Cast: myself (Kelley), DH (Jeff), DS11 (Doug), DD9 (Betsy), my dad (Papa)
Villa: 2Br, building 13. Excellent condition one little window blind amiss (see photos)
Dates: Check-in Sunday, June 13 and check-out Saturday, June 19, 2004
Photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeBNm7Vw3ZtXbw
Pre-Trip - Saturday, June 12
Spent the morning packing the car and getting DH and the kids ready to depart without me. They would drive 6 hours to Dads house in North Carolina today, then finish with a 5 hour drive to the resort on Sunday. I was staying behind for a day in order to attend the viewing of my best friends father. They would pick me up at Savannahs airport late Sunday night.
Sunday, June 13
DH, the kids, and Dad departed Pinehurst at 1030. When they reached HHI, they went straight to the supermarket then finally got to the resort right at 4:00 p.m. They said they made some navigation errors and ended up with an unimpressive approach to Shelter Cove. Somehow they came in through a mall parking lot and around an executive office park. Eventually they checked-in and we were assigned to building 13. Thats the farthest building from the pool. If I had been there, I would have asked for a different location. They spent the rest of the day swimming, exploring and unpacking. After dinner they stopped by BLou Crabbes Ghosts and Legends of the Low County campfire. They said it wasnt as impressive as I made it sound, so the kids rated it 6 outta 10. I dont know why since I wasnt there.
Meanwhile, back in Maryland, I drove straight to BWI after visiting the funeral home, only to learn my flight had been cancelled due to engine trouble. They couldnt get me on any other flights that night. Best they could do was land me in Savannah at noon on Monday. I was crushed. Beyond crushed. Devastated. I had tears in my eye for first 30 miles of my trip from airport to home. For the last 5 miles I was banging my head because I didnt think to tell the ticket agent that I would fly into in Charleston instead of SAV. As soon as got home, I booked a flight to Charleston (landing 11:30 p.m.) and a rental car. I finally knocked on our villa door at 1:30 AM Monday.
Monday, June 14.
We spent the morning at the Big Dipper pool and got lunch at Tide Me Over. Normally we wouldnt spend good money on lunch when we have a villa full food. But, since this was the first official day of vacation, we splurged. It was pretty good. No complaints, other than price.
After lunch we spent a few hours at the beach. The seas were very rough and the wind was blowing hard.
At 6PM we dropped the kids off for their first kids nite out (Disney Detectives). They rated the activity an 8 outta 10.
While they were detectives, we grownups drove around the island looking for a place to eat. We had no real destination in mind we would just pullover when someplace struck our fancy. We drove all the way to Harbortown and back before we found a place. We ended up at Santa Fe, nearly across the highway from the resort. It was absolutely fabulous. We ate outside and finished in plenty of time to meet the kids at the villa. The perfect evening ended with shuffling and poker lessons for the kids. Ahhh .vacation.
Tuesday, June 15
This morning we awoke to learn the island was under a tornado warning until 9AM and a flood watch until 9PM. Great. Accordingly, DH and DSs kayaking was cancelled. Now what? Well, it turns out everyone in the resort was playing pool at the lodge or hanging around the pool/mercantile. So we headed to the Beach House for a little elbow room. What a perfect idea! It was deserted! We could do or play anything we wanted. Even better yet, it never really rained just a few drops from a passing cloud or two.
We ended up staying there all day, without proper sunblock or beach gear. Of course this led to what I call our rainy day sun burns and the umbrella rental expense. BTW, umbrellas go for $27 the first day and $16 each subsequent day, if you reserve them all at the same time. I booked through Friday and was able to pay $80. (DH and Dad chided me for the rest of the week. So what! Im on vacation!) While at the beach house this day, all of us loved the pool games (kids rate 8.5). Also, the seas were calm as a pond and we only had a gentle breeze. Dinner was home-cooked. Afterward we totally enjoyed the 8PM dance party at the Big Dipper pool (kids rate 8, I rate 10), followed by a wonderful fireworks show (all rate 10+).
Wednesday, June 16
Another great day split between the pool and beach. We finally got around to renting bikes this day and wished we had done it sooner. I spent about an hour in the morning browsing the Shelter Cove shops and picking up some souvenirs. For dinner I chose the Red Fish Restaurant for celebrating my birthday. It was recommended by 3 separate locals, so I thought that was a good sign. It was absolutely delicious and we all loved our meals, even the kids. If I could re-wind the clock, though, I would choose Santa Fe for my birthday and Red Fish for a regular, but nice dinner out. Santa Fe was a little more affordable, too, I think. After dinner we tried to make it back in time for the campfire, but we were too late. Rats. This was the second time I missed it.
Thursday, June 17
Without advance planning, this day turned out to be father/son and mother/daughter day. In pairs, we biked up to the beach house, and played around a little. Then we went back to the resort so the boys could do their kayaking make-up (rating 9). DD9 and I enjoyed the Big Dipper slide and shuffleboard. After lunch, DD and I met Shadow and listened to BLou Crabbe tell her tales (DD rated 6, I rate 7). DH, DS, and Dad went to the Shipyard to hit some balls at the driving range. I think they paid $5 per bucket. This evening the kids attended their second kids nite out. It was a trip to the movies to see Around the World in 80 Days. They rated it a 9. While they did that, DH, Dad and I walked to Shelter Cove for dinner. We totally enjoyed our meal at PJs New York Deli. Dad was beside himself with glee because they sold grape Nehi. We rated the dinner a 10.
Oh, I almost forgot. The toilet in our 2nd bedroom broke this day. Something went wrong with the chain in the tank. We called maintenance right away and they fixed it within 2 hours.
Friday, June 18
Happy 40th birthday to me! I got to pick what we did this day, so I chose beach, beach, beach. We rode bikes to the beach house early and Dad followed in the car with all the stuff. We tried to bike to the lighthouse, but there was too much of a head wind and gave up after about a half mile. Dad spoiled me by cooking both lunch and dinner for the whole family. Then, after dinner, DD asked me to take her to the pool for a little while. Sure, why not. After about a half hour, she feigned fatigue and we returned to a villa full of balloons and cake. A little surprise party for me! It was the perfect ending to a great day. (I didnt even care that I missed my last chance to attend a campfire.)
Saturday, June 19
Ugh. Departure day. We packed up and were out of the villa by 1030 AM. Dad had to leave in the morning, as scheduled. But the 4 of us had a nice leisurely finale at the Big Dipper before heading up the road around 3:30 PM. The rest rooms by the workout room were very nice and met all our shower and changing needs. As an extra treat, the front desk was finally able to meet my request for a tour of a grand villa. It was awesome. I will definitely plan to save some points to bring family back to a 3br next time.
Overall Impression:
This was an excellent vacation. I highly recommend the resort and everything we did there. We definitely plan to go back.
The most pleasant surprise was discovering all the free towels at the pools. I had been expecting to use our own all week, but we didnt have to. I also have to say that the organized activities were very well done and definitely met Disney standards.
My only negative about the trip was our villa location. But, that wasnt Disneys fault. I blame DH since he didnt know any better. (According to Dad, there were about 5 other families checking in after us, so perhaps if he had asked, we might have been able to snag a better location.)
Thanks for reading.
Kelley
Villa: 2Br, building 13. Excellent condition one little window blind amiss (see photos)
Dates: Check-in Sunday, June 13 and check-out Saturday, June 19, 2004
Photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeBNm7Vw3ZtXbw
Pre-Trip - Saturday, June 12
Spent the morning packing the car and getting DH and the kids ready to depart without me. They would drive 6 hours to Dads house in North Carolina today, then finish with a 5 hour drive to the resort on Sunday. I was staying behind for a day in order to attend the viewing of my best friends father. They would pick me up at Savannahs airport late Sunday night.
Sunday, June 13
DH, the kids, and Dad departed Pinehurst at 1030. When they reached HHI, they went straight to the supermarket then finally got to the resort right at 4:00 p.m. They said they made some navigation errors and ended up with an unimpressive approach to Shelter Cove. Somehow they came in through a mall parking lot and around an executive office park. Eventually they checked-in and we were assigned to building 13. Thats the farthest building from the pool. If I had been there, I would have asked for a different location. They spent the rest of the day swimming, exploring and unpacking. After dinner they stopped by BLou Crabbes Ghosts and Legends of the Low County campfire. They said it wasnt as impressive as I made it sound, so the kids rated it 6 outta 10. I dont know why since I wasnt there.
Meanwhile, back in Maryland, I drove straight to BWI after visiting the funeral home, only to learn my flight had been cancelled due to engine trouble. They couldnt get me on any other flights that night. Best they could do was land me in Savannah at noon on Monday. I was crushed. Beyond crushed. Devastated. I had tears in my eye for first 30 miles of my trip from airport to home. For the last 5 miles I was banging my head because I didnt think to tell the ticket agent that I would fly into in Charleston instead of SAV. As soon as got home, I booked a flight to Charleston (landing 11:30 p.m.) and a rental car. I finally knocked on our villa door at 1:30 AM Monday.
Monday, June 14.
We spent the morning at the Big Dipper pool and got lunch at Tide Me Over. Normally we wouldnt spend good money on lunch when we have a villa full food. But, since this was the first official day of vacation, we splurged. It was pretty good. No complaints, other than price.
After lunch we spent a few hours at the beach. The seas were very rough and the wind was blowing hard.
At 6PM we dropped the kids off for their first kids nite out (Disney Detectives). They rated the activity an 8 outta 10.
While they were detectives, we grownups drove around the island looking for a place to eat. We had no real destination in mind we would just pullover when someplace struck our fancy. We drove all the way to Harbortown and back before we found a place. We ended up at Santa Fe, nearly across the highway from the resort. It was absolutely fabulous. We ate outside and finished in plenty of time to meet the kids at the villa. The perfect evening ended with shuffling and poker lessons for the kids. Ahhh .vacation.
Tuesday, June 15
This morning we awoke to learn the island was under a tornado warning until 9AM and a flood watch until 9PM. Great. Accordingly, DH and DSs kayaking was cancelled. Now what? Well, it turns out everyone in the resort was playing pool at the lodge or hanging around the pool/mercantile. So we headed to the Beach House for a little elbow room. What a perfect idea! It was deserted! We could do or play anything we wanted. Even better yet, it never really rained just a few drops from a passing cloud or two.
We ended up staying there all day, without proper sunblock or beach gear. Of course this led to what I call our rainy day sun burns and the umbrella rental expense. BTW, umbrellas go for $27 the first day and $16 each subsequent day, if you reserve them all at the same time. I booked through Friday and was able to pay $80. (DH and Dad chided me for the rest of the week. So what! Im on vacation!) While at the beach house this day, all of us loved the pool games (kids rate 8.5). Also, the seas were calm as a pond and we only had a gentle breeze. Dinner was home-cooked. Afterward we totally enjoyed the 8PM dance party at the Big Dipper pool (kids rate 8, I rate 10), followed by a wonderful fireworks show (all rate 10+).
Wednesday, June 16
Another great day split between the pool and beach. We finally got around to renting bikes this day and wished we had done it sooner. I spent about an hour in the morning browsing the Shelter Cove shops and picking up some souvenirs. For dinner I chose the Red Fish Restaurant for celebrating my birthday. It was recommended by 3 separate locals, so I thought that was a good sign. It was absolutely delicious and we all loved our meals, even the kids. If I could re-wind the clock, though, I would choose Santa Fe for my birthday and Red Fish for a regular, but nice dinner out. Santa Fe was a little more affordable, too, I think. After dinner we tried to make it back in time for the campfire, but we were too late. Rats. This was the second time I missed it.
Thursday, June 17
Without advance planning, this day turned out to be father/son and mother/daughter day. In pairs, we biked up to the beach house, and played around a little. Then we went back to the resort so the boys could do their kayaking make-up (rating 9). DD9 and I enjoyed the Big Dipper slide and shuffleboard. After lunch, DD and I met Shadow and listened to BLou Crabbe tell her tales (DD rated 6, I rate 7). DH, DS, and Dad went to the Shipyard to hit some balls at the driving range. I think they paid $5 per bucket. This evening the kids attended their second kids nite out. It was a trip to the movies to see Around the World in 80 Days. They rated it a 9. While they did that, DH, Dad and I walked to Shelter Cove for dinner. We totally enjoyed our meal at PJs New York Deli. Dad was beside himself with glee because they sold grape Nehi. We rated the dinner a 10.
Oh, I almost forgot. The toilet in our 2nd bedroom broke this day. Something went wrong with the chain in the tank. We called maintenance right away and they fixed it within 2 hours.
Friday, June 18
Happy 40th birthday to me! I got to pick what we did this day, so I chose beach, beach, beach. We rode bikes to the beach house early and Dad followed in the car with all the stuff. We tried to bike to the lighthouse, but there was too much of a head wind and gave up after about a half mile. Dad spoiled me by cooking both lunch and dinner for the whole family. Then, after dinner, DD asked me to take her to the pool for a little while. Sure, why not. After about a half hour, she feigned fatigue and we returned to a villa full of balloons and cake. A little surprise party for me! It was the perfect ending to a great day. (I didnt even care that I missed my last chance to attend a campfire.)
Saturday, June 19
Ugh. Departure day. We packed up and were out of the villa by 1030 AM. Dad had to leave in the morning, as scheduled. But the 4 of us had a nice leisurely finale at the Big Dipper before heading up the road around 3:30 PM. The rest rooms by the workout room were very nice and met all our shower and changing needs. As an extra treat, the front desk was finally able to meet my request for a tour of a grand villa. It was awesome. I will definitely plan to save some points to bring family back to a 3br next time.
Overall Impression:
This was an excellent vacation. I highly recommend the resort and everything we did there. We definitely plan to go back.
The most pleasant surprise was discovering all the free towels at the pools. I had been expecting to use our own all week, but we didnt have to. I also have to say that the organized activities were very well done and definitely met Disney standards.
My only negative about the trip was our villa location. But, that wasnt Disneys fault. I blame DH since he didnt know any better. (According to Dad, there were about 5 other families checking in after us, so perhaps if he had asked, we might have been able to snag a better location.)
Thanks for reading.
Kelley
