Center parks - a bit tacky?

I loveee centre parcs so can not relate

It’s not known for fine dining. More lower end kids friendly type restaurants that can serve 100s in a single evening. As for more space between cabins - same deal: it’s not a luxury resort/lodges in the countryside. It’s a man made site in a pleasant enough surroundings built to host hundreds of thousands people annually. There’s nothing wrong with Center Parcs, it’s just your research/expectations were out of whack.

@Figcherry dirty is subjective. I haven't ever swam in a dirty pool but I haven't found dirty pools at CP. Have you?

I know what you mean OP. If only center parcs provided equipment in the accommodation where you could make pancakes and had a supermarket on site where you could buy the ingredients for real batter.

Why not with just your family?

I haven't been to Woburn only Longleat & Elvedon & haven't found it cramped.

The pancake place is definitely overrated.

Could you recommend a eurocamp? Thanks

You would lower your standards and swim in a dirty pool?

I live in France and have my own pool so my pool standards are extremely high.
However if a pool is dirty then it's not being maintained properly and that is awful and I would not be happy swimming in that.
Most public pools heavily chlorinate them at night to clean them ( which is why you're not allowed to use them) and then use another chemical to reduce the chlorine to a safe level by morning.

As I was on my own with the kids, yes I was hoping to have at least one meal out per day which we did but it was inedible.

It's not somewhere I would go alone & not sure I would go with just my family.

The food isn't great but inedible?

I don’t find it tacky or as you described.

However of the 3 parks I’ve been to Woburn, Elvedon and Longleat it was my least favourite.

I found it small and all too central.

Elvedon is my favourite.

So it wasn't muddle class enough for you? Have you considered you have just put down a holiday many mners may have saved for and enjoyed. Pay more and go somewhere posher.

Kids love it, there’s plenty to do whatever the weather, and you don’t have to get on a plane to get there. Perfect for a few days low hassle family break.

I don't understand why having nice stuff is only seen as middle class.

I don't think it is

My kids don't like beige food, or a dirty pool. Is that snobby?

No but probably easier for them & you if they lower their standards somewhat 😆

I don't get why people would pay that much money for something that isn't very nice.

Well for some it isn't that much money & for us it's worth it.

Seems expensive for what it offers, have not been myself but that has been the conclusion of people I have met who have.

As for certain nocturnal activities, no idea whether that is an urban myth or not.

The first time I went, I was with 2 DDs and parents, DH had refused to come because he thought it sounded like Butlins. A couple of days in my mother said "You know this is absolutely nothing like Butlins but it is exactly what (DH) imagines Butlins is like". With youngish children we always enjoyed it, especially during term time.

I thought overrated when we went. We went to Sherwood and I thought it was tacky too OP. Accommodation was average at best- a bit cold and damp. Also loads of centre parcs vans driving around quite fast which made cycling less safe with young kids. I prefer to stay somewhere where you can actually leave the site to explore (without having to trek to the car). Maybe it’s better for tweens / teens where they can be a bit more independent.

@9uygjk We would probably fall into your category of " middle class " .
We dont actually care about holiday status. Our benchmarks are , do we enjoy it , did our DC enjoy it and now , do our GC enjoy it . We have had some great family times at CP .
We also love Cornwall , but personally think St Ives , while beautiful, is overcrowded and overpriced and full of people who think it's the place for the middle class .

We took dd and 2 friends to Filey caravan park 20 years ago as a teenage birthday break.
Absolutely grim.
Children barely minded by parents, smoking all over them and letting them run feral.
There should be a social worker on site imo.

You're coming out with some weird comments.

Firstly you don't seem to know what the word tacky means

Now nobody middle class (so about 30 million people or so in the uk) would ever go to Starbucks in their real life? 🤣

And the pool is begrudgingly "bigger than normal?" What is the "normal" youre comparing it to? There arent many big standard local leisure centres (or even david lloyds given your MC obsession!) with miltiple indoor and outdoor pools, slides, rapids, lazy river, cafe within the pool, etc.!

It's okay to say centre parcs wasn't what you expected/the height of luxury, you don't have to exaggerate and make bizarre comparisons.

Made my rough and ready south east London David Lloyd look like an exclusive spa

A rough & ready David Lloyd? 😆😆

I think it is tacky for the money. I’d rather die than go to Butlins. There are lots of other similar Forest/chalet experiences for less money in surrounds that are vastly more chic.

In what world are rapids, tornado rides &
plastic slides ever going to be chic? But why would you choose a holiday for dc based on whether it's chic or not? 😆

I think anywhere catering for mass children has to be a little bit ‘tacky’. Beyond a certain point, end high just isn’t practical.

Of course middle class people go to Starbucks and Cafe Rouge. It’s just classed as ‘every day’ rather than a treat. Whereas for someone in a lower economic position, those places are a treat.