How do I make the most of HHI?

[Goofy + 3]

After lurking on these boards for a couple years and longing for the day when I would be a DVC owner, I decided to finally start the process. Step 1: register on the DisBoards and make my first post. WooHoo!

Now that that's out of the way, on to Step 2: Bring wife to DVC resort to start the long and arduous task of convincing her that a DVC contract would be good for our family. Right now HHI is the only one that is feasable (we can make a quick 2-3 night trip). The question is, how do I use the resort to sell her on the idea? Besides the golf in the area (which she won't care about) I'm not too familiar with the resort. We'll also have our two kids DD(3) and DS(1)? We've never stayed at a DVC resort before. We'd probably make the trip in April with a family member's points. Any advice?

Thanks
Chris

 

[bunny]

Welcome! I have never stayed at this resort but I have stayed in Hilton Head before. One of the advantages of this resort over some of the others in the area are the children's activities. Make sure you get a list at check-in and try some of those out. I think there is also a campfire every night that your family would really enjoy. To truly convince her, you should take her to WDW. I spent a week in a value resort and then one night in a 1 bedroom at OKW. One night was all it took. We bought as soon as we got home.

 

[Disneyaholic]

Your kids might be a little young to take full advantage of the kids' activities at the HH resort, but make sure you go over the activity schedule and see all the things that they will be able to do when they're older. Also, enjoy all that the resort and the island have to offer.

What type of room are you planning to get? If you really want to sell her on DVC, be sure to get either a 1BR or a 2BR. That way, you can truly enjoy having all the extra room. And being able to watch TV in your bedroom after the kids have gone to sleep! Oh, and you can have breakfast in the room -- even for picky children. And you can do laundry right in the room...

Our kids were 8 and 5 when we bought DVC. They're now 22 and 19. We have never regretted it, whether they're with us on vacation or not!

PS Welcome to DIS!

 

[kam0202]

Your kids might be a little young to take full advantage of the kids' activities at the HH resort, but make sure you go over the activity schedule and see all the things that they will be able to do when they're older. Also, enjoy all that the resort and the island have to offer.

What type of room are you planning to get? If you really want to sell her on DVC, be sure to get either a 1BR or a 2BR. That way, you can truly enjoy having all the extra room. And being able to watch TV in your bedroom after the kids have gone to sleep! Oh, and you can have breakfast in the room -- even for picky children. And you can do laundry right in the room...

Our kids were 8 and 5 when we bought DVC. They're now 22 and 19. We have never regretted it, whether they're with us on vacation or not!

PS Welcome to DIS!

Agree with you Disneyaholic - we are looking forward to being welcomed home this May in a 2bd at HHI and then 2bd at VWL. I hate "regular" hotel rooms. With my DH and 3 and 2 year old, I need the extra space and another room to be able to watch TV while they sleep!

 

[BuzzLightYear3]

We ended up joining DVC after a trip to HH.....didn't join right then, but decided then that we'd probably join "some day" and joined a couple years later. We had ended up at DVC at HH "by accident"....had to change vacation plans at the last minute due to a huricane that was headed for Sanibel Island. In order to get tickets for a dolphin trip, we agreed to listen to the DVC sales pitch, and we found it very interesting....I'd definitely recommend that you go for that.....it was low pressure.

The other posters already listed the key advantages that I see to DVC:
1) For the same price as you'd pay for a regular hotel room you get a LOT more space. No matter what age your kids are, that space with multiple rooms, TVs, and bathrooms is invaluable.
2) A kitchen enabling you to eat breakfast and have drinks/snacks in the room saves a ton of money. I hate spending $50 for breakfast at a Disney restaurant only to realize the kids mostly ate Cheerios!
3) The WDW resorts are tops in terms of amenities and location.

We bought in about 7-8 years ago, and our kids ( DS-14; DD-10, DS-8) still love Disney.....they all love different things about it, but they aren't tired of it yet. We usually do WDW once/year, but we've also done VB, HH, and the Disney Cruise. This summer we will be making our first ever trip to Hawaii by trading DVC for two weeks at top-rated Hawaii time shares.

DVC may not be for everyone. Some of our friends have said they wouldn't like it as they like to try some place completely different every year. As noted above though, we have used a bunch of the different locations, and we also enjoy the comfort of going back to familiar accomodations ....takes the stress out of the vacation. It's still different every year because the kids' interests change as they grow. It really is like a "home away from home."

After taking the "tour" and spending a couple nights in a 2BR, I think you'll be able to figure out if DVC is right for you.

 

[buzz5985]

The 3rd week in April is a busy time for school vacations in the Northeast so plan accordingly.

That being said - HH is a favorite of ours. If I asked my DH 49 and DS 11 where they would rather be BWV, or HH - they would pick HH every time. The biggest decision we make every day?? Should we go to the beach, the pool at the beach, or the pool at the resort?? It is so relaxing. The resort is beautiful.

Some random memories -For the little kids - they had something called Shadows Bunny Hunt. The kids get to meet Shadow, and you go around the resort and place rabbit food out for the bunnies About 1 hour later you go and see if the bunnies are there eating. Disney must pay the rabbits because they are there eating. LOL They have a campfire every other night, singing, smores. Goofy Bingo - you go and answer Disney Trivia for the win. I'm sure there is more for children as young as yours, but I didn't pay attention since mine wasn't that young. I do know of you like to ride a bike - you can get the trailer for the kids - I'm not sure where you rent it though. The Cast Members at HH are some of the best I have seen. There are arts and crafts.

The resort is beautiful. My first impression was horrible. I bought sight unseen, and my heart sank when I saw how close the resort was to "civilization". It looked isolated in the pictures. But when you cross that bridge - the Disney magic appears and makes the resort seem like it is all by itself in the middle of the marsh.

PS. We are bringing my Sister and her DH and 3 DS, 10, 8, 2 to HH this summer. They are from Richmond. Can't wait to have them with us.

4 years ago we had a GV with DH's family at HH. We had a blast, and they can't wait to return with us some day.

 

[EmyRose]

We will be there for spring break with our teenage son and (probably) one of his buddies.

Any suggestions from folks who have been there with teens?

 

[Goofy + 3]

Thanks for the feedback . I was originally thinking that a studio would suffice, but if my ultimate goal is to "woo" the wife to DVC, than a 1BR or 2BR would be the way to go. A trip to WDW would certainly be the most effective, but finances and the ages of our kids make HHI a better option right now. I think with a 100 point contract and travelling at the right times of year, I could probably take two mini-vacations a year-- one with the kids and one without. That will keep me happy for a couple years until I'm ready to take the whole crew down to WDW . At that point, I'll probably add 50 points or so to take longer vacations.

One more question.. Just how "Disney-ish" is HHI? Being so far from the Orlando and the parks, my assumption is that any Disney theming is very subtle. My DD(3) is in to the whole princess thing but I'm guessing she shouldn't expect to see Cinderella lounging around the pool.

 

[tigger2esq]

we LOVE HHI. we will be heading there in May for this third time for my DD's 5th birthday. her first trip when she was about 18 months; second was for her third birthday. both times she had a blast. I definitely recommend getting something other than a studio if your plan is to woo the missus. the HHI rooms are probably the largest in the DVC family. and you cant beat the picnic table on the deck and the rocking chairs. we rented bikes (with the tow along for DD which she LOVED) toured the island, relaxed, hung out in the kiddie pool, walked on the beach, played in the sand and overall had a magical time. while the disney themeing is much more subtle--it is definitely there. we did a "bunny hunt" with Shadow that my DD adored, did a little program on lady bugs, an arts project and they had good night stories with milk and cookies for the little ones. very sweet.