anyone go from DW to Sanibel Island?

[pixxi]

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to go to Sanibel Island for a couple of days. We are going to DW Nov 1-9. I couldn't extend it a few more days, we have free dining and the rest of the days must be full.

We would have to rent a van (6 people) to drive to Sanibel Island and then we would fly back home after. Would I look at flying home from Ft Meyers instead of driving back to Orlando airport? Are flights more expansive than Orlando? Would it be better to stay in Ft Meyers vs on the Island?

We never venture from DW!

What about Universal or other places for a couple of days. I'm looking for cheap but new.

 

[KCSherri]

Sanibel Island is beautiful…great for fishing, shelling and other water activities. You can stay on Ft Myers Beach - or Sanibel Island - either one is great. Just do a search on what condos, rentals, etc are available and the rates. And yes, I would most definitely fly out of Ft Myers airport (use airport code RSW when searching for fares - it stands for Regional Southwest airport, which is the name of the Ft Myers airport).

 

[Hootch]

Sanibel and have linked beach stays with WDW but not together.

Sanibel is nice. It's also about twice as far as the beaches just south of Tampa. W have been doing Lon Boat Key the last few trips. Peak season does not start until December for many hotels on Sanibel so a decent hotel rate should be available. Check Ft Meyers air rates but don't ignore Ft Lauderdale. It might be cheaper.

We did Universal with our kids last summer and they really enjoyed it. The three more expensive ($250-$325/night) hotels include special ride access to most rides in addition to early entry at one of the parks. There is a new, cheaper hotel that just opened that does not include special ride access. There are also partner hotels in the area and some include the early entry. Next month Universal will be opening the Diagon Alley area that comes from the Harry Potter books. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that opened in in Islands of Adventure a few years ago is well done. I expect much of the same from the new one.

 

[mom2rtk]

We have linked up WDW trips with Sanibel trips more times than I remember. It's about a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive. Not nearly as close as other beaches, but worth the drive in our opinion.

Yes, I suggest flying into Orlando or Fort Meyers then flying out of the other. We did that as recently as just last summer.

If we had to stay in Fort Meyers we probably wouldn't go. That's just a beach visit, complete with high rise hotels. Sanibel is a whole other world. No high rises, very few chains, a very cozy feel.

I actually did a mini-trip in the midst of my last Disney trip report covering our Sanibel days last summer. Maybe this can give you a feel for the island. It starts with post 427:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3044358&page=29

 

[NewCrew42]

Last summer DD and I did a week in WDW and then a week in Sanibel. We had a blast. We flew into MCO and then out of RSW. We used Magical Express from the airport to POFQ. Then on checkout day, I rented a car to be picked up at the WDW car care center from Alamo. The shuttle picked up DD and me, and out luggage. Took us to the car care center and we were on our way. The drive is very easy.

DD and I love shelling and Sanibel is great for that. The shelling is supposed to be better in November than when we were there. There is a blog called I Love Shelling that has lots of information about shelling on the island.