A Road Trip To Savannah & Disney’s Hilton Head Island

This past weekend I managed to tick a few of my bucket list items off my list. I finally made it out to Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and Savannah for a couple of nights.

A group of 7 of us made it out for the road trip. My friend Kay had previously worked a summer at Disney’s Hilton Head, so it was really nice to have a personal tour guide.

Getting Pulled Over By The Sheriff

We hired a mini van that sat 7 people. My friend Lily did the driving there and back, what a babe! Having never driven a car this big before she had to get used to turning. So somewhere in Georgia we ended up getting pulled over by the sheriff.

This was one of the funniest moments of my program. She was swerving somewhat as we had no idea where we were. The sheriff asks if she’s okay just because she was swerving, she replies with a yes and just explains she’s from the UK and getting used to driving here. He then says, “I know the kids in the back can be distracting”. After he left I had to burst out laughing, there were five 20 something’s in the back of the car! I guess working for Disney makes us big kids.

Brunswick, Georgia

We made a pit stop in Georgia in a small town called Brunswick.

This was a pretty quiet town, we wandered the streets for a little and found this old fashioned painted wall to take basic bitch photos in front of.

For lunch we ate at a place called Indigo Coastal Shanty. At first it looked closed but everyone was just inside. The only seating available was on the patio. Although it was chilly the outside seating was completely fine – we were all from the UK after all. This place really surprised us, they accommodated for all of our needs, including vegetarian. I chose the “Bahamian Chicken Curry” which was a coconut milk based curry and was one of the best I’ve tried.

Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort

Upon discovering that there was in fact a resident dog at Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort, I knew I had to meet her! Her name is Shadow and she is a golden retriever. She is also, a very good girl! As soon as we arrived at the resort, I noticed the dog kennel outside with the name “Shadow” across it. To my surprise she was in the lobby as I walked in. Needless to say my attention was distracted from that moment on. She knew how to sit, and was a very obedient and soft doggo. Why doesn’t every Disney resort have a dog?

In the lobby were cookies and hot apple cider – so good on a cold day!

Our room had two bedrooms, one with a king size bed and one with two queen size, and in the living room were a double and single size sofa beds. So this room could accommodate up to 9 people. We were very lucky and managed to get this room at a good deal with 60% off for the Holiday Celebration. If you ever partake in a Disney Program, definitely take advantage of the deals while they are there.

Our first night was spent wandering the resort, swinging on hammocks and drinking wine back in the room.

Savannah

On our second day we ventured into Savannah. Before heading into the city centre, we stopped off at a place called the Wormsloe Historic Site. I’d seen photos of this online many years ago but until now never knew where it was.

The entrance is probably what draws most visitors. An avenue lined with live Oak Trees forming a canopied walkway. While the trees weren’t as full as they may be in the summer, it was still very beautiful.

We wandered the grounds for a while, learning a bit about it’s history and how it came to be.

Admission to Wormsloe is $10 for adults and open from 9:00am – 50:00pm

Chippewa Square

Forrest Gump is a movie everybody loves, and was primarily filmed in South Carolina and Georgia. Chippewa Square is the location where the iconic scenes of Forrest waiting for the bus were filmed. Unfortunately the bench in which he sits doesn’t actually exist, it was only for the movie.

Most of our time in Savannah was spent wandering the streets and appreciating the cities southern charm.

The streets in Savannah were lined with trees featuring the famous Spanish moss, which it turns out, isn’t even moss at all. It was nice to see real Spanish moss, that’s when I knew I was really in the South. It’s one of those things everybody associates with the deep south, even Disney feature it in their theming for the Blue Bayou.

We ended our night by walking along the riverwalk and getting ice cream at Leopold’s. This ice cream parlour is relatively famous in Savannah. Opened in 1919; Leopold’s is voted one of the top 10 best Ice Cream shops in the world.

The Beach House

Our last morning on Hilton Head Island, we ate breakfast in the room. Blueberry pancakes, mmm!

We packed up and left for the Beach House. Spending our last few hours on the beach even though it was a bit chilly the sun was shining for us. The beach house was so nice. Our visit was in the low season, but this place would be amazing during the summer. It’s a very different vibe from the Walt Disney World Resorts. Sometimes a vacation to Walt Disney World is like a military operation having to run for this and that. But Hilton Head was different. It was more of a place to escape, all while enjoying a little Disney.

I’m so happy I got to experience another of Disney’s DVC resorts outside the main parks. Our time here was really relaxing and it was nice to do things with a slower pace.

Have you ever been to Savannah or Hilton Head Island?