Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Disney's Hilton Head Island_® Resort first opened October 1, 1995.  It is a Disney Vacation Club_® (DVC) timeshare property, and was the second DVC resort to be opened outside of the Walt Disney World_® Resort.

Disney’s Hilton Head Island_® Resort features 123 villas comprised of Deluxe Studios, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. 

• Deluxe Studios are 375 square feet and can accommodate up to 4 guests, plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib.  They include a kitchenette, 2 queen-size beds and a private porch or balcony.
• 1Bedrooms are 880 square feet, and can accommodate up to 4 guests, plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. They include a fully equipped kitchen, washer & dryer, king-size bed in the master bedroom, a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living room, whirlpool tub in the master bathroom, and a private porch or balcony. 
• 2-Bedrooms are 1,255 square feet, and can accommodate up to 9 guests, plus 1 child under 3 in a crib. They offer all that a 1-Bedroom has plus a 2^nd bedroom with 2 queen-size .
• 3-Bedroom Beach Cottages are 2,125 square feet, and can accommodate up to 12 guests, plus 1 child under 3 in a crib. They offer all of the amenities of the 2-Bedroom, plus they include a 3^rd  bedroom with 2 queen-size beds, a full dining room, additional private balcony and are 2-story rooms.

The resort includes 1 feature pool with waterslide, and  a water play area;  The Spa at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort; fitness center;  miniature golf; bicycle rentals;  Dolphin & Kayak treks;  wildlife activities;  private access to the beach/seashore;  charcoal grills; an arcade and other assorted recreational activities including Disney movies after dark.   Though not situated on the coast itself,  resort also provides access to the beach with Disney’s Beach House, just one mile from the resort, which offers a 2^nd pool, additional dining options and private access to the beach and Atlantic Ocean.

The resort features 1 quick-service restaurant at the resort and 1 quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Beach House:  Tide Me Over (resort) and Signals (Beach House).  The Beach House also features a lounge/bar location: Surfman’s Sand Bar (open seasonally). 

Disney’s Hilton Head Island_® Resort is a deluxe villas level resort located on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, moments from the Atlantic Ocean, about 5-6 hours north of the Walt Disney World_® Resort.  

Saturday Savers - The Disney Wilderness Preserve

It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation experience.  Things that you might do on your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being free.

Today we look at the Disney Wilderness Preserve.  No, I’m not referring to the recreated African savannahs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – but rather, an actual wilderness preserve (vs. an Imagineered one) at the far southern end of Walt Disney World, at the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem, or about 20 miles south of Orlando – it’s The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve, a 12,000 acre wildlife preserve that has been left in its’ natural state, where flora and fauna abound in nearly complete undeveloped beauty along the shores of Lake Russell.  It is home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, and here you can observe native plants and animals by hiking a 2 1/2-mile trail.

The Preserve is open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday-Friday and is closed on most major holidays. Admission is FREE, though donations are appreciated. Due to potential flooding or restoration activities, access can be limited, so make sure you call the preserve at (407) 935-0002 before driving out to it.  For more information on the preserve visit www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/florida/placesweprotect/the-disney-wilderness-preserve.xml

Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort on April 16, 2001, designed by noted architect Peter Dominck, the same architect who designed Disney’s Wilderness Lodge_® and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel_® & Spa at the Disneyland_® Resort.  (In 2009 an expansion by Disney Vacation Club® increased the size of the resort with the addition of Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas®.  At that time the original resort became known as Jambo House with the addition being named Kidani Village).

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge  _®Disney   

The resort is designed as an African-style lodge, and includes its’ own wildlife preserve where giraffes, Ankole cattle, gazelles, and other wildlife freely roam within guests view.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge_® features 972 guest rooms.  All rooms can accommodate up to 4 guests plus 1 child under 3 in a crib; featuring either 2 queen-size beds, or 1 queen-size bed plus a set of bunk beds, or a king-size bed plus a day bed.

The resort includes 1 feature pool:  Uzima Springs with waterslide;  plus access to an additional feature pool at Kidani Village:  Uwanja Camp with waterslide, and the water play area: Samawati Springs; fitness center;  an arcade and other assorted recreational activities including Disney movies after dark.  Simba’s Cubhouse provides supervised activities for children during the evenings on a fee basis.

The resort features 3 table service restaurants:  Jiko, Boma: Flavors of Africa and Sanaa.  It also features 1 quick-service restaurant: The Mara; as well as two lounge/bar locations: Cape Town Lounge and Victoria Falls Lounge.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge_® is a deluxe level resort located just to the west of Disney’s Animal Kingdom_® Park.  Convenient bus transportation will take guests to all other parts of Walt Disney World_® Resort.  

Wordless Wednesday - The View from Disney's Beach House at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Wordless Wednesday - Along Big Thunder Trail, Disneyland