DVC Hilton Head

[debpeduz]

Hello All,
My husband, 23 month old (at the time of our trip) and myself will be staying at the DVC Hilton Head resort in September for the first time. I was wondering if anyone had tips, advice or recommendations for us.
We will be eating out every night and maybe once or twice for breakfast. We will also be taking a day trip to Savannah, Georgia. We do not like to eat at chain restaurants if at all possible, so recommendations on great food places to eat would be great. We aren't super picky on the type of food, but we're hoping for some good seafood. We prefer to support local places, as long as the quality, atmosphere, service and food prep are good.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Nemo14]

Dining choices at the resort itself are very limited, but there are some restaurants nearby. There's a lot of helpful information here:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/hilton-head-resort.872544/#post-5699865

 

[Ariel484]

We stayed at Disney's resort in Hilton Head in July...here's my trip report if you want to check it out: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...hilton-head-island-resort-trip-report.870768/

We ate breakfast and lunch at the resort (Tide Me Over) or at the beach house (Signals) and went out for dinner each night (we were there 4 nights). When you check in the Cast Members will give you a list of area restaurants that will give you a 10-20% discount if you show your Key to the World card. Some of the places also have discounted menus if you eat a little earlier in the day (i.e. dinner before 6PM).

So we had 4 dinners. Two were comparable to 1-credit Table service places at WDW, two were comparable to Signature restaurants.

The Table Service-like places...
1. Giuseppi's Pizza and Pasta --> SO good, I would highly recommend this place. They were on the discount list. Our meal came out to about $30 (with appetizer, a pizza and a beer).
2. One Hot Mama's --> BBQ place. I'd skip it...not impressed. Plus when we were entering and leaving the complex we had a pretty aggressive guy trying to sell us timeshares, so I didn't love that.

The Signature-like places...
1. WiseGuys --> SUPER tasty. They seemed pretty kid-friendly and have a big GF menu and kids menu. Got a 20% discount here because our reservation was before 6PM
2. RedFish --> AMAZING, my favorite dinner of the trip! They also have a GF menu, and we saw plenty of kiddos here too. This place also had an early dining menu, --> soup/salad, entree and a glass of wine for $14.95!

Other food...
- They have free coffee in the lobby in the mornings...in the afternoons it's lemonade and cookies
- Sweet Carolina Cupcakes --> you must go here. YUM!
- They have Mickey Premium bars and ice cream sandwiches in the gift shop (Broad Creek Merchantile)

When you check in you'll be given a schedule of activities for the week and I'm pretty sure they had some aimed at toddlers, so that should be fun for the kiddo. They have nightly movies just like the WDW resorts...we really enjoyed that. And make sure you meet Shadow!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Texas84]

Do they still have the low country boil at the beach house? We enjoyed it.

May not be good with the kiddo but you can rent a bike at the resort and ride on the beach. The bike trails are amazing.

For Savannah, check out the trolley tours. Good seafood on the waterfront and you can watch the ships go by while you eat.

 

[debpeduz]

Thank you all for the tips!
Yes, I thought I read that there weren't too many dining options at the resort itself, which is fine. We are excited about exploring the area. And it's great that there are a few places that may offer dining discounts. I will be sure to check out the lips and trip reports posted!

 

[DisDadWoz]

Depending on exactly what you want to do, a half day over to Sea Pines resort area was fun for us. Some of it was "touristy" but we had fun. Including a beverage on the Quarterdeck under the iconic red/white lighthouse while we watched the yachts come into the harbor. Nice to dream Salty Dog was a one and done experience but we at least got to see it and shop a little. Savannah was great and you'll enjoy it. Trolley or walking are both viable options depending on how much time you have.

 

[slappy magoo]

Thank you all for the tips!
Yes, I thought I read that there weren't too many dining options at the resort itself, which is fine. We are excited about exploring the area.

Not only are there plenty of restaurants within a 5 minute drive, there are quite a few within a 5 minute walk. Across the walkway of the small bridge you use to enter the DVC resort, you'll find Shelter Cover marina, which is filled with cute little shops and restaurants. http://www.palmettodunes.com/shelter-cove-dining.php

If you've stayed in the Value resorts or the larger mods (Riverside) or Villas (Saratoga), the walk off property and to the cove is not unlike a walk from one of the farthest edges of those WDW properties to their respective main buildings. And considering you're not hauling a$$ to make a bus to a theme park, it's a relaxed pleasant walk. Hope you have a great time.

 

[Texas84]

Yikes, forgot about Shelter Cove. Definitely check it out. You can get a dolphin/porpoise/whatever cruise there. Relaxing tour of the island from the boat.

 

[Ohio HHI]

The Kingfisher is right next to the resort. Very friendly and great happy hour specials. Scott's Fishmarket in Sheltercove is wonderful - be sure to get the tomato salad dressing. The Hilton Head Diner has great breakfast. When you check-in be sure to ask for the HHi dining guides - they contain menus and specials etc.