Does HHI have the Disney feel?

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

We're debating going to HHI for family vacation in April or May- cash room. But reading reviews online I'm not sure if it has the Disney feel. Reviews either seem to love it or hate it. We want relaxing not busy theme park but still want the level of friendliness and service you get at WDW DVC or deluxe resorts. It seems much more $ than other places on the island so we want to make sure it's worth the extra and comes with the special touches one expects from Disney.

 

[SusieBea]

It depends on what "Disney feel" means to you personally. It has a Hilton Head feel w/ Disney touches - reminds me of the Wilderness Lodge. It is small. It is in a lovely location on the Island. The staff is wonderful. The two pools are very nice. Food service is a little lacking (not in quality, in availability), but there are other restaurants within walking distance and nice groceries nearby. I feel you need a car to truly experience HHead. It is a wonderful location for a family vacation.

 

[Dean]

We're debating going to HHI for family vacation in April or May- cash room. But reading reviews online I'm not sure if it has the Disney feel. Reviews either seem to love it or hate it. We want relaxing not busy theme park but still want the level of friendliness and service you get at WDW DVC or deluxe resorts. It seems much more $ than other places on the island so we want to make sure it's worth the extra and comes with the special touches one expects from Disney.

IMO no, neither does VB. But it's a nice resort and we love HH though we normally stay on the beach.

 

[WolfpackFan]

HHI is our favorite resort and we really wish we had ALL our points there. But we are probably in a minority in that we are older and are really kind of tired of WDW. If you were to walk around the resort and did not go into the gift shop, you probably would not know that it is a Disney resort unless you looked real closely for hidden Mickey's, etc.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

We just want to be lazy and hang around the resort. We love the deluxe resorts at WDW for that. They feel so relaxing and family friendly and the staff is always top notch. The common areas are always great and clean, and have amazing pools. We want that NICE resort feel without the busy on the go feel of being at WDW.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Also, I see it says you can walk or bike to the beach. 1.5 Miles isn't that far to us IF it's a nice sidewalk or dedicated bike trail. We don't really want to ride a bike on a busy street with a 2 and 4 yr old in tow. What's the path like to get to the beach?

 

[SC Minnie]

The path to the beach house is a nice wide path for walking and biking. We typically walk it every morning. They also have a shuttle that starts running at 10am.

The CMs at HHI are held to the same standards as the parks. You will see a lot of the same CMs there year and year.

 

[dd08]

We stayed at HHI in 2014. It was great.

As others said, it's obviously not the same "disney" feel as WDW or DL, but still was a great vacation.

The resort is great and you can have a great time just relaxing around it and going to the Beach House.

 

[rseeb]

This is our home resort and we love that it is a nice laid back resort. The CM's are very nice and in many cases they are more friendly than the ones at WDW. We usually just spend our time at the pool or over at the beach house most days, but a short evening walk over to a sunset and dolphin cruise is a must. As others have stated the restaurant choices are not on the resort, but there are some good ones within walking distance.

 

[KristiMc]

Love the resort at HHI. Very relaxing and the staff is wonderful. Bike trails all over the island. Very easy to bike to the beach house.

 

[Chelley00]

HHI is very different vacation than WDW. It's laid back and comfortable. We think the CMs there are more friendly and more fun than most at WDW. Our kids love it there and are bummed we may not go this summer!!!!

There are so many CM led activities, pool games, kayak tours, crafts etc that we could stay busy all the time. We like that it's removed from the beach because it makes it quieter. We can let our kids rode their bikes around the resort and not worry about them.

It's only counter service both at the resort and the beach house but there are many fantastic restaurants on the island - some even walkable from the resort. We also grill a lot when we are there. Nothing like swinging on a hammock while DH grills dinner

 

[ajwolfe]

We loved our stay there and honestly we thought it did have a Disney feel to it. When we arrived at check in the CM met us at the door waving a Mickey hand and saying welcome home - the level of service and friendliness we expect at Disney was there the whole trip. The CM's working the pool and kid activities took the time to remember our kid's names and visited quite a bit with us. The pool was always clean and fun for the kids. The trip over to the beach house was no biggie to us - we always drove...But seen some folks using the shuttle or biking it. The bike path was an easy flat ride imo. The only downside to us was the lack of a TS type meal on property, but there are several restaurants within easy walking distance that we tried and were happy with.
My kids loved it and we loved it. Can't wait to make a trip back and will even spend the extra to stay there over the other resorts on the island.
All in all we would definitely recommend it to others!!

 

[MickeyBobby]

HHI resort has a fantastic "Disney" feel to it. It's quaint, with subtle touches, but just enough to be magical. It's probably my wife's favorite spot out of all the resorts, and my kids still talk about the nightly camp fires.

 

[Sammie]

I definitely think the resort has a Disney feel to it. You will find Disney touches in several places. As to the staff, some of the best Disney has to offer.

http://s163.photobucket.com/user/E01976/media/IMG_1176.jpg.html

 

[ilovebassets]

I fell in love with Hilton Head the first time we visited and immediately booked another trip when we got home. We also have an upcoming trip, our third in less than two years, this April. We are not DVC members and have always booked cash rooms. If we do every buy into DVC, it will be for Hilton Head for sure. It's so incredibly relaxing, and service is top notch. There are no characters and no TS restaurants, but the two CS restaurants are very good. The CMs we have interacted with are wonderful, and we noticed many of the same ones there for our first two trips. I guess it just depends what you mean by a "Disney feel" ultimately. It's not loud and bright and in your face, but the feel is still there to me.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Thank you everyone so much. This made me feel so much more confident in the choice. We decided to book it today. I'm also so glad I saw on this site that DVC members can get discounts on cash rates! I looked under my DVC benefits and didn't see it listed so I wouldn't have called and gotten that nice discount otherwise. I'm excited!

 

[Judique]

Thank you everyone so much. This made me feel so much more confident in the choice. We decided to book it today. I'm also so glad I saw on this site that DVC members can get discounts on cash rates! I looked under my DVC benefits and didn't see it listed so I wouldn't have called and gotten that nice discount otherwise. I'm excited!

It's perfect for you with a two and four year old!

The beach is wide and flat and if you are there when it is warm enough the water is shallow for a good distance with small tidal pools in the sandy areas.

There are crafts geared to smaller kids and there is a baby pool and a playground. My 23 year old grew up going to Hilton Head from age 4 when we first bought points and still loves it!

Bike rentals with those pull behind kid carriers are available for rent if you decide to bike anywhere.

The Disney 'feel' is alive and well at HH. It all feels welcoming. People sit in Big Murgies den and often actually talk to one another. You can have your own barbecue using the grills at several locations around the resort.

Shadow is there occasionally and the kids get to touch and pet her, if that is what you want. She is always a very calm and happy dog handled well by the resident story teller B'Lou Crabbe.

I can't wait to take my new grand daughter there in July and also for future visits!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I hope you enjoy your visit as much as we do! Our extended family loved paddle boarding, kayaking and the 4th of July party! DH and I love the atmosphere and look forward to our vacation there in May!

 

[jerseygal]

Can't imagine anyone not liking it, young and old if you enjoy beach vacations. We LOVED our vacation there in May! SO much to do on the island. Loved riding bikes to the beach, so many GREAT restaurants, but have heard that Easter week and summer months get very busy, so make dinner reservations if you are going during peak times. Dont' forget to enjoy a Dole Whip at the counter service right at the beachhouse. ENJOY!

 

[AnnaS]

We truly fell in love with it the second time we went recently (May). The first time we went, it was a short/3 night stay end of August a few years ago. Rained half the time and the love bugs came to visit too. We still had a great time but did not really appreciate it until May. Gorgeous weather and 5 nights was perfect for us. We can't wait to go back. We do not have little kids but there are plenty of activities for the little ones. It's a more relaxed/laid back type of vacation.