Brief Live HHI Trip Report

[MinnieGi]

Oh NO! So sorry that happened!! That so sucks especially while be on vacation!! Glad no one was hurt, but so understand why you are not in a vacation mood anymore.

 

[RobDoc]

I'm really interested in this shuttle service. I wonder whether it's an offering from Piggly Wiggly or the resort. It's probably only in season, come to think of it, and we tend to go off season.

The service is the "Palmetto Dunes Buggy". It runs from April - October and is paid for by the merchants in the Palmetto Dunes area including Shelter Cove and Disney. It is a free service, but the drivers do accept tips. During busy times they have 3 shuttles running.

It runs to all locations within Palmetto Dunes - like to the Mall/Piggly Wiggly area, to the beach, tennis center, Shelter Cove and any of the restaurants within the area. If you are at the Beach House after the Disney shuttle stops running, the Dunes Buggy will pick you up and return you to the resort.

The phone number is (843) 689-4222 . I think they run from 8:00am - 9:00pm but the resort can advise about the hours. We've used them many times and it's a great service.

 

[KiminChicago]

BVW Dreamin -- so sorry to hear about your car! Thank goodness the CM was able to help catch the driver in the act.

Simba's Mom -- I asked my DH and he says it's a municipal type shuttle, not Disney or Piggly Wiggly. I'm assuming it only runs seasonally to help keep traffic down.

We were the only family to show up for "The Mental World of B'Lou" For some reason, Disney has moved all of his shows to daytime to keep the evenings free . He started doing all kinds of cool mind-reading tricks with a deck of cards. About half way through, an older couple showed up, but they weren't there for the show. The gentleman's phone rang a couple of times during the show, and about 5 minutes later another couple showed up. They all started chatting and handing out room keys. etc. I guess they just arrived and were checking in. The second couple then left and B'Lou went on with his demonstration. The gentleman from the couple who stayed refused to be involved in the show at all -- B'Lou would ask him to pick a card and he would just cross his arms and shake his head. It made for a very strange show.

Afterward, B'Lou stopped to chat with us -- he remembered us from our visit two years ago. We mentioned that we were going out to lunch and he started telling us about his favorite places. He recommended a place called "Kenny B's" that sounded really great, so off we went. He was so right! It was kind of a hole in the wall sort of place but the food was tasty.

At 2pm he did his "Tall Tales and Old Tunes" show, and then at 4 he did the "Ghosts and Legends of the Low Country", and each time there were only a couple of other families besides us. It seems a real shame to have so much talent and such a small audience. I'm planning on saying something at the front desk when we leave, and I'll write a follow-up letter to Member Satisfaction. It was especially silly to schedule the ghost stories for 4 in the afternoon!

 

[Anal Annie]

Awww Hope! I know it sucks to have your new car hit but don't let it ruin the rest of your vaca!! You waited so long to get down there!! I scraped my front bumper corner on a pole in the garage there. Those spaces underneath are teeeny tiny. Nice memory of HHI everytime I walk up to my car.

We also found the studio we had to be noisy. We were in the main bldg. right behind the elevator. The people above us were thumping, thumping, thumping, THUMPING from 6:00 am until 10:00 or so every night. You could tell it was a kid running. But it ran EVERYWHERE. It never walked. I had no idea we should've requested the top floor. I'm glad they were able to move you tho. We didn't ask to be moved but I did call down to complain about the thumping. They said there was nothing they could do. We were there in August and parking was definitely at a premium at the beach house but we always managed to find something. Sometimes we had to wait 5 minutes & sort of hawk a space but DH & DS would just take the stuff & go find us a spot on the beach while I waited (I do all the driving). Since it was so hot I tried realllllly hard to get in the garage. I did use the shuttle a couple of times to go back to the resort so I wouldn't lose my parking space.

I'm sorry it hasn't turned out to be what you'd hoped for. We're not dying to go back but I'm sure we will at some point just to switch things up.

(PS) I thought I told you not to go to that Mexican place!? That was our biggest disappointment food wise all week.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

You are so right about San Miguels! Parrot Cay can definitely make a margarita !

Some pros and cons :

Pros..... The best CM's!!!!

Cons...Disney theming was virtually nonexistent. No resort music, no magical feel. Pool at main building extremely small. Garage parking very tight. Alot of bike traffic in and around the parking. Beach too far away. Too far to bike to the beach. Tide Me over CS is on the top floor of the building. Have to go up and down stairs with food. Smallest Disney gift shop ever. Resort needs a major overhaul. Not a deluxe feel at all. In fact not even a moderate level feel. Don't know if we will ever return.

 

[Anal Annie]

You are so right about San Miguels! Parrot Cay can definitely make a margarita !

Some pros and cons :

Pros..... The best CM's!!!!

Cons...Disney theming was virtually nonexistent. No resort music, no magical feel. Pool at main building extremely small. Garage parking very tight. Alot of bike traffic in and around the parking. Beach too far away. Too far to bike to the beach. Tide Me over CS is on the top floor of the building. Have to go up and down stairs with food. Smallest Disney gift shop ever. Resort needs a major overhaul. Not a deluxe feel at all. In fact not even a moderate level feel. Don't know if we will ever return.

You just got off to a bad start. I hope you decide to finish out your stay though. If not, drive safe! They're calling for big storms up here later this afternoon / evening.



(I remember that San Miquel place nickel & diming us for stuff like extra chips & salsa or a dollop of sour cream or something too. The food just was "not all that" and I'm surprised they're still in business as mediocre as the food was.)

 

[Simba's Mom]

You are so right about San Miguels! Parrot Cay can definitely make a margarita !

Some pros and cons :

Pros..... The best CM's!!!!

Cons...Disney theming was virtually nonexistent. No resort music, no magical feel. Pool at main building extremely small. Garage parking very tight. Alot of bike traffic in and around the parking. Beach too far away. Too far to bike to the beach. Tide Me over CS is on the top floor of the building. Have to go up and down stairs with food. Smallest Disney gift shop ever. Resort needs a major overhaul. Not a deluxe feel at all. In fact not even a moderate level feel. Don't know if we will ever return.

I can only disagree with one of your Cons-the lack of resort music. The resort is themed for the 40s. If you listen, you'll hear it constantly-Big Band Music such as the Glen Miller Band from the 40s. One Con I really do agree with is the bikes all over. One morning, I was out walking and almost got smashed into by someone on a bike looking the other way. Good thing I stopped quickly!

 

[Judique]

You are so right about San Miguels! Parrot Cay can definitely make a margarita !

Some pros and cons :

Pros..... The best CM's!!!!

Cons...Disney theming was virtually nonexistent. No resort music, no magical feel. Pool at main building extremely small. Garage parking very tight. Alot of bike traffic in and around the parking. Beach too far away. Too far to bike to the beach. Tide Me over CS is on the top floor of the building. Have to go up and down stairs with food. Smallest Disney gift shop ever. Resort needs a major overhaul. Not a deluxe feel at all. In fact not even a moderate level feel. Don't know if we will ever return.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it - and the car - I am sure that was very upsetting.

Disney's HH is not for everyone! All of the things you mention are correct, but they just don't matter to a lot of us HH lovers. And, since we love it as it is - we may tend to gush a bit about how great it is! I think it is a relaxed feeling of being away from it all, but still able to go out and do stuff and shop and dine with a short ride.

I don't prefer the rooms in building 12. I much prefer being up on the 3rd floor above the front desk in either a studio or a one bedroom - better views and bigger balconies, and I think the rooms are a bit larger as well.

I won't ever bike to the beach again - too far for me! But I don't mind the distance as a short drive in the car and parking underneath in the shade in the early mornings. I like to walk the beach as the sun rises - same thing I do in OC.

Haven't eaten at Parrot Cay, but no fan of San Miguels.

But - I love this resort! Wish I could share the magic I've found there.......

 

[mm522]

You are so right about San Miguels! Parrot Cay can definitely make a margarita !

Some pros and cons :

Pros..... The best CM's!!!!

Cons...Disney theming was virtually nonexistent. No resort music, no magical feel. Pool at main building extremely small. Garage parking very tight. Alot of bike traffic in and around the parking. Beach too far away. Too far to bike to the beach. Tide Me over CS is on the top floor of the building. Have to go up and down stairs with food. Smallest Disney gift shop ever. Resort needs a major overhaul. Not a deluxe feel at all. In fact not even a moderate level feel. Don't know if we will ever return.

What do you mean by Disney theming? Mickey Mouse all over the place? I think the resort is very well themed and stays very true to the 1930's and 1940's era it portrays as a fishing lodge. Remember this resort was built in 1996 most cars were smaller then so the spots underneath are pretty tight. My family drives to the beach or bikes there everyday with no problem so sorry that you found it to be such a problem. Also there are picnic tables on the tope level near Tide Me Over so you could eat there. Sorry that you didn't really enjoy the resort but it seems like you didn't give it too much of a chance either.

 

[Starr W.]

What do you mean by Disney theming? Mickey Mouse all over the place? I think the resort is very well themed and stays very true to the 1930's and 1940's era it portrays as a fishing lodge. Remember this resort was built in 1996 most cars were smaller then so the spots underneath are pretty tight. My family drives to the beach or bikes there everyday with no problem so sorry that you found it to be such a problem. Also there are picnic tables on the tope level near Tide Me Over so you could eat there. Sorry that you didn't really enjoy the resort but it seems like you didn't give it too much of a chance either.

VB's underground parking is pretty snug too, especially when people park a Suburban next to you! And there are usually a lot of them there at spring break. We just park outside.


We're used to biking, we go to Mackinac Island on a regular basis and it's either walk, take a horse drawn taxi($$) or ride a bike.

It's been ages since I've been to HHI and that was in my pre DVC days(14 yr old was a baby). I looked over some of the HHI activities when I saw my buddy the OP start this TR. They look like stuff DH, the boys and I would be interested in. It's definately made the "lets consider it list".