Center Parcs experts! Please impart your wisdom!

[Daisywho]

We’re going to Center Parcs for the first time ever and would love some recommendations. What should we do? What should we pack? Where should we eat?

It will be DH, baby DD and I. I’m really excited! (Can you tell I haven’t been out much since she was born? )

Yy to early check in.

I’m a CP regular !

Might I recommend the pancake house? One large pancake equals a meal - we don’t eat out much but we do like it in there!

Ditto everyone else - big shop before you go and just get essentials in the supermarket on sight

We do love the adventure golf (not sure if manageable with a baby!)

Bowling, if you like bowling, is on a timer - so you don’t pay for a game, you pay for an hour (or such) and it will automatically stop working when your time is up - regardless if you are half way through a game or whatever!

I love cycling round as there’s no traffic and it’s easy - but tbh depending on your village the walks are perfectly manageable (longleat I know is hilly where as Elveden is totally flat)

We’ve never hired a cabana (on principle!) - but if your get in there on opening time - one of you charge through as they open up and grab a couple of seats and reserve with your towels - problem solved!

If your villa is by water - you will get woken up by the ducks who are very used to being fed. And if you feed one, all their friends arrive!

Keep a look out for deer, and peacocks - they just appear on the patio - it’s lovely

We didn’t rate the pancake house, mainly cause it’s so expensive and service was very very slow both at Woburn and Sherwood. The pancakes themselves are nice though.

We try to arrive at 10am, and go to the pool then some lunch, but remember you don't get into your accommodation until 3pm....you basically park in the car park and can use the facilities until 3. Sort of gets you an extra day. Alternately we do it on the last day, so pack up the car and pop it in the car park, then use the pool, have lunch then go.

Longleat is very big so think how you are going to get around - I found the train was a faff, but others really like it. Much rather have our bikes to get around. If you are in one of the outer areas it is too far to walk regularly.

Carry a tea towel with you for wiping wet bike seats - or tie carrier bags over the seats.

Pancake house is a bit pricey but makes for a good brunch!

I believe there is a baby swim time before the main pool opens? Certainly worth looking into.....

They do provide little life jackets but probably best to have your own little inflatable or whatever you choose.

We’ve always arrived at 10am and gone straight to the pool (been to CP 15 + times over the past 10 years) . We have never had an issue and once you are on site no one checks. When we have left around 2/3pm on leaving day the queues coming in are huge - always recommend arriving for 10am and making the most of your first day there.

thanks for that @dyslexicbrian we were going to arrive at 3 as the email said you can use the swim pool til then! But if you're sure, we'll get there for earlier :)

We’ve been to Sherwood, Longleat and Woburn and never had a problem in any. Have a great break x

... from the Woburn confirmation

On your arrival day, you can discover the village from 10am and access your accommodation from 3pm . On your departure day access to your accommodation is until 10am, but feel free to stay with us and make the most of your time, until midnight.

So you can arrive from 10am on the first day and depart anytime up to midnight on the day you leave! (Accommodation is only accessible from 3pm on the day you arrive and you have to be out by 10am on the day you leave)

Yeah that's what it says in my email too, but on the website it says in my bookings @tickingthebox

"If you arrive between 10am - 3pm*
When can I get access to my accommodation?
Access to your accommodation is available from 3pm, but you're welcome to arrive as early as 10am to get your break started sooner. Explore the village, enjoy the facilities and slip seamlessly into your holiday mode. You could even hit the pool in the afternoon, with access to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise available from 2pm onwards on the day of your arrival."

@NellieBee tbh i'd never seen this! It's on ours as well, but we've definitely been in the pool before 2, with no problems.

I'm now trying to remember exactly when we've arrived, (I don't think we ever managed 10! We have definitely arrived at 12 and gone in the pool.....there is nothing to stop you going in....fairly sure I have used the lockers! We have done this a few times at Woburn.

Don't worry about early check in. We used it on our first visit but there's no need. Let the crowds go nuts at 3pm whilst you swim / have coffee and maybe early dinner then him yo your lodge about 5pm. The roads will be empty with plenty of parking near your lodge.

Also, get easy food (pizza, pesto pasta, M&S ready meals) or mostly eat out. Cooking is a faff and I find it dominates the holiday if you don't make it super easy.

If you have Netflix, etc take a laptop and an HDMI cable as you can connect easily to the telly for evenings.