Completely different perspective here....we absolutely LOVE the Lowcountry! I am fascinated by the "swamp" and love to watch the birds and wildlife that are in motion there. One of my teenagers would rather vacation at HHI resort than anywhere else. We have stayed several times at an oceanfront Marriott property there, but my kids think the Disney place is the real thing.
The only downside to me is that is is a ways from the Disney resort to the Disney beach club. But they do offer a shuttle and it is an easy bike ride. We always have our car so we usually just drive over. We have gone in Summer, Fall, Spring and Winter. Different activities are better at different times of the year. The beach is best in the Summer and Fall. The water can be a little cool in the Spring, but as long as the weather is nice you can use the pools, and the water slide is fun. My teenagers like playing shuffleboard and ping pong, fishing and crabbing off of the crabbing pier, (use chicken as bait, the Disney people can help you with the equipment.) At the beach house again they play ping pong, they play water volleyball in the pool, and they enjoy the beach. Hilton Head is full of bicycle paths and bikes are allowed on the beach, so you can get all over the island that way.
For dining, we like the Crazy Crab, Old Oyster Factory, Salty Dog Cafe, and Scott's Fish market which is just a short walk across the bridge from the Disney Resort in Shelter Cove Harbor. On nice nights there is usually someone out playing guitar there. Hilton Head is full of restaurants, so that is just for starters.
Hilton Head is developed enough to offer movies, miniature golf, etc. There is a decent sized shopping mall on the island as well as the requisite beach shops here and there. There is also an enormous outlet shopping area just before you get to Hilton Head.
I personally think the crowd depends on where you are on the island and what else may be going on at the time. Of course, there are a lot of wealthy property owners on Hilton Head, but the hotels on the island range from average to deluxe. In my opinion you find a good mix of people there.
I think the furnishings are consistent with those in the other DVC resorts as far as comfort--not the best, but fine.
So, a completely different perspective.
Oh, and as far as booking stays, it is a small resort, so I think the Summer goes pretty quickly. Most of the resort is two-bedroom units, so those are the easiest to get. I just booked a long Summer weekend a few weeks ago, and late August still had a lot available, but other than that..