A no parks DVC stay - Hilton Head or Vero Beach?

[catlady]

Originally Posted by parkgirl

Wow $24 is a lot!

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Yes! And that's the DVC rate! You can just get a deckchair for $10, but I need shade so by the time you add $10 for the umbrella as well you might as well get the set!

You don't pay by the pool, just the beach. A lot of regulars obviously brought their own chairs etc. Saw them using a cart to carry them up and down! 😅

[YorkshireT]

We are at at Vero at Xmas. But if you have the time to go, go to Hilton Head it’s wonderful. You can also go off for day trips to Savannah and Charleston.
HHI is like paradise I think, love it. The island was previously a plantation and is divided into sections including Harbour Town with its red and white lighthouse.
Loads of bike trails and the hotels rent bikes for the week.
Nothing is built up and the shops etc are largely ‘hidden’ behind trees and bushes. Beaches and salt marshes. It’s hard to beat.
I stayed Palmetto Dunes opposite the DVC as I didn’t even know what DVC was then but it got me interested when I saw the lovely hotel. We may go back 2023 and stay in the DVC (went 2011 when the U.K. riots were on if you remember).

[unixgirl]

Originally Posted by catlady

We've just got back yesterday from a 4 night stay at Vero Beach. A beach stay after Orlando. We have been before about 8 years ago, and the rooms have had a bit of a make over since then, but it still feels 'old school Disney' if you know what I mean! Cast members tend to be older and like to chat.

The beach is on the Atlantic coast obviously, so can be rough!
We were a bit unlucky with the weather as a storm front sat over us for a day and a bit, so weather not great! Very windy after too! The umbrellas and beach loungers/chairs are charged per day on the beach. $24 dollars for an umbrella and 2 loungers for example.

There is a pool bar and a grab and go next to the pool. Not a huge selection but very fresh. Plus a bookable sit down restaurant, which is mainly steak and fish. They still had social distancing in there, so I found it a bit sparse. Food was good and service very good. They also do breakfast in there too.

We had a standard view Inn room, I prefer it in the Inn, plus we wanted 2 beds!

It's about 10 minutes from the main area of Vero Beach, which we only really drove through? It's on a nature reserve and they have things in place for protection of the nesting turtles. Didn't really explore the area much, because of the weather!

I've added some photos. Any specific questions just ask 😁.

Our room;

Our standard view, better than expected!

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Looks lovely but ouch at the charge for the loungers.

[unixgirl]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

We are at at Vero at Xmas. But if you have the time to go, go to Hilton Head it’s wonderful. You can also go off for day trips to Savannah and Charleston.
HHI is like paradise I think, love it. The island was previously a plantation and is divided into sections including Harbour Town with its red and white lighthouse.
Loads of bike trails and the hotels rent bikes for the week.
Nothing is built up and the shops etc are largely ‘hidden’ behind trees and bushes. Beaches and salt marshes. It’s hard to beat.
I stayed Palmetto Dunes opposite the DVC as I didn’t even know what DVC was then but it got me interested when I saw the lovely hotel. We may go back 2023 and stay in the DVC (went 2011 when the U.K. riots were on if you remember).

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Sounds very peaceful - I’ve not been to either Savannah or Charleston so they’d be good
to go see.

[Br'er Bear]

5-years out of date but gives you an insight and options, and of the prices back then.
disneyvacationclub.disney.go...%202017-R4.pdf

Thankfully the pool loungers are free but if you're planning on a week or more and you're a beach person and want some quiet time, then consider buying a lounger and umbrella at Walmart. There's a store on 20th street in Vero and one on US-1 in Sebastian.

But first check out the underground parking area below reception as departing members would sometimes leave beach chairs, etc for any dvc member to use.

If that's still ongoing then you might be lucky, but if not and you do buy a beach chair and umbrella then just leave it in the underground parking lot when you leave.

But also post it on the Dibb as there might well be a few Dibb DVC members already at the resort. Might even be the start of an ongoing post where Dibbers can pass on items that they're leaving behind.

Happy planning!

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by unixgirl

Sounds very peaceful - I’ve not been to either Savannah or Charleston so they’d be good
to go see.

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It’s not that far from the Smokies either so combine it with a trip there. Atlanta is a good place to fly onto- Smokies, Savannah say, Hilton Head. Great holiday.

[PoohBears#1fan]

What about Aulani?

We all loved Vero but there isn’t loads to do there, we enjoyed a few days, I’m not sure I could stay longer than 3-4 days.

You need a car, there’s next to nothing in walking distance.

To be fair I don’t tend to favour beach resort type holidays, none of us are sunbathers so get bored very quickly unless there’s loads of water sports/ diving / snorkelling to do which there wasn’t there due to it being the Atlantic side.

Gorgeous resort though, perfect for anyone who loves a chilling out holiday, used to be very easy to get rooms there, I’ve not tried in recent years.

[cpjw]

Haven't done HH, but been to Vero a few times and really like it. There a few places around to visit, eg. Indian River Mall is good and also the McLarty Treasure Museum. Never had a problem getting in at 7 months.

[unixgirl]

Originally Posted by PoohBears#1fan

What about Aulani?

We all loved Vero but there isn’t loads to do there, we enjoyed a few days, I’m not sure I could stay longer than 3-4 days.

You need a car, there’s next to nothing in walking distance.

To be fair I don’t tend to favour beach resort type holidays, none of us are sunbathers so get bored very quickly unless there’s loads of water sports/ diving / snorkelling to do which there wasn’t there due to it being the Atlantic side.

Gorgeous resort though, perfect for anyone who loves a chilling out holiday, used to be very easy to get rooms there, I’ve not tried in recent years.

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This is a worry of mine as I think I’ve done a total of 2 holidays which were beach or pool style holidays. Normally I want to go and do things after a couple of days relaxing. Aulani would be great but the travel there and back not so much. I’m not a sunbather either.

[catlady]

Originally Posted by unixgirl

This is a worry of mine as I think I’ve done a total of 2 holidays which were beach or pool style holidays. Normally I want to go and do things after a couple of days relaxing. Aulani would be great but the travel there and back not so much. I’m not a sunbather either.

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If you're not a sunbather then personally I'd go to HH? I'm not a pool, beach or sunbather and as much as I liked Vero Beach I'd definitely had enough after 4 nights. You can't walk to anywhere and I'd had done enough shopping!

Not stayed at Disney's HH but have been to HH many years ago on a road trip in the South, and loved it! More day trips as already mentioned!