Just Back From HH

[R.J.'s Dad]

Spent week of 5-14 thru 5-24 in non-smoking studio room #1223 at Hilton Head. We loved it! We were nervous to bring our 3 yr. old there knowing charachters weren't there, but we were very impressed with all the activities they have to keep kids busy. The staff goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Studios are much bigger than WDW Resorts. Pool House was great. Our little guy loved making sand castles at the beach. If you plan to go, consider renting a car, as there is no main dining hall on the property, but plenty of options close by. Only regret: Being a golfer, I wish they had a package program with some of the courses on the island. I did play a few rounds, but I was disappointed with the conditions on one of the courses. Could have used some Disney insight on where to go. That's a minor gripe though. We'll be back for sure!

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

Crescent Pointe and Eagles Pointe have a pretty good deal (they are sister courses) and they are well maintained courses. I'm sure they have the info on their web site.

 

[trampslady]

Was your studio in the main building?

 

[mitcam]

What were some of the activities for your son?

Were you expected to participate or was it a "drop off" kind of thing?

How far away is the beach from the resort?

 

[canda]

Glad you had a good time. As for the characters, shadow is the resort mascot. Kids really love seeing "Shadow".

 

[AvonWuzzer]

Hilton Head is one of my favorites too. It is so much smaller than the WDW resorts that you really get to know the castmembers, especially the lifeguards who also run many of the activities. My kids also usually make friends with other kids at the pool or at the activities.

Many of castmembers learned our children's names after a couple of days. Some of the activities my kids participated in: The Unbirthday Party, the campfire, bird watching around the resort, story hour, a parade where the kids made noisemakers and hats and marched around the resort. Most of them I went with my children except for the Unbirthday Party which is supervised and you drop off and pick up.

I highly recommend a car as there are so many great restaurants in Hilton Head. Since your on-site dining options are limited, you also probably want a car to be able to buy groceries, or pick up take-out and eat on your balcony! All of the rooms except the studios have a full size picnic table on the balconies which are absolutely huge.

It is possible to get a shuttle to the Beach House or you could ride bikes. The Beach House is about 1.5 miles away. We usually drive since we tend to bring towels, chairs, beach toys, blankets, food...etc. There are lots of bike paths on the island. You can rent bikes from Disney or from off-site and they will deliver the bikes anywhere on the island. You can rent just about any kind of bike with baby seats or trailers.

I didn't think I would like HH as much as I do, I only wish DVC opened other off-site resorts...but that is ANOTHER topic.

 

[R.J.'s Dad]

One thing my son loved at HH was a morning of butterfly house building- the staff provided the houses and all the kids would paint and decorate the houses. The campfire was also tailored to kids. Beach house about 1.5 mi. from resort.

Our room was next to the main lodge. Building #12.

 

[RumpleMom]

Has anyone looked for Tommy Towery's treasure lately?

 

[TerriBelle]

We will be visiting this summer for the first time and I have a few questions:

1) How do you know what the activities are each week? Can you get the list early or only when you check in?

2) Do the activites cost? I know the dolphin cruises do but what else?

3) Are there activites divided by age or are they for everyone?

4) How busy are the restaurants in the summer? Any recomendations for not waiting forever? (eat before 6?)

 

[Disneyaholic]

Originally posted by TerriBelle
We will be visiting this summer for the first time and I have a few questions:

1) How do you know what the activities are each week? Can you get the list early or only when you check in?

2) Do the activites cost? I know the dolphin cruises do but what else?

3) Are there activites divided by age or are they for everyone?

4) How busy are the restaurants in the summer? Any recomendations for not waiting forever? (eat before 6?)

1) The activities themselves, as well as the specific days/times that they are offered, vary from week to week. You could ask the front desk to fax you a current activity sheet, so you could get an idea of what's offered, how much it costs, etc. to plan what you want to include while you're there. The new activity sheet usually comes out on Friday of the previous week, and you can get the actual sheet faxed to you then, if you're not already on the road.

2) Some activities have a fee, but most are free. The craft-type activities (birdhouses, gyotaku, etc.) have a small fee to cover the materials. Chef Gordon's Longview Cooking Club has a fee to cover the cost of the food (and wine!). The kids' night out or teen night out has a fee. But there are LOTS of fun things to do that have no fee whatsoever.

3) Some of the kids' activities are divided by age. Some are only appropriate for younger kids and require that an adult be present, as they are not drop-offs to give parents time on their own (other than the kids' night out program). There are some things that are for teens only. Again, getting the current activty schedule faxed to you will help you understand what's available.

4) Most restaurants do not take reservations (except for the upper-end ones). You're right -- go early or be prepared to wait. Consider using the resort's grills and make your own dinner a night or two; to me it never seems like work at Hilton Head!!

Enjoy your trip. It's a fantastic resort!!