In the late summer of 2023 I got the incredible opportunity to explore a not so well known Disney Resort in my favorite place (besides a Disney park) Hilton Head Island SC. While the rooms were booked at 100% capacity and we did not get to stay there, the cast members kindly informed us that we were welcome to walk around on the property for as long as we liked and to even partake in a Dole Whip at the Tide Me Over snack bar!! Read on to see what the resort looks like and to check out all they have to offer if you manage to score a stay at the coveted Disney Vacation Club Resort on Hilton Head Island.

About The Resort

A five hour drive from Walt Disney World Florida, Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort opened on March 6, 1996 and was the third Disney Vacation Club resort to be opened. It is themed after a 1940s hunting and fishing lodge which fits in nicely with the ancient oak trees covered in low hanging moss and the marshlands leading out to the bay.

The resort is broken up into two distinct areas with the larger part of the resort on 15-acre Longview Island, which is surrounded by Broad Creek. This is the part of the resort I was able to visit and will showcase in this blog. It is where you can find things like the Front Desk at the Live Oak Lodge, and all of the Villas. The second area is The Beach House and it is on the Atlantic shoreline, a little more than a mile away. A free shuttle runs regularly between the two sides.

One thing that I really struggled with was the lack of story or history. While I was visiting the property I asked several of the cast members working the front desk how the property came to be on Hilton Head (just seems super random to me) and no one could tell me. One said “there used to be a tour here back in the day” but that was as much information as I got. The rest just said they didn’t know. While Mickey and friends could be found around the resort and it was a lovely place overall, the theme or overall story was not quite as strong as the other properties I have visited. It reminded me the most of the Wilderness Lodge in Walt Disney World, but there was not really a backstory to any of the characters or the lodge owners or anything like that. Through my research it seems like there is not much to be found. If you find some please leave it in the comments!!

Location

If you are not a guest of the resort, you will have to park in the Shelter Cove parking area and walk over to the property. You will pass the massive Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort sign and there will be a lovely walkway to the left that you can either walk or bike in to get onto the property to avoid automobile traffic for safety. See the photos below.

Shelter Cove Marina is a popular area because of the shopping and restaurants and it is within walking distance of the resort. During the summer months there are often free outdoor concerts in a little outdoor amphitheater in the middle of the center, and the restaurants often hire musicians to play for their guests as well. Several locations within Shelter Cove also offer discounts to Disney Resort guests so don’t forget to ask if you are staying there!

I personally recommend eating at Ella’s on the water (amazing view), San Miguel’s (great margaritas and usually live music), and the Hilton Head Social Bakery (great place to pick up dessert or croissants for breakfast).

The Live Oak Lodge

Once you cross over from Shelter Cove Marina, you will see the shuttle station to the left and the drive through security checkpoint. Past that you can see the Live Oak Lodge. The central lobby and check-in are located just inside and at the base of the stairs you will find a welcoming Mickey topiary. At this point we could actually hear Disney music playing and I started to get really excited (this was the only place we could head the music playing but it was still awesome because we could even hear it outside)! After snagging some photos with the Mickey, we went up the stairs and into the Lodge/Lobby where guests would go to check in.

Just to the left of the main doors outside the Lobby there was a pin trading station! The handles to get inside were Mickey shaped and there was a big Disney Hilton Head Island Resort Rug at our feet. Just inside we could see the reception desk to the right and a room off to the left. Just in front of us slightly to the left was a Mickey statue that came up to at least my knees along with a sampling of some of the merchandise that you could get at the Mercantile.

The cast members at the reception desk could instantly sense my excitement and provided me with a map and told me how to get to the shop and to the Dole Whips (we had to hurry because they closed in an hour). They welcomed us to stay and walk around as long as we would like.

The Live Oak Lodge houses several villas and Big Murggie's Den, where there is a large-screen television and a pool table. There were also cookies available and some water (the cups provided were the same cups used at the parks). The lodge is surrounded by a series of "cabins" that contain the rest of the vacation homes. It also sits on top of a parking area (there is temporary parking out front). If you go through to the Den and outside, there is a nice outdoor lounge area with what looks like a pizza cooking oven. Down the stairs is one of their designated smoking areas (see photos below).

We did a quick spin around the lodge and then headed over to the pool area where we could explore the shop, the gym, and get a dole whip!

You do not have to be a Disney Vacation Club member to stay here, but it is extremely hard to get a reservation as they are usually at 100% capacity. Check-in is after 4 p.m., and check-out is at 11 a.m. Online check-in is available 10 days in advance. There are no magic bands, so you have to go the traditional route and stop by the Front Desk to pick up your key cards on the way in.

Bell services are NOT available; guests can borrow luggage carts but be aware that many of the villas are up a flight of stairs. The resort is nonsmoking with designated smoking areas. Pets are not allowed. Twenty-four-hour self-service laundry is available, as are dry cleaning and valet laundry services for a fee. All rooms include free wireless internet and self-parking.

Accommodations

There are around 102 units on the property, and they are listed online in two main categories: Deluxe Studios, or Villas. The resort will also be undergoing renovations in 2024 so stay tuned for updates!

Deluxe Studios:
- Either the Deluxe Studio with 1 Queen Bed and a double sleeper sofa (sleeps 4 adults). Average 375 square feet.
- Inn-Standard View with 2 Queen Beds (sleeps 4 adults).
- Inn-Ocean View with 2 Queen Beds (sleeps 4 adults).
  Amenities:
Wet bar
Pack ‘n Play® Playard (upon request)
Toaster
High-Speed Wireless Internet (fee)
Microwave
Flat-Screen Television
Hairdryer
Alarm Clock with Radio
Ceiling Fan
Iron and Ironing Board
Coffee maker
Mini Refrigerator
In-Room Safe
Patio or Balcony
Blu-Ray Player

Villas:
- 1 Bedroom Villa with 1 King bed, 1 Queen sleeper sofa, and 1 sleeper chair (sleeps 5 adults). The Villas have a master suite, bathroom, living room, fully equipped kitchen, mud room, and private porch with a picnic table and two rocking chairs. They are around 800 square feet.
- 2 Bedroom Villa with 1 king bed, 1 Queen bed, 1 Queen sleeper sofa, 1 double sleeper sofa, and 1 sleeper chair (sleeps 9 adults). Some of the Two-Bedroom Vacation Homes are dedicated (entities unto themselves) and some are “lockouts” meaning a one-bedroom and a studio are combined for a two-bedroom. There is a master suite, bathroom, living room, fully equipped kitchen, mud room and private porch with a picnic table and two rocking chairs. The average Two-Bedroom Vacation Home is 1,255 square feet.
  Amenities:
Toaster
Pack ‘n Play® Playard (upon request)
Microwave
High-Speed Wireless Internet (fee)
Hairdryer
Private Porch or Balcony
Ceiling Fan
Iron and Ironing Board
Soaking Tub
Stacked washer & dryer
In-Room Safe
Alarm Clock with Radio
Coffee maker
Blu-Ray Player
Flat panel TV

Recreation

The Beach

The only bummer about this property is that it is not actually on the beach. There are tons of things to do on the resort, and there are lovely views of the Marshlands (you can even fish or kayak in the bay) but to get to Disney's Beach House, guest can take the complimentary shuttle service that runs every 30 minutes from 9am until 5pm, or a 1.25-mile bike path. Guests also can drive over, as parking is available for private cars at no charge, but it is limited, and you will need to show your parking pass or resort ID.

The Beach House sits on 3.5 acres of beachfront property and is also packed with extra things to experience like:

Heated pool and a kiddie splash area, but no whirlpool.
Restrooms, showers and changing areas.
Air-conditioned lounge with a large screen television, fireplace and indoor game tables.
Signals quick serve is open for lunch and ice cream treats seasonally from April to October. They serve sandwiches, snacks, and beverages. They also offer refillable mugs for purchase and refill.
Surfmen's Sand Bar, which serves cold beer and mixed drinks as well as smoothies and other non-alcoholic beverages Monday through Saturday (also seasonal hours). A small selection of beach supplies and sundries are also available here.
On Tuesdays from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Disney’s Beach House hosts a seasonal meal, either Edmund’s Family Low-Country Boil or a Star-Spangled BBQ.

The beach is not to be missed as it is absolutely beautiful. The shoreline is clear with 12 miles of soft sand and warm waters.

The Big Dipper Pool

One of the big draws to the resort is the Big Dipper Pool, a 72,000-gallon heated swimming hole with a twisting water slide made to go around what looks like a water tower. This is a super happening area as there is also:

A whirlpool spa.
The Little Dipper pool/splash area for the little ones.
The Community Center.
Life jackets for the little swimmers.
The gift shop/Mercantile (it also sells limited groceries and sundries-more on this later).
The 24-hour exercise room.
Tide Me Over, a quick serve walk-up window.
Corn hole games.
Fire pit.
Ping Pong Table.
Picnic Tables.
Grills.

You can also access the pier from nearby The Big Dipper, which I will talk about later on. There is a desk just at the entrance to the pool under the building where you can also rent beach chairs, fishing and crabbing gear, and bikes (as well as helmets, locks, baskets, and child seats).

Broad Creek Mercantile

As soon as I opened the doors of the Mercantile, I was transported to any Disney resort shop on any property. There was everything you could ever want! To the right they had the brand-new Halloween ears, pins, light up necklaces, and t shirts! They had the new 100-year collection items, beach towels, electric fans that sprayed water, sunscreen, snacks, beverages, meals you could heat up in a microwave, Dooney & Bourke purses, pain relievers, you name it, they had it. They even had a small library of DVDs for rental, free for DVC members. They also had a section with special Hilton Head Island Resort merchandise! Hats, water bottles, shirts, jackets, the works! I of course got a shirt as well as some Halloween ears before dashing to the walk-up window next door for a special treat.

Tide Me Over

The best part of our visit was walking up to the quick service window at Tide Me Over and ordering a Dole Whip. Oh, the delectable pineapple soft serve brings me so much joy!! It tasted EXACTLY like the parks!! The restaurant is open from 8am until 5pm and serves things like cheeseburgers, chicken strips, Beignets (they are not Mickey shaped), and cocktails. They even serve “adult Dole Whips”! Refillable mugs are available, which can be filled at both sides of the resort.

The Pier

We took a walk down the boardwalk to the Pier where there was a breathtaking view of the bay/Broad Creek. From here you can enjoy the relaxing view, or even fish! I was a little disappointed that there was no theming anywhere down the whole length of the boardwalk or anywhere on the pier (I had my eyes trained for a hidden Mickey) but it was still lovely).

Recreation Around The Resort

Here you can see a corn hole setup and a grill and picnic table in the background.

There are so many things to do at the resort, and as we walked around, we were constantly stumbling upon something new and exciting! Keep scrolling to see all of the entertainment available for you and your family to enjoy while staying at the resort. I will say, the corn hole, horseshoes, and bocce ball all felt really far apart and maybe more adult driven as it would be super hard for a child to play how it was set up.

Here is a mini putting green with clubs and balls ready for use. You can also see a hammock in the background just begging for someone to lay down and relax.

Here you can see a giant checkerboard and another hammock in the background.

In the photo above you can see a basketball court along with basketballs available for use.

All throughout the property there were grills and hammocks available for use. This grill is even nicer than the one I have at my house!!

Here is where they host their outdoor movie night.

In the photos above you can see a playground. Again, I felt like this was a missed opportunity from a “branding” opportunity as there were no characters or hidden Mickeys or anything on the playground at all. Still a really nice feature for families traveling with children.

Here you can see the horseshoe game and the available horseshoes.

Other Recreation

A stay at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort also offers several cast member-led activities, like campfires with storytelling and marshmallow-roasting, family games like Goofy Bingo, and Disney Movies under the Oaks.

Some things cost extra, like the Activity Programs available for kids and teens. Kids over 8 can make a tie-dye T-shirt with Mickey in the middle. There is a special kayak adventure just for teens that includes lunch. And for the parents, there is Kids' Night In, three hours of supervised childcare for ages 5 to 12. Some of the options are:

Dolphin Nature Discovery $45
Guided Nature Walks
Tennis
Golf Courses & Lessons
- Please call the Resort at (843) 341-4150 for more information.
  - Hilton Head Plantation
  - Indigo Run/Golden Bear
  - Palmetto Dunes Resort
  - Palmetto Hall
  - Port Royal Plantation
  - Sea Pines Harbour Town Golf Links (Site of the Heritage Golf Classic)
  - Shipyard Plantation
  - Eagle's Point Golf Course (Off Island)
  - Hilton Head National Golf Course (Off Island)
  - Island West (Off Island)
  - Old Carolina Golf Club (Off Island)
  - Old South Golf Club (Off Island)
  - The Crescent (Off Island)

Check out the options that they have on their official website through the link below.

Disney HHI recreation

Other Things Around The Resort

There were so many things to look at as we walked around the resort. From the flora and fauna, to the views of the bay, to the practical things that guests may need. They even had a butterfly garden!!

Before We Left

On our way off of the resort, we stopped by the front desk one last time to thank the cast members for allowing us to roam the property. The cast member who had invited us to look around and who had given me a map had one final surprise for me and bestowed some pixie dust on me with this beautiful Mickey key with an attached tag with a photo of an oak tree on it to represent the oak trees all around the property and the Oak Lodge. I was so touched at her kindness! The service here is truly at the level of any Disney property!

We walked through the Lobby to check out the view from the back (photo below) and the most magical thing happened. While gazing out into the bay, we saw a splash! Not believing our eyes, we raced down the stairs to get a closer look, and sure enough, a Dolphin continued splashing around right in front of us! Now THAT is the magic of Disney!!

Click here to book online through Disney.com

Have you ever visited this property? Had the chance to stay here? Please share your story in the comments!

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort