Over a year in the making... But damn, we made it!
So... back in 2013 Mariah asked if I would wanna go up to Hilton Head because they were offering half-off rates for Cast. I said I'd go... but we were never able to get time off to lineup with discounted dates and such. Over a year passes and we all kinda forget about the resort. Flash-forward to July 2014. My mom tells me they have thousands of RCI points that are gonna be use-or-lose by March 2015 and if there was anything I'd be able to book so they wouldn't go to waste.... Suddenly Hilton Head popped back into my head. Not being that hopeful to find availability that would be realistic for us to use I checked... There were 2 weeks in total.. both with just a single unit still free. The first happened to be the week before Christmas (14) and, well, there was no way Disney was gonna give us that time off..... But there was also the first week of February... hmm. After verifying with my mom I was good to use the points, I just went ahead and booked the room.... and then I went about asking 'Hey... would you still wanna go up to Hilton Head?' ...'yeah? well, uh, you'd better put in for the first week of February off.....' sweet. Well, then I get this phone call from my mom asking why I had booked a 3 room hotel that sleeps 9 people... ha, but I explained it was the only unit left! The room was booked for the entire week, although we had planned just going Wednesday-Saturday and spending a day sightseeing in Savannah. I had taken off Tuesday as well, that way I wouldn't get scheduled at Disney until 3.45 in the morning and have to turn around and drive 5 hours to South Carolina that same morning.... After telling Mariah that, she suggested we leave Tuesday afternoon, therefore giving us an extra day to play around with. (becoming our day trip up to Charleston) Chelsea and her husband were gonna join us but it turned out Chris was gonna be unable to go... but the three of us still made the trek and it was worth the (minimal) effort.
I've done these posts kinda out of order just to keep each location in its own post
Charleston day - Click
Savannah day - Click
This post is half the resort itself and the remaining, things around the island.
Woo, so after months of "ooooh, its almost time for Hilton Head!!!" we packed up my car and hit the road. The drive from Orlando to Hilton Head Island is just under 5 hours and we had no real traffic outside of Downtown Orlando. Once checking into the hotel we went out to Mellow Mushroom and also hit a Whole Foods-like store for food. I left my camera in the car so it wasn't documented.. but the MM pizza was yummy.
Ok, woo
Ok, woo
Woo! Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort!
(BECAUSE WERE DVC!)
(BECAUSE WERE DVC!)
The resort itself is on its own island on Hilton Head Island in Shelter Cove Harbour.
The main building and check in.
Live Oak Lodge
Live Oak Lodge
With its fresh baked cookies <3
And a few Mickey touches....
Guest areas in the lodge
Another not-so-hidden Mickey
Shadows house...
Mmhm... I got my ass up and outside at 9am for the Shadow Meet-n-Greet (when it was in the 30's) and failed to find this dog. We never got to see her in the end... :(
Mmhm... I got my ass up and outside at 9am for the Shadow Meet-n-Greet (when it was in the 30's) and failed to find this dog. We never got to see her in the end... :(
Uh, some Flower & Garden leftovers?
!!!
How fitting, we were in the DUCK building
How fitting, we were in the DUCK building
Complete with a duck themed "air-mail"-box
Neat luggage carts (that may have been ridden)
The 'living' room of our amazing room!
(taken before it was absolutely destroyed for the week)
(taken before it was absolutely destroyed for the week)
The full kitchen area
The dining room table / booth
(that I was in love with)
(that I was in love with)
The secondary bedroom with its own full bath.
Master room, spa tub!
(that was definitely used!)
(that was definitely used!)
Master bed room!
One of the very few 'Disney' touches in the room
This was semi-hidden on a bench next to the laundry room in the hall.
(There was also a W.D. carving)
This was semi-hidden on a bench next to the laundry room in the hall.
(There was also a W.D. carving)
I loved the over sized seat... that was also a pull-out twin sized bed!
And the amazing view we had!
I was so glad we were on the 'backside' of the resort, not in a room facing the other resorts in the area.
I was so glad we were on the 'backside' of the resort, not in a room facing the other resorts in the area.
Beanbag-toss, shuffleboard, and the fire-pit
(Although campfire night got rained out)
(Although campfire night got rained out)
The walk way around the marina side of the resort.
Another one of the few Hidden Mickey's found here.
The fishing pier out over Broad Creek (tidal marsh)
The boardwalk.
(that was completely replaced mid-visit! haha)
(that was completely replaced mid-visit! haha)
Little playground area.
One of the little beach areas at the resort.
The empty pool area... maybe the low 40's isn't pool weather?
It may have only been 43*s out... but the pool was open.
and, well, the CM turned the slide on just for us.
Chelsea and I both went down it 5 or 6 times
(before I quickly...ran...to the hot tub)
((while Mariah, in her winter coat, called us idiots from the side))
And yeah, we were the only riders on it all day <3
and, well, the CM turned the slide on just for us.
Chelsea and I both went down it 5 or 6 times
(before I quickly...ran...to the hot tub)
((while Mariah, in her winter coat, called us idiots from the side))
And yeah, we were the only riders on it all day <3
The Big Dipper slide... now at night!
The fishing pier at night. It was so peaceful out there at night...
well...until...
well...until...
That stupid-ass heron that gave me a heart attack!
As I'm walking back to the hotel... this big ass bird swoops in overhead and caws at me... making me almost mess myself.
As I'm walking back to the hotel... this big ass bird swoops in overhead and caws at me... making me almost mess myself.
Ha, the fitness center...
...as if we used that.
...as if we used that.
The resort shuttle bus that takes you to the beach house, among other places on the island.
Mr. Pelican out for a swim
A whole bunch of Cormorant hanging out on the seawall
Chillin' in the hammock!
Having gone to a redbox location the night before... we found out DVD's could be rented for free from the gift shop! (D'oh!)
(...I picked The Emperor's New Groove)
(and if you noticed a complete lack of other people in these photos.. for a resort that at booking only had a single unit available.... it turned out almost half of the buildings at the resort were being completely refurbished and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves! In fact, only on our last day, as we checked out, did we see more than say, 5 people on property!)
Onto the Beach House!
Because the resort itself is located on the river side of Hilton Head Island, it has no real beach access. To make up for that, located about a mile from the main resort is Disney's Beach House in Palmetto Dunes. You can walk/bike/drive there... or take the shuttle bus.
(...I picked The Emperor's New Groove)
(and if you noticed a complete lack of other people in these photos.. for a resort that at booking only had a single unit available.... it turned out almost half of the buildings at the resort were being completely refurbished and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves! In fact, only on our last day, as we checked out, did we see more than say, 5 people on property!)
Onto the Beach House!
Because the resort itself is located on the river side of Hilton Head Island, it has no real beach access. To make up for that, located about a mile from the main resort is Disney's Beach House in Palmetto Dunes. You can walk/bike/drive there... or take the shuttle bus.
Parking at the Beach House was kinda... odd. My car the only one in the entire parking lot.
Entrance is granted via your room key from both the parking lot and the beach itself.
Empty pool area at the Beach House.
The beach on the Atlantic Ocean, from the pool deck
Boardwalk to the beach :D
Sand dunes, the beach, and the ocean!
Mariah being more concerned with her phone than her Hello Kitty kite
My amazing Pterodactyl kite!
(Chelsea had a kite too, uh, with Cinderella on it)
(Chelsea had a kite too, uh, with Cinderella on it)
Uh... my southern most South Carolina beach?
And for the rest of Hilton Head Island, non-Disney stuffs
And for the rest of Hilton Head Island, non-Disney stuffs
Our 'Explore Hilton Head' day took us to the far end of the of the island to Harbour Town Marina in the Sea Pines Resort tourist area. But because it was off season most of the shops were closed and the few that were open were closing as we got there (around 5pm)
The 90 foot tall Harbour Town Light
That has a gift shop and museum inside, and is also climbable.
View from the top of the lighthouse.
Harbour Town Golf Links golf course
Oh hey, the light itself.
And a kitty! :D
Sun setting over the harbour
Oh... Those people... and, uh, the sunset?
Boating pier and nautical flags.
After leaving the Lighthouse area, we headed over to Braddock Point on South Beach
After leaving the Lighthouse area, we headed over to Braddock Point on South Beach
Home of the famous Salty Dog Cafe in Marina Village.
Almost everyday at work I see someone with Salty Dog shirt on... So I was determined to visit it once going to Hilton Head. I didn't even care if it was gonna be good or not.. I just wanted to go to the damn place. (it was good)
Almost everyday at work I see someone with Salty Dog shirt on... So I was determined to visit it once going to Hilton Head. I didn't even care if it was gonna be good or not.. I just wanted to go to the damn place. (it was good)
Annddd I introduced the girls to the amazingness that is..
Pimento Cheese Dip <3
Pimento Cheese Dip <3
And we got to meet Chadwick the cat! :D
This cat lives at the marina and even goes inside the shops!
This cat lives at the marina and even goes inside the shops!
And, uh, for some reason they also had a bunch of Macaw's?
We also visited a few other gift shop and tack areas, but again, due to it being the off season.. a lot of things were closed up for winter or just closed really early, some of the shops closed as early as 4.
I'd love to come back again maybe in the early fall to get a better idea of what its like. Reading about the island on Wiki I was amazed to see how much the population of the island increases in the summer time. It goes from around 37,000 people to over 275,000!
...And because its South Carolina....
We also visited a few other gift shop and tack areas, but again, due to it being the off season.. a lot of things were closed up for winter or just closed really early, some of the shops closed as early as 4.
I'd love to come back again maybe in the early fall to get a better idea of what its like. Reading about the island on Wiki I was amazed to see how much the population of the island increases in the summer time. It goes from around 37,000 people to over 275,000!
...And because its South Carolina....
You have to stop at stores selling massive amounts of fireworks.
(that's also a gas station....)
(that's also a gas station....)
OH MAN!
And on the way back to Orlando, we made a quick stop in Sanford, FL where the SMAC Food Truck was setup for an event! (mmmmm)
And on the way back to Orlando, we made a quick stop in Sanford, FL where the SMAC Food Truck was setup for an event! (mmmmm)
Bonus Twitter Stuffs!
Hotel tour (via Vine) - Video
View from our room (with Raccoon) - Photo
Pier at the Resort - Photo
Hotel tour (via Vine) - Video
View from our room (with Raccoon) - Photo
Pier at the Resort - Photo
Flying my Pterodactyl kite (via Vine) - Video
Sunset from the lighthouse - Photo
Chadwick the Cat - Photo
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