For our first visit to Hilton Head Island we decided to use our DVC (Disney Vacation Club) points to stay at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort. Growing up on the Pacific Coast and only living in Texas for a little over a decade, we had never really experienced the Southern Atlantic Coast. Visiting this region for our spring break, was one of our better ideas.
We were only spending three nights at the resort, but we did have two full days to enjoy the island. Yes, it is an island. Don’t blink or you will miss the bridge that you are going over to reach the island. It is slow moving on the island since it is all surface roads, but you learn a couple of things verily quickly. One, the signage on the island is low and hard to read unless you are only a few feet away, so you will probably miss your turn. Two, there are only two-three colors allowed on the buildings. You have to know where you’re going, and GPS definitely helps get you there. You need to drive slowly and keep your eyes peeled to find your destination. The Disney Resort is located in a division on the island called Shelter Cove and is actually on an island called Broad Creek connected by a small bridge. There is a large sign where you turn in marking the division and an even smaller sign letting you know to turn here for the resort. Once you turn in, you can follow the small signs to the small bridge that takes you to the front of the resort. There are boat docks on one side of the island that the Disney Resort sits on and a marsh on the opposite. There are splendid sunsets along the marsh as the light bounces off the water. They have a long dock that you can walk along to a fishing pier to have amazing views.
When you approach the large three-story building to check in, you immediately notice the staircase you need to walk up to get to the first floor. All the buildings are built up off the island about a half a story to a story. Because of all the stairs, you need to be aware of the elevator, which is to the right, if you have mobility issues. You will notice, to the left of the building, Shadow’s dog house next to a simulated topiary of Mickey Mouse. The dog house isn’t lived in, and we figured Shadow was just a myth, but there is an actual Shadow. He is a lovable golden retriever that roams, with a cast member, around the resort from time to time to meet and greet with the guests. There are several opportunities to meet him.
Walking up the staircase, you will first encounter a cast member ready and waiting to help you. They aren’t there all the time, because they sometimes will be roaming the grounds finding out how they can make your stay better or magical. They direct you to the check in desk and they will have plenty of information about the island and the resort. The cast member checking us in was my future self. She grew up 30 minutes from where I grew up, worked at Disneyland in high school and college, and was fortunate to wear one of the can-can outfits that was mandatory at the Mile-Long Bar at Disneyland. It was later renamed the Brer Bar when Splash Mountain opened and was demolished for the Winnie-the-Pooh ride.
There are low ceilings in this room and it is very quiet. Behind the check-in desk is a small desk where you can make reservations for various activities at the resort and the island, and you can rent bicycles. There is lodging available in the main building, but we were designated to building 26 with a view of the Big Dipper pool area. Our room, which was room 2622, was a two-bedroom villa and was extremely spacious for our five-member family. There are additional sleeping arrangements for three more guests, with the sofa and chair in the main living area. It is nice to have the additional sleeping, but the seat cushions kept sliding off the sofa and chair. It was so nice letting the kids have their own room and bathroom. There is one room with a king size bed and an ensuite bathroom with large tub and tiny shower. There is a sink in the room with the tub and a sink and toilet in the room with the shower. The other bedroom has two double beds and a bathroom with a tub shower, sink and toilet. Some of the locks on the doors didn’t work properly so we had to instate the knocking rule. I also had to remind my kids that they need to lower the blinds in the bathroom so people passing by can’t see them naked. My oldest is very unaware of situations like that.
The construction of the buildings is a little less than the deluxe accommodations at Walt Disney World. If your kids run or jump around, the neighbors below will hear it. Also, the rooms on the second floor are not disability accessible or for someone that has difficulty climbing up steps. Also keep in mind, you will need to haul your suitcases up two and a half flights. Something to take into account when you check in at the resort.
The gardens around the resort are very indigenous to the area with many azaleas in bloom during the spring. They use pine needles as mulch in this area of the country because there are so many conifer trees. The buildings are set up to resemble a campground. There are walking paths throughout the grounds that can take you anywhere on the resort campus you need to go, without walking in the street. The car parking is on the marina side of the island and is a single row. The spaces are created for compact cars, which is an interesting choice since most people are traveling in larger vehicles. The cars stack up, because of the small spaces and some vehicles require two spots. We never had trouble finding a spot, but it wasn’t always close to our room. It was extremely quiet around the resort and you would swear they weren’t book to capacity.
The Big Dipper feature pool is really a great pool with a water slide that is fun for kids in elementary school and up. They also have a small splash zone for the smaller kids that can’t or won’t enjoy the slide. Yes, I went down the slide when it was 60 degrees outside. Everyone was laughing at me because after coming out of the tunnel, I got stuck at the end, and had to slide my bum out into the pool. There is a long straight part after the slide comes out of the tunnel and I figured that was because the pool is pretty shallow at the end of the slide. Of course, my son and husband flew out of the tunnel and into the water. The water is heated to 82 degrees, so it is fine for swimming even when it is colder. It is the getting out part that is hard. The pool doesn’t open unless the outside temperature is at least 50 degrees. We were able to witness that first hand on our trip. A couple of mornings, we had to wait for the sun to warm up the air before the pool was open. The good thing about the pool area is that it doesn’t open until 9am and closes at 9pm. The best feature for our family is that there are lifeguards present while the pool is open. One of the major fears with caring for a child with autism is that they wander off and if they are attracted to water, they will try to go swimming. It is locked when there is no one on duty.
If you need a little snack or meal while working hard in the Big Dipper pool, there is the Tide Me Over. They have all the favorite Walt Disney World snacks like Mickey waffles, Mickey pretzels, and Dole Whips. They serve Mickey waffles all day and can even create a special s’mores ice cream sundae with a Mickey waffle. My son loved the hot dog and my daughter loved the chicken strips. They are typical counter-service fare, but they have an added menu item chicken strips and a Mickey waffle. I always feel like I’m cheating when I eat chicken and waffles for lunch of dinner. They serve a lot of the same food that they serve at Signals at the Beach House, but that shouldn’t be surprising. Just remember that Tide Me Over is open for breakfast and lunch, but closes early before dinner. You either need to bring food to cook in your room or make dinner plans off property. There are a few restaurants within walking distance but there are a lot of choices on the island.
Don’t forget the Broad Creek Mercantile. You can grab a quick bite for dinner, if you are staying in a room with a kitchen. They have fixings for a spaghetti dinner, a pizza for the oven and some hot pockets. There are a few items for breakfast too. It is small but resourceful. Remember this isn’t like staying at a Disney Parks property and a grocery store is a mile away. Here is where you can check out a DVD to watch in your room. Of course, they have a few swimsuits in an emergency or any other item you may have left at home. The Disney themed merchandise is limited, but they do have a pin or magnet to take home.
There are plenty of amenities on the resort campus including shuffle board, bocce ball, putting green, cornhole, basketball court, ping pong tables, foosball, and giant checkers. These free activities are scattered throughout the resort. One activity might be occupied, but you just turn a corner and there is another available. Some of the other wonderful free activities is the Campfire and Movie Night. At the campfire, you get a taste of a good old fashioned sing-a-long campfire with a short story skit. Yes, audience participation is encouraged. What would be a campfire be without s’mores and you can get your fill. When we were visiting, the campfire was only being held three times a week and it is well attended. Make sure you get there about ten minutes early, so you aren’t sitting in the direction the smoke is blowing. On windy days, the movie night is inside and not quite as magical. Our kids we disenchanted and we left after ten minutes.
One of the events that we attended and paid for was the “Disney Character Canvas Painting.” It was about $12 a person with our DVC discount. They have a DVC discount on almost everything, so if you are a member remember to let them know and bring your card and ID. They are a little more relaxed on the island compared to the parks, on having to show your ID and card every time you purchase something.
My oldest daughter loves to paint, and this activity was one of the highlights of the trip for her. Everyone working the event was very kind, but they aren’t art teachers. It is an acrylic paint class that you use stencils to create your work of art. My daughter garnered lots of accolades for her work and she was happy. These fun art activities take place in the Broad Creek Rental area which is right near the pool underneath the Broad Creek Mercantile. Most take place outside but if there is inclement weather, they will move them upstairs to the Community Hall. We meet in the Community Hall.
We took a short break from our painting class to visit with an old friend, Pluto. They have a meet and greet with Pluto about every other day and he is usually helping out at one of the tours or activities. Some of the tours, whether they mean to be or not are heavily attended by adults and some are heavily attended by children. The Behind the Ears tour was definitely one that interested the older crowd. As for K-9 playtime with Pluto and Shadow, I think you can guess who will be attending that event.
Another great amenity is the Beach House, which is located in the division called Palmetto Dunes and is about a mile from the resort. It can be accessed by driving there, taking a shuttle with a wait of ten-twenty minutes or ride your bike. We never waited more than ten minutes for the shuttle. The Beach House was purchased by Disney for their use and to have access to the beach. It is a public beach on the Atlantic Ocean, but as our shuttle bus driver told us, good luck getting access to it and finding public parking. The Beach House has a heated H-shape swimming pool, and a fun little splash zone with large concrete beach balls. Unfortunately, there is no hot tub. Also, there are no life guards on duty at this pool, so watch your little ones carefully. The gate that leads to the beach isn’t locked. It is a higher lock, but that only keeps smaller kids contained. You will need to watch your older cognitive disabled kids that like to explore and wander.
There is inside seating at the Beach House with game tables, a fire place, and television. The day we were there and eating in the beach house there was a mom with a pack-n-play with her two babies sleeping. Probably not the quietest place to take a nap but they were. The doors are loud when they open and close and my kids, like most kids, are pretty loud.
Don’t worry about packing food because there is a walk up counter service window at the Beach House. They serve lunch at Signals Seaside Grill from 11:30am-2:00pm, it is a small but efficient window of time. There is a little bit of a wait, so you need to order before the kids are too hungry. We had a twenty-minute wait on the day we visited the Beach House. There is a small eating area where you order, but there is plenty of indoor seating across the way and in the main Beach House.
My oldest daughter had the Signals Bacon BBQ Burger, and she loved it. It is a heavy burger but good sized and fairly well done. The BBQ sauce helps bring it to life. I had the Blackened Mahi Sandwich. The fish is cooked all the way through and has a seasoned mayonnaise sauce (remoulade) with nice leafed romaine lettuce, purple onions, tomato and a ciabatta bread bun. It was tasty, and I ate more than I intended. I enjoyed the remoulade that gave the fish back the moisture it lost from being cooked all the way through. They also served the potato chips that are made on the premises and are served at the Walt Disney World. I really like the fried on-site potato chips, they are a little thicker than a typical chip and you can taste the freshness. Then there were the hush puppies. I love hush puppies, those lovely round balls of corn dough deep fired and these didn’t disappoint. They had a nice crunch on the outside and they were evenly cooked all the way through without being dry. They are dainty in size, but they serve you a portion of 8 and we found them to be sharable. My other daughter ate chicken fingers, which are typical for fast food establishments and my son ate a hot dog that he thoroughly enjoyed. He is a connoisseur when it comes to hot dogs. They also have strawberry smoothies sin alcohol for the kids. Those are always tasty and ensure that you get brain freeze. Don’t forget to savor the Vanilla and Pineapple, Dole Whip, soft-serve.
If you need help deciding if this is for you, feel free to contact us about your sensory or cognitive disabilities. We would love to help you with your questions.
Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort 22 Harbourside LaneHilton Head, South Carolina 29928-3522
843 341-4100
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