Planned this trip with a girlfriend for some R&R. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by staff at reception. Much to our surprise we had been upgraded to a two bedroom villa! Very nice touch.
The villas are spacious, roomy and comfortable. We had a full kitchen, two roomy bedrooms, two baths & a Jacuzzi tub. My only complaint is that the sofa is a little hard (obviously kid proof upholstery).
Be sure to get a bike while you're there because there are bike paths all over Shelter Cove and Hilton Head. We rode from the resort to their Beach Club. It was a nice 1.5 mile ride that’s not too taxing. We road to the shops nearby and even to dinner that evening!
The Beach Club has a nice size pool, a place for a snack and locker rooms to store your gear while you head to the beach.
Each staff member we encountered was pleasant and remembered our faces each time we saw them again.
Truly, my only regret was not catching a glimpse of Shadow, their elusive, four legged mascot!

My wife and I recently stayed at Disneys Hilton Head Island Resort without our children. The resort is very nice, but i would not say it was up to Disney standards. The location was a little awkward to get to the beach which makes he resort definately not feel like a beach vacation in the classic sense. Also the rooms were getting a little tired and dated. We initially stayed in the Lodge in a studio room which was like a basic hotel room. For the price this was definately not up to snuff and was overpriced. However we quickly changed rooms to a two bedroom unit and it was very very nice.
The price difference was not much especially considering the vast difference in the accomodations. The Disney touch at the end was that they ended up not charging us more for the better room!
Also the resort does not really have a restaurant other than a snack bar.

The hotel was nice but not that nice. I read the other reviews and feel like maybe my standards are too high but here goes...We booked a two bedroom suite that was very spacious but had seen better days. The whole place needed a good cleaning. There was dust in the windowsills, mildew in the shower, and the kitchen sink had a mildew ring in it. I refused to do any cooking because I would have had to totally clean it first. Also the tiles in the foyer and kitchen looked dirty. We were there for four nights and saw two palmetto bugs...they look like giant roaches...one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. I am a clean freak so maybe it is just me.

We did have a good time, plenty to do and the kids loved it. The staff is excellent. If you do go, I do have a couple of suggestions:

1. Take bugspray...the gnats and mosquitos inhabit the pool and shuffleboard areas after 7 pm.

2. Ask for a top floor...we were on the bottom and swear that the NFL was practicing above us...well maybe not but still...

I can't say enough about Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort and its staff! There are so many reasons why it's our favorite place!

It is the nicest place we've ever vacationed.

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort offers all the best of Disney when it comes to friendly top-of-the line service and excellent accomodations, without the theme park atmosphere - which contrary to what many Disney lovers believe - NOT everyone enjoys.

We have stayed at this resort every year for the past three years, and can't wait to return this fall.

The villas are amazing! Comfortable yet luxurious. The two bedroom villa offers accomodations that are more than spacious enough for my family of four to spread out and really get comfortable for the week. The kids, 11 and 5, were so excited to have their own room with queen sized beds, a TV, balcony, and their own bathroom and closet area!

The master suite has a king sized bed, private balcony, and luxurious bathroom with separate shower and jacuzzi areas. And the layout of the villas makes closing a couple of doors an easy way to get all the privacy the master suite occupants could want! We've stayed in many very nice condos and beach houses, but this is the nicest by far. With daily (excellent!) housekeeping to boot! It doesn't get better than that!

While the resort is located across the highway from its private beach, we don't find this a drawback at all. Convenient shuttle service to and from makes going to the beach easy, and the private "Beach House" for resort guests makes visiting the beach a luxurious experience in and of itself... An ocean-front pool, spotless, conveniently located restrooms, walk-up cafe, and even an air conditioned sitting room with TV, games, and reading materials... Plus always a fresh supply of towels that YOU don't have to wash the sand out of! Getting to the beach on a resort shuttle is a small price to pay for all of that, as far as we're concerned.

We enjoy that there are almost constant activities throughout each day in which the kids can participate if they so choose. Ours really enjoy the pool and waterslide (at the main resort - no shuttle required for that) throughout the day, and the campfires - complete with silly songs and smores - that are held every other night. Also, we visit over Halloween every year, and the staff puts on a fun trick or treat scavenger hunt, with candy and other prizes at every stop, followed by a Halloween party. This has made for our kids' favorite Halloweens ever!

While there's always a daily list of options for activities - some even educational with the resort's Naturalist - there's nothing that's "in your face" like at a theme park. This is just one thing that makes this an excellent place for anyone to visit - not just families with children. The peaceful, relaxing feel to it is our favorite thing.

The property itself is beautiful, and extremely well maintained. The restuarants and shops of Shelter Cove are within walking distance, and the resort borders the marina at Shelter Cove. We really enjoy strolling on the walkway and looking at all of the yachts docked there.

One reviewer mentioned a bad smell from the marsh and palmetto bugs. In all the years we've visited, we've never encountered a bad smell. Maybe the smell of natural water is a "bad smell"? As for the palmetto bugs, you're going to see those anywhere you visit in SC's Low Country. However, we have seen contracted pest control services discreetly working around the resort almost constantly, and we have NEVER seen a palmetto bug, or any other kind, anywhere near our villa.

So, don't go here expecting to see characters walking around like at the Disney Resorts in Orlando. DO expect the same friendly, accomodating staff, even nicer accomodations, and a much more subtle dose of Disney, like Mickey Mouse soaps in your bathrooms and a General Store with a selection Disney Merchandise.

We have tried both ways, and THIS is the way we enjoy Disney!