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MY FAVORITE DISNEY RESORT: DISNEY'S HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESORTby Michelle Kosloff, PassPorter Guest Columnist I almost didn’t write this article as it is so tempting to keep this wonderful resort a secret but… I think my favorite Disney resort so far is Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.It isn’t close to any theme
park. It isn’t “in your face” Disney. It isn’t right on the beach. But it is
right on the marsh, relaxing, cozy, and fun. It had something for everyone in
our party – and boy, we did have a party! There were 17 of us in all,
ranging from There was a bedroom with a
King Bed and second bedroom with two Queen Beds. There was a full kitchen,
complete with stove, microwave, full size fridge, dishwasher and dishes and pots
enough for six people. There was also an apartment size washer and dryer in an
alcove. The dryer left a little to be desired but it did dry the clothes in a
second run. In our unit we had four adults, a “tween” and a teenager and we
never felt on top of each other. We all fit around the table for a meal and we
could all sit and watch TV together comfortably. Our unit was in a fabulous
location. We had a wonderful view of the marsh. We were close to the community
hall and the pool. We were not close to the main building but the only one who
spent a lot of time there was my teenage son who played a lot of pool. Because
the resort is small, it is not a long walk. There are tons of activities
at the resort. In the main lodge, there is Ben Murggie’s den where my son played
pool. In the den, there is also checkers and a TV with some very comfy couches.
There is a nice playground for the younger set. There is a shuffleboard court,
horseshoe pits, a basketball court, foosball table and Ping-Pong. There is a
very nice pier with a fishing area at the end. And of course there is the Big
Dipper pool and water slide. (I went up and down several times!) There is also a
kiddy pool and a large hot tub. Aside from all this, there
are also many scheduled, guided activities. Some had a charge but nothing was
outrageous. The most expensive were the kayaking trips which were $25 for adults
and $15 per child which is a reasonable rate for activities of this type at a
resort. One thing to remember is that for almost all activities, you had to
register in advance. You can do this at check-in. The more popular activities do
fill up. Since we were there with
such an age range, we were able to experience a number of the activities
offered. Some of the activities we attended: Toddler Time crafts ( ages 1-5),
Lady bugs ( ages 3-5), Dinosaurs (ages 7-10), Capture the Flag (Teens),
Geo-caching (families), Mickey Tie Dye (8+ - $15 DVC, $18 guests),
Shark Teeth Necklaces ($10 DVC, $12 Guests), and Secrets of the Marsh
(families). On the last activity we even had a surprise visit from a
dolphin! There is a campfire every
other night (one activity that did not require registration). Unfortunately the
rain didn’t seem to want to cooperate on the night we attended and it was cut
short but the kids still got S’mores. On alternate nights, there is Sweet
Goodnights. In this, children listen to a bedtime story and have cookies and
milk. Because we were there over
New Year’s there were additional parties. My son participated in the Teen party
($25 DVC, $30 Guests) and had a blast. He played Dance, Dance, Revolution, and
pool and had pizza, pop and candy. He met many friends which made his time on a
family vacation much more fun. If you aren’t the type for
group activities, there are still many other options. Disney does have a private
Beach House located right on the beach across the main drag from the resort. It
is a short drive over there or you can take a shuttle. We rented bikes for the
week so we rode over and it was a beautiful ride. Once there you use your room
key to access the Beach House. Inside there is a warm pool and a seasonal snack
bar (which unfortunately was closed while we were there due to the fact that it
was winter). There is an arcade and a nice warm area where we sat, watched TV
and warmed up while the younger ones played a bit longer on the
beach. For the golfers in our
party, Hilton Head is a golfing Finally for the ladies in
our group, there was shopping! Just off the island there is a good-sized outlet
mall (Tanger Outlets). We
all found many bargains there. One complaint I have heard
about this resort is that there is no full-service restaurant on site. There is
a snack bar, but nothing sit-down. We didn’t find this an issue. Since we had
the full kitchen, we purchased enough groceries at the Piggly-Wiggly (love the
name!) for breakfast and another meal and then ate out for the third. This plan
worked out well for us. I don’t like eating breakfast out and we like to
experience a variety of restaurants so we didn’t miss an on-site restaurant. But
you do need a car or at least bikes to get around as the We had to go for seafood
once and ended up at the Crazy Crab.
It had decent prices and the seafood was well done. We also visited the British Open Pub with
relatives who live in the area and the food there was very, very good.
Unfortunately for us, it was
rather cold when we were there. We were told that there are maybe two cold snaps
a year and unfortunately we hit one of them. The day we got there
it was very nice and had it been that temperature for the whole of the vacation,
it would have been fabulous. We could have hung out on our deck enjoying the
marsh view and spent more time around the pool but unfortunately it was
freezing. I guess that is the chance you take when visiting in
winter. We rented bikes for our stay
and again, we didn’t use them as much as we would have liked either because of
the cold. But for the first couple of days it was tons of fun to zoom around and
see the sights at a slower pace. There are designated bike paths all over the
island so there is much less concern about accidents. I would definitely
recommend them. You can rent right from Disney but they have limited
availability and are more expensive. We stopped by one of the many rental places
on the island and they dropped them off at the resort for us. My sister booked
hers beforehand and got a discount for using the internet and for booking two
weeks in advance. Hers were there ready for her when she checked
in. So if you decide to visit, be sure to get your activity guide when you check in and don’t be afraid to join in. Like any Disney resort, the Cast Members were super friendly and made everyone feel welcome and part of the group. You can relax and do nothing or have a vacation as busy as at any resort in Walt Disney World. Related Links: Disney Vacation Club's Hilton Head Island Resort
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