Just back from HH 2/15 - 2/21 long report

[mikesmom88]

We arrived at HH on Monday around 3:00 p.m. and our room was ready. We had a dedicated 2 bedroom villa, room 1511 and it was great. Clean and everything in working order - except the dishwasher which was attended to within 5 minutes of my call to maitenance. It was facing the marsh and the wooden walkway and was a great location. It was near the Live Oak Lodge with parking right in front of the villa. I understand that during the summer months they have fireworks over the marsh and this room would have a great view from the balcony. The balcony had a picnic table and rocking chairs. It was so peaceful in the morning sipping coffee and listening to all the sounds in the marsh (later in the week when it was nice enough to sit outside).
The weather was a little too cold when we arrived on Monday and on Tuesday it rained all day but the rest of the week just improved every day. Wednesday is Member Day with double the activities to choose from. Thursday (about 65-70 degress) we sat by the Big Dipper pool and the kids went swimming and Friday (70-75 degrees) we spent the day at the Beach House and it was so beautiful, we are all sunburned!

The activities were great, the kids made lighthouses, bird feeders and butterfly houses. They signed up for Gyotaku and a pirate treasure hunt. They also went to "Meet the Naturalist" where they learned about sharks and made a necklace out of shark teeth and a magic show with B'Lou Crabbe. We took the member tour "Behind the Ears" where they took you around the grounds and explained about the property and it's surroundings. We also signed up for the Longview Cooking Club "Creative Beginnings". Chef Gordon made delicious shrimp hor d'oeuvres that we enjoyed with unlimited wine (adults only).
Oh, I can't forget about the campfire and Shadow tales.

We browsed the little shops accross the marina which were nice (a Christmas store, a HH souvenier store and then some fancier shops).

We didn't go any place fancy for dinner. Tony Roma's was good and we had pizza and pasta twice, at DelVecchio's (delicious) and at Guiseppe's (will never go back). We went to a Sports Bar called Casey's for dinner which was just ok (more a a bar atmosphere even though they advertise as family friendly).
Breakfast in the room every morning and lunch by the pool (Signals and Tide me Over). We shopped in Publix which was a fabulous store, big, clean and convenient. Prices were good and they have a wine section in the store which was convenient.

All in all, we had a great time and love HH. It is a great place to relax and enjoy time with your family.

Oh, I almost forgot, we bought the bikes from home because last year, it was pretty expensive to rent bikes. This year they had a winter special which was $15.00 bike rental for the length of your stay. Before you bring your own bikes, call the resort and check for specials.

I am happy to answer any questions.

 

[MJTinNH]

Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation. Thank you for posting!

 

[rsschneck]

I can hardly wait! Less than a month now and you described our perfect HHI vacation. Relaxing and lots of activities for our 7 yr. old DD! Woo Hoo!

Glad you had a nice vacation!

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Thanks so much for the report!! We went last May for the first time and fell in love with Hilton Head. We can not wait to go back!!

 

[HookdonWDW]

Thanks for posting your trip report. You've made me even more excited about our HH trip this summer. I was thinking that we'd have to look for things to do outside of DVC, but from your report, it sounds like we won't have to stray far to find lots to do!

 

[joeokw]

We were at HH at the same time asMikesmom88 did. 2/15- 2/21. We were in room 2212.. We also did the Behind Tours tour , two campfires, ( We went on Mon. and Thursay nights) If Mikesmom88 went on Thursday night she would have seen my interpetation of Yazu.. the bird in the Lion King..lol We went Kayaking in the marsh, went the to the history of the marsh tour.. my youngest son and DW built butterfly houses. My 2 DS's went on the golf outing also. We went to the pool on Monday 54 degrees, wed 59 degrees , thursday 65 degrees, and friday 70 degrees. but the sun really warms up the concrete deck... the jacuuzi was just great. wed. thurs and friday were perfect 3 sunny days. We went to the beach house twice on thursday and friday for short times. We biked to the beach house. Yes Publix is really nice store. I played golf with my 14 yo DS.. at Trent Jones golf club across rt. 278 in Palmetto Dunes Plantation. on Wed.
We did breakfeast each am. in our villa. We ate lunch twice at the Tide Me Over, BBQ'd twice and ate at the Oyster Factory on Thursday night. We also pitched some horeshoes at the horseshoe pit just behind our deck. We toss the old horeside also right near the marsh. We just had a great time and we are going to invite family down next feb. and stay in Grand Villa.

HH is a fabulous resort..

 

[gopherit]

Ooooo, that all sounds great! I think I have DH and the gang convinced to spend a week next year near this time, and this all sounds really good! Kids will be 10,8, and almost 5 then; I'm hoping to get a 2 br and really enjoy! WIll definitely call about the bike situation -- I agree that a good deal would sure be easier than hauling down all of ours! What about beach chairs -- did you "rough it", rent it, bring your own, buy down there? I know some posters had noted just going to WalMart when they got down there, then "passing them on" to whomever wanted them when they left!

And about the activities -- if I could be so rude as to ask which ones you had to pay for, and roughly what that cost was (and if there were any discounts, either DVC, or family / more than one rates, etc. ? Just trying to get an idea how much to budget! I think my kids would love all the stuff you folks listed!

It can be a pretty tough sell that first time (HH versus the allure of WDW) but I'm hoping if I can jusssssssst get 'em (my family) to give it a chance, they'll see HH is truly a points-worthy vacation! They love the beaches (well, if you can call the Delaware beaches that) and they love outdoor activities and crafts and such, so I think HH would be a great family time together. (Of course, it's easier for me to see this, since I'm working from a formerly home-field advantage. S.C. is where I was born and raised for the next 24 yrs of my life prior to meeting my Northern-born-n-bred DH and having our mid-Ohio-valley kids. HH really is like going "home" for me!)

All help appreciated -- and glad you enjoyed such wonderful trips!

 

[VMS]

Thanks for the detailed report. We go to HH in about 2 1/2 weeks, and cannot wait. Due to a number of circumstances we have not had a vacation since our trip there last April. We are so ready to go back!

Thanks for the info on the bikes, it seems like through these posts people have been reporting the prices going up. I think we just may rent from another place on the island if the price at the resort is high. We need 5 bikes and do not feel like driving down with that many.

I also think your comment about Guiseppi's is interesting. We also did not like it, and are shocked at how many people here rave about it. I'm always attributing it to the fact that we have access to great NY pizza (we're in a suburb). Seeing where you are from further confirms my belief.

What was the golf activity for the kids? We have been there twice, and neither time was there anything like that.

 

[AnnaS]

Thank you so much for posting your wonderful trip report. It all sounds so good. I really, really want to spend some time here, if only vacation time allowed us.

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

Sounds like you had a great time!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Allison an associate

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thanks for the reports Mikesmom88 and Joeokw. We're heading down in less than 90 days. My kids are older (11, 13 & 17), so I hope they're not bored. Not sure if the activities mentioned are more geared toward the younger set ? I'm a little concerned about keeping them interested. Because I was unsure how they'd like it, we're only staying 4 nights. I'll have to call for the bike rental prices because I couldn't find them on any of the web sites I visited. Maybe we'll just bring down a couple bikes and rent the others----need 5.
Thanks also for the dining tips----sounds like I'll avoid Guiseppes ? I'm assuming either food or service was bad ?
Thanks and glad you both had a nice time. The 70 degrees you experienced sounds heavenly right now

 

[mikesmom88]

joeokw
Sorry we didn't get to meet during our visit (or maybe we did). Disney will be calling you for their next Lion King movie to play the part of Yazu. . .lol

gopherit
We didn't rent the beach chairs (and I don't recall seeing how much they were), we roughed it on blanket and the kids threw the football around on the beach and chased the sea gulls. . .The beach chairs to pass on to others from Walmart is a good idea.
As far as the activities, the Behind the Ears tour, magic show, campfire and the pirates hunt were free; The shark naturalist was free but there was a $5.00 fee to make the shark tooth necklace at the end. Lighthouses were $12.00 for members ($15.00 non); bird feeders and butterfly houses were $10.00 for members ($12 non). The Cooking Club was $15 for members (I think $18 or $20 for non)
Our first trip to HH was last year and I did not think the family would like and would be disappointed after WDW but they loved it. It was something different and lots of activities that they normally do not take the time to do in WDW. (There are no Disney characters at HH, just Shadow the dog).
It was so inexpensive on points during the week for a 2 bedroom and we also paid cash for the last 2 days (Thurs & Fri) because we didn't have enough points and it worked out to our advantage as the cash rate was $123.75 for the 2 bedroom and the points are much higher on Fri and Sat.

VMS
I had also heard the Guiseppe's was the better place to go and was very disappointed. Being from NY, I thought the pizza form DelVecchio's was really good!
We didn't do the golf but I did inquire and it was an outing for ages 7-14 where they took the kids to Palmetto Dunes and they practiced putting, driving and the like. I think it was 2 hrs and the cost for members was around $30.
Enjoy your trip!

MiaSRN62
My DS 15 did the lighthouses, butterfly and bird feeders and the treasure hunt and was ok (he was helping his cousins 10 & 8 out most of the trip but he seemed to enjoy it himself).
The bike rental was a lot more expensive last February and I was surprised when we checked in and teh activities sheet had a note on the bottom that told about the "winter special" $15 for length of stay so I don't think you would find that on the internet. Your best bet would be to call before oyu go down and inquire about specials.
As far as Guiseppe's, I had heard it was the best pizza on HH and was very disappointed. It tasted like frozen pizza to me.
Have a great trip!

 

[Simba's Mom]

OK, I'm jealous! We were there the week after you (just got home last night) and it rained all week, with temps down in the mid-40's by the end of the week. And I'd bought a new bathing suit! My major activity was going to Big Murgie's Den every afternoon for hot apple cider and cookies. Thank goodness for that winter bike rental special-we'd rented bikes for the length of stay, but after the first couple days, it was way too cold for bike riding. Would have felt like we'd wasted money renting them if we'd paid more. We also weren't overly impressed with Guisseppis. Thought it was OK and it served its purpose (quick meal near Piggly Wiggly)-nothing to rave about though.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Thanks for posting the reports! I am itching to get away and my DH gave me the okay for a 4 night weekend trip to HH in March. I am a little hesitant to book because
1) there is no non-stop flights from the new england area - which means changing planes with a toddler - yuck!
2) Will my 3 year old be able to enjoy any of the activities? Any insight on this?
3) do you need to plan your activities ahead of time or could you just figure it out when you get there?

Thanks for any help. We would be taking advantage of the disney visa rate of $149/night for a 2 bedroom.

 

[JVL1018]

Originally posted by Lexxiefern
Thanks for posting the reports! I am itching to get away and my DH gave me the okay for a 4 night weekend trip to HH in March. I am a little hesitant to book because
1) there is no non-stop flights from the new england area - which means changing planes with a toddler - yuck!
2) Will my 3 year old be able to enjoy any of the activities? Any insight on this?
3) do you need to plan your activities ahead of time or could you just figure it out when you get there?

My daughter was 3 last summer and enjoyed the Magic show, Toddlers Tales,meeting Shadow, the Unbirthday Party, Disney Discovery Club(Beautiful Butterflies), as well as Longview Arts & Crafts(painting the butterfly/bird houses).
It says on the activities schedule that the arts and crafts are for 5 and up-that is true if you want to leave your kids there, but the CMs told us you can bring your younger ones to it, you just have to stay with them. I was very happy to learn that!

Edited to add we planned our activities when we got there.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Originally posted by JVL1018
My daughter was 3 last summer and enjoyed the Magic show, Toddlers Tales,meeting Shadow, the Unbirthday Party, Disney Discovery Club(Beautiful Butterflies), as well as Longview Arts & Crafts(painting the butterfly/bird houses).
It says on the activities schedule that the arts and crafts are for 5 and up-that is true if you want to leave your kids there, but the CMs told us you can bring your younger ones to it, you just have to stay with them. I was very happy to learn that!

Edited to add we planned our activities when we got there.

That's great news! Thank you for the info!

 

[Disneyaholic]

As far as flights go, have you checked into flights to Savannah? HH has very little commercial service -- only from Charlotte, I think. But Savannah is less than an hour away and you will want a car while you're there anyhow!

 

[Judique]

Thanks for writing. I am always watching for HH posts...wish I could be there right now!

 

[kingj]

Thanks for the report. HH sounds like a great place to go. We are thinking about going this summer. We will need a 2 bedroom unit. How difficult will it be to make a reservation for a 2 bedroom unit for this summer within the next few weeks. (We won't close on our DVC resale until March 15th.)

Thanks,

John

 

[pelicanpouch]

We just became members at Saratoga. My guide gave me a great idea. She said, you should use some of your points at Hilton Head to give your children a birthday party. How great is that.

If any of you have any questions about Hilton Head, I can help. I've beenhere for 16 years.

Cheryl