So we checked out Disney's HHI resort

[steviej]

We stayed with friends of my in laws for thanksgiving who have a place just outside Hilton Head Island.

Have to say, wasn't blown away. Maybe I'm way too spoiled as a frequent WDW goer. But I was shocked when we walked into the ground floor of the main building/garage to see all kinds of pipes exposed. Honestly it reminded me of a NJ parking garage.

The resort is about what you would expect.

There was 1 thing that the Mrs and I lost our minds for though! Disney's Hilton Head Island resort is the only Disney hotel with a live mascot!

And the mascot is a beautiful Golden Retriever named Shadow! We're a little biased because we have a 1 year old Golden Retriever who's our 4 legged son. And what else could he be named except Disney?

We took the shuttle over to the beach where they have a second pool. But that wasn't the highlight, oh no! The snack bar on the ocean side had DOLE WHIPS! Oh man were we pleasantly surprised.

But overall, it was ok. Wouldn't need to go back. But to be honest, that's how we felt about Hilton Head Island overall.

 

[Simba's Mom]

This is such a perfect example of "Different strokes for different folks". We just came back from a 10 day stay at Disney's Hilton Head Resort and we loved it. We go for Thanksgiving every year, and 10 days is never enough for us. But I agree that the resort isn't for everyone-it's not on the ocean, the island is extremely hard to get around at night, small signs. I'm glad you were impressed with Shadow-she IS a sweetie and impossible not to love.

 

[epcotisbest]

This is such a perfect example of "Different strokes for different folks". We just came back from a 10 day stay at Disney's Hilton Head Resort and we loved it. We go for Thanksgiving every year, and 10 days is never enough for us. But I agree that the resort isn't for everyone-it's not on the ocean, the island is extremely hard to get around at night, small signs. I'm glad you were impressed with Shadow-she IS a sweetie and impossible not to love.

Definitely different strokes. We love HHI and especially the Disney resort, although there are lots of exceptionally nice places there. We go about once to twice a year. Great food, lots to see and do, miles and miles of bicycle paths, plenty of wildlife viewing etc...
I would take a return trip to HHI without hesitation.
Here is a trip report if anyone is interested:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/hilton-head-island-minimal-mickey-maximum-fun.880995/

 

[GoofGoof]

Pipes in a parking garage? Seriously?

I've only been to Disney HHI once but I thought it was pretty nice. The attention to detail reminded me of old school WDW resorts. As an example, while we were there someone hit the wall next to the elevator in the main building with one of the luggage carts and it left a big black scuff mark on the wall. The next day a guy was there with a bucket of paint touching up the spot. There seemed to always be someone cleaning up various areas of the resort. It was very well kept. The rooms had just recently been refurbed when I was there, but my room was in great shape too. There were lots of activities and opportunities to do things and the staff was really attentive. It's a very well run resort.

 

[twebber55]

we ve been once although its our home resort my wife likes Vero better because its on the ocean
i play golf so HH is a great place to go to for us

 

[flyerjab]

We love the HHI DVC resort, specifically because it is not like going to Orlando. Honestly, we just need a break every now and then from the crazy-awesomeness that is WDW.

It is laid-back, with clean rooms, a beautiful layout, and a beach house of all things (I don't feel that Disney does a great job of really letting people know about the beach house and what it offers). The ocean is perfect for us at HHI as it is warm enough to stroll right into (unlike the Jersey beaches where my feet go numb or waves come in and completely wipe people out) and the waves are still good enough to jump. The staff at HHI are exceptionally trained and really seem to enjoy where they work and what they are doing. We have had conversations with housekeeping, lifeguards, people at the registers, etc., and they are all genuinely nice people and always seem really interested in who we are and where we are from.

Another thing that is nice about this resort are the amenities. Two pools, an nice slide, the town hall that has the activities for kids (the expected DVC offerings for families). Beyond this though, you can rent fishing gear and go out on the pier located specifically at this resort - a favorite of my kids. You can also do paddle boarding or kayaking, plus other water activities. There are also bikes to rent, for as anyone who visits HHI is aware, they have the best bike paths. We ride them to get groceries, go to a breakfast cafe nearby, or take them to the beach house. The paths wind in and out of the trees and it is just beautiful; a nice way to get in some mild family exercise on the trip.

Probably the biggest monetary bonus is the fact that eating out doesn't mean dropping a small fortune like we do at WDW. Right across the marina there are at least 5 nice places to eat, and there is also night time entertainment there as well. But the island itself has a bunch of places to eat, both touristy and locale favorites. You can eat out a lot and not spend a ton of money like when at Disney.

In the end, we really love this DVC location (as well as Vero Beach). It allows for some variety when doing vacation planning, and we feel it really adds true value to becoming a DVC member.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

If you didn't like the garage at Hilton Head, then never book a stay at Kidani Villas.