Travel Tuesday Tales: Take a "Tour" of Disney's Hilton Head Resort

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We are back from a wonderful trip to Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. I promised to give you a quick “trip report” after we got back to share with you a little of the beauty and charm of this place. Those of you who are fans of our Facebook page may have seen some photos last week, but I wanted to give you a little more detail…and some additional pictures today.

First a little background: Disney’s Hilton Head resort is a Disney Vacation Club property, although non-DVC members can stay there by paying the standard room rate, or probably a better way, by “renting” points from a DVC member. As with other DVC properties, the number of points paid vary by day of the week and time of the year. Obviously, peak times like the summer at Hilton Head, cost more than the middle of January. And typically, when using points, Sunday through Thursday nights cost fewer points than Friday and Saturday nights. We chose to stay Sunday through Friday nights, so to only pay for one expensive night….

Disney’s Hilton Head resort offers, as is typical with most DVC properties, three “sizes” of accommodations: studios (think large hotel room with mini-kitchenette), one bedroom (living/dining space, full kitchen, 1 bedroom and 1 ¾ shared bathroom space: double sink/whirlpool tub on one side, and sink, toilet and shower stall on the other) and two bedroom villas, which adds a second bedroom and full bath to the one bedroom. And if you need even more space than that, you can rent a grand villa.

We were traveling with 3 college girls (DD and two friends) in addition to my husband and me, so a two bedroom was necessary. The girls all had their own bedroom and bath, and we had the same. Lots of space to spread out, and the ability for them to keep all their stuff in one place made things comfortable for all of us.

There was also a small deck with picnic table and two rocking chairs for spending time outside and enjoying the peacefulness of the resort. While it was pretty darn hot while we were there, I have to say that the huge old oak trees and Spanish moss provide more than just a sense of picturesque stateliness: they provide lots of much-needed shade!

There are several things that make this a great place to relax. To start, the resort is actually located on a small island, between Shelter Cove harbor and marina and Broad Creek, a marshy area that is perfect for small boats, kayakers, crabbing, fishing…and dolphin watching.

There are also lots of bike/walking paths winding throughout the resort, as well as outside of Disney’s resort. We brought bikes with us, but you can rent them too. Biking is a great way to get around on Hilton Head, and you will find that many folks use that as their main method of transportation while there.

Interestingly, this resort is not located on the beach, and many folks find that to be a negative…but I have to say that for us, it was not a problem at all. In fact, I kind of liked the sense of being “away from it all”…and it is only a mile away, so it is easy to drive to (although you need to get there early to get a parking space), bike to, or take Disney’s convenient shuttle. The Disney property at the Hilton Head beach has a lovely beach house with a snack bar, game area, shower facilities and pool.

There is, of course, another pool at the main resort, where we spent most of our afternoons, once it got too hot on the beach. With a slide, baby pool, and hot tub (which was pretty empty while we were there lol, due to the heat), this pool is a popular place for kids and adults. And of course, Disney offered a variety of events and games at the pool throughout the week.

In fact, Disney, being Disney, has a lot going on every day! With 5 adults, we probably did not take advantage of the many choices offered the way families with young children might…but I have to say that there is no excuse for anyone to say they were bored at Disney’s Hilton Head resort. Campfires, s’mores, singalongs, ghost stories, tours, boat trips, kids night out, teens night out, beach parties, karaoke, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts….well you get the picture. The castmembers in the recreation department do an awesome job of providing a wide variety of fun and family friendly activities. The main house (where you check in) even has a game room with a pool table, checkerboard and fireplace that would be awesome to experience if you visit during the cooler months.

One “special” castmember at Disney’s Hilton Head resort is Shadow, an elusive but much-loved dog that was adopted when the property was first being built. Apparently, the workers found themselves being visited every day by a stray that they named Shadow, and when the property was completed, Shadow became the official mascot. (Whether the Shadow in residence is the same Shadow as the “original” is hard to say, but I don’t know that children especially care….) Shadow is a permanent fixture at the resort now, and while he/she is not often around (hence the name Shadow), he/she does make special appearances throughout the week.

And if there is not enough for you to do at the resort, there are plenty of great activities all around Hilton Head Island. A special event each Tuesday night during the summer months is actually held in the Shelter Cove area right next to Disney’s property: Harborfest, where thousands arrive for great food, fun music and activities….and fireworks on Broad Creek, right behind Disney’s property. Since it was all literally right there, there was no driving or parking necessary as we were right there…. and had a front row seat for the fireworks. (Important note: don’t expect Wishes…..but it was nice nevertheless )

So briefly (OK, maybe not so briefly), these are some highlights of Disney’s Hilton Head resort. It was our first visit for a full week during the summer and I cannot tell you how much we all enjoyed it! Would I go back? Oh absolutely! (I will say though, even though I love hot weather, I might pick late spring next time…..)

It’s a very different experience from vacationing at Walt Disney World…which is part of what makes this place so special. That Disney “magic” is there too though, so you kind of get the best of both worlds….and Disney offers little “reminders” all around the resort, just in case you forget.