The rooms come in three sizes:
- Deluxe Studio Villa - a queen bed and a full-size sleeper sofa. These villas sleep up to 4 people in one area.
- 1-Bedroom Villa - a king bed, a full size sleeper sofa, and a twin sleeper chair. These villas sleep up to 5 people in 2 areas.
- 2-Bedroom Villa - a king bed, 2 queen beds, a full size sleeper sofa, and a twin sleeper chair. These villas sleep up to 9 people in three areas.
The deluxe studio villa has a kitchenette, but the 1 and 2-bedroom villas have full kitchens! Adjacent to the resort is a huge shopping complex that contains a (really awesome) Kroger and several wonderful restaurants. The shopping center has shops, restaurants, and is easy biking distance from the resort.
But the real beauty of this resort is the fact that you can enjoy it with your family as a beach vacation that has enough extra activities to keep you busy - even if you encounter a rainy day!
While we were there, our children enjoyed:
- pool-side activities
- arts and crafts
- evening s'mores and songs
- pool-side movies
- fishing
- biking
- playgrounds
- and walking along the nature trails
That's to say nothing of the amazing pool which is heated when the weather is cool and is very near the (very large) hot tub! They could have stayed in the pool and enjoyed the waterslide for days!
Over at the Beach House which is about a 10-12 minute bike ride or a 5-minute shuttle trip from the main heart of the resort, they have many of the same amenities as the marsh side of the resort in addition to pool volley ball and of course the BEACH!
All of those activities are great, but Disney did not leave out the teens! There are plenty of activities for them, as well!
The teens particularly enjoyed
- shuffleboard
- pool/billiards
- kayaking
- volley ball in and out of the pool
We only had four nights at the resort and there were so many activities there, so we only planned one excursion off the resort property. I found a great deal for a private crabbing boat for two hours and it was the BEST thing we could have done. Just as we set off from the dock, we spotted a mother dolphin with her tiny baby! The captain caught the girls' interest and followed them until the girls had their dolphin fix. Then came the real work! Catching crabs!!
This activity was kid and teen approved! The whole family had a great time and worked together to catch quite a few crabs! The best part? We got to take them back to the villa for dinner!
The entire trip was amazing! It was the best beach vacation our family has ever had (and I'm from MIAMI) and have in-laws who live ON the beach in Gulf Shores. There was just such a great variety of great family activities combined with a gorgeous pool and lots of fun on the beach. All of that combined with being able to purchase Mickey ice cream bars and a Dole Whip just made the trip perfect! We can't wait to head back and enjoy Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort again soon!
