First Time at Disney’s Hilton Head DVC - Tips for Beach, Dining

[Bo1203]

I recently rented DVC points (yeah, that day...) for a 4-night stay in a studio at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in July. We’ve rented points before for other DVC properties without any issues, and the older resorts like this one seem like an incredible value at around $300/night. (I mean, good luck finding even a mediocre Marriott for that price!) This will be our first time at Hilton Head.

We’re a family of four: two adults and two kids (ages 3 and 7). Here’s what I’d love your input on:

- Beach Tips: What’s the best time of day to enjoy the beach (morning, midday, evening) considering crowds, weather, etc. Is Disney's beach house the way to go, or should we venture to any other public beaches?

- Dining Recommendations: Any great restaurants nearby for a family? Is walking the beach to nearby bars/restaurants viable?

- I see bikes are a pretty big thing. Our kids aren't really bike riders yet. Any tips there on driving, walking, navigating the island?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[pezgirlroy]

I grew up going to Hilton Head. I have not been in over 30 years so cannot help much but when I was a kid there was a gentleman who would preform kids songs and was so much fun. Turns out he is still there. so this could be something to look into.

https://www.hiltonhead.com/kids-sing-and-dance-with-gregg-russell/

 

[Simba's Mom]

We've gone to Hilton Head at least once a year for 20 years, but never in the summer so I can't say anything about beaches.
But restaurants-closest and good are Nectar (for breakfast), Poisedon, Scott's Fish Market (not as good as the others, but very close), Hilton Head Diner has a pretty good breakfast. If you have a car (very much recommended), there's Black Marlin, One Hot Mama's (BBQ), Hudson's, Crazy Crab Jarvis Creek (not the one in Sea Pines, Skull Creek Boathouse, Skull Creek Dockside, Sea Shack (very casual), lots of others.
Only tip about driving is don't go out at night-very low lighting, small signs, very easy to get lost.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I was there last year for 4 days. Didn't do restaurants but I did have the fish tacos @ the resort's Tide Me Over take out stand every day. They were that good!

 

[hhisc16]

I recently rented DVC points (yeah, that day...) for a 4-night stay in a studio at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in July. We’ve rented points before for other DVC properties without any issues, and the older resorts like this one seem like an incredible value at around $300/night. (I mean, good luck finding even a mediocre Marriott for that price!) This will be our first time at Hilton Head.

We’re a family of four: two adults and two kids (ages 3 and 7). Here’s what I’d love your input on:

- Beach Tips: What’s the best time of day to enjoy the beach (morning, midday, evening) considering crowds, weather, etc. Is Disney's beach house the way to go, or should we venture to any other public beaches?

- Dining Recommendations: Any great restaurants nearby for a family? Is walking the beach to nearby bars/restaurants viable?

- I see bikes are a pretty big thing. Our kids aren't really bike riders yet. Any tips there on driving, walking, navigating the island?

Any advice is appreciated!

I would recommend checking out the dhhir owners and lovers thread on the dvc resorts page. There is alot of information on the first page and you will get alot of responses from others. Enjoy your first stay at dhhir! Our favorite!

 

[Bo1203]

I would recommend checking out the dhhir owners and lovers thread on the dvc resorts page. There is alot of information on the first page and you will get alot of responses from others. Enjoy your first stay at dhhir! Our favorite!

I'm working my way through all 97 pages!

 

[muppets3d]

You can really research HHI In general tbh. Disney's HHI resort is nicely located in the island. I wouldn't try to over-prepare here, HHI is not like a lot of beach destinations that people may be thinking of like Daytona or Myrtle Beach.

 

[DVC Deac]

Beach Tips: What’s the best time of day to enjoy the beach (morning, midday, evening) considering crowds, weather, etc. Is Disney's beach house the way to go, or should we venture to any other public beaches?

We go to HHI every July 4th week. The beach house is the way to go. There’s a pool, dining, restrooms, and other amenities if your family needs a break. We’ve had luck with parking at the beach house earlier on cloudy mornings, but would not count on it on nice, clear days as you get closer to afternoon time. The shuttle from the resort is great and we’ve never had to wait too long for it.

 

[Bo1203]

You can really research HHI In general tbh. Disney's HHI resort is nicely located in the island. I wouldn't try to over-prepare here, HHI is not like a lot of beach destinations that people may be thinking of like Daytona or Myrtle Beach.

That’s helpful

 

[Wayland10]

I would say that it’s a good idea to make dinner reservations early if there’s something you specifically want. A lot of the best bbq places seem to fill up fast. Takeout can be a good option, but call ahead even for that from popular spots.

 

[eticketplease]

https://serggroup.com/serg-restaurants/

The Serg restaurants are very popular including 2 of our favorites, Nectar and Hot Mamas. They will give you a 10% discount for telling them you are staying at HHI resort and show your room key.

 

[muppets3d]

https://serggroup.com/serg-restaurants/

The Serg restaurants are very popular including 2 of our favorites, Nectar and Hot Mamas. They will give you a 10% discount for telling them you are staying at HHI resort and show your room key.

There's Poseidon and Giuseppi's at the Kroger which is very close to the resort. SERG has restaurants all over the island. The amount of restaurants on HHI is really unreal.

 

[DVC Deac]

There are certainly better restaurants on the island and you will likely have a long wait since it’s a tourist trap, but we always make a point of heading over to Salty Dog.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I would say that it’s a good idea to make dinner reservations early if there’s something you specifically want. A lot of the best bbq places seem to fill up fast. Takeout can be a good option, but call ahead even for that from popular spots.

Since you mentioned BBQ places, I figured I'd mention that the head chef of One Hot Mamas is currently on a cooking show on the Food Network ("BBQ Brawl"). Depending on how many fans of that show there are around, One Hot Mamas may be a little busier than usual.

 

[sleepydog25]

I recently rented DVC points (yeah, that day...) for a 4-night stay in a studio at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in July. We’ve rented points before for other DVC properties without any issues, and the older resorts like this one seem like an incredible value at around $300/night. (I mean, good luck finding even a mediocre Marriott for that price!) This will be our first time at Hilton Head.

We’re a family of four: two adults and two kids (ages 3 and 7). Here’s what I’d love your input on:

- Beach Tips: What’s the best time of day to enjoy the beach (morning, midday, evening) considering crowds, weather, etc. Is Disney's beach house the way to go, or should we venture to any other public beaches?

- Dining Recommendations: Any great restaurants nearby for a family? Is walking the beach to nearby bars/restaurants viable?

- I see bikes are a pretty big thing. Our kids aren't really bike riders yet. Any tips there on driving, walking, navigating the island?

Any advice is appreciated!

Former CM at the resort, and here are my thoughts. . .
1) Morning will be less crowded on the beach and should be plenty warm in July. Yes, the Beach House is the way to go. You can go there and make it your base of operations as you have a private access to/from the beach. The beach is exceptionally lovely along that stretch, so I wouldn't try to do any other beach areas such as Coligny which is generally more crowded anyway.
2) Walking to a place to eat on the beach isn't really viable. There are a couple of beach grills but nothing you'd really want to take your family to. As others have suggested, check out the dedicated HHI thread. That being said, many restaurants don't take reservations so might not be appropriate for young kids (re: wait times). There are many that do take reservations, and that might be the way to go. In particular, I would suggest Fish Camp on Broad Creek as they take reservations and have a lovely area for kids to run around.
3) You can rent bikes at the resort that have tag-a-longs or kids' seats; however, the resort has a limited number of them so if you wish to be sure of having such bikes, I'd reserve with any one of the numerous bike rental agencies on the island. They're all quite reputable and will deliver to the resort. Biking is the way to go to reach many places on the island. Still, driving is the best way to get to many places such as restaurants, mini-golf, etc. You can walk to the Beach House, but it's 1.5 miles one way. Biking is easier. OR, you can take the free shuttle the resort provides.
4) My advice is to relax, enjoy the resort: the pools are great and there are several yard games such as bocce ball, giant checkers, horseshoes, et. al. There are also activities sponsored by the resort, and most of them are for a minimal fee. The thing about HHI vacations is they are low key, laid back, and truly a way to focus on your family not parks.

HHI is a great place to vacation. Enjoy!