2012 Hilton Head Thread-Tips, Tricks, Roll Call..

[mickeyplanner]

Just got back today from our 3-nt trip to HHI and I didn't have any trouble with the speed of the internet, I just had trouble connecting the laptop a few times, but a reboot got that fixed each time. I suspect it was in my laptop and not in the wifi because my tablet had few issues. The most annoying thing to me is having to put a password in every time you shut down or disconnect.

Thank you I am so glad to hear that the WiFi worked for you. I am hoping they did an upgrade that solved the problems. Was your room near the lobby?

 

[GetGlowing]

Yes, we were in 1213/1214.

 

[mickeyplanner]

Yes, we were in 1213/1214.

You are the second person who was close to the lobby that reported a great WiFi connection. I am going to have to call and request being near the lobby or stress the importance of needing a strong WiFi signal for our trip. Someone else mentioned asking for a wired internet connection for our laptop. We are DVC members will both of those options be of no charge for us?

 

[GetGlowing]

No charge to DVC members.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using DISBoards

 

[Laurabearz]

Another suggestion if he just needs to be online at certain times is for him to just take his laptop to big mergers den next to the lobby and hang there while class is in season

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[mickeyplanner]

Another suggestion if he just needs to be online at certain times is for him to just take his laptop to big mergers den next to the lobby and hang there while class is in season

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thank you, do you know what time they are open? He typically does he work between 4:30 am and 7am.

 

[mickeyplanner]

Driving questions..

I wanted to leave on Friday, go to a Nationals game that night, stay over in VA and then leave from there Saturday morning, going all the way to HH, staying at a hotel and then checking into the Disney resort first thing Sunday, ?

Where did you end up staying on Saturday night before checking in on Sunday? I am debating between Hardeeville, SC or Bluffton, SC.

 

[ssawka]

Another suggestion if he just needs to be online at certain times is for him to just take his laptop to big mergers den next to the lobby and hang there while class is in season

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I was going to suggest this, but it can be a little distracting in there with people shooting pool.

 

[ssawka]

Thank you, do you know what time they are open? He typically does he work between 4:30 am and 7am.

I'm not sure they have set hours. I was in there late at night on my laptop while DW and DD slept.

 

[mickeyplanner]

I'm not sure they have set hours. I was in there late at night on my laptop while DW and DD slept.

Thanks for the information and also posting the resort information you brought home. Did you do the boil? Also we are thinking of taking 2 days to drive down to HHI in June and are planning either stopping in Princeton, WV or Wytheville, VA. Are either of those near you?

 

[ssawka]

Thanks for the information and also posting the resort information you brought home. Did you do the boil? Also we are thinking of taking 2 days to drive down to HHI in June and are planning either stopping in Princeton, WV or Wytheville, VA. Are either of those near you?

No, we did not do the Boil (DW is allergic to shellfish). We did do the Bar-B-Q though. That was convenient, but it was pouring rain so most of the games and such were cancelled. The food was OK, about on par with other Disney Bar-B-Q's, even though I believe the Bar-B-Q and Shrimp Boil are both catered since there is not really a restaurant on site (Just Quick Service). The staff at the Bar-B-Q were very accommodating however since DD also has to be Gluten Free.

We are located outside of DC, so in answer to your second question, we are not located near Princeton or Wytheville. Since you will be passing through that area, I take it you are from Western PA. I am originally from Northeastern PA (near Scranton) and DW is originally from the Philly area.

I hope you enjoy your trip, if you decide to go. Hilton Head is a long drive, but worth it in my opinion.

 

[vakamalua]

We were at HHI for five nights the first week in October 2012. That's a wonderfully uncrowded time to be there--just couples and some families with preschool children. We love the atmosphere at HHI and the beach house is a great way to spend the day, as well as a day trip to Savannah.

We did the Low Country Boil, mostly so we didn't have to go off property one night. It was pricey and just ok. The best thing was the pecan topped sweet potato casserole; everything else was bland.

The only other thing we really didn't like was the VERY uncomfortable sofa in the living room. No matter how you sat on it, you felt like you were falling off. Nice looking but terrible design. Thank goodness for the rockers on the deck...

 

[csharpwv]

I totally agree about the sleeper sofa! I felt like I am on the verge of sliding in to the floor every time I sit down! HAHA

I have to say that the sleeper sofas make better beds than sofas - so I guess that the quality of sleep is better than the quality of 'sitting'. A piece of furniture can't really serve two purposes well I guess!

We thought the boil was rather pricey - plus we have come to REALLY enjoy cooking while at HHI.

We have done BBQ Pulled Pork, Steaks, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Pasta, Pizza, Grilled Pork Chops, Sandwiches, taco salad, and my favorite - a huge pot of fresh green beans! the list goes on as well!

We love that we don't have to go out to eat - we don't have to deal with restaurant crowds, finding places that suit our taste, and most of all... we don't have to deal with traffic!

For our trip this past July we took nearly everything with us - we learned a lot from that trip... just buy it there! LOL By the time we kept the cooler stocked with ice on the way down - anything we might have saved wasn't realized due to hassle and the price of ice LOL

We bought t-bone steaks, and boneless pork chops at Sam's during our December/January trip and they were the best cuts of meat I have seen in quite some time. The steaks were perfect! I finished them to medium on the grill and then finished them under the broiler since it was getting dark outside - I didn't want to burn them!

One definitely thing to pack is a digital grill thermometer! It prevents burning every time! We have a dial thermometer, and a digital - I'll take the digital hands down every time!

We have been shopping at the Piggly Wiggly - but we have heard the Fresh Market is pretty great, so we may try that next time.

I really want to do grilled meatloaf on our next trip - I've had it at Weber Grill and Cheesecake Factory - and both times it has been fantastic, so I want to give it a try!

Just a warning, when you grill at HHI you are likely to draw a crowd HAHA

 

[mickeyplanner]

We are located outside of DC, so in answer to your second question, we are not located near Princeton or Wytheville. Since you will be passing through that area, I take it you are from Western PA. I am originally from Northeastern PA (near Scranton) and DW is originally from the Philly area.

I hope you enjoy your trip, if you decide to go. Hilton Head is a long drive, but worth it in my opinion.

Yes we are from Western PA, south of Pittsburgh. We have our reservations for June 23-28 2BR. This will be our first long drive with our kids, seven hours is the max we have driven with them. That is why we are planning on taking two days to drive both ways and looking for stops along the way.

We love the atmosphere at HHI and the beach house is a great way to spend the day, as well as a day trip to Savannah.

We did the Low Country Boil, mostly so we didn't have to go off property one night. It was pricey and just ok.

Sounds like we should pass on the BBQ and Boil. If I am going to pay to eat out I want it to be worth my while. I keep reading all these great things about One Hot Mama but haven't settled on a seafood place yet.

We are also planning on doing a day trip to Savannah. Did you do a tour while you were there?

We love that we don't have to go out to eat - we don't have to deal with restaurant crowds, finding places that suit our taste, and most of all... we don't have to deal with traffic!

For our trip this past July we took nearly everything with us - we learned a lot from that trip... just buy it there! LOL By the time we kept the cooler stocked with ice on the way down - anything we might have saved wasn't realized due to hassle and the price of ice LOL

We bought t-bone steaks, and boneless pork chops at Sam's during our December/January trip and they were the best cuts of meat I have seen in quite some time. The steaks were perfect! I finished them to medium on the grill and then finished them under the broiler since it was getting dark outside - I didn't want to burn them!

We have been shopping at the Piggly Wiggly - but we have heard the Fresh Market is pretty great, so we may try that next time.
HAHA

Is traffic really that bad?

Did you stop at the Sams and Piggly Wiggly in Haydenville or closer to HHI? I haven't read anything about the Fresh Market. Where is that located?

 

[ssawka]

I keep reading all these great things about One Hot Mama but haven't settled on a seafood place yet.

One Hot Mama's had good food, but it is definitely has a "beach bar" atmosphere.

If you are up for Pizza on night, we really enjoyed the Mellow Mushroom.

San Miguel's (Mexican) in shelter's cove was pretty good, if you don't feel like driving one night.

For seafood, I recommend Hudson's. It is a little bit of a drive from the resort, but worth it. It is on the shore of the causeway between the island and the main land. Unlike many of the "beach" seafood places, they have fresh local seafood (The restaurant has its own dock). The place was recommended to us by the guy that took us on the dolphin watching tour at the resort.

We are also planning on doing a day trip to Savannah. Did you do a tour while you were there?

Great idea! We enjoyed it. I would recommend using a tour company. We used Old Savannah Tours. In addition to giving a tour full of history, you can buy a pass that will let you get on and off the trolley all day. They have 10 stops around town.

We ate lunch at The Lady & Sons (Paula Deen's place). It was a bit touristy, but the food was really good. They now take reservations online so you don't have to wait in the long queue.

 

[mickeyplanner]

One Hot Mama's had good food, but it is definitely has a "beach bar" atmosphere.

If you are up for Pizza on night, we really enjoyed the Mellow Mushroom.

San Miguel's (Mexican) in shelter's cove was pretty good, if you don't feel like driving one night.

For seafood, I recommend Hudson's. It is a little bit of a drive from the resort, but worth it. It is on the shore of the causeway between the island and the main land. Unlike many of the "beach" seafood places, they have fresh local seafood (The restaurant has its own dock). The place was recommended to us by the guy that took us on the dolphin watching tour at the resort.



Great idea! We enjoyed it. I would recommend using a tour company. We used Old Savannah Tours. In addition to giving a tour full of history, you can buy a pass that will let you get on and off the trolley all day. They have 10 stops around town.

We ate lunch at The Lady & Sons (Paula Deen's place). It was a bit touristy, but the food was really good. They now take reservations online so you don't have to wait in the long queue.

You are a wealth of information, thank you so much!!!

Do you know if we can order take out at One HOt Mama? Or is it too far away from the resort?

My in-laws love MExican so we will have to try San Miguel's. They will also like that we can walk there.

Hudson's sounds more up our alley. Thank you for the tip on fresh seafood.

Yes, we wanted to be able to get on and off the trolley so I will look into old savannah tours. Is the Lady & Sons near one of those stops? I am glad to hear we can make reservations online. I just have to see how far in advance we can make them.

Did you buy groceries while on your trip? If so where at?

Thank you again.

 

[ssawka]

Do you know if we can order take out at One HOt Mama? Or is it too far away from the resort?

I think takeout would be doable. The restaurant is only about 2 miles from the resort. I'm not sure what traffic will be like. We went the first week of August, and traffic never got really bad. We are from DC though, so our definition of "not bad" may be different from others.

My in-laws love MExican so we will have to try San Miguel's. They will also like that we can walk there.

There are other restaurants in the Shelter's Cove complex as well, but we did not try any of them. DD has to eat a gluten free diet, so we need to be picky about where we go to eat.

Yes, we wanted to be able to get on and off the trolley so I will look into old savannah tours. Is the Lady & Sons near one of those stops? I am glad to hear we can make reservations online. I just have to see how far in advance we can make them.

The Lady & Sons is not directly at a stop, but it is only about 2 blocks from one of the stops.

Did you buy groceries while on your trip? If so where at?

We were in a studio, so we only did light meals in the room (breakfast, lunch, and snacks). Most of the stuff we brought with us, since we didn't need any perishables. We did get a few things at the Piggly Wiggly, which is pretty close to the resort. There are other stores, but I'm not sure how prices compare between on the island and off. There is also a WalMart and a Target before you cross onto the island.

One other note, make sure you have a GPS. Things on HHI can be hard to find because the stores are only allowed to have small signs and the shopping centers are hidden from view as you drive by.

 

[loveswdw]

I haven't read anything about the Fresh Market. Where is that located?

If you turn right when you are leaving Shelter Cove, its about a half mile/mile on the right. We hit FM as we shop at one at home. It's a more "highbrow" grocery for lack of a better term. Highbrow meaning expensive! LOL They have a nice deli case where you can get rotisserie chicken, salads and hot dishes that you can reheat. Most everything in the store is organic, not all but most. They have a good selection of meats & seafoods too.

There is also at least one Publix on HHI that we shopped at last time. We like Publix as we shop there when we visit FL too. We don't have Publix in KY. There's a Wal-Mart SuperCenter not too far also. We have not shopped the PW but we might swing by there next time we are on HHI and check it out.

 

[ssawka]

If you turn right when you are leaving Shelter Cove, its about a half mile/mile on the right. We hit FM as we shop at one at home. It's a more "highbrow" grocery for lack of a better term. Highbrow meaning expensive! LOL They have a nice deli case where you can get rotisserie chicken, salads and hot dishes that you can reheat. Most everything in the store is organic, not all but most. They have a good selection of meats & seafoods too.

There is also at least one Publix on HHI that we shopped at last time. We like Publix as we shop there when we visit FL too. We don't have Publix in KY. There's a Wal-Mart SuperCenter not too far also. We have not shopped the PW but we might swing by there next time we are on HHI and check it out.

There is also a Harris Teeter at the intersection of the bypass.

PW is good for small items, but I do not think I'd want to get a very large order or go during "peak" times. The store is quite small and can get very crowded.

 

[mickeyplanner]

Most everything in the store is organic, not all but most. They have a good selection of meats & seafoods too.

Sounds like a great place to get things to make lunches everyday. Including organic produce and milk, which are a must for DH.

There is also a Harris Teeter at the intersection of the bypass.

PW is good for small items, but I do not think I'd want to get a very large order or go during "peak" times. The store is quite small and can get very crowded.

Never heard of HArris Teeter, what is it?

Sounds like FM and either PUblix or Wal-mart will be our best options. Thank you for helping me plan this trip.