Centreparcs Whinfell Forest, Cumbria

[elliemac]

Has anyone been to this one and is it any good. We're thinking of taking DD this summer. She's nearly 2. Was wondering if there's plenty to do and whether its really expensive once you're there kind of thing!

[SayNOtothecookieRookie]

Loads of threads on centerparcs, have a look at them and you will get the general theme.

I wouldn't go in the school holidays if you have a 2 yr old, wildly expensive and v busy. We are going at the end of the month for a long weekend to the Cumbria one.

We have been a couple of times before. You do need to pay for just about everything but the pool and activities are expensive, I was going to take our littlun along to toddlers messy time, but at £7.50 for 45 mins, I think I can russle up some finger paints and pasta pieces of my own. There are a few activities that would suit your daughter but as I say they are expensive.

The creche is fab and so is the spa, when we go we make a point of putting DS in for an afternoon and relaxing their.

Restaurants are average but expensive, they are however very child friendly.

The lodges are getting redecorated at the minute so should all be really nice in a few months time.

I think the bit I like the most is that you park your car at the entrance and you then cycle or walk everywhere and it does look nice and foresty.

Personally I would either go for a long weekend or Mon-Fri, but I just felt the need to escape after a few days.

[Fizzylemonade]

I agree the messy play is expensive but they do have plastic animals in jelly, baked beans and pasta, painting, play-doh, water play etc so they make all the mess there and it is great fun.

We have been to Whinfell twice and are about to go back again!! We have also been to Sherwood 3 times and Elvedon once (although it is the best one it is a great trek for us)

The beauty of CPs is walking, cycling etc, the swimming pool is fab and the spa if you can get away for a few hours, the fact that you could walk back alone at night and not feel remotely vulnerable. It is almost like an exclusive club where you only find out everything about it when you get there!! A bike with a trailer would be great so your DD
can be sat in a covered little carriage.

Whinfell is very beautiful but a word on accommodation - "comfort" is incredibly basic and VERY dated, "comfort plus" is the same decor but you get a dishwasher, towels and a DVD player. The "Woodland lodge" of any description are the new renovated ones with very contemporary fixtures and fittings (guess which one I am going for!!!) with DVD player, dishwasher, towels etc. Executive is dated but more plush and each room has an en-suite bathroom. I have ony ever done comfort plus and executive.

The supermarket has a wide variety of stuff so don't feel you need to lugg everything with you. It is reasonably priced, the restaurants are a little expensive but you can decide how often you cook or eat out.

If you have any specific questions post on this and I will keep an eye on it and respond. I love Center Parcs, my two sons are almost 5 and almost 2, we have a great time every time we go.

[bogie]

DP works for center parcs head office and he said whinfell is the best one he loves it when he has to work away at that one

[elliemac]

Thanks for all the info. Have heard so many conflicting stories but i suppose i won't find out till i go really. Just wanted something that would give DD some things to do rather than just being stuck in the pushchair all day doing adult things. Think i might have to be dragged away from the messy play though

[SayNOtothecookieRookie]

Fizzylemonade, can I hijack please. Told DH about the messy play and he is dead set that DS should go despite the price so we are giving it a go. Can I ask an incredibly stupid question, when it says swim suits are recommended, I'm assuming that means kiddies only, will we adults get covered in baked beans etc as well ?

[Fizzylemonade]

Sorry about late reply, we never put our DS in a swim suit, basically they gave us an apron to put on DS and I think they are just covering themselves (excuse the pun) from people being peeved at getting their clothes messy.

It was my Dh who took my son and he just wore clothes that he didn't mind getting some food on etc - just like every day life with a toddler really!

Just don't wear your best clothes or put your son in any designer gear

It is worth the money when you see the sheer joy of them running their hands through jelly, see the mess they are allowed to make and then walk away leaving someone else to clear it up.

Take a camera (we have kept an old camera for occasions where we wouldn't take our current one) and we have the painting that DS did and photos of him painting it.

Elliemac - there are loads of play areas both inside the restaurants and outside that your DD can go on, just exploring and picking up pine cones, leaves, seeing rabbits and squirrels is fab for a 2 year old. As there are no cars it is incredibly safe, and there are little kids toddling and on bikes. Everyone knows it is a big family place, so there are lots of Grandparents there with their children and Grandchildren (oh it's like a Disney film!!!!)

We really do love it, we like having the villa to ourselves unlike a hotel room, and if you don't feel like cooking there are lots of places to eat, and take-away stuff too.

[Mithriltari]

Hiya, wonderful thread. I was thinking how on earth can we afford to go on our first holiday ever with our little DD who is 14 months old. I love the idea od CP, we would go to the cumbria village by train. In terms of expenses in there, for a monday to friday stay...what roughly are we talking about, £300, £500 or £700? that is assuming we cook most days for dinner and have a light lunch. We would pay for messy play for the baba, that is a must, but do you also have to play for the swimming pool and the spa? is that very expensive? is renting bikes very expensive too? Sorry! so many questions! I am a student, only DH works and we have to do balancing act every month but we would love to do this. HELP please. We can afford the stay plus say another £200-£300 just about, but no more! Hate to be skint!

[Fizzylemonade]

Mithriltari- I have all my CP stuff through for Whinfell so I can answer any questions you have.

Try the code JAN8CP when you enter your search for accommodation, it should give you about 15-20% discount providing you are going in term time, not sure when this promotion ends though.

Basically all that is included in your price is your villa and the swimming pool. Everything else you pay for.

The spa - depends on whether you want a treatment or the World Of Spa 3 hour thing where you can visit all different steam rooms, foot spas, waterbeds etc, this costs £27 mon-fri 1pm-9pm, £32 mon-fri in the morn, or £35 sat and sun. There are ladies only sessions Tues and Sat. But if you put your wee one in the time out creche you can have a 2hour spa session for £24. Creche has a "taster" session for 30 mins so that you can meet the staff etc. If you use the creche then 3hrs is £18 and 2hrs is £12.

Bikes - mon-fri adult mountain bike £21 and for treking your wee one around I would recommend a trailer so that would be £36 for the bike and trailer.

We usually eat out for a lunch and have dinner in the villa but my two are 5 and 2. Messy play is fab, ds1 did it with my DH while me and my friend relaxed in the spa!!!

It is kind of a club Center Parcs in that you only seem to be given the information when you have booked it.

Even when it rains at CP people are still out and about in it, we even managed to experience snow and were swimming at night outside whilst being snowed on, magical.

Just post any further questions on here and I'll answer them.

[ontheedgeneedapush]

went last year when lo was 9 months and she loved it she is a proper water baby though

we stocked up at the local somerfield in the local town rather centre parks own market but loved it

was fab

nbg's hubby and kids spent a day with s too which was fab

[worzella]

we just came back from a Fri - Mon stay - we stayed in Comfort Lodge - it was great ! Not as basic as i had thought and it was very spacious. We had 4 adults and 3 children - and 3 bedrooms. It cost £299. other activities were bowling for all of us £22 and archery for Dad and DS1 £15. I also escaped to the Spa. Our Dcs (6 , 3 and 17 months) loved the swimming pool, the outdoor play area, going cycling and going to Cafe Rouge on the last day! I thought it was fab too!

We took all our food with us - except for the meal out - so it wasn't too expensive

[roisin]

Worzella - is that price right?
We just came back from CP and paid £950 for a 4-bed Comfort Lodge!

We've been before, and we love it. We like to go with some friends and then you can share the babysitting and have some adult time. We paid for the boys to do one 'activity' a day, and they love things like the High Ropes and archery. These are expensive, but it's an unusual opportunity, and gives some structure to the day.

We had a lodge very close to the centre, so it was easy to pop back to hang swimming stuff out to dry and grab a coffee; and we ate all our meals there. So I didn't spend any money at all in cafes, shops or restaurants.

One other tip - we brought with us big back of wild bird food, and peanuts, and scattered it liberally around the lodge. So the children enjoyed watching squirrels, rabbits, and a huge variety of birds come up very close to the lodge on the patio to feed.

[worzella]

sorry - when I said 'just came back' I meant the first weekend in Feb - i.e. not half term! The first weekend of Feb half term was £599.... that was for 3 bedrooms... and was £100 cheaper than normal because we booked by a certain date (nov 5th I think)