First Stay - Looking for HHI DVC Info

[momoftwins]

Hi guys,

We are making our first trip to HHI this June. I am so excited. The resort sounds heavenly. Does anyone know if there is a main thread that talks about this resort in detail? Maybe any little secrets to know?

I just saw the thread on bike rental, so check! that is off my list of things to find out.

I know there must be magazines in the area that give coupons off sightseeing. Are there any favorites you have done?

What are the fun things to do at the resort? I am bringing my DD who is 15 and her best friend. I already know the outlets are a must for them. We make our way into Savannah. Is there a Disney outlet at the main outlet area?

Any ideas you might want to share, I would love to here them.

 

[CruznLexi]

When you get to the resort ask for Pool guy Mike he is a wealth of info. When you check in you will be given book of places to eat. Some give discounts just have to ask. The CM do activities every day from Mickey Tye Dye to karaoke by the pool. If Blue Crabbe is there go see him and shadow.

 

[westjones]

I hope you get some replies. We are planning to go next year in May (if I can book a 2 bedroom) and we will have four 19 year olds with us.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We LOVE HHI, been there about a dozen times, but unfortunately never in June. For recommendations of good food, see Gordon in the Mercantile. He's a chef himself, so he knows food. And if you like gelato, drive about 3 miles down to Pino Gelato for some pistachio (or they've got lots of other flavors) gelato. Yes, there are magazines with coupons everywhere, we've got no favorites-they're all pretty much the same. Don't hesitate to ask if you've got other HHI questions-I love the resort and love talking about it.

 

[graueMaus]

You can call the resort and they will email you a weekly itinerary. We love the resort and have been twice. We may try to stay overnight there on the way down to WDW later this year.

There are plenty of threads on places to eat. We have done:

Redfish and Cornbread
Sea Shack
One Hot Momma
The pizza place that is by the Piggly Wiggley
Steamers

All of the above were very good.

We did a lot of the nature activities. One thing though, you can walk to the beach house, but it is a good walk. By bike it is probably perfect (not short, not too long). The shuttle is very convenient.

Awesome vacation place we did not want to leave at the end of the week.

 

[momoftwins]

Here are a few more questions:

1. Can I pre-rent bikes from Disney before we get there (we are going over the 4th of July week)

2. Can I pre-rent beach chairs and umbrellas? Does anyone know how much they cost?

3. Which dolphin cruises do you recommend? What are some other fun activities for two 15 year old girls?

I am a little worried about availability of certain things since it is over the 4th of July week. Oh, also, with the bikes do they get chained at the beach house while at the beach? I would not want someone to take off on my bike

Do a lot of the food places take reservations? Thanks for the help!

 

[RobDoc]

Here are a few more questions:

1. Can I pre-rent bikes from Disney before we get there (we are going over the 4th of July week)

No need to pre-rent. The resort has plenty of bikes and there are many local bike rental companies.

2. Can I pre-rent beach chairs and umbrellas? Does anyone know how much they cost?

Beach chairs are first com/first served and are rented from the life guards (non-Disney) right at the beach. You can reserve a chair/umbrella for the week when you get there. We have been going to HH for years and have never seen all of the beach chairs rented.

3. Which dolphin cruises do you recommend? What are some other fun activities for two 15 year old girls?

The resort offers a nice Dolphin Cruise - very personal and up-close. There are also competitively priced options at the local marina - visible from the reesort across the bay - a 15 minute walk. The resort offers several teen activities (Teens night out)

I am a little worried about availability of certain things since it is over the 4th of July week. Oh, also, with the bikes do they get chained at the beach house while at the beach? I would not want someone to take off on my bike

HH has a wealth of bike racks and there are three at the Beach House so you can secure your bike easily there. While HH will be busy over the 4th, there are lots of options available for things to do.

Do a lot of the food places take reservations? Thanks for the help!

Yes, most of the HH restaurants take (and suggest) reservations. There are a number of early dining options with discounts and many nice places to suit different tastes. As already suggested, Gordon is a wealth of information about everything related to HH and especially good for restaurant suggestions.

We like Frankie Bones, Skull Creek Boathouse, Alexanders, Scott's Fishmarket, Redfish, Catch-22, On Hot Mamas, San Miguels and several others.

Enjoy!

 

[momoftwins]

Thanks Doc! You rock! Do you know how much it costs to rent chairs and umbrellas for the week?

 

[CheapMom]

when we went for spring break the resort ran out of bikes but they referred us to a local rental place that will match the rental price for dvc members. ($30 for the week i think)

 

[TimeforMe]

Thanks Doc! You rock! Do you know how much it costs to rent chairs and umbrellas for the week?

I would like to know this as well. Thanks for all the info!

 

[momoftwins]

Do you know how much the beach chair and umbrella rentals cost for the week?

Are they just left there every day and we come back to them the next?

If I decide to buy a chair and umbrella at Walmart, is it a long walk with them to get to the beach from the shuttle?

Can I bring them on the shuttle or will I have to bring my car?

If I bring my car, how far is the parking lot from the beach area? Also, does it cost to park? I am staying at the Disney resort.

Thanks

 

[MinnieGi]

Do you know how much the beach chair and umbrella rentals cost for the week?

Are they just left there every day and we come back to them the next?

If I decide to buy a chair and umbrella at Walmart, is it a long walk with them to get to the beach from the shuttle?

Can I bring them on the shuttle or will I have to bring my car?

If I bring my car, how far is the parking lot from the beach area? Also, does it cost to park? I am staying at the Disney resort.

Thanks

Not sure of the exact price of chair and umbrella rental, however I know I thought it was pricey considering I could buy my own for cheaper.

We always bring our own...we also always drive over to the beach house. Easy ride over, free parking, just get there early or it fills up or later in the afternoon. We prefer driving over as we have cooler, chairs, umbrella and sand toys for the kiddos. Once you park, the beach house and hence the beach is right there! However HHI beach is nice and wide especially at low tide so it is a little bit of a walk to actually get to the water. But the sand there is very easy to walk on, its hard compacted sand.

Also there have been several HHI threads up recently and there is one main thread where people have inputted their dates for upcoming vacations...

 

[RobDoc]

Do you know how much the beach chair and umbrella rentals cost for the week?

Are they just left there every day and we come back to them the next?

If I decide to buy a chair and umbrella at Walmart, is it a long walk with them to get to the beach from the shuttle?

Can I bring them on the shuttle or will I have to bring my car?

If I bring my car, how far is the parking lot from the beach area? Also, does it cost to park? I am staying at the Disney resort.

Thanks

Here is a link to HH beach info. Beach chairs can be rented from the life guards (it is part of their pay system). It is pricey if you just rent on a daily basis, but becomes a little more reasonable if you rent additional days and pay up front.

Look under Beach Amenities- http://www.hhisleinfo.com/beaches.htm - I'm not sure of those rates are still in effect or if they have increased since 2003. Here is a direct link to Shore Beach services (the HH lifeguards) - http://www.shorebeach.com/rentals.htm . It looks like they accept room charges for the DVC resort.

Here is another local rental company - http://www.keensbeachrentals.com/

Many have just gone to Piggy Wiggly (grocery near Disney's HH resort) or Sam's Club and purchased umbrellas and chairs for their stay.

Have a great stay! We just came home last weekend but will head back in 2 weeks/5 days! ... but who's counting!

 

[momoftwins]

I so hope you enjoy your stay. This is my first and hope to have many more.

 

[ercrbc]

We were there a few weeks ago and rented two chairs and an umbrella on the beach. The daily rate was $36 but after 1pm it was $18. Not sure if it goes up in the Summer months or not.

 

[mskayjay]

Go to Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe for breakfast. Very nice little place, great food, and very good prices for HHI. We were very pleased and can't wait to go back.

One Hot Mamas has very very good barbeque! The sides are excellent, the corn bread is sinful! They also do these amazing potatoes: You'll thank me for this!
Triple B Chips
THE SEAFood, Jazz & BREW FESTIVAL
2nd Place - Best Restaurant
House fried Kettle Chips layered with a rich Bleu Cheese
Beer Sauce, Chopped Texas Beef Brisket, Applewood
Bacon Bits, and more Bleu Cheese Crumbles
$8

Drive out to South Beach and there are some small little places to grab a snack and there are a few neat shops as well including Salty Dog (there is also a wholesale Salty Dog on the island).

We also really like to go to Harbour Town and walk the shops, have an adult bev out at the point and just chill..... You can catch a boat over to Savannah from there if you want a "water" day or you can take the ferry over to Dafuskie Island and see the Gullah lifestyle.