Allegiant Air/Sanford Airport

[Lovemy3babes]

Hi everyone. I'm new around here. We're going to WDW for the very first time! I live in SW Minnesota and the airport that we usually fly out of is Sioux Falls, SD. It's usually NWA, usually connects in MSP and then goes onto your destination. Anyway, not too long ago, they added Allegiant Air flying direct into Sanford. The times and days are kinda crummy but the rates are pretty cheap ($99/each way usually). Anyway, we'd be set to get into Sanford around 9:45 pm. How can we get to WDW? We're staying onsite. It will just be myself, three children (will be 7, 6 & 3), my mom, my sister and her 2-year old son. We aren't very experienced travellers so I'd like your expert opinions on getting there safe & sound and not paying an arm and a leg to do so. How about getting back to the airport? I believe the flight departs around 2:30 or so. Thank you for your time. I'd really appreciate any help and advice you can give me!

 

[snowy76]

Your options are to get a car service or rent a car.
I would start here
http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/taxi_limo_shuttle.asp
This is the airport's list of limo/town car/shuttle companies. FYI, typical car rates are double that to/from MCO.

However, you might find it works out cheapest just to rent a van and drive from Sanford to WDW. You can do a one day rental through National or Alamo each way and possibly save more money (just drop off the car at the Car Care Center near the Poly, or the Dolphin hotel; and pick up a car at one of these locations on the way back to the airport).

Disney does not offer DME service for Sanford.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thank you! I really wish the Magical Express option was available. How handy!

 

[JDietz40]

Sanford is a nice small airport and you will be able to get through it much quicker than MCO. It is a little longer drive to WDW though.


John

 

[cranbiz]

When you book on Allegiant, there is the option of motor coach transfers to the LBV area for $21.00pp each way.

However, I just reread your post. 7 people! WoW. This sounds like a great vacation.

For 7 people, I think I'd rent a minivan. The limo service is going to cost about double the MCO rates and the car rentals are pretty much the same as MCO. Sanford is about an hour from Disney using SR417 and it's about $6.00 in tolls each way. Sanford is very easy to get around and it's only about 5 minutes to SR417. You CAN take the free route if you want, that is to drive on Lake Mary Blvd to I4 (about 8 miles) and then I4 to Disney (about 32 miles) and at the time of night you are arriving, I4 should be trouble free. It's up to you. I do both ways but I admit, I usually fly into MCO and then take SR417 to I4 in Sanford and then I4 to Deltona (My FL house) because it's just more direct for me and I waste too much time doing the SR436 to I4 or the Beachline to I4.

You did not say how long you are going for and when you are going so it's tough to help on rental rates, but a 7 passenger mini van from Alamo (onsite) for a week with no codes for early April is about $329. I'm sure that one can do better, but we need some specifics to help.

 

[IowaGirl]

I am doing Allegiant Air for the first time from Rockford, IL in June.

How long of a drive is it from Sanford to Universal do you think in real time?

When I originally looked at Sanford's website it said it was 18 miles North of Orlando, which did not seem bad to me, but I was reading somewhere where it may be a 45 minute drive?

Could that be?

 

[cranbiz]

To get to Universal, you need to do the Lake Mary Blvd to I4. SR417 is way to far out of the way. (Well, you could go NORTH on SR417 to the exit 101 interchange to get to I4 and then head SOUTH/WEST to Universal, but I don't really think that you would save a significant amount of time doing that)

Universal is exit 75 off of I4, Lake Mary Blvd is exit 98. Downtown Orlando is in the exit 85 to 80 range. Depending on the time of day it may very well take 45 minutes. It is 8 miles to I4 from Sanford. Figure 15 minutes from SFD to I4 and 30 minutes if traffic is good.(your guess is as good as mine if it's rush hour)

 

[IowaGirl]

Thanks!!!!

I imagine we will hit rush hour traffic. Our flight arrives at 3:45 PM, so by the time we get our luggage and car....BAM!

Oh well, it really does not look like that bad of a drive.

Could anyone tell me if there is a Wal Mart Supercenter or a Target super center that would be handy to get to after leaving Sanford, but before we get to Universal?

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks so much again. I'm amazed at everyone's awesome helpfulness and great knowledge. This will be a short trip, probably 5 days. We don't necessarily need a rental car due to us never leaving WDW. I've checked out some of those transfers from the airport and they don't look that bad in price. I think one was about $65. Any experience with anyone listed on the airport website for transportation?

 

[Allison]

We are flying into Sanford from Des Moines in June. My husband and I did this in December and since we are used to have a layover, having this direct flight was great. We really liked using Allegiant. Sanford is very small and easy to get in/out of.

Our flight arrives at 9:00 pm so we decided to rent a van to get us there and return it to Alamo at the Dolphin the next day. It's only costing $38. That was a good deal for our family of 5.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks Allison!