks to me that the drive alone will take you about 17 hours. That assumes no stops and no bad traffic. Frankly, I can't imagine doing that in one straight day with my own children, especially at preschool age. I'm not anti-driving, I just can't imagine how the kids would cope without plentiful stops to stretch and run around. This could turn your trip into a full 24 hour day.
I assume you've thought of the basics -- sticker books, DVDs and audiobooks, etc. That will all make it a bit easier for your kids, but the adults in the group will be completely spent from the focus on driving and the uncomfortable car sleep. I would almost sacrifice a day at WDW to break up the car trip into two days. That's just one person's opinion though. You should re-submit this question to the other Northeast moms on the Panel (Michelle, Beth, and Kim). I think at least one of them has really done the drive with kids and may have more specific and helpful ideas.As far as which park to visit ... when our kids were in preschool, we often "saved the best for last." We seldom went to the Magic Kingdom first. We found that once they got a taste of the MK, they were sometimes too focused on that to enjoy the other parks. I would probably start with the Animal Kingdom (first I'd check to see when Extra Magic Hours were). The Animal Kingdom is an amazing place for kids and is a good introduction to the Disney Magic.
Visit Walt Disney World Resort to explore the magic.
256 Characters Remaining
Please do not include personal information such as full names and reservation numbers in your message.
Please do not include personal information such as full names and reservation numbers in your question.
The menu below has been automatically set to the panelist you were reviewing, however, you can ask anyone on our panel.
Email communication is the only way we can notify you when your question has been answered. If you choose to opt-out of receiving emails, you will need to return to the site to check if your question has been answered.
For a better experience browsing this website, please download an updated version of Internet Explorer.
Or you can continue browsing without updating.