PassPorter Online
PassPorter.com
Award-winning travel guidebooks
Home Florida - Walt Disney World Caribbean - Disney Cruise Line California - Disneyland Resort Anywhere and Everywhere! Travelers Store Message Boards PassPorter's Club Help!
  About Us  |  Customs Office   |   Register Your Book   |   Book Updates   |  Newsletter  |  Articles  |  Photos  |   Follow Us on
Articles Menu
PassPorter Articles
Planning
Disney Dreaming
What Keeps Us Coming Back
Disney for Veteran Visitors
Rumor Round-Up
Finding Answers
Best Disney Trip Advice
Getting Your Disney Fix
How Young Is Too Young?
Top Ten Disney Questions
Tipping (Gratuities)
Timeshare Vacation Offers
Disney World on a Budget
Credit Cards 101
Money-Saving Strategies
Preparing Kids For Disney
Taking Toddlers to Disney
Planning Trips for Others
Convincing Others To Go
Importance of Being Lazy

Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
Ten "Must Pack" Items
Touring With A Group
Chaperoning A Group Trip
Traveling
Ten Travel Tips
Luggage Tips
iPhone, I Travel
Driving to Disney
Driving With Kids
Child Safety Seats
CARES Harness Review
Rental Cars
Amtrak Auto Train
Airline Security
Flying With Kids
Surviving Long Flights
Surviving Bumpy Flights
Surviving Bad Vacations
Surviving Long Airport Waits
Staying Healthy
First Aid on Vacation
Solo Travel
Pregnant at Disney
Dress For Travel
Traveling With Pets
International Travel
Taking A 'Greener' Trip to WDW

Orlando Sanford Airport
Lodging
Choosing a Resort
On-Site Lodging vs. Off-Site Lodging
Disney Resort Primer
Reserving a Room
Key to the World Card
Fun at Resort Hotels
Disney Vacation Club
All-Star Movies
All-Star Music
All-Star Sports
All-Star Vacation Homes
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Perfect for Teens
Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club
BoardWalk Inn & Villas
Contemporary Resort
Ft. Wilderness Camping
Old Key West
Wilderness Lodge
Home Sweet Home
Grand Californian #1
Grand Californian #2
Grosvenor Resort
Hilton Resort
Orlando Airport Marriott
Priceline.com
Radisson Resort Parkway
Shades of Green
Westin Century Plaza
Making The Most of Bell Services at Disney's Deluxe Resorts
DVC's Old Key West Resort
Cruising
Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
New Ships!
Cruise Security
International Port Security
Convincing a Husband to Cruise
Palo Dinner Review
Vow Renewals Onboard
Cruising With Special Diets
Cruising St. Martin
One in a Million Cruise
Zip-A-Dee-Zip-Line: A Canopy Adventure
A 'Magic' Time In The Mediterranean
A Wrap-Up From DCL's Inaugural Mediterranean Cruise
DCL: Not Just for Kids!
Spa Villas Review
Touring
Laugh Floor Comedy Club
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Fantasyland For Adults
Mission: SPACE
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Star Wars Weekends
Animal Kingdom
Expedition EVEREST
Surviving the Parks as First Time Parents
Surviving the Holidays
Overcoming Kids Fears
Planning Park Days
Four Parks in One Day
Touring with Toddlers
A Kid's Perspective
A Teen's Take
Educational Epcot
Flower & Garden Festival
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Scary Places (Halloween)
Playing "Millionaire"
Winning "Millionaire"
A Day With Allie
Past Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Meeting Mickey
Disneyland at 50
Future of Disneyland
Beyond the Disney Parks
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Monorail System
California Adventure
Expanding Disney's California Adventure
10 Reasons to Love Disneyland
A WDW Veteran's First Trip to Disneyland
A Disneyland Veteran's First Trip to Walt Disney World
Disneyland Homecoming
Walt Disney World With Pre-Teen Boys
Keys To The Kingdom Backstage Tour
Pirates & Princess Party
WDW with Teens? Absolutely!
Dining
Disney Dining Plan
More Dining Plan Tips
Dining Plan Revisited
Dining Plan Answers
Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) Strategies
Artist Point Review
California Grill Review
Nine Dragons Review
Spoodles Review
The Turf Club Review
Crystal Palace Review
Yak & Yeti Review
Tutto Italia Review
Character Dinners
Dine With A Disney Imagineer
Eating Healthy at Disney
Food Allergies
White Water Snacks
MurderWatch Mystery Theatre
Disneyland Dining: Yamabuki
Disneyland Area Dining: Pirate's Dinner Adventure
Party For The Senses
Artist Point
1900 Park Fare Dinner Review
Making Magic
Romance At Disney World
Beating The Post Trip Blues
Discovering the Magic
Magic of Slowing Down
Unexpected Treasures
Wishes Fireworks Cruise
Backstage Tours
Epcot's Segway Tour
Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
Taking Great Photos
Taking Great Fireworks Photos
Digital Photo Q & A
Souvenirs on a Budget
Pal Mickey
Birthdays at Disney
Reunions and Gatherings
Holidays (Christmas)
More Holidays
Disney Intimate Weddings
Disney Vow Renewals
Custom Events
Scrapbooking
Preserving Memories
Scrapbooking Supplies
Finding Scrapbook Supplies at WDW
Memories and Milestones
Scavenger Hunts
Geocaching
Hidden Mickeys
Hidden Mickeys Book Review
Richard Petty Experience
More Richard Petty Rides
Ft. Wilderness Trail Ride
Disney Podcasts
MouseFest 2006
Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba
Sharing
Making of PassPorter
Rest of the World
United States:
Big Apple Greeter
City Pass Cards
Hawaii
Hilton Head Island #1
Hilton Head Island #2
Celebration, Florida
Key Largo & Islamorada
Miami, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Space Coast, Florida
Tampa-St. Petersburg
WonderWorks (Orlando)
Knoebels, Pennsylvania
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
Anza-Borrego Desert
Grand Canyon
The Poconos
New York City
New York Splash Tours
New York City Dining
New York: Antiques
New England
New Orleans
Nashville, Tennessee
Adventures by Disney: Wyoming
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Zoos of the World
Universal Studios Orlando
New Attractions at Universal Orlando
Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Universal Orlando
Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Universal: For Non-Thrill Seekers?
Madison County, Iowa
The Great Smoky Mountains
Yosemite
Discovery Cove (Orlando)
Busch Gardens Africa: SheiKra Coaster Review
NASCAR AllState 400
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Niagara Falls, New York
Blue Horizons at SeaWorld Orlando
International Travel:
London
London Museums
London's Globe Theatre
Kent, England
Bath, England
Great Britain via Harry Potter
Stonehenge
Ireland
Paris
Marseilles
Rome
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
Quebec City, Canada
Prince Edward Island
South Africa
Leeds Castle
Pompeii
Windsor Castle
Wimbledon
Menorca
Dover Castle
Florence
Monaco
Niagara Falls, Ontario

Disney Vacation Club's Hilton Head Island Resort

by Jill Koenig, PassPorter Guest Columnist

How could a Disney vacation possibly be any fun without characters or rides? Come to Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in the Low Country of South Carolina and you will soon discover how.

Instead of searching out the Yeti on Expedition Everest, you will most likely spend your days gazing over the gorgeous marsh from your balcony or meandering down the oak-lined paths that run throughout the resort. The peace, tranquility and simple beauty of this resort will capture your heart and spirit from the moment that you check in. Some of our fondest memories of our trip involved just exploring the resort. Whether it was playing horse shoes with our older daughter on a spot overlooking the marsh or pointing out the birds to our younger daughter while walking down the pier, we found delight in the simplest pleasures.

Don't assume that the only thing to do at the resort is to be awed by nature. When you check in, you are given a Recreation Activities Calendar that is packed full of activities and tours for all ages. There are also two pools at the resort: one at the resort itself and one at the Beach House which is located on the other side of Route 278 (otherwise known as the William Hilton Parkway, the Island's main drag), to which you can either take a resort shuttle or drive your car.

Each day, we alternated where we spent our pool time. At the Beach House, we actually enjoyed the other amenities as much as we enjoyed their large pool. When my husband took our younger daughter back to our villa for a nap, my older daughter and I played a fierce game of ping pong and then retreated inside to the cool and comfortable Surfman's Station for board games. The Big Buoy Arcade is also located at the Beach House, but outdoor activities kept us too busy. We also spent time on the beach where a fellow vacationer taught us how to rescue starfish from the pools that formed on the beach after high tide and return them to their rightful place in the ocean. My daughter is still talking about saving those starfish.

The resort pool, The Big Dipper, is located next to The Pool House which is home to the Broad Creek Mercantile, Tide Me Over snack bar, the Community Hall, Bend & Stretch Exercise Room, and the Recreation Activity Sign-Up Window. In addition to a large pool, there is also a winding water slide for the more adventurous and a baby pool, The Little Dipper, for the tikes in your party. A shuffleboard court and ping pong tables are also located nearby for when you are ready for a break from the pool. Within steps of the pool, a 300-foot pier stretches out over the marsh where you can fish or just take in the beauty of day.

The fun doesn't stop at this resort when the sun goes down. Our older daughter looks forward to the nighttime activities the entire day. She and her dad participated in the Campfire two nights enjoying songs and s'mores. They are still singing the songs that they learned those nights!

Her favorite activities starred Disney's biggest commodity in Hilton Head: B'Lou Crabbe. You will not find Mickey or Minnie at this resort, but B'Lou Crabbe is Hilton Head's answer to these Disney counterparts. He is not a character in the Disney sense of the word; instead, he is a gentleman of character who is a jack-of-all-trades and a lover of magic, music and folklore.

One night he entertained my older daughter and me with a magic show and then, two hours later, he thrilled my husband and daughter with ghost stories. Hearing my six-year-old daughter dramatically recount a ghost story of local legend from my own childhood was pure magic for me.

One of the biggest highlights of our trip came about from my daughter's obsession with a certain dog named Shadow. Shadow is to B'Lou Crabbe what Pluto is to Mickey. She is the mascot of the resort and has quite a following. As the legend goes, she belonged to the owner of the land on which the resort was built and she had free reign over that piece of property. When Disney purchased the land, Shadow did not want to leave her home and kept popping up during construction. Shadow's owner finally gave her to Disney since she seemed to belong to the land more than any one person. You can even see "paw prints" in the foyer of the villas -- an homage to the mischievous Shadow.

Shadow is a beautiful golden retriever who is getting a little older, but is still the sweetest dog you will ever meet. She endures hours of being petted and pulled on by children without a whimper and greets everyone with a wag of her tail. Shadow usually makes daily appearances around the resort, so we were excited to hear one morning that Shadow would be at her dog house, which is located on the porch of the Live Oak Lodge where you check in. Our villa happened to be only steps away, so at the appointed time, my older daughter and I stepped out of our villa and immediately set sight on B'Lou Crabbe and Shadow. For the next two hours, we sat at B'Lou's feet while he played his fiddle and a mandolin, sang and told us stories. Of course, there was much petting of Shadow too! It was an incredible two hours of Low Country magic and it rivaled any show that you will ever see at Disney World.

Also located in the Live Oak Lodge is Big Murggie's Den where you can relax in a comfortable leather chair or play a game of pool. My older daughter beat her dad in checkers one night in that cozy room.

There are countless other activities to interest people of all ages: kayaking, crafts, nature walks, and dolphin cruises just to name a few. Do not worry about being bored if you're the type of person who does not enjoy sitting on the beach with a book. You can make your vacation as relaxing or jam packed as you wish.

One of my favorite activities, eating, is not forgotten on Hilton Head Island. Some of the best restaurants on the island can be found a short walk from the resort at Shelter Cove Harbour. During the day, we enjoyed delicious sandwiches from Tide Me Over at the resort pool and Signals snack bar at the Beach House. Surfman's Sand Bar at the Beach House serves refreshing tropical drinks and smoothies for the smaller set. My daughter highly recommends the Cookie Monster smoothie.

Vacationing at Disney's Hilton Head Resort has become an annual tradition for our family. It's just not summer if we don't spend at least a long weekend at our favorite Low Country retreat. Just like Disney World, it has something for everyone in our family.

I spent every evening of our trip sipping a glass of wine on our balcony while watching the sun set over the marsh. As day drifted into night, I marveled as the sky turned from orange to red to purple. Disney's Hilton Head Resort had cast its spell on me once again.

About the Author: Jill is a proud member of the PassPorter Message Board where she loves writing trip reports about her latest Walt Disney World vacation and exchanging advice with fellow PassPorters. In her real life, she works in the Information Technology department of an insurance company and enjoys reading and cooking. She loves nothing more than being in her happy place with her husband, Thom, and their two daughters, Mary Devall and Maddie.

This article appeared in our October 4, 2007 newsletter -- subscribe to our popular newsletter today for free!

Related Articles:

  • Hilton Head Island
  • Old Key West
  • Disney Vacation Club

    Return to PassPorter.com | Visit the PassPorter Message Boards
     
     

    Updated 01/18/2008 



    Read additional articles from PassPorter.com

    Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter, PassPorter News, published for more than 58,000 opt-in subscribers worldwide. As an added bonus for subscribing, you will receive a 20% discount coupon for the PassPorter Store -- no catch!

    E-mail Address:

    First Name:

    E-mail Format:
    -Text/Don't Know  

    -HTML

     
     

    We respect your privacy and never sell or rent our subscriber list. Subscribing will not result in more spam! We guarantee it.

    AddThis Social Bookmark Button

    Copyright 1999-2015
    by PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.

  •        LEARN MORE
    Learn More With Our Award-Winning Guidebooks


    PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook

    PassPorter's Sidekick for the Walt Disney World Guidebook e-book

    PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide

    PassPorter's Disney 500: Fast Tips for Walt Disney World Trips e-book

    PassPorter's Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten Step Program to a Perfect Walt Disney World Vacation e-book

    PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons

    PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World e-book

    PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World

    PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line guidebook

    PassPorter's Disney Cruise Clues: First-Class Tips for Disney Cruise Trips

    PassPorter Disneyland Resort and Southern California Attractions guidebook

    PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line guidebook

           SPONSOR LINKS