Differences between HHI, Vero & Myrtle??

[Anal Annie]

OK, so we're looking at planning something other than WDW for this summer. We are taking our 3rd trip on our AP's in March...and are booked on a DCL Med cruise for summer 2011...so we sort of need to save some money & go on the cheap side this year. ONE of the options I was looking at was the thought of going to HHI for a week in August so we could drive & skip buying park tix. And if that's not available then possibly trading out thru RCI to Myrtle Beach.

I have never been to HHI and am concerned it might be too quiet & boring & I am not wild about the idea of not being ON the beach. (If I forget something in the room I like being able to just run back up.) We added 3 nights at Vero Beach onto our summer trip last year - it was a nice relaxing way to unwind after a week at WDW but I think we all agreed that 3 nights was plenty. The whole town rolled up the carpet at 9:00. For those who are very familiar with HHI and / or who have done both HHI & Vero will we be bored at HHI if we go for a whole week? Can you compare HHI to VB??

The only Carolina beach I have ever been to was Myrtle and that was like 30 years ago now - I was like 16 & still boy watching!!! I know there's probably stuff to do there that our DS would enjoy...faster pace. I just called to check on RCI availability & there's some availability at the Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrtle (which is a Gold Crown / Starwood property) in August. It's a mile from the beach so I'm still not getting ON the beach. But so that's an option too...a 1 bedroom would use 160 pts while a studio at HHI would use 130 pts. so we'd save 30 pts. by going to HHI. We have enough available tho...I just don't know what I'm doing. I may call & book HHI tomorrow tho just to have something while we think on it & so I don't go throwing our points into RCI without a clue what we want. But I don't know.

Any thoughts? What do you DO at HHI?? We don't ride bikes or go for long walks. I like lounging by the pool or on the beach with a book but DS & DH get bored without stuff to DO. Are there any facilities ON the beach once you get there? (Bath house / food / bar?) Is there a tram to the beach or something or do you have to walk it? Is there a town? Restaurants? Shopping?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Hi Leann! Here is a great thread I posted last year. It's title is "Will I Like HHI?". It is very informative and has great pics. Enjoy!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=25727087#post25727087

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks, Hope! It's sounding pretty rustic - like it would be the kind of place where DS would still spend 10 hours a day playing on his gameboy, IPod or video games. I am trying to break that habit for 1 week out of the year! And DH is not a fan of camping so if I mention that word to him in a description...well. He will be a flat out NO!

Is ALL of HHI remote like this or just especially the Disney resort?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Thanks, Hope! It's sounding pretty rustic - like it would be the kind of place where DS would still spend 10 hours a day playing on his gameboy, IPod or video games. I am trying to break that habit for 1 week out of the year! And DH is not a fan of camping so if I mention that word to him in a description...well. He will be a flat out NO!

Is ALL of HHI remote like this or just especially the Disney resort?

Well this will be the third time trying to get to HHI! We go Memorial Day and the week. I am hoping I love it! Being ocean front is a hard thing to give up!

 

[5forDiz]

I'd call VB remote way sooner than I'd describe HHI as being that way. But HHI is definitely quiet and especially by today's Myrtle Beach standard. Things wind down not too late in evenings but not as early as at VB; but it doesn't have Green Cabin Lounge or onsite table dining like VB Resort does so closest option from Disney Resort would be Shelter Cove restaurants short walk over bridge outside resort gate.

Our kids 21, 19 & 13 really love HHI but for all our stays there, I hesitate to book there for full week, even though the kids always say when we leave that we should have stayed longer - - I just don't want it to be too long where they get to the point of wishing we'd already checked out of there. If your son isn't into getting involved in activities the resort runs for kids/teens (& all ages) then it might be too long to think on a weeklong stay. Savannah is a great day trip but in my family DDs & I would be really enjoying that while my DH & DS not so much. There's lots of eco-tours but again, I think that too depends on individual likes or don't likes. There is a shuttle to beach house that runs regular schedule so you don't have to walk or bike over to it.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Hey Annie,

I don't recall the age of your son, but I think HHI has much more night life. Not at the resort, but all around the resort and the island. If that matters then HHI is the better selection. If having the ocean at your feet is essential then VB is the answer.

We personally don't have any desire to stay in Myrtle Beach, just too commercialized for us. But our kids are grown so the activities don't mean that much to us. When our kids were young we spent many summer vacations at Rehoboth Beach, DE because of the boardwalk and main street activities.

My gut feeling is HHI with a plan to venture out for early evening activities around town.

Hope you all have a great time wherever you end up.

 

[slp87]

I was in Myrtle Beach in the summer of '08 & 07 with my young teenaged daughter. We had a blast!! The beach was lots of fun, especially boogie boarding. There is a fabulous Italian restaurant called Luigi's and we also went to the Melting Pot. We were there for a competition and didn't get to do too many other activities, but we would go back in a heartbeat.

 

[flipflopmom]

I went to Myrtle every single year from the time I was 4 until my oldest was 7. It is VERY fast paced. Tons to do. LOTS of people. Lots of miniature golf, shopping, go karts. Great restaurants.

I can't go back there now. When I think of a beach vacation, I want to relax. There were too many unattended children for me to do that. (I'm a teacher, and those instincts don't die in the summer.)

Just got back from our first trip to HHI, and I loved it. We didn't leave the resort much, but I did see one miniature golf on our trip down to Salty Dog. Lots of kids activities, mickey tie-dye shirts, kids night out to the movies, vacation pillows, campfires. They have board games to take to your room, a pool table, checkers, foosball and ping pong at the beach along with an arcade. Pool was fun, one at the resort and at the beach. It is laid back.

Myrtle is not at allll laid back, so if you want excitement, that's your place!

 

[mommydeac]

I grew up going to Myrtle, and I am not a fan of the highly touristy ambiance. We love Hilton Head--and 2 weeks would be better for us than 1! We spend New Year's there, celebrating my older daughter's birthday with 4 of her friends. DD's are 14 and 16. I recommend Sea Pines for a lively early evening life. We've done kayaking at the resort, which I really enjoyed, as well as a dolphin cruise. Also crabbing is fun, with bait and nets available at the recreation window. Golf is huge. Shopping at the outlets...also a shopping mall within walking distance of the resort. The beach house has a pool, in addition to the pool right at the villas. Volleyball and basketball for the pools at the beach house. I don't miss being beachfront. I sort of like the quiet atmosphere with a different look about it. I'd say more LODGE than camping.

 

[flipflopmom]

Not meaning to thread jack, but was your daughter the one we sang happy birthday to at the pool on NYE?

 

[Anal Annie]

By the time we make up our minds the place that was avail. in Myrtle yesterday will likely be GONE! I think my DS & DH are hoping for some go-karts & amusement/ water park options as an alternative to just sitting on the beach all day every day...which would probably mean Myrtle over HHI. We are afraid of being bored for sure. Our local beaches are either Ocean City (busy, busy) or Bethany Beach, DE (quiet & quaint but close to OC so convenient to drive down for the day if staying in Bethany).

We usually do WDW so are used to the GO, GO, GO all day thing. We are get up in the morning and are "where are we going today" kind of people. It sounds like HHI would be a rotation of either walk, bike, fish, walk, sit on beach, bike, kayak, beach. DS is turning 13 in May - not really into girls yet, not necessarily an outdoor kind of kid - he's a video / computer gamer so I want to get his mind on something else for a week...that requires fun activities to keep him active and not obsessed with what he's missing on the internet!!

Still thinking about all the options. Thanks everyone...

 

[WendyinNC]

Do you need to use your points? If not then I would suggest the Dunes Village Resort. It's an ocean front property near the quiet residential end of Myrtle Beach.
http://www.dunesvillage.com/

We stayed there for a quick weekend get away and loved it. I'm very fond of this area of Myrtle Beach since it's close to where my father grew up.

I prefer the sand at Myrtle Beach to HHI and there is definately more to do.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Starr W.]

By the time we make up our minds the place that was avail. in Myrtle yesterday will likely be GONE! I think my DS & DH are hoping for some go-karts & amusement/ water park options as an alternative to just sitting on the beach all day every day...which would probably mean Myrtle over HHI. We are afraid of being bored for sure. Our local beaches are either Ocean City (busy, busy) or Bethany Beach, DE (quiet & quaint but close to OC so convenient to drive down for the day if staying in Bethany).

We usually do WDW so are used to the GO, GO, GO all day thing. We are get up in the morning and are "where are we going today" kind of people. It sounds like HHI would be a rotation of either walk, bike, fish, walk, sit on beach, bike, kayak, beach. DS is turning 13 in May - not really into girls yet, not necessarily an outdoor kind of kid - he's a video / computer gamer so I want to get his mind on something else for a week...that requires fun activities to keep him active and not obsessed with what he's missing on the internet!!

Still thinking about all the options. Thanks everyone...

We stayed at Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrlte Beach last summer.

Kids enjoyed boogie boarding at the beach(didn't spend all day there, I'm the one who gets bored sitting all day ). They liked spending a few hours at the pool, played putt-putt at the various courses around town. Imax theater at Broadway at the Beach. Did a movie or 2 on rainy days. Ripley's Aquarium and the other Ripley attractions downtown.

It's a bit over the top at MB, even my 13 and 8 yr old thought so, but they enjoyed themselves. Enough to do, time to relax and play and sleep in(unlike our Disney trips). They really liked the Brazilian steakhouse, the Calabash seafood buffet and breakfast at Shoney's buffet.

 

[Anal Annie]

Do you need to use your points? If not then I would suggest the Dunes Village Resort. It's an ocean front property near the quiet residential end of Myrtle Beach.
http://www.dunesvillage.com/

We stayed there for a quick weekend get away and loved it. I'm very fond of this area of Myrtle Beach since it's close to where my father grew up.

I prefer the sand at Myrtle Beach to HHI and there is definately more to do.

Good luck with your decision.

Thanks, but yes, we want to use points (and I am not a fan of renting them out). We're booked on a Med cruise for 2011 + want to add some land time in Barcelona & Paris so I am trying to make 2010 a cheaper year where we drive & don't splurge TOOOO much. I had looked at the idea of using points to go to CA. Well, beyond VGC there's not much avail. The Concierge Collection. Plus higher airfare. I figured we'd end up at best spending $3K. That's quite a bit more than a beach vacation on the east coast!!

 

[Anal Annie]

We stayed at Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrlte Beach last summer.

Kids enjoyed boogie boarding at the beach(didn't spend all day there, I'm the one who gets bored sitting all day ). They liked spending a few hours at the pool, played putt-putt at the various courses around town. Imax theater at Broadway at the Beach. Did a movie or 2 on rainy days. Ripley's Aquarium and the other Ripley attractions downtown.

It's a bit over the top at MB, even my 13 and 8 yr old thought so, but they enjoyed themselves. Enough to do, time to relax and play and sleep in(unlike our Disney trips). They really liked the Brazilian steakhouse, the Calabash seafood buffet and breakfast at Shoney's buffet.

Did you book thru RCI? Do you think the property is a fair trade?? My biggest drawback is that it says it's 4 blocks from the beach...obviously ON the beach would be a preference...but the choices are like none available!