Florida in the winter?????

[Minnie]

We are considering taking a long weekend trip sometime during Jan-March. Instead of going to WDW we want to stay at the beach

We prefer the gulf side so where would you stay that would be warm enough to enjoy the beach??? I was thinking of Sanibel as my son loves to look for shells or some place to snorkel?

Any ideas would be great

 

[CarolA]

Sanibel would be my first choice.

Beautiful Island, nice shelling, nice beaches, not too over developed!

 

[sherry7]

We are considering taking a long weekend trip sometime during Jan-March. Instead of going to WDW we want to stay at the beach

We prefer the gulf side so where would you stay that would be warm enough to enjoy the beach??? I was thinking of Sanibel as my son loves to look for shells or some place to snorkel?

Any ideas would be great

I'm not a Florida expert by any means, but I would think it would be kind of chilly for the beach. Why not go somewhere in the Caribbean instead? The weather is usually 80-85 degrees, and hurricane season is over during that time. We go on a Caribbean cruise every January...the rates are super cheap during that time, the weather beautiful, and the cruise ships are less crowded.

 

[StephSalyer]

Sanibel would be my first choice.

Beautiful Island, nice shelling, nice beaches, not too over developed!

I live on the Gulf Coast about an hour north of Tampa. We have been to Sanibel Island and it is beautiful. Wherever you plan to go make sure it is south of Ft Myers. It tends to be quite chilly here in the winter, esp on the beach because of the breeze off of the water. I am originally from Michigan and as weird as this sounds, 60' here feels colder than 60' up north. I think it may be because the air is so damp and it can just cut through you.

You should have no problem with rain, it rarely rains here betweem January and March, we tend to have a lot of sunny days but it really cools off at night.

Happy planning!

Steph

 

[TinkerBellToo2]

What is the weather like in Orlando at that time of the year???

 

[StephSalyer]

What is the weather like in Orlando at that time of the year???

It can vary. I have been to WDW in shorts, sweatshirts, and winter coat with gloves (remember I am a Florida weather wimp now ) in the months of December January and February. But for the most part, the days are gorgeous and the evenings are a bit chilly. Some days, you can wear shorts during the day but after the sun goes down you definitely need a sweatshirt or light jacket. January and February are some of my favorite times to go to WDW, the crowds slow down, the temps are nice and the humidity is much, much lower.

Steph

 

[swilshire]

I have to mention that the you're looking at a VERY expensive time and area of Florida. I love Sanibel, but finding anything at any price January - March can be tough. Lots of people book a year or more in advance.

We've been to Fort Myers Beach for Spring break and the crowds are pretty bad. Traffic makes it take forever to get from place to place.

Sheila

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't live too far from Sanibel. While I am noy crazy about the beach.. the weather here is about the best for the winter. I will not swim since I am use to "hot" weather. My kids go to Ft Myers Beach year round. Don't get me wrong, we will have days in the 50's, but not many. I think I used my heat 3 times last winter. I have been using my A/C since late March....and usually thru Nov....

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I far prefer Ft. Myers Beach over Sanibel. (Used to live there).

It's much more entertaining, with a wider variety of things to do. You can be in the busy section and have all sorts of things going on, or move "down" the beach toward the quieter section.

There are some really nice places to stay right on the water, too.

Sanibel is ok, but a bit stuffy for me. I prefer to be able to roam the beach, walk along the shore, or even take a drive and see the water. On Sanibel there are too many restrictions and Periwinkle beach has a miserable problem with sand spurs, and a VERY strong current.

I'd stay at FMB and do a day trip to Sanibel for shelling if you felt the need. Captiva is more colorful and fun than Sanibel, too.

 

[jeff968]

We go every president's week and always get a number of days in the eighties. The weather is the best part of our trip. We always miss a snow storm. Don't forget, another advantage of February is no bugs. I hear they are a pain at other times of the year. We went during April break once and ran into the "Love Bugs".

 

[A Mickeyfan]

We go every president's week and always get a number of days in the eighties. The weather is the best part of our trip. We always miss a snow storm. Don't forget, another advantage of February is no bugs. I hear they are a pain at other times of the year. We went during April break once and ran into the "Love Bugs".

Love Bugs in April? That is not the norm... you must have hit an odd year. We usually do not see them until end May & into June... April is pretty early for them...but it can happen

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I far prefer Ft. Myers Beach over Sanibel. (Used to live there).

It's much more entertaining, with a wider variety of things to do. You can be in the busy section and have all sorts of things going on, or move "down" the beach toward the quieter section.

There are some really nice places to stay right on the water, too.

Sanibel is ok, but a bit stuffy for me. I prefer to be able to roam the beach, walk along the shore, or even take a drive and see the water. On Sanibel there are too many restrictions and Periwinkle beach has a miserable problem with sand spurs, and a VERY strong current.

I'd stay at FMB and do a day trip to Sanibel for shelling if you felt the need. Captiva is more colorful and fun than Sanibel, too.

I hear ya on that one. They will not even let Mc'D's go on that island... I understand that they want to preserve the beauty and everything, but on the same token, my tax $$$ go to that island and I don't have a say of what goes on there... only the "Islanders" do....