Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort in South Carolina didn’t disappoint our family. We were there for a 4-day trip and we left wishing we had booked more time!
We were traveling with 2 adults and 2 kids (17, 7, and 6) and there was something for everyone, and yes, even in December, when the highs each day were in the 50s!
The rooms are spacious and comfortable with large balconies. The resort always feels pretty quiet, even when you are overlooking the pool. A beloved cast member at Hilton Head Island was Carol from NJ. Everyone knows her and loves her. At the end of our 2nd day, our kids felt like she was part of the family. If you run into her on your first trip she will happily give you a tour of the resort and you won’t regret it! It is the perfect getaway, no matter the time of year.
Here were some of my takeaways:
1. The pool is top-notch! It’s a large heated pool with a great waterslide that every single one of us loved. You might not be at a Disney park but you are still at a Disney resort and there are activities and trivia galore happening around the pool all day long.
2. The beach house and the beach itself are great! Have you ever been to the beaches on Hilton Head? They are wonderful, clean, and quiet beaches. Having a Disney beach house available on the shores only makes it that much better. The beach is about 1.5 miles from the resort itself and they offer a shuttle during the day. You are able to ride your bike over to the beach as well.
Speaking of bikes...the rental options are great and not just for bikes. Located right by the pool you can easily rent a bike right on property for one or many. They make it easy by letting you charge it directly to the room. But maybe you don’t want to bike, maybe you’d like to kayak or go fishing? Yup, you can do that too.
3. Activities and Excursions are popular, easy, and there are plenty of them. You can sign up for activities that happen all day long right on the resort (appealing to adults and kids). If you wanted to try out some of the great golf on Hilton Head Island or a dolphin tour, they will easily arrange and book that for you too.
4. Food options are mostly off the resort. There aren’t a ton of options on the resort itself. There is one quick Service restaurant - Tide me Over, it’s only open until 4p each day so it isn’t a dinner option. When you’re at the beach house, there is a restaurant (that is currently not open as I’m writing this) and a bar/small eats stand with some lunch and snack options. However, you are within walking/biking distance to many restaurants and there are also several delivery options that will bring food & groceries directly to your room.
5. Quiet areas to enjoy with your family. There is so much tranquility at this resort. You can lounge on a hammock while your kids play bocce or lawn checkers. You can watch the colors of the sunset fill the sky in Adirondack chairs while sipping a glass of wine. You can stroll the marina looking at the boats or enjoy a walk along the marsh and out onto the dock. Beauty is everywhere and you won’t lack the opportunities to embrace it.
Will we be back? Yes, 100%! If you haven’t been to Disney’s Hilton Head Resort, I would highly recommend giving it a try.
Side note: Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic certainly made us more aware of the policies that were in place at the resort. A few things we noted:
1. Cleaning is happening constantly. At any given point, you can find a cast member cleaning. We felt very safe.
2. All cast members are wearing masks, at all times, even outside when guests are not within close proximity.
3. Guests are asked to wear their masks outside of their rooms and outside of the pool area.
4. Guests are asked to have only one member of the party come into the Great Oak Hall to avoid crowds and adhere to social distancing.
5. In the villas themselves, remotes are placed in a bag noting they have been sanitized and extra blankets and pillows have a zip tie on them so you know that they have been cleaned and unopened. There were also extra cleaning supplies provided in each room.
6. Signage around the resort about the requirements are easy to see and everyone is very friendly, but they are certainly enforcing the mask and social distancing policies.
