Butlins - honesty please!

[Lionsandtigersohmy]

Hi

So we have a tots break booked for September at Minehead Butlins. My colleagues have been very negative about it one even suggested just cancelling it!

Looking for honest reviews! We have booked a comfort plus apartment and are intending to self cater with odd meal out.

Is it really that awful? Surely the kids will love it?

We've just been to a tots week at Minehead and it was amazing for my just turned 4 year old. I was skeptical before we went but everything is set up for small kids so it was perfect. We had a comfort plus apartment but also paid for the food court dining, only using the apartment kitchen to make lunches to take out with us. It felt very safe because everyone else had small children too and my daughter made lots of friends!

I stayed in the hotel on site and it was all very nice. We had a lovely time, there was an evening show and my children loved it. My children are teens now so I think too old but I’d have no hesitation in going back if I had little ones.

I lived on the Quantock Hills near Minehead , Butlins is hugely popular, families return year on year.

If you’re kids are old enough for walking the coastal path starts from the far end of town, past the lifeboat station.
The town itself is a bit rundown but it has cafes and supermarkets.
My kids loved the steam trains, if you want to explore a bit by Exmoor and the Quantocks are nearby and the beach is on the doorstep great for kites if the weather is not suitable for sunbathing.
Dunster Castle is on the road into Minehead and the first glimpse of the keep and castle is exactly what an image of a medieval castle would be in your imagination.

I had my best ever holiday with just me and ds there a few years ago. It was fun, easy and plenty to do. He loved it.
It isn't posh but I found everywhere clean and pleasant and the staff (Skegness) were absolutely lovely.

Butlins is hell for adults but the kids LOVE it and that makes it all worth it. Entertainment, fair, swimming all included so once you're there you don't have to spend loads.

We used to take the kids when they were under ten. (Bognor)

Stay in an hotel if you can, much nicer
Take loads of small coins for the arcades
Loads of extended families go year and year and appear to feel they have some ownership of certain seats/activities. Don't try to argue this, find somewhere else to sit.
Don't bother paying to queue jump, said families will have saved all the decent seats anyway.
The fairground is lovely (the karts cost extra)
The swimming pool was grim. Take flip flops and hand sanitiser.
The kids club activities are fantastic

My kids are 25 and 22 now and the Butlins holidays are the ones they still talk about. It's fantastic for kids.

I got back from minehead Butlins yesterday! I very nearly wrote a thread saying exactly this last week. We had a good time. We stayed in a comfort plus apartment. It was clean inside and had what we needed to self cater some basic meals. The outside was looking a bit tired, as were some parts of the park but there was no litter and lots of cleaners around. Entertainment/ shows were excellent and the booking system worked well. Fairground and soft play were great for kids.
We went into minehead for food one night and went to the beach. We were back by 9 each night and didn't see any anti social behaviour.
A just for tots break will be great for the kids, keep your expectations quite low and you won't be disappointed!

My ds loved it when he was smaller

anything inside the complex costs a fortune though!

umm some of the other dads🙄saw some EDL tattoos whilst there, we are a mixed race family, felt looked at.

also parents drinking beer at the morning shows!

I am not a snob - me and DH grew up on council estates!

I went on an adults weekend at butlins which was great fun.

I was advised at the time never to use the kettle in the apartment as people wee in them! In all honesty, some of the sights I saw, I can believe it!

Just back from Easter weekend at Bognor. Massive hit with kids. Wave hotel clean and comfortable - food package (buffet breakfast and dinner) with hotel good.
It’s for the children, and they love it.

We took our dds every year when they were little and they loved it more than any holiday abroad! It is all about them....they loved swimming, the free fair rides and the shows! We've never had a problem with the accommodation.... it's basic but we've never had to complain.

Took my 4yo to a tots Break last year and she loved it, over a year on and she’s still asking when we’re next going. Was Full on trying to get to everything she wanted to do and we thought the beds were uncomfortable but it really did make her year. We’re going during the summer this year so hoping it’s not too different going peak

I go with my kids because I find it the easiest holiday as a single parent, there's enough to entertain them easily without having to go out anywhere. It's obviously not a relaxing holiday but it's for the kids, I gave up on the idea of nice relaxing holidays until they're older so just go for whatever is easy and makes them happy.
if I took them to center parcs they who'd moan about being bored 24/7

I'm shocked and pleasantly surprised at the positive comments here! We do Butlins every year at Xmas and sometimes at other times. Other commenters are exactly right - your kids will LOVE it! It is somewhat of an exercise in endurance for me because I am a huge introvert but the kids have the best time. There's so much to do and it's just such great value. Don't listen to these people. I think there's a lot of snobbery around places like Butlins, with people choosing Center Parcs instead, but I see Center Parcs (been twice) as hugely overpriced, forced (false) nature with loads of extra money needed for activities and limited, mediocre (but really expensive!) food options. At Butlins most activities are already included and the food is what you see is what you get. Go and have a great time!

I have been to Minehead and Skegness and both were great for the kids!

Lots of entertainment all day long.... Us adults we're shattered after a week 😂

My two dds we're 2 and 1 when we went to Minehead they loved the peppa pig show and Thomas the tank too.

The pool is good too. We didn't stay in the same accommodation that your in so can't say what that's like but we weren't in much anyway always put and about doing stuff.

Also we went to Woolacombe beach 😍 absolutely beautiful loved going in the sea so if you get a sunny day and fancy a drive out I would recommend that beach.

Minehead is supposed to be lovely, we went to Skegness years ago and no complaints really or chalet was clean and the kids had a great time that's all you are after with a holiday park holiday.

We love Butlin's, in fact we are there now!! If you're looking for a 5* style holiday you will be disappointed. But the kids love it, the entertainment is good for adults too and there is always something to do.

Fantastic for kids but pay for the best accommodation you can- it makes a big difference. It is what it is. It helps if you both understand and accept it's a fun fest for kids with a lot of fast food and it's not a villa in Tuscany or a sophisticated experience. Husband hated it- I love it!!

We went last year to Minehead and booked straight away to come back this July.

Yes it's tired, the pool is shabby... Hardly saw any Redcoats and like a lot of hospitality venues understaffed....

The kids had an absolute ball!

They don't notice the stuff we pick up on, just the fun of as many goes on the fair as they want! The early evening shows were excellent, and we all enjoyed them.

The slime making sessions, and other craft activities were well organised. They loved the pool, and playgrounds.

They are happy, so we are happy.

For context, we went to Centre Parcs, and France last year...guess which holiday the kids still rave about?

The main thing is, which accommodation do you have? I dont mind Butlins, but I will only stay in the top accommodation. The basic is just awful....

It's great for kids holidays or adults only weekends. It's not flash or posh, but the kids will love it.

OMG, this is awful.
One year we booked a gold apartment and the dishwasher wasn't working. When I asked if it could be fixed, they offered to send a member of staff twice a day to do our washing up until it was fixed

I absolutely love butlins and so do the kids. Great fun. However don’t expect an upper class resort, I’d personally stay in a hotel or the top chalet as the basic ones are a bit grim and run down. The entertainment and atmosphere is fab though however the evenings can get a bit working men’s club vibes however I’ve never minded that. Kids will have a blast.

We’re booked for the same holiday😀
We went last year as well & we loved it!