HHI Disney Resort: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

Setting

marshfront, at Shelter Cove

Rooms

studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom villas

Size

two bedrooms about 1,260 sq ft

Pools

two, with a waterslide and a kiddie pool

Beach

free shuttle to the resort’s beach club

Dining

Tide Me Over, quick service on site

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is the Disney Vacation Club resort at 22 Harbourside Lane, on the marsh beside Shelter Cove on the north-central side of the island. It is the one Disney resort in South Carolina, and most people know it simply as the HHI Disney resort. The buildings are low, shingled and Lowcountry in style, and the grounds run out to a boardwalk over the marsh.

It is not on the ocean. Guests get to the beach through the resort’s own beach club, about a mile away in Palmetto Dunes, on a free shuttle. The shuttle, the pools there and the hours are set out on the beach club guide, which is worth reading before you pack.

What guests say

Guests talk about the villas first: roomy, spotless and set among the marsh, a short walk from the boats and restaurants at Shelter Cove. The pools, the waterslide and the games keep children busy, and the free shuttle to the beach club is the detail that comes up most, since the resort itself is not on the ocean. Staff are described as friendly and accommodating, and families call it relaxed.

Villas at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

Rooms here are villas rather than hotel rooms: deluxe studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom grand villas. The larger villas sleep a family of several, and guests often mention that the rooms are roomy and clean. The resort is a Disney Vacation Club property, so some guests are members staying on points and others book by the night, the same as any hotel.

Prices move with the season and with how you book. Booked by the night, price your own dates on Disney’s site; summer and spring break sit at the top of the range.

Renting Disney Vacation Club Points

The other way to stay is to rent points from a Disney Vacation Club member. The member books the villa with their points and puts your name on the reservation, and you pay the member, or a rental broker, for the points. Points usually rent for about $18 to $25 each. A deluxe studio here takes about 7 to 17 points a night depending on the season, roughly $130 to $425 a night; a one-bedroom villa about 12 to 29 points, roughly $215 to $725; and a two-bedroom villa about 20 to 51 points, roughly $360 to $1,275. Most point rentals can’t be refunded once the villa is booked, so ask about cancellation before you pay.

Pools, Activities and Dining

The resort has two pools, the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, with a waterslide, a hot tub and a children’s pool. There are games and organised activities for children through the day. On site, Tide Me Over is the quick-service spot for breakfast, snacks and takeaway meals; its menu and hours are on Disney’s site and they change by season. The marina at Shelter Cove is a short walk, with boat tours, shops and restaurants.

Is This the Same as the Beach House Resort?

No. The Beach House on South Forest Beach Drive is a separate hotel with no link to Disney. Disney’s own beach club is a members-and-guests amenity, not a hotel.