Butlins Skegness help please

[Peabody25]

Looking to book Butlins for May half term weekend when Stephen Mulhern is there!

Probably staying in a silver room. Never been before so wondered is it worth booking a meal plan?

How do you get tickets for the show with Stephen?

Is it worth getting the entertainment passes for £25 each?

Do you need to get the activity passes or can we just wander round and see what we fancy?

Do we book swimming in advance?

Anything else that's useful to know?

Thanks all

Meal plan depends on what food you/the family like and your budget. If you have healthy appetites and no fussy eaters then the meal plan is great. If you'd be happier with some lighter meals/snacks then you might save some money by not having the plan and buying stuff in the supermarket occasionally.

All the shows are included, you just queue up. Book in advance for the time you want (booking goes live 2 weeks before you go and the timeslots will book up quickly) but if you don't get booked, don't worry, you'll still get in, but after the people who booked. For Stephen Mulhern people will start queuing outside the venue several hours before the doors open to get the best seats but there's really no need to be that early unless you are desperate to be at the front.

Entertainment and activity passes - look at what they include, consider how much you'd do anyway, then see if it works out cheaper. If you'd pay separately for all those activities then the passes are good value, but if there are things you wouldn't normally do then possibly not.

Swimming is usually free-flow (no booking), it's been bookable recently because parts have been out of use so they've needed to restrict numbers but I think they'll have it back to normal by May.

There is a good Facebook group just called Butlins Skegness where you'll get answers to all your questions 😊

If youre staying in a room you will need a meal plan, as there are no cokking facilities. The apartment have the cooking facilities.

download the app and you can book places in advance. I think it is about two weeks, but check that! I really enjoyed steven mulhern last year! The whole family did.

what do you mean by entertainment passes? do you mean the vip ones?
if so these allow you to book 31 days in advance for shows which with stephen is a good idea as it mean you can get seats fairly near the front, quite often front row.
if its not vip then booking is now 4 weeks in advance, dont wait for the email to say bookings open just log on at 10am that day and book as often emails are late or not even recieved
id still book meals even for the weekend as it can get quite expensive eating out as no fridge or crockery to store/do even basic meals like cereals

oh vip also gets you in 15 mins before other booked people in any venue, only if booked though, if you decide last min to go and havent booked then its just the non booked queue which goes in after all booked ones
fingers crossed the pool is fixed by then, the flumes and toddler bits are open its just the main pool that suffered fire damage. while its been shut butlins have given a voucher/ then added ice skating and circus, no voucher, now its ice skating and voucher and from feb its back to skating and circus no voucher lol

yes i go more often than anyone should admit to! 😂

Dd and I have been the last 2 years and I would definitely book the meal plan cos the restaurant prices are mental on site!!! They often run a child free offer on the dining plan too.

The premium and basic ones are essentially exactly the same thing you just eat in a nicer looking place on premium. Done around means you cam book a different proper restaurant each night but be warned that they available slots often class with the shows.

There is an app to book the shows on, not worth paying for the early access pass mind.

Activities wise it largely depends on what your kids like doing. Dd isn't into football etc so it wasn't worth it for us but the archery os £12/session so if they want to do more than 1 activity it is probably worth getting a pass.

The new play park is brilliant.

We last went in the summer last year just after the norovirus outbreak, they were cleaning to within an inch of their lives so everything was pristine!

Been to Bognor many times, not Skegness but going at june half term for Stephen Mulhern too.
I think they're changing how activity passes are booked and paid for, but might only be at Bognor. Have to buy vouchers in advance, more you get the cheaper it works out but if unused you can't get a refund.
I'd say it depends on how sporty your children are, we rarely do additional activities, by the time you've gone swimming and done shows there isn't much time. The last few visits we've managed to get a slot just booking at the activity hub on site on arrival day.
On meal plan, I don't know exactly whats on offer at Skegness but last time we went we found the dinnertime was too early now our children are a bit older (8 and 10) I'd say worth it for younger children but not doing it next time, will probably do light meals in apartment and get a few dinners at reasturants.

I'd hope its fixed by then, if not my kids will be protesting at the door 🤣🤣🤣

You book the shows on the app a few weeks before. The VIP pass will get you both early access to book and early entry into the venue.

I don't think the entertainment passes are worth it unless you are certain you'll use all the activities - we paid for one one holiday but then there were no available slots to do the activities we had paid for. You can just book want to want to do on the app.

I like the meal plan because I want time off from cooking. The food is ok, nothing amazing, but there was something everyone would eat (but don't have super high expectations).

Have a good holiday!

That's all really helpful, thank you all!

Hi thought I’d bump this thread rather than start a new one..

Going to Butlins Skegness in August for a week in August.

Any tips for cheap restaurants in and around the area. We have a car so travelling is not a problem.

Also anything worth a visit in Skegness or the local area ?

DD loved Natureland Seal sanctuary in Skegness, it's only small but they have some very animated long term seals and a selection of seal pups they've rescued.

We never leave the site. Too much to do. I now go for the cheapest hovel of a room and a dining plan!

Thanks all. I looked at meal
plans but don’t think its cost effective for me is. My kids are t big eaters, I think we can just make do with cereal in the mornings , and a few snacks in the day. We can look at having something to eat out in the evenings.

There are several supermarkets between the campsite and Skegness so within a 10 minute drive, we went to the Morrisons which was well stocked and big enough to have a decent variety. That was useful for us in having stuff for breakfast and snacks in the apartment. DD is a big eater and wakes up early so it was handy having some basics in that she could have when she woke up before we went to actual breakfast.