Daitcher said:
Jennifer,
Here is my take on things. First I would agree with the previous poster that getting a reservation with points is probably out. Call, wait list if you want but it would be a real stroke of luck to get in now. I would not recommend this resort to you at this point for the following reasons: 1) you must travel to get to the beach. I have a 3 year old and going back and forth to the beach can be inconvenient with a young family. 2) no on site dining at HH. They have a snack bar type set up, that is it. This for our family is a deal breaker right now. How is it fair to make my 3 year old get ready to eat out and then be forced to sit through an hour plus meal? We like to relax and eating out with him is not relaxing. If you eat out at home with your kids then this might not be an issue. Aslo if you plan to cook meals in then this wouldn't matter to you either. We don't cook on vacation, period. We will try this resort down the line but for now it is out for us. If I want a condo stay I'll do that right on the beach. I
I've been to Hilton Head Resort many times .....I haven't counted, but it's at least 15, maybe as high as 20 stays since 1997. My child was 4 on her first visit. You could say she's grown up there, as far as vacations go. I've heard the line 'if I want a condo stay, I'll do that right on the beach' many times. I usually just stay quiet and don't say a word. After all, I don't have enough Hilton Head points to book all my stays at 11 months, and I depend on using my BWV points to stretch out my time there as well as some cash nights. The more people that 'don't' like it, (or think they won't like it as a beach vacation, because after all, it's not on the beach!) the more availability for me!
With that said, to the original poster:
This resort will be perfect for you. It is filled with families with young kids and there are activities just for the younger kids. They have Goofy Bingo where just about every small child can win a small prize(usually a few candies). There are crafts, fishing pole playhouse, story times in PJ's, Shadow's funny bunny hunt, Pirates of The Calibogue - where they do a scavenger hunt around the resort, the unbirthday party where it's every child's birthday, and then the resort itself - which is what people who have never been there don't get - is just a huge playground for children. They can run under the trees, and along the paths, chase the bunnies, (don't worry they won't catch any!), swing in the hammocks, play in the playground under the live oaks, and fish for crabs off the pier. There is a little shuffleboard court, pingpong, and the campfires with smores. Even birdwatching is fun here, as there are many unusual birds. Play pool or checkers in Big Murgies or enjoy a glass of lemonade. Watch for Dolphins in the marsh - I've seen them there, but usually you will have to take a boat or go to the beach house to see some.
Being on DHHIR is an exclusive feeling. You drive over a little bridge, and through the gated entrance and you are still close to everything including the beach, but you have an away from it all feel. Cars are parked around the perimeter or in the parking garage, so - if you stay inside the villa area - there is no traffic. So if you are walking to the pool and the toddler wants to run ahead a few feet, you don't have to run and grab their hand - they can have a teeny bit of freedom. Going up the steps to check in, there is Shadow's doghouse complete with water bowl right on the deck. It's like walking into your own place, just to register -small and intimate- with cookies and lemonade if you arrive around 3ish. Outside, there is a deck area with a barbecue, where you can sit and relax.
The set up at the beach is perfect. There is a pool in the center of a 'square'. Parking underneath or out front. Keyed access. Large 'party' room where you can just relax in the cool and watch tv or play board games, plus a fireplace for chillier months. Signals snack bar, small game room, a small bar, changing and bathrooms, and usually plenty of loungers. A view of the water <g>. A gated access boardwalk to the beach with some outdoor showers to get the sand off you when you come back.
And, with the beach where it is, you can leave all the sand there when you come back to your room! It's easy to access, by bike, by car or by resort shuttle, and back at your resort you are not jammed into a little bit of beachfront access where if you don't have an oceanfront room, why be there?
And...DHHIR is a casual resort. It's just comfortable, all the way around. There are tons of casual dining choices within a five minute walk or drive, plus - you are in a villa with a kitchen. But you don't have to cook - get take away and serve it on your own dining table.
We prefer HH to WDW. No doubt. We love WDW and go there as well, but now...not as often as we used to. HH still has that Disney feel, and the best cast members as well.
Finally - this is one resort, that unless you've stayed there, you really cannot make an informed judgement about.
