Going to HH Lots of ????????

[4mickey]

We will be going to HH for the first time over Memorial Day for a week in a 2 bedroom villa. We have lots of questions and have not been able to find out a lot on HH. Is there a must pack list for HH? My nephews would love to surf, anyplace to rent equipment? Any ideas on things to do would be appreciated.


Kelley

 

[PBB]

Kelley,

Hilton Head is great......Per my kids it is like going to Disneyworld without having to go to the park and stand in line. It is very very relaxing. The resort has a beach house that is about 1/2 mile away and Disney runs a shuttle to and from the resort to the beach house.

The beach lifeguards (non-disney) rent the chairs and umbrellas. They also rent boogie boards and such. The resort has alot of fun activities for younger kids and I would suggest call the resort right before you leave home and have them fax the activities list. You can go ahead and start signing up for activities prior to getting there. I would suggest going on the Dolphin excursion. The boat holds six people and is quite fun going out seeing the dolphins up close. Also, I would stop at the local walmart and get some kites for the kids. We hung a flourescent stick from ours and went out at night. The beach was alot less crowded and the boys loved being able to see it at night. You might want to bring some flashlights for night beach walking as well.

The units are fairly stocked with dishes, pans and silverware. If you need an additional item Housekeeping will get it for you. They were great about getting a blender for that emergency margaritta ! We always shop at Publixs. The closest one is going towards Harbour Town. Turn right out of the resort. There is a great gourmet market right down the street and I cant remember the name. Something like whole foods or market place......

Have fun !

 

[Disneyaholic]

I'm not sure that HH is the best place for surfing. I've seen a few people attempt it, but can't remember ever seeing anyone with much success. boogie boarding and skimboarding are very popular there, though!

I agree about Publix. The other store that PBB was thinking of is Fresh Market -- great for the more gourmet stuff, but you'll still want to do Publix or someplace else for your run-of-the-mill groceries.

We tend to cook more at HH than we do when we go to WDW, so I keep a few things packed and ready to go, including a plastic tablecloth and battery-operated lantern for the porch; some additional kitchen utensils, ingredients, and spices; pop-up hampers and laundry supplies; beach towels, blankets, chairs, and umbrella (the rentals are pretty costly and cannot be moved so when the tide is out, you're pretty far away from the water); and, of course, good books, crafts, etc. for all the relaxing time! If you have a bike rack, you may want to bring your bikes along, too, or you can rent them there. Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen and insect repellent!

 

[dis-happy]

The place to surf in HH is at Burke's Beach. There is a road by that name off of 278 you can follow down to the end. However, the surfing isn't too great. Best to go within an hour of either side of high tide. If a hurricane or large storm is on the horizon the waves are a lot better. Don't try to surf on the regular beaches, it's too dangerous for everyone else out there; go with the boogie boards instead.

Biking is our favorite activity there. The nephews might like going crabbing as well.

 

[cgcw]

We always bring night lights as it's really dark if you get up during the night in the Villas. There is this killer hope chest in the master bedroom that has managed to get in our way more times than not!

Also, a good non-stick frying pan to the scrambled eggs don't stick to the bottom.

When we drive, we bring the crockpot as it's easy to use to make dinner while sitting at the beach.

Other than that, we've always found everything in the villa to meet our needs.

Our kids love to crab fish off the pier at the resort. One year, my DS caught a diamond backed turtle. It was a really cool experience.

The beach is nice with miles and miles of walking surface at low tide. We always make it a point to head over there at night to attempt to fly a kite. I never thought of putting a glow stick on it. I'll have to remember that. Thanks!

We've done dolphin tours, beach combing and shark fishing. All have been arranged through the resort and have been very positive experiences. I don't think you could go wrong doing any one or all of them.

We've done some of the activities arranged through the resort. We once took a walking tour over at Pickney Island which was really neat. We learned about the birds in the area as well as saw an alligator in one of the ponds. If you go, just watch out for the red ant hills.

We love Hilton Head and are coming up on our 5th summer trip this year. As my DS says, it's our place to go, kick back and relax. I hope you have a great trip!

 

[MagikMom]

Check out "The Hilton Head Lovers" post by Laurabearz on the DVC planning board. I'm going to HH for the first time too. I'll be going in July. People posted TONS of great info on that thread! Thanks to everyone that posted!

 

[4mickey]

Thanks for all the great tips. I would never have thought of taking kites along with nightsticks, taking flashlights, or taking a lantern for the balcony. My son is wanting to collect sharks teeth. Is there any place on the island that he could experience this? Please keep all tips and suggestions coming.

Kelley

 

[deerh]

The thing to do at HHI is booging! Buy a boogie board, as surfing is not that great, but booging is!!

DeerH

 

[gracelrm]

Thanks for all the great tips. I would never have thought of taking kites along with nightsticks, taking flashlights, or taking a lantern for the balcony. My son is wanting to collect sharks teeth. Is there any place on the island that he could experience this? Please keep all tips and suggestions coming.

Kelley

When we were at HH in October, the naturalist did a "class" on sharks. She gave basic information about sharks and answered questions that the kids had. When she finished up, they made necklaces with a shark's tooth and some beads. Depending on your son's age, he might find that interesting and then the naturalist could probably tell you if there is a place to go for other shark experiences. My son, who was nine at the time, enjoyed the activity.

 

[4mickey]

My son is also 9 and is into nature and animals. I am sure he will love the naturalist and those activities. What is a boogie board and what age do you have to be to do this? Our last 6 vacations have been to Disney and I am a bit of an overplanner having every day planned out and am kind of stressing just planning a relaxing vacation.

Kelley

 

[jonestavern]

We're just back from our 1st trip tp HHI & we'll be going back--very relaxing & lots of activities.

there is kayaking offered thru HHI or local outfits. Locals offer parasailing, also. We brought binoculars & spent many early mornings birding. Dolphins frolic right up close in the marshes, for us early mornings--at sunrise-- worked best for these sightings.

Speaking of sightings, keep an eye out for Shadow. If you collect autographs. her human, B'lou Crabbe assists her with these duties.

HHI offers a few shorter tours & there are outside tours to several interesting spots. Deep sea fishing opportunities abound.

There is a non-stick skillet, but we could've used another 10" one. We did cook more @ HHI than @ WDW. I do like to cook & our kitchen at home is ripped up, so perhaps it was that I brought a muffin pan & those easy muffin & bread mixes. We did grill out twice in one week. The grills are kept tidy.

Savannah is a wonderful day trip, the check in desk will have directions. There are at least 4 or 5 tours to choose from. It was a real treat to stroll in the historic section of the city. Absolutely gorgeous.

the very best: Octopus towel animal!
Be sure to search for the Hidden Mickey's in yr room & around the resort

Jean

 

[reesecup]

Savannah is a wonderful day trip, the check in desk will have directions. There are at least 4 or 5 tours to choose from. It was a real treat to stroll in the historic section of the city. Absolutely gorgeous.



Jean

jonestavern,

Did you drive into Savannah or take a boat (I think someone said you take a boat from somewhere on HHI)? And was parking, etc. a problem? thanks

 

[jonestavern]

We drove into Savannah using the directions provided by check in. A nice leisurely & brief trip. If you're into barbeque, Bryan's Pink Pig is along the way
Once over the bridge, on your right, you'll see a Visitor's Center, there are 2 parking lots, use the one at the brick Visitor's Center, this is the place to pick up the touring buses, from any company.
By the by, if you intend to eat at Paula Deen's the Lady & Sons on a weekday folks begin to line up between 8:30 am & 9:00am for lunch ressies. If you have a group of 10 or more you can make advance ressies. another very popular spot, again no ressies!, is Mrs Wilkes' in the Historic section.
There are, however, plenty of good restaurants~

Jean

 

[dizzynee]

Shannon Tanner plays in the evening about a 5 min walk from the Disney HH resort. Kids of all ages from 3-93 enjoy Shannon. I urge any HH guest to check out his show.

 

[4mickey]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. Just a few more questions. Is there an ultimate packing list for Hilton Head anywhere? I have read a lot about the campfires at night. How often are they done? Are there any special activities that 5 year girls would enjoy?

Kelley

 

[VMS]

There are a lot of "craft" activities -- great for 5 year old girls. The campfire is I believe 3 times a week -- Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

 

[Dizma]

Thank you for all the info on HH. Can anyone reccomend a hotel to stay in if we decide to arrive early or extend our stay?

 

[carriep1657]

Hi 4Mickey, I can't offer any help but wanted to say, "Hi." My family will be making it's first trip to HHI over Memorial Day weekend. I have a 5 year old DS so we may see each other at some of the activities.

I'm getting excited about the trip. It will be here before you know it.