Member Getaways...Sanibel/Captiva

[chip1]

Please share your experience if you have stayed at any of the Sanibel/Captiva resorts in Member Getaways. Thanks
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[dianeschlicht]

I'll be watching this response too. That would be a good idea for Twin's spring training camp because it is near Ft. Myers.

 

[JimMIA]

The only one listed in the book I've stayed at is South Seas on Captiva.

Captiva Island was nearly obliterated by Hurricane Charley last year. If I'm not mistaken, the island was actually cut in half and just about everything on Captiva was heavily damaged and closed. South Seas is still closed; I think they are trying to open this fall. We were going to have a family reunion at South Seas, but it had not reopened.

I'm not sure what the status is of any of the Sanibel resorts. I'd look them up on the Internet and call them before I went any further with planning, because Sanibel was also heavily damaged.

Diane, I don't know how familar you are with Ft. Myers, but Sanibel/Captiva are not the most convenient places to stay. They are only reachable by a two-lane toll causeway and traffic is VERY slow just about any time.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for that heads up, Jim. It was just a thought.

 

[iloveokw]

I would go to www.tripadvisor.com and check out the resorts. Inlaws stayed at the Tween Waters End a few years ago (pre hurricane) and were very happy. I have always been interested in Casa Ybel, but have to quit going to WDW, Vero and HH to use our points elsewhere .

 

[ktmouse]

My family stayed at the Casa Ybel Resort last August and checked out 5 days before the hurricane hit. It was a very nice resort. We had a two bedroom unit. The first floor was the kitchen and living area. The living room had a sleeper sofa. There was also a screened in porch. The second floor had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The room the kids slept in had two twin beds. The master bedroom was huge. Both bathrooms looked like they had recently been refinished. The appliances in the kitchen looked a little rough due to rust. I would have no hesitation in going back there. You might want to see if they have recovered from the hurricane. After it hit, I could see right into our master bedroom on the news. The roof was blown away. It was easy to figure out it was ours because it was the first building, second unit to the lift of the historic lodge.

We also checked out Sanibel Cottages which was just down the beach. That too was a DVC choice. My DH and I looked into a two bedroom unit. They were much nicer than the Casa Ybel as far as size and the way they were decorated. It is a much smaller resort, just a time share, and a quieter atmoshpere. The Casa Ybel is a hotel and time share resort. They have a few childrens activities and pool bar, things a hotel would have. I don't think Sanibel Cottages offers anything other than a really nice place to stay. I'd call first no matter where you go to see how they are recovering.

If you do go, see if the Bubble Room on Captiva is open, and have their Orange Crunch Cake. It's incredible!

I'd be happy to answer any more questions. We just loved it there!

 

[4eeyore]

How does Member getaways work? I'm looking into buying DVC but we only do Disney every other year or so. If this could be a option for using points then we really should look into buying. We have gone to Sanibel several times within the last 3 years and love it there. We combined a Sanibel/Disney trip this past August. Most of Sanibel seems to be up and running but a lot of the "canopy" is lost. The island is still as great as ever though. Also, we took in a Fort Myers Miracle game at Hammond Stadium, which I believe is where spring training for the Twins occurs. The drive took about 25 minutes without traffic off the causeway (we stayed at the end of the island, close to Captiva). It was very easy to get to.

 

[GeorgiaTiggerGirl]

I vacationed at The Sanibel Inn (not a DVC exchange) in late May of 2005. The island was still recovering....in other words, some accommodations were open, others not. The Sanibel Inn had 3/4 of its buildings open at that time. It appeared that most the restaurants/shops were open, as well as the Bubble Room. It was my first trip there, so I couldn't make a real comparison to what it was like before the hurricanes. As previously said, I would call to make sure of availability for any place you were interested in staying. I definitely want to go back one day!

 

[dvc_john]

I've stayed at Casa Ybel, Sanibel Cottages, and Hurricane House. (owner, not as an exchange). All are really nice resorts. All were heavily damaged w/ Hurricane Charley August 2004, and were closed for quite some time. Sanibel Cottages reopened in April, Casa Ybel partly in May, partly in July, and Hurricane House in the same time frame. They are now good as new.
However, they are all small resorts (CY - 72 units, SC - 28 units, and HH - 15 units), so exchanges will probably difficult, especially in the peak season of March. Also, when these resorts were built, the standard was for a rather simple 2nd bedroom with 2 single beds. Not like the studio suites they build today. Just something to keep in mind.
As noted, South Seas Plantation is still closed. Captiva got hit worse than Sanibel, although it wasn't split in two. (In May, I drove up to South Seas entrance on the north tip of the island. North Captiva (another island north of Captiva island) may very well have been split though. It was all but split in a previous hurricane with only a narrow stip of sand left connecting the north part of the island to the south part. North Captiva is only accessible by boat/airplane).
Also, as noted, a LOT of trees were lost.
They are building new bridges on the causeway (there are 3 bridges), so construction will take a couple of years. Traffic can be really bad in season, but is not bad at all when I usually go in May and October. One of the bridges is a drawspan, so an opening can really cause backups. I believe that span is being replaced with a high bridge though.
Anyway, my two favorite vacation destinations are WDW and Sanibel!