What's so great about the HHI DVC resort?

[walkdmc]

I'm a new DVC member and have our first DVC WDW trip planned for Nov. DH is already grumbling about the hassles of an annual WDW trip. So, I'm looking into alternate plans for our DVC points.

We love to rent a beach house in the OBX every year. We all enjoy the beach so much since it's clean and uncrowded, regardless of when we go. I keep reading about the HHI resort and how people really like to vacation there. If you don't mind, what makes it so great?

When I mentioned the resort to a friend who vacations in Hilton Head annually, she remarked the Disney resort is on the bay side, not the beach. Is there still a beachy feel to the resort? Is there plenty of space to hang out on the sand and enjoy the water? How are the amenities at the resort? How's the food?

TIA!!!

 

[chalee94]

When I mentioned the resort to a friend who vacations in Hilton Head annually, she remarked the Disney resort is on the bay side, not the beach. Is there still a beachy feel to the resort? Is there plenty of space to hang out on the sand and enjoy the water? How are the amenities at the resort? How's the food?

yep - apparently you have to take a shuttle to the beach from the resort.

here is a useful trip report with pics:

Live from Hilton Head

the HHI resort fans will probably be along soon, but this thread might give you some positive vibes:

HHI owners and lovers thread

to get you started, here are some relatively recent discussions of HHI for ideas for food and things to do:

Dolphin Watching / HHI

Cheap Eats in Hilton Head?

Good HHI Restaurants

Be careful driving to HH and WDW this summer

(i'll be trying out a different timeshare at HHI soon - at this point, i've never been.)

 

[walkdmc]

Thanks for all the info!

I'll be especially interested in the shuttle service. We travel with a lot of gear (think John Candy in Summer Rental). What would the beach be without boogie boards, an umbrella, beach chairs, buckets, shovels, etc.? It would seem to me a shuttle might make that a tough trip to the beach. We usually rent a place a block from the beach so we just schlep our stuff there.

 

[Granny]

I'm a new DVC member and have our first DVC WDW trip planned for Nov. DH is already grumbling about the hassles of an annual WDW trip. So, I'm looking into alternate plans for our DVC points.

First of all, congratulations on your DVC ownership! Hopefully your DH will come around as far as visiting WDW.

We love to rent a beach house in the OBX every year. We all enjoy the beach so much since it's clean and uncrowded, regardless of when we go. I keep reading about the HHI resort and how people really like to vacation there. If you don't mind, what makes it so great?

HH is a very relaxing, laid back resort. It is situated in the middle of the island away from the beach but on a lovely marina on one side and a vast marsh area on the other side. The CM's are very good and Hilton Head Island is chock-full of restaurants to get your seafood (or any other type of cuisine) fix.

When I mentioned the resort to a friend who vacations in Hilton Head annually, she remarked the Disney resort is on the bay side, not the beach. Is there still a beachy feel to the resort? Is there plenty of space to hang out on the sand and enjoy the water? How are the amenities at the resort? How's the food?

Disney's resort is not directly on the beach. However they do have a beach house area directly on the beach...about 3/4 of a mile or so? We rented bikes from Disney for a very inexpensive amount for our week stay. We used them to get from the resort to the beach, though there is also a shuttle. The beach house is very nice with a pool, locker rooms and a counter service restaurant. The beach there is very wide and we've only gone in the off-season so it was not crowded at all.

The resort has limited food/restaurant options since Hilton Head has so many restaurants.

Another activity might be a day trip into Savannah. It's a lovely city with a lot of historical tours and such.

I'm not sure when you are planning on travelling but Hilton Head resort can be very challenging to book during the summer months if you are not an owner there.

My DW and I really enjoyed our stay at HH and look forward to returning at some point.

 

[chalee94]

I'll be especially interested in the shuttle service. We travel with a lot of gear (think John Candy in Summer Rental).

the guy with the trip report mentioned that they chose to drive to the beach house so i'd assume there is some parking closer to the beach if you wanted to do that instead of taking the shuttle... i'm not sure how it's set up, though.

 

[Connears]

the guy with the trip report mentioned that they chose to drive to the beach house so i'd assume there is some parking closer to the beach if you wanted to do that instead of taking the shuttle... i'm not sure how it's set up, though.

We have gone to HHI for the last 5 summers and love it for many of the reasons already stated. We always drive to the beach house, because we bring our own chairs, umbrella etc( we drive from Boston). Your parking pass gets you into Palmetto Dunes gate and then into the beach house parking lot. We have always found parking in the morning, but try to get in the covered underground parking, but there are only a few spots there. Other wise we park in the parking lot infront of beach house(under a shade tree).

Connears

 

[nickspace]

Don't worry about anything. Just go there and soak it in! It really is a nice place and very relaxing. The trip to the beach is easy and the beach house gives you a place to go with some nice amenities. You will enjoy yourself!

 

[MinnieGi]

We are also big fans of HHI and have made four annual summer trips there and are already planning our 5th. HHI has lots of Disney touches with a laid back relaxed atmosphere. The actual villas resemble a fishing lodge which fits perfectly for their location on the marsh. Lots of outdoor recreation to do. They have a fishing pier and rent out equipment, crabbing stuff, kayaking tours, dolphin tours, marsh walks for families, walks on the vegetation around the resort.

The villas are located across from Shelter Cove Marina which is part of the Palmetto Dunes Plantation. The marina has several walkable restaurants and shops which make for a pleasant evening. Plus family singer Shannon Tanner is there during the summer.

The beach house is a straight shot about a mile into Palmetto Dunes. The beach house is very nice and you can park and walk right onto the beach. We carry loads of stuff for the beach and also must drive. We've never taken the shuttle. Its very convenient and often we get parking under the beach house so our van is in the shade. The beach house also has a pool, bar, and snack bar service as well as an air conditioned room with tv's. The pool has a volleyball net in it and they do run pool game activities over there on certain days. HHI's beach is beautiful. Now not as sparse as OBX, but still plenty of space to spread out. The ocean temp in June was 84 degrees!!

The resort runs a full activity list for all. They have arts and crafts like Mickey tie-dye shirts, vacation pillows, character mugs etc. They have kids and teen nights out. They have activities like making slime and bouncy balls, dinosaur projects and ladybugs for the toddlers. They do They also have pool games, pool karaoke, goofy bingo by the pool, pool party with dancing and games. B'lou is HHI's entertainer and puts on magic shows, ghost talks, etc. He often leads Shadow (HHI's mascot) around also for meet and greets and tales about Shadow.

And of course the villas have a pool with slide. There is a snack bar close to the pool complex also as well as a gift and supply store and refillable mug station. They also have shuffleboard, ping-pong tables, fooseball table in that area also as well as a community hall where lots of activities are held.

HHI is loaded with restaurants all great to try. It has never bothered me that Disney doesn't have a restaurant b/c there are so many to try on the island and all easy to get too.

What is really great about HHI - the cm's here are fantastic!! They are very friendly and we often greet the same ones every year!

 

[5forDiz]

If HHI is reasonable drive from your home try to check it out for couple of days and see what you think. We drive to/from WDW and almost always stop at least 1 night (preferably more) at Disney HHI both legs of trip. Our family this resort. It really is the best of both worlds. We love the calm, beautiful location at Shelter Cove and there are a number of shops, restaurants within easy walking distance. And the Beach House is awesome too; we always drive there & have not had any trouble parking, but it is also a reasonable walk or bike ride there and the shuttle runs regular schedule if you opt to take that. There are planned activities at both main resort and beach house locations. We've vacationed at OBX too so I think you'll find HHI to be much to your liking.

Hope you get to visit there soon

 

[buzz5985]

Be careful - if your family is anything like mine - they will prefer HHI to anyplace at WDW.

 

[ajf1007]

I am going for a quick girls long weekend in August. Do I understand correctly that AT the beach there is the beach house and a pool and AT the resort there is also a pool? Planning on lots of relaxing, cocktails, eating, spa treatments! Now that's a girls weekend IMHO!

 

[ajf1007]

I'm a new DVC member and have our first DVC WDW trip planned for Nov. DH is already grumbling about the hassles of an annual WDW trip. So, I'm looking into alternate plans for our DVC points.

We love to rent a beach house in the OBX every year. We all enjoy the beach so much since it's clean and uncrowded, regardless of when we go. I keep reading about the HHI resort and how people really like to vacation there. If you don't mind, what makes it so great?

When I mentioned the resort to a friend who vacations in Hilton Head annually, she remarked the Disney resort is on the bay side, not the beach. Is there still a beachy feel to the resort? Is there plenty of space to hang out on the sand and enjoy the water? How are the amenities at the resort? How's the food?

TIA!!!

Congrats on your DVC purchase and Welcome Home! We too are pretty new members (1 1/2 years now) and my DH did the same thing with the yearly vacations. I had to remind him that he created this monster - he took me as a suprise a two years ago (it was my first time ever!) and I've been hooked ever since. But, I have to say, I am excited to check out the other resorts outside of WDW. Also heading to HHI in AUgust for a girls only trip (he'll have to see the pictures) and then to DL in October, to the GCV and planning a few days to step outside the magic. So, what I really like about DVC is the options! Options Options are key for me! Hope you get what you want in November and again, Congrats!

 

[Granny]

I am going for a quick girls long weekend in August. Do I understand correctly that AT the beach there is the beach house and a pool and AT the resort there is also a pool? Planning on lots of relaxing, cocktails, eating, spa treatments! Now that's a girls weekend IMHO!

Correct...pools at both locations. Sounds like you have a great weekend planned and HH should be a super location for it.

 

[canda]

If you would have seen the post from people back around 1999-2001 you would be very scared to ever come to HHI. People on these boards (who never stayed there) would talk about how boring and bad Disney's HHI resort was. I took a trip there in 1997 on a ad from a magazine for $99 and fell in love. It was so nice back then to not have huge crowds, but now, everyone knows that it is the best DVC resort in the line up. even with the crowded summer months, it is still awesome. If i have a "happy place", it is the Disney HHI resort. I love the fact that the resort is on the island in the marsh and not on the beach. i love having the beach house to use. Hilton head Island has so many good places to eat, unlike OBX. But in no way like Myrtle Beach.

 

[Who's your Mickey?]

HHI is a great place, but you have to know what you are getting. There is no boardwalk or any real nighttime entertainment district. You can go to Sea Pines (southern tip of the Island) and visit Harbor Town or South Beach Marina Village or head over toward Coligny Beach. Shelter Cove is not far from the resort, but other than some restaurants and limited shopping, there's not a ton to do. If any of you are golfers, HHI is right up your alley. You will be within a 30 minute drive of dozens of magnificently manicured golf courses.

There are a ton of excellent restaurants and bars where you can enjoy a fine meal and watch an exquisite sunset. But ask a local about those. Most hotels will direct you to restaurants favored by tourists. Those are good, but the real gems are hidden off the beaten path. HHI is a fantastic place if you are going to relax and enjoy peace and quiet. If you are seeking a Myrtle Beach style nightlife, it will not deliver.

 

[Girlie1]

Just to add my 2 cents - I bought a small contract at HHI because I wanted a studio in the summer and had been unable to get one for 2 years. So when I saw a 50pt contract with my use year, I scooped it up. We just had our first trip there 6/27-7/2 and my family absolutely loved the resort and the staff. I have two boys 10 and 6 and they loved all of the activities at the resort. The island itself is beautiful, loved the beach house and lots of choices for restaurants. We loved it so much that when we came home I immediately started looking for a larger contract to add on.

 

[quentina]

I'm a new DVC member and have our first DVC WDW trip planned for Nov. DH is already grumbling about the hassles of an annual WDW trip. So, I'm looking into alternate plans for our DVC points.

We love to rent a beach house in the OBX every year. We all enjoy the beach so much since it's clean and uncrowded, regardless of when we go. I keep reading about the HHI resort and how people really like to vacation there. If you don't mind, what makes it so great?

When I mentioned the resort to a friend who vacations in Hilton Head annually, she remarked the Disney resort is on the bay side, not the beach. Is there still a beachy feel to the resort? Is there plenty of space to hang out on the sand and enjoy the water? How are the amenities at the resort? How's the food?

TIA!!!

It's terrible....if I were you, I would stay away

It is one of the most amazing vacation spots. Just to give you an idea, I have 3 kids (13, 8 and 6). About 2 years ago, $$$ were tight and I told the kids, only one trip this year. Let them pick DW or HHI. All 3 picked HHI. I was shocked...naturally, I assumed that they would pick the world.

 

[quentina]

I am going for a quick girls long weekend in August. Do I understand correctly that AT the beach there is the beach house and a pool and AT the resort there is also a pool? Planning on lots of relaxing, cocktails, eating, spa treatments! Now that's a girls weekend IMHO!

All correct except the spa treatments....not sure where you would go for them. It is a very laid back resort....picture lying in a hammock and swinging.

 

[El&Asmom]

We just came back from our first trip to HH on Sat. We stayed 5 nights, and drove there from Chicago. Our first contract was at HH as a resale since I thought it would be a great place for dh and I after the kids got older. We got a good price and it was loaded.

We loved the resort, but surprisingly we didn't love the vacation as much as I thought we would. Don't get me wrong, I loved the resort, location, villas and many of the hotel activities. It's just that we realized that we are not beach people, and I have a hard time spending hours at the pool. The difficulty for us is that we have three kids under age 7 with the youngest being only 20 months. At WDW, there is always something to do or somewhere to go with a little pool time thrown in for the kids. At HH island, there are lots of great outdoor activities, but they're not great for young kids. Dh and I would have loved to go hiking, on a long bike ride, or to explore some of the shops. Our kids are too young for these activities. We went on a couple of bike rides, but dd who is 7 could only go for a couple of miles. The nature stuff is not interesting to them yet, and none of them really liked the beach for more than about an hour tops. We spent a majority of the vacation in the main pool which dds liked, but I got bored with.

I know we will love a HH island vacation one day. Our plan is to go again in about 3-4 years when dd3 is 4-5 and our oldest will be 10-11. At that time, they will be able participate in more activities, (including the kids night out), and hopefully will be more interested in the beach and other outdoor activities.

This was just our experience with our family this year. The resort is fantastic and I'm sure will be a family favorite soon. (And BTW, dd1 said she liked HH better than WDW, but that's because she would live in a pool if we let her). Hopefully, I'll get a TR together soon. It was a fun week, it was just so different than being at WDW which I felt like I missed while we were there.

 

[klcts]

I'm with the last post. Just got back from HHI and even though the resort is nice, I felt like something was missing. We also have young kids who wouild get bored of the pool or beach quickly. So as parents we where always searching for something else to do, not saying that there wasn't anything to do because there was.

Just that at the other resorts in orlando, with so much to do and the pools being much nicer, the kids never complained at all. So it made our vacation much more enjoyable at the other resorts.

Again, I think when the kids get older, I might visit again. But with that said we are very happy with our home resort (AKV), and I think we will spending our summers there.