Family Friday with Kamy Moss: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

My husband, Stephen, and I have always tried to fill our boys’ lives with adventure. Whether it is a weekend trip to the beach or a week in Walt Disney World, we believe that vacations stimulate their imagination and enhance our family bond. Travel is such a part of who we are and no matter how hard things may be financially for us, it is essential that we take this time to be together.  Our first family vacation was when Ryan was only 5 months old and since we have been blessed to make so many more vacation memories. I love the research and planning part of vacations often doing it for family and friends.  Sometimes I will plan vacations that we don’t even take because I find so much joy in learning about things we can someday do together. I will plan a trip for the future, which is how this year’s Spring Break vacation came about…a trip we starting talking about taking more than 2 years ago.

Stephen and I visited Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, which is part of the Disney Vacation Club, for the first time in Spring of 2006. We immediately fell in love with the resort and vowed to return. That return trip finally came this year when we packed up the minivan and made the 6 hour drive North to the low country resort for Spring Break. Nestled in the middle of Hilton Head Island on Shelter Cove, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is modeled after a turn of the century fishing lodge, complete with a wooden boardwalk, hammocks scattered among the oaks, and a fishing pier. Here you will find the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life…for us, the perfect escape from Orlando during a peak tourist time. There is no doubt that we will make this trip again and again and will recommend it to anyone who wants quality family time and outstanding recreational opportunities for adults and kids.

As you approach the resort, you cross over the beautiful bridge at Shelter Cove Marina onto Disney’s private island.  The marina is lined with boats, on one side buildings house a variety of restaurants and shops, with the Disney resort on the other side. You are greeted with a “Welcome Home” and Bambi–themed topiary provides a great photo op. From the moment you arrive at the Live Oak Lodge, you feel relaxed and ready to surrender to the “do nothing” attitude.  The Live Oak Lodge features the check in area, patio deck with picnic tables and a grill, and Big Murgie’s Den.  In my opinion, the den is reminiscent of a grandpa’s family room, complete with a stone fireplace, oversized leather furniture, television, and a pool table. During cold weather months, this area is a great place to sit by the roaring fire to read or play games. The main building is also home to the resorts mascot, Shadow; a friendly golden retriever who greets guests and participates in activities around the resort. You will find Shadow and her companion, B’Lou Crabbe at the Live Oak Lodge around check in time, signing autographs and posing for photos. B’Lou, an energetic and informative man, treats families to stories, magic and more throughout your stay. (An activity schedule will be provided to you upon check-in)   My boys loved meeting Shadow and were treated to chocolate chip cookies inside the den.  Check in was a breeze and the kids were eager to move in to our villa.

The rooms at this resort, referred to as villas, range from a deluxe studio to 3 bedroom two-story grand villas. They provide ample space for families to stretch out, watch movies, play board games, and more.  There are also rooms in the Live Oak Lodge, the only building with an elevator. (Please keep that in mind when making reservations if you require an accessible room- all other building require you climb stairs) The decor is deep greens, burgundy and browns, with all the modern conveniences. Our room on this vacation was a 2 bedroom villa near the pool, complete with a full kitchen, laundry area, and sleeping for 8. My husband and I love the master bedroom and bath, complete with an oversized Jacuzzi tub. Outside, each villa has a balcony with picnic table and rocking chairs. The boys loved eating breakfast outside each morning and mommy made sure to relax in the tub at the end of each day.

While exploring the grounds, you notice so many ways that Disney goes above and beyond to provide areas for families to gather and make memories. You can shoot hoops at the basketball court, ride bikes along the winding paths, and kayak on the calm waters of Broad Creek but one of our favorite things to do was spend time in the picnic areas. My in-laws drove down from Virginia to meet us for the week and we were able to utilize these areas each night for dinner. With a variety of grocery stores in close proximity to the resort, we were able to get everything we needed to throw together some great family dinners. We grilled out chicken, burgers and brats, bringing down coolers filled with drinks, salads and sides. Most nights we stayed out till dark sharing stories and playing games with the boys. There are a number of barbecue grill areas with tables and Adirondack chairs scattered around and are available to everyone. Some of these spots include horseshoe pits, bean bag toss games, a playground and hammocks.

Set in the middle of the resort, you will find a recreational area featuring Tide Me Over, the resorts snack bar, offering everything from breakfast sandwiches to burgers.  And the main pool area with its star attraction, the Big Dipper Slide. Bigger kids love the slide, while the little ones can wade in the kiddie pool, complete with oversized cartoon frogs ready to squirt water without notice. There is also a hot tub and life jackets are provided. The pool is handicap accessible and offers graduated stair entry making it very family friendly. Many areas of the pool deck are shaded thanks to the overabundance of marvelous trees that grow throughout the resort. Since my boys love the pool, we spent many hours here. They made friends, utilized the slide and floated the days away.  If swimming is not at the top of your list, there are many more recreational activities offered. Ryan and Liam loved the Low Country Craft Time, participating in making t-shirts using the art of Gyotaku, sand art, and painting sand dollars.  The boys went fishing for the first time, learned how to play shuffleboard and rode their bikes around the resort. As a family, we played Goofy Bingo and attended a juggling class and magic show in Community Hall. One of our favorite activities takes place on select nights when the cast members lead a roaring campfire, complete with smores and a sing-along. There are so many choices you don’t need to venture far to find some fun.

You will definitely want to adventure away from the resort to visit Disney’s Beach House. The resort offers a free shuttle to take you the 2 miles to their private beach house featuring an arcade, snack bar, pool and recreational room. One of our favorite places, the beach house is the gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. We spent two days combing the beach for shells and splashing in the waves. Here we discovered live sand dollars and crabs, prompting the boys to want to learn more about the beach and life there. This calm stretch of beach is perfect during low tide, allowing you easy access to sandbars and pools of warm water. (The resort will provide you with tide times) We were extremely blessed with unusually warm temperatures for March and loved the family friendly beach. The pool at the Beach House was a great cooling off spot and offered pool volleyball for those who want a little sports with their swim. Just a short shuttle ride away, Disney’s Beach House is a must do.

This resort, while it features many signature Disney elements, does so in a subtle, charming way. With hidden Mickeys and a merchandise shop where you can find Disney souvenirs, you know that you are a part of the Disney family while vacationing here even though you won’t find characters posing for photographs. The service and quality is pure Disney.Everyone from the front desk to the recreation cast members were helpful, personable and went above and beyond to create magical moments for us. We were greeted each time we explored the resort and felt at home in the low country paradise surrounded by sprawling marsh. As a family, we experienced a new kind of vacation filled with exploration, play and relaxation.

We love the hustle and bustle of theme parks with their endless attractions and activities but this vacation at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort gave us just what we needed….time to do nothing and time to do everything…together.  Many families, like ours, are so busy with school, work, and other obligations, that we forget to take the time to do the simple things. On this vacation we were able to relinquish all the worries and stress and breathe in the fresh air, sit quietly, and play with our kids. We are already planning to return…hope to see you there!