HOW IS SANIBEL ISLAND IN TERMS OF WEATHER AT THE END OF DECEMBER? IS PUERTO RICO A SAFER BET? SANIBEL ISLAND JUST SOUNDS SOOOO WONDERRFUL!

If I were deciding between the 2 I would choose PR in a heartbeat. I was in Sanibel in June. I thought it was a dull boring place. I know some people love it. There is such a hype about the shells. Oh the shells is all I heard about. I do not care about looking for shells on vacation. It may be more interesting in Dec. PR would be warmer no doubt.

Rachel, we just got back from Sanibel two weeks ok. I will give you the pros and cons. I have never been to PR though. Sanibel was a lovely island, as is it's neighbor Captiva. It was very lush and tropical. We had nice weather, mostly in the low 70's but cooler obviously in the am and at night. I was glad I brought a few warmer things for evening. The locals said that it was unusally chilly but to us it felt heavenly (we live in wintery cold weather) Again it is beautifully lush there, they pride themselves on protecting the vegetation, so be warned, there are bugs. Protect thy self at night!
I found Sanibel to be very family oriented so if you are traveling with kids as we were it would be great. The Sundial Beach Resort where we stayed was very attentive to providing plenty of activities for children. Only complaint was again the bugs, we had what they called sugar ants continually in our beachfront room, they didn't look like ants to me per se, more like little fly type insects that crawled, ha. They were just a minor nuisance and that is something for me because I loathe bugs. But it is so beautiful there, and that ocean was so relaxing, ahhhhh, whatever. (But to play devil's advocate once again, at $355+ a night you would think your room would be bug free, but again, whatever.) Of course you have the no-see-umms on the beach just before sunset, until dawn. But that is everywhere, including the caribbean. (Off Botanicals works for that.)
So all in all, from everything I saw around Sanibel and Captiva, I think if you were traveling with children it is a great, very safe place. For just us, I would probably pick a more romantic desination.
Let us know what you decide!

Sanibel in the winter is going to be expensive. I have been there in the fall and it is wonderful. Stay in Old Town Sanibel. They are a collection of cottages in an area where to old bridge connected to the mainland. And there is a nice shopping plaza nearby. Be sure to visit the museum. My guide was one of the original settlers to the island. Anywhere in Florida, in the winter, is expensive. Wait til the snowbirds leave.

Suki, thanks for answering! I have three kids, ages 12, 10, and 7. My husband is worried about rain-what to do if it rains? Was the Sundial in good shape? Are there VCRs in the rooms? Is there a game room? What are the pools like? I know these are a lot of questions but I have never been to Sanibel before and its hard to choose only by looking at web sites. What do you know about Casa Ybel? That looks nice too. I hope I'll hear back from you!

Rachel,
We've been going to Sanibel for several years. I've never been in December but I do know that winter is the "high" season and the lodging is more expensive. Sanibel is very laid back, mostly natural and big on conservation. We have children, ages 9 & 5, and they enjoy the beach, wildlife refuge, museums, shopping, etc. I don't have any experience with Casa Ybel but I bet you can do a search on this site that will bring up quite a bit of info.