Let me start by saying this was quite possibly the best Disney
vacation my husband and I have had since the kids have arrived
in our lives. I actually felt like I had a vacation. It's been a
couple years since I could say that! Why was it so great? I think there were
several things that made us wish we had bought into this resort at the
beginning.
From
our very arrival, we loved the atmosphere of this resort. My husband grew up
vacationing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and it immediately felt very much
like home. I grew up vacationing at Disney World's Fort Wilderness before there was anything more than the Magic Kingdom and River Country (and
eventually Epcot).
This resort took me back to how it used to feel spending our
days as a family at Fort Wilderness. There was lots of down time and plenty to
do if you weren't in the parks. We did most of it then and loved it. Hilton
Head brought all of that back for me.
The pace of this resort also made our stay wonderful. We are
used to our Disney vacations being of the fast-paced, non-stop,
I'll-sleep-when-I-get-home variety. It's just not possible to do that here. The
pace on the island was easy. If we slept in, no matter. If we missed the
storyteller, he'd be back in an hour. If we wanted to eat later, no ADRs to
worry about. The kids did as they wished, and no one bothered to worry about it.
It was such a delight!
Additionally, this resort is small--roughly 15 acres. To
give you are reference point, Disney's Boardwalk Inn Resort encompasses 45
acres. The entirety of the Hilton Head Island Resort has roughly the same
footprint as both areas of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World. That's it. There are only 31 cottages here (with extremely spacious
units), one pool and central activities area, as well as a few things to do at
the check-in area. It's incredibly walkable with plenty to do without ever
leaving the resort. But it's also easy to walk all around the Shelter Cove
area, visiting several shops and restaurants.
The units were undergoing a major rehab while we were there.
The color schemes were all updated to much more soothing blue/taupe/white
theme. We had all new appliances as well as a full-size washer and dryer. This
is the view of our main living area in the 2-bedroom villa. We had plenty of
room to spread out even with all our baby/kid paraphernalia! There were several
full sized closets as well as a mudroom for all our jackets, shoes, hats and
stroller! That alone was a selling point for me! And although we didn't need
it, both of these sofas fold out into beds. We could have easily slept 4 more
people in our villa. It was more than enough room for us.
Disney also has a beach house and private beach area that is
quite easy to get to. We drove, but Disney offers transportation, and there is
also a very nice bike path for access. We had cool weather while we were there,
but it didn't keep us from enjoying the beach and the amenities at the beach
house. With the arcade and the beach, we were happy to spend the afternoon
playing.
So, should you stay at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort? I
say absolutely! If you are looking for a relaxing place to get away from it
all, this is just the place you are looking for. Less hustle and bustle but
still all the comforts of Disney you've come to love and expect. And for those
of you who like seeing it all in one place, I've created a fact sheet for
the resort. Enjoy!
Amy Harrison is a Disney loving mom of three with a passion for all manner of DIY projects, and a constant craving for Dole Whips. You can contact Amy at amy@wishdrawals.com to book your Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort stay or any Disney vacation!
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