Has anyone flown into Sanford?

[princess pooh]

We'll be flying into Sanford airport for the first time in March and I just want to know what to expect. Is it a big airport? Are there long waits for checked luggage? How far away is it from Disney? Is there a duty free shop in the airport, or a disney store to pick up souveniers we might have forgotten? Are there usually long waits at security?

Thanks in advance

 

[Helene]

We've flown into Sanford on two occasions. Airport is much smaller than MCO and easier to navigate. Turnaround time for luggage was quick and the car rental process (I used Budget) was also painless.
It does take longer to get to Mickey's house as far as drive time (about 50-60 min) but the time you save getting luggage, car, etc, probably balances time in the end.
Be sure to use Route 417 for your trip to Disney. It's a toll road but well worth the $$ to avoid the hassle of I-4.

Have fun,
Helene

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Sanford is a very small airport, very easy to get around. I don't recall seeing a gift shop at all, though there was a sort of snack bar area upstairs in the boarding area. We didn't wait any longer than usual for the bags - I'm pretty sure we've had our luggage within 20 minutes of landing on all our trips. Lines for check-in were also quite short, since the airport doesn't have that many flights. I love SFB and would rather fly into there every time!

ETA: hehe, almost identical responses within a minute of each other! Yes, Route 417 is much less stressful than I-4, definitely worth the longer driving time. Have quarters handy for the tolls.

 

[princess pooh]

Thanks!