Tell Me About: Hilton Head

[2angelsinheaven]

I was considering a stay in early December at Disney's Hilton Head Resort. The group would include my fiance, my little brother (11) and myself. We will be driving up from Central, Fl. We love Disney and all the resorts we've stayed at or visited have been lovely so I'm assuming the same for HH but what I'm looking for is details. Fiance is worried there would be not awhole lot to do in December outdoors due to the temps. I assured him there would be something to do. We'd like to stay close to the resort as this is a budget trip so no long side trips to find something to do. So here are some questions for you...

1. What activites are offered at the resort itself?
2. Is there a grocery store close by (we plan on cooking many of our meals)?
3. What activities are close by, any details welcomed?
4. Is the resort comparable to any of the WDW resorts?
5. Are there characters?
6. In the 1 Bedroom Villa is there a sleeper sofa, etc?

Any other details welcomed. Thanks in advance!

 

[Disneyaholic]

Well, you're pretty right about the weather/temperatures limiting your outdoor activities, but unless swimming is the only thing you want to do, you should be fine. You can still walk along the beach, and swim in the pools (they're heated, it's just the outdoor air than can get to you ), and ride bikes. The resort usually has a "length of stay" option on bike rental that you might want to check. The resort doesn't usually have too much in the way of strictly "adult" activities, but there are lots for families and for kids.

The closest grocery store is Piggly Wiggly; you can ride your bike there if you'd like. Personally, I prefer Publix -- it's a little further away, but I'm just more used to it, I guess.

Close by there are a few miniature golf courses and lots of shopping and restaurants. The mall right near the resort has an arcade, and there's also one near one of the miniature golf courses. (Of course, it's Monday morning, and my brain will not engage to remember the name of it at the moment.) There are also a few arcade machines at the beach house. The resort area has a pool table and ping pong table; there's another ping pong table at the beach house.

There are lots of options for relaxing -- I love to read on my porch overlooking the marsh; lots of people swear by the hammocks that are scattered throughout the resort.

Not sure exactly what you mean by "comparable" to other Disney resorts? There are Disney "touches" everywhere, although none of the traditional Disney characters make appearances. The resort's "characters" are B'lou Crabbe, a performer, and Shadow, the resort's Golden Retriever. The cast members there are some of the absolute best Disney has, IMHO, and will add a lot of "Disney" to your experience.

The 1BR has a King-sized bed in the bedroom and a sleeper sofa in the living/dining/kitchen area.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your stay at HH!

 

[beachblanket]

We stayed at HH for 9 days back in August of 2004. Our 10 cents:

The good news: it's Disney without being "WDW style 24/7 in-your-face Disney." Ergo, a relaxing, smell the roses and take your time environment with Disney quality service.

The bad news: laid back Disney may lead you to miss some of the attributes of 24/7 in-your-face Disney. Ergo, if you're not into golf and want some time off the beach, Hilton Head has limited attractions to those not interested in shopping or dining.

Bottom line: a December stay may work if you're primarly looking for a quiet stay. There is walkable decent dining and limited shopping in the immediate area, albeit during the December "off season" I'm not sure everything will be open.

As for temps, well, your fiance may be somewhat correct; it isn't going to be warm enough to swim at the beach and I'm not even sure about the pool (even if it's heated, getting out of it and back to your villa isn't going to be a lot of fun when wet).

 

[RobDoc]

The resort does offer a lot of activities. There are a wide variety of water based programs including canoeing, kayaking, fishing, Dolphin watches, crabbing and shelling. In addition horseback riding and nature walks can be arranged thru the resort.

HH itself has some historical areas (Indian oyster mounds and plantation ruins - both within Sea Pines) that are easily accessed. There are lots of shopping opportunites and over 300 restaurants on the island - several within walking distance of the resort, just across the bridge. There is a local performance theater nearby as well as a number of galleries and museums.

There is a mall , also next to the resort, with a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. We have walked to the store, but it is a bit of a hike if you'll be carrying groceries. In addition, the resort staff will be happy to suggest other recreational options for you.

Some activities may be dependent on the weather - which can vary widely in December. You may have temps in the 70's or temps in the 50's , but there is a wide variety of things to do both at the resort and nearby.

As noted, there will not be any typical Disney characters but there are subtle Disney touches throughout the resort including topiaries and LOTS of hidden Mickey's in the villas and resort signage - ask at the front desk for a list. If you will be there on a Wednesday (Member Appreciation Day) , plan on taking the "Behind the Ears" tour which offers a tour of the resort with lots of "inside" info about the area and Longview Island (the small island on which the resort sits). At times, there are cooking programs and wine tasting programs offered for adults.

HH is a great spot - in addition to all of the activities mentioned sometimes it's just nice to take a break and actually relax - and the resort offers that luxury in abundance!

Enjoy!

 

[bwbuddy5]

Great info; if I may piggyback:

1) Is the bus to the beach a Disney bus, or public?
2) How long does it take to walk to the beach?
3) If we drive to the beach, is there plenty of parking?
4) Does DVC have a private section of the beach for their guests?
5) Is the pool at the beach for DVC only?
6) How big are the waves, if any?

 

[NCRedding]

Great info; if I may piggyback:

1) Is the bus to the beach a Disney bus, or public? It is a disney 15 passenger van that picks up at the resort and drops off at the beach house
2) How long does it take to walk to the beach?It is about 1 mile from the resort, so I would guess 20-30 minutes, depending upon how fast you walk.
3) If we drive to the beach, is there plenty of parking?We had very little trouble finding parking at Easter, so you should have no problem in December. If I recall correctly, the parking lot is gated, and you'll need a room key to get in.
4) Does DVC have a private section of the beach for their guests?There is a section of beach in front of the beach house. It isn't private in that people can still walk there and set up camp.
5) Is the pool at the beach for DVC only?Yes, the pool at the beach is only for DVC. IIRC, there is a locked gate leading from the beach to the beach house with the pool, restaurant and bathrooms.
6) How big are the waves, if any?

When we were there at Easter, the waves weren't too bad. I don't know about December

 

[Jynohn]

If your fiance is looking for a lot to do, December may not be the best time to go to HH. We went last year in late November, and I have to admit that by the end of the trip I was bored out of my mind. Don't get me wrong, it's a great resort, and I probably would have really enjoyed it if I had gone during a nicer time of year, but the weather was too cold for most of the outdoor activities, and the place looked like a ghost town. It seemed like we were one of only a handful of families staying there at the time, which was nice for a day or two, but eventually ended up feeling kind of lonely. In addition, many of the nearby restaurants were closed for the season.

I found myself on more than one occasion wishing I was at Disney World instead. If you and your fiance are laid back and just enjoy a nice, restful vacation you'll love it there, but if you're looking for a more fast-paced, activity-filled trip, I'd go at another time of year.

Hope this helps!

 

[sparkysfriends]

We go to HH every year. It started as a way to use some extra points and we loved it so much we always include a tripp to HH in our yearly vacation plans. I've been 2 times in the summer and I'll never do that again. Yes, some restaurants are open later and some things that we might not experience in late fall and winter (we go either for Christmas or for a week in February) are available, butthere are so many reasons to go off season.
1. It is HOT in HH in the summer
2. It is crowded in the summer. I do not mean just the resort, I mean the whole island. Traffic is crazy, it is sometimes hard to get a reservation in a restaurant and even then there's usually a wait.
3. Lower points.
4. I like the calm, peaceful, relaxing, back to nature experience that a winter trip affords us.

While I do not usually swim in the pool in the winter, every kid at the resort seems to. It is heated and kids just don't seem to mind. I do use the hot tub. Quite honestly, it's really not that cold during the day. There are some wonderful activities. Definitely take a Dolphin Cruise. We've gone horseback riding and loved it. We always rent bikes and bike everywhere. I especially love biking on the beach. We also always sign up for many nature activities including the Marsh Walk, bird watching, nature preserve walk, etc.

HH in the winter is actually one of my 14 year old DS's favorite vacations. He looks forward to it every year, as does everyone in the family.

Hope this helps.

 

[larrytau]

Originally Posted by bwbuddy5
Great info; if I may piggyback:

More NC observations:

3) If we drive to the beach, is there plenty of parking? We had very little trouble finding parking at Easter, so you should have no problem in December. If I recall correctly, the parking lot is gated, and you'll need a room key to get in.

The lot is not gated, but you do have to get by the guard gate for the "plantation" where the beach house is located. No problem; just show them your HHI Disney room key or parking pass.

4) Does DVC have a private section of the beach for their guests? There is a section of beach in front of the beach house. It isn't private in that people can still walk there and set up camp.

But, there aren't any large timeshares/condos in the immediate vacinity, so it is pretty quiet next to the Beach House. Might be different in peak summers, but certainly will be quiet this time of year.

5) Is the pool at the beach for DVC only? Yes, the pool at the beach is only for DVC. IIRC, there is a locked gate leading from the beach to the beach house with the pool, restaurant and bathrooms.

6) How big are the waves, if any?

That part of the beach is very wide and waves are quiet almost all year because of the wide beach. There are some waves, but you would have to go quite a ways out, and I'm not sure I would be very comfortable doing that. There are no lifeguards in the immediate area either - maybe in the summer, though. Very nice sand, much nicer than the Myrtle Beach and NC beaches. If you are looking for waves, this is not the place!