Recent global events extinguished many travel plans around the world for a time, but we are finally (and cautiously) starting to take adventures once again. Though they look a bit differently in some respects, there is still so much to see and explore out there. My bucket list has only grown longer over the last year and one of the places on my bucket list of destinations has been to visit the Disney Vacation Club Resort on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  So guess what ~ I crossed this one off in early March!!
Exploring the Disney Vacation Club Resort on Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head, South Carolina, in and of itself, is not a new destination for my husband and myself. In fact, we spent our first wedding anniversary there. At the time, we were living in South Carolina and had friends who owned a timeshare right on the beach. Among some of the things we enjoyed back then were a dolphin cruise (so much fun!), miniature golf, seafood (before I started having difficulty with it) and just falling in love with the location in general. We vowed to go back some day and, though it took us a little over two decades, we finally made it back!
The First Adventure in Quite Some Time
This trip, we had our youngest son with us. The adventure was a birthday celebration for the both of us, as our birthdays are within days of each other.  From where we are located in Central Florida, it is approximately a five hour drive, but we’re used to long, adventurous car rides. The weather was beautiful and we made very few stops along the way, masking up and sanitizing at every one of them.
Once we arrived on the island itself, so many memories flooded back. We recognized signs, turnabouts, restaurants, and the place where we went mini-golfing! We couldn’t wait to explore the Disney resort and find some time to kick back and relax!
BUT ~ I’m going to leave the writing there for a moment and let you enjoy the video below first. While I do share more about our adventure below, I was just really excited to share this quick tour through our two bedroom villa at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort!
The best thing about this room was…
It was a pixie dusted surprise!!! Yup! No joke! We had reserved a one bedroom villa, but the Cast Member at the front desk surprised us with an upgrade. Not to mention ~ an amazing view!! You HAVE to check this out!!
Now for more of the fun….
I have to say that the Cast at the Disney Resort was just as magical as we had hoped they would be. Everyone wore masks, everyone was as sweet as the treats you’d find at The Confectionary on Main Street U.S.A., and there is so much you can do there. Being bored is NOT an option at Disney’s Hilton Head Island.
The eastern coastline beach is about a two mile walk from the resort, but let me tell you. It’s a beautiful hop, skip, and a jump.
In fact, we decided to do the runDisney Shadow Virtual 3K Fun Run ~ our FIRST EVER DISNEY RUN (sorta, kinda?). I mean ~ we even got bibs and dog tags for completing the run (well ~ actually, you get them even for paying, but we made sure to fulfill our end of the agreement.). THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST RACING BIB!!!Â
PS – there was a fee to register for this race, but it’s not as steep as the ones paid for the theme park races.
Now, for those that are not fans of walking that kind of distance, there are bikes you can rent and there is a shuttle that goes from the main resort to the Disney owned beach house.
Dining at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
Sad news ~ there is no sit-down restaurant on the property. However, there is a quick service in the center of the resort and another located at the beach house.  Hilton Head is full of fantastic restaurants, though. The Cast Members are a great resource when it comes to finding a place to dine for you and your entire family. Tell them what you are looking for and might be craving and they will have some great options from which to choose!
Let’s talk food allergy dining at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
It’s no secret if you read this blog that you are aware that we are a food allergy family. Every trip takes careful planning to ensure we have food available for our son whether we provide it or a restaurant does. With regard to dining at the resort, those with food allergies and dietary restrictions simply need to connect with the dining manager or chef on duty. Trust me, they will take GREAT care of you! Disney Chefs ~ no matter where they are in the world ~ are squared away with food allergy and dietary restriction preparation! Our son, in particular, has life-threatening, anaphylactic reactions to eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. He enjoyed a delicious, hearty burger and fries (because he’s a teenage boy and burgers are his jam). NO negative reaction!
Of course, if you watched the video, you saw that our villa had a full-sized kitchen (check out the video, if you haven’t already, to see what I mean). So, we also took a quick trip out to a local grocery store down the street and picked up food so he had whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.
Things To Do!
There is a pool at both the primary resort and the beach house locations. There are also numerous activities going on at both sites. Honestly, it was a bit toooooooo chilly for us Floridians to go swimming, but, believe it or not, there were people in the pool in early March. Brrrrrr!
There is a plethora of events and activities to enjoy and you can find out more by visiting Broad Creek Rentals, centrally located on property, and speak to a Cast Member. They will share what’s available and help you register for any events that may interest you or your party. From arts and crafts to renting bicycles and off property excursions, again – being bored is NOT an option at this resort.
We personally booked a dolphin excursion where we spent about 90 minutes on a boat looking for dolphins and learning more about the area. To be honest, early March was a little too chilly to be speeding around the water way in a boat and we saw perhaps 15 dolphins within that 90 minute period. What we saw and where we went was amazing, but I’m not sure I would do it again that early in the year.Â
Needless to say…
Our adventure was exactly what we needed. Masks worn. Plenty of sanitizer available. Social distancing in effect. Gorgeous weather. Relaxing walks. Amazing Cast Members. Delicious food….I could go on and on and on and on and on…..I think you get the picture.
So tell me…
Have you EVER been to Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort? Is it on your bucket list? Did this post add any excitement to your desire to visit this South Carolina Disney location? If you HAVE been to this resort, I would absolutely love to hear about your experience. Feel free to share your story below. If you haven’t, tell me which part of the story above intrigued you the most! I can’t wait to read your comments below!
Check these adventures out!!
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort: Day One of Our Magical Stay
- Victory on the High Seas: Dining with Food Allergies on the Disney Dream
- 30+ Romantic Walt Disney World Ideas and Dates
- Paddlefish Review | Disney Springs
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Awesome! Thank you for sharing, I hadn’t heard about this location, and it is now on my Disney bucket list
My pleasure, Steve!!! We had been wanting to visit this Disney destination for years, so we’re glad we finally had the chance. I hope you have the opportunity to check it out in the near future °O°.