HHI LOVERS THREAD

Unfortunately, they stopped it specifically in 2005. We were lucky enough to do it, we were one of the last, if not the last to experience it. For years after that, Chef Gordon (the Chef) did no culinary events, just working in the Mercantile. However, just recently he's started a wine tasting, and a couple of months ago, he started a coffee tasting seminar. So there's always hope!

Chef Gordon said last week that they were thinking of adding a cake decorating class- he did not know if it would be for adults or kids yet.
The coffee cupping seminar was great!
 
I wanted to add, 11 years ago we went for Thanksgiving, at the time it was going to be just once. After that, we bought points so we could do Thanksgiving there every other year. But within a year? Need more points, so we can do Thanksgiving there EVERY year. In a few weeks, we head to Thanksgiving there for our 11th straight year. Doing the Island Rec Center's Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning is a tradition for DH. Heck, we remember the years when it was the "Piggly Wiggly Turkey Trot".
Simba Mom, what is the average temps you’ve experienced over Thanksgiving? May consider this one year!
 
Simba Mom, what is the average temps you’ve experienced over Thanksgiving? May consider this one year!

OMG-average? We've had years with ice and snow falling, and we've had other years that were sunny and in the 80s on Thanksgiving day, so temperatures vary widely. However, the last few years have probably been more "typical"-temperatures mostly in the 60s during the day, going down to the upper 40s at night. It's been great weather for bike riding, walking on the beach. But every Thanksgiving morning, DH has run the Island Rec Center's 5K/10K and come to think of it, Thanksgiving morning dawned too cold for him to go this year. So I guess it was mostly nice!
 


We only have 3 nights this year, but it’s something!


Same here. We do not own at HHI, so as you know so hard to book especially warm weather months.

Our first stay was in 2012 for 4 nights in a 1 bedroom. We finally will be back this August for 3 nights in a 2 bedroom. So, excited, but wish it was more.

We are heading to VGF for the first time after HHI. So, that makes the trip extra special.

We are planning to arrive before noon on our first day o get as much time as we can at the resort. Now, just hoping for good weather. We don’t care if it is hot, just no rain or storms. Our trip in 2012 was mid August and I was hot but nice.
 
Same here. We do not own at HHI, so as you know so hard to book especially warm weather months.

Our first stay was in 2012 for 4 nights in a 1 bedroom. We finally will be back this August for 3 nights in a 2 bedroom. So, excited, but wish it was more.

We are heading to VGF for the first time after HHI. So, that makes the trip extra special.

We are planning to arrive before noon on our first day o get as much time as we can at the resort. Now, just hoping for good weather. We don’t care if it is hot, just no rain or storms. Our trip in 2012 was mid August and I was hot but nice.
Our 3 nights are sandwiched in between 2 weekend stays at WDW because we wanted to enjoy the concerts those weekends of F&G.
Next year I am planning a week stay. We do own at HHI, but we also have a week planned in Aulani in a GV, so all of our home resorts took a beating with points taken out. That we had to book at 7months.
 
Our 3 nights are sandwiched in between 2 weekend stays at WDW because we wanted to enjoy the concerts those weekends of F&G.
Next year I am planning a week stay. We do own at HHI, but we also have a week planned in Aulani in a GV, so all of our home resorts took a beating with points taken out. That we had to book at 7months.

Lucky, we don’t own many points but make the most of them. Congrats on Aulani. We were supposed to go in 2016 but we bought a new house. Soon, very soon!

Our last is off to college this September, so DH and I are hoping to get to Food and Wine soon. We also have plans to to get to HHI in the fall and VB for Spring Training baseball. Oh what fun!

Wishing all your future trips are a success.:)
 


Lucky, we don’t own many points but make the most of them. Congrats on Aulani. We were supposed to go in 2016 but we bought a new house. Soon, very soon!

Our last is off to college this September, so DH and I are hoping to get to Food and Wine soon. We also have plans to to get to HHI in the fall and VB for Spring Training baseball. Oh what fun!

Wishing all your future trips are a success.:)
Thank you for good wishes and we hope the same for you!!
 
We are planning a trip to HH for the last week of April 2019. We are trying to decide between a condo rental at Folly Field (walking distance to beach and a pool-albeit unheated) or a one bedroom studio at Disney HH. It is 400.00 more for Disney HH, but we will have DD age 7 with us and the promise of a heated pool and kids' activities is awfully tempting. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
 
We are planning a trip to HH for the last week of April 2019. We are trying to decide between a condo rental at Folly Field (walking distance to beach and a pool-albeit unheated) or a one bedroom studio at Disney HH. It is 400.00 more for Disney HH, but we will have DD age 7 with us and the promise of a heated pool and kids' activities is awfully tempting. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Tough call. We've vacationed at HHI both Disney and non-Disney, and we've loved both ways. If you're truly a devoted Disney family, then the extra touches you'll find at the Disney resort will be most welcome. And the CMs there are the best anywhere, period. Their reputation is renowned. You can get Mickey waffles there, have the pool there (and at the Beach House), and get all the small touches of Disney in the rooms and common areas. The shuttle runs about every 15-20 minutes and is a wonderful way to experience the beach at HHI. Now, $400 is $400 and that will pay for some good food and other activities during your stay. As DVC members, you'd be more than welcome to show up to the main resort and shop, go to the snack bar for Mickey waffles, and explore a bit. That would give you a touch of Disney without the cost; however, your daughter might want to stay at HHI if she even sniffs it. ;)
 
I'm already looking ahead to our Spring Break 2020 trip and I am hoping that we can get a 7-month reservation. Our spring break is always the first, full week of April so we will be coming down April 5-10, 2020. We have a 50-pt HHI contract that will have banked/current/borrowed points available and we usually plan on a 1BR which costs us 135 points. I can generally find use for the 15 "orphan" points in a 7-month reservation at WDW somewhere. Unfortunately, a bulk of our WDW trips are now occurring in the fall and 7-month availability is such a crap shoot so I have a better plan for those points. Since HHI has more 2BR's than 1BR's, I think I will book our 1BR at 11 months like usual. Then, at 7 months, I will see if a 2BR is available. If it is, it's only 165 points and since I will still have 2 banked AKV points from 2019 to use up, I can buy 13 OTU points and it will only cost me $221 to upgrade to a 2BR:goodvibes. That way, ALL of my points will get used up AND we have the option of bringing friends or family. If nobody wants to come along, then our girls will be elated to have their own room!
 
We are planning a trip to HH for the last week of April 2019. We are trying to decide between a condo rental at Folly Field (walking distance to beach and a pool-albeit unheated) or a one bedroom studio at Disney HH. It is 400.00 more for Disney HH, but we will have DD age 7 with us and the promise of a heated pool and kids' activities is awfully tempting. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


Perhaps you could split your stay - first half at the Folly Field condo and remaining days at the DVC resort. With your stay being 10 months away, I would think you would have enough time to change the dates of your stay. If you're spending just a few days at the DVC resort, you could request a studio to cut down on costs.

Unfortunately, comparing a Folly Field condo rental and the DVC resort is not comparing apples to apples. We rent a condo each winter (2-3 months) about a mile from the DVC resort and frequent the DVC resort, use points to stay there at times, and friends/family stay there. Four of our grandkids have recently stayed at the DVC resort and absolutely love the resort, the CMs -the best, the pools, bike rentals, and all the activities. When two of our grandkids came down last winter, we never left the resort! We ate in our unit or at the quick service. They didn't want to waste time leaving property. I'm sure you will have a great time at Folly Field, but the activities and CMs are such a big draw to the resort. There are plenty of restaurants and Kroger near both locations. There is plenty to do outside either resort - dolphin/crabbing excursions, bike rentals, Discovery Coastal Center, mini golf (our kids prefer the one next to Carrabbas which is close to Folly Field), movie theater is nearby on a rainy day, discovering Pinckney Island, Bluffton, etc.


Whatever you decide will be a good choice as you will be enjoying the beauty of Hilton Head Island and all its amenities.

Jan
 
I am thinking about requesting my Studio this month to be in a building besides Live Oak Lodge. I know there are only a few studios outside the main building.

What would you recommend?
 
Tough call. We've vacationed at HHI both Disney and non-Disney, and we've loved both ways. If you're truly a devoted Disney family, then the extra touches you'll find at the Disney resort will be most welcome. And the CMs there are the best anywhere, period. Their reputation is renowned. You can get Mickey waffles there, have the pool there (and at the Beach House), and get all the small touches of Disney in the rooms and common areas. The shuttle runs about every 15-20 minutes and is a wonderful way to experience the beach at HHI. Now, $400 is $400 and that will pay for some good food and other activities during your stay. As DVC members, you'd be more than welcome to show up to the main resort and shop, go to the snack bar for Mickey waffles, and explore a bit. That would give you a touch of Disney without the cost; however, your daughter might want to stay at HHI if she even sniffs it. ;)
This is helpful thank you!!
 
Perhaps you could split your stay - first half at the Folly Field condo and remaining days at the DVC resort. With your stay being 10 months away, I would think you would have enough time to change the dates of your stay. If you're spending just a few days at the DVC resort, you could request a studio to cut down on costs.

Unfortunately, comparing a Folly Field condo rental and the DVC resort is not comparing apples to apples. We rent a condo each winter (2-3 months) about a mile from the DVC resort and frequent the DVC resort, use points to stay there at times, and friends/family stay there. Four of our grandkids have recently stayed at the DVC resort and absolutely love the resort, the CMs -the best, the pools, bike rentals, and all the activities. When two of our grandkids came down last winter, we never left the resort! We ate in our unit or at the quick service. They didn't want to waste time leaving property. I'm sure you will have a great time at Folly Field, but the activities and CMs are such a big draw to the resort. There are plenty of restaurants and Kroger near both locations. There is plenty to do outside either resort - dolphin/crabbing excursions, bike rentals, Discovery Coastal Center, mini golf (our kids prefer the one next to Carrabbas which is close to Folly Field), movie theater is nearby on a rainy day, discovering Pinckney Island, Bluffton, etc.


Whatever you decide will be a good choice as you will be enjoying the beauty of Hilton Head Island and all its amenities.

Jan
Thank you for the good advice. We will have a rental car and will want to sightsee so I like your suggestion. Right now airfare is exorbitant so maybe the condo is the way to go...although I love having more amenities. More to think through I guess!!
 
I am thinking about requesting my Studio this month to be in a building besides Live Oak Lodge. I know there are only a few studios outside the main building.

What would you recommend?

For the best marsh view, I love building 18.
 
Have any of you done the dolphin tour Disney recommends? We just did it last week and it was really really bad. We saw a few dolphins but the staff was terrible. The captain was looking at his phone the entire time and they extended the tour when we had dinner plans without even asking us first. We were late for our dinner plans by almost a half hour and it definitely wasn't worth it for any of us. Besides the tour being too long and the bad customer service on the boat, we also got treated poorly at check in. The lady at the kiosk was very rude. My husband had to stay in because he wasn't feeling well and when I explained this to her, she refused to refund us for his tour ticket. I should have went with my gut at that point and stayed off the boat but the kids were so excited. It was just a huge disappointment all around. Don't go on the Dolphin Seafari, fellow Disney lovers!
 
I did the Dolphin tour that the resort recommended a few years ago, but it doesn't sound like the same one. At that time, the one they recommended (actually I think I booked it directly through the resort) was on a small boat that held a maximum of 6 guests. The one thing I remember most is that the Captain had his dog on the boat with us, and like most dogs would, he loved it, standing up front with his ears flapping in the breeze the whole time. Sounds like a different one now, so sorry for your experience.
 
My family has gone on the dolphin tour in three different years. Each time we were on a boat that held six guests and we took a slightly different route each time. We saw several dolphins and the guides pointed out many other interesting sites. By the way, each time we took the sunset cruise. The guides were very friendly and professional. We enjoyed it every time.
I'm sorry that you had a bad experience, but I would give the tour another chance. I think that it is worth it.
 

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