to think Butlins is better value than Disneyland for toddlers and its a shame its a social faux pas to go there.

[StripeyBear]

My toddler enjoys fairground rides, splash pools and live shows, and I've been pricing a theme-park-type break for this Spring during term time.

4 nights mid-week at Skegness in Butlins (including 2 bed apartment) shows, fair ground rides and splash pool comes in at around £150 for 2 adults and an under 3. Disneyland Paris, for a 2 bed static van in the Davy Crocket Ranch, ticket to both parks and access to the pool and so forth is £600. OK - I know Disneyland is probably bigger and sparklier - but will a 2 year old really like it 4 times as much? Both journeys are about 4 to 6 hours, and probably cost similar.

However, when I've relayed this to mummy-friends, I keep being told "BUT YOU CAN'T GO TO BUTLINS". Amidst the bluster, they seem to be saying there is something intrinsically wrong (maybe too many poor people (ahem) in going to Butlins that can't quite be voiced. "Skegness of Paris" another mother declared! Yet, I'm thinking it hardly matters where you are if you're in a park - and the choice is more "Barney or Minnie Mouse".

I have to confess I have never been to Butlins before - so please, give it to me straight - AIBU to think Butlins is better value than Disney?

Went to Butlins Bognor Regis hotel when DCs were 8 and 6ish. Hotel room was v nice but everything else was dire. Long queues for pool. Horrible food. Bad entertainment. Expensive machines everywhere.

I live in a town that has a Butlins in it and I am lucky enough to have friends who give me tickets to get in. We spend most of the summer there and a few visits when it is not adult weekends through the rest of the year too. My DC love it and yours will too.

There are never any queues for the pool when we go.

Yes, there are expensive machines everywhere, but there are enough free (ok, included in the price) things to not have to use them.

A toddler will not fully appreciate Disneyland. Wait until they are tall enough to go on all the rides and go where ever you fancy in the meantime.

Wasn't aware of this! Quite a few of my past pupils have holidayed at various Butlins Resorts and the rest of the class have been very excited for them (and a bit ) because they've loved going! I teach 10yr olds so quite a bit older than your DC OP but their more aware of the 'coolness' factor than a toddler :)

Personally, I'd go for butlins with a child that age. Loads to do and see, even if pouring with rain, room will be close enough to pop back to if all becomes too much and a nap is needed, and tell your dh that one of the venues holds over 2500 people-i don't think anyone will seek him out and force him to join in a competition!

Am reading all your replies again this morning, and am finding it really helpful - clearly I'm not the only one who is just a little bit tempted by the keen pricing, but a bit suspicious that it really can't be true!

I think my conclusion is that the clincher that makes Butlins a NO is the journey for us. It's a straight 6 hour drive - but with stops that would probably be nearer 8 or 9 hours on the road. In all honesty, it does sound "ok" - but some of the descriptions have put me off a bit.... a children's funfair with 4 suitable rides.... that doesn't really compare with Disneyland at all! Yes, yes, I know it couldn't possibly.... but.... I sort of worry we would get up on day 1, do the 4 suitable rides and then think... ok, it's 10am - what now

The beach in Skegness - Skeg-Vegas actually sounds fine... I have never understood why people are snotty about that sort of offering when it is such great fun for little kids. However, it is a long way to go for a pleasure beach...

Thanks for all the replies - it is has been really useful in helping me organising my thoughts.

Done both, love both but Disney is better.

Skegness is much better than it used to be, they have cleaned the beach right up and although its a bit commercial still, its not awful.

We love Butlins. We have done the one at Bognor a few times and the children always love it. I gather that they are all quite similar.

Stripey, I haven't been to Butlin's Skegness, but I have been to Eurodisney with a 2 year old... And there were only about 4 suitable rides there!

get new friends (hate the term mummy friends) and go on your holiday holiday snobbery gets on my wick we have been to butlins about a hundred years ago and dd was young and enjoyed it, we went to Haven's after that, book your holidays and have a nice time, and just sit at the back at night time they wont force anybody up on stage if they dont want we never joined in all that ,

we did disney when dds were 5 and 10 and dd1 didnt really remember we took them back 2 years ago and had a better time did universal though

A haven near us used to be a Butlins I remember when i was younger we used to go day trips into Butlins it was the highlight of the summer especialy when you were a teen, these kids of today have no idea how lucky they are

Its not really about the rides - eg a day for us looked like:

Get up, breakfast etc
'Little big club' which was a show crossed with kids club. Songs, games, characters etc, the kids coukd go to the dancefloor bit tojoin in while grown ups coukd sit and have a coffee and chat.
Activity, such as a sport or the swimming pool (which is huge), maybe the beach. One day the kids went to the creche and I had my nails done and a chill out
Lunch, maybe at the chalet so dd2 could have a nap, or somewhere with a playground or something
Bigger show or club - eg panto, lazytown live, dancing with angelina ballerina etc
Fairground - there was bob the builders yard (no queues!) as well as the main one which had stuff for younger kids too - bob the builder is separate so the little kids don't nag to go on the bigger rides, or maybe bowling, cinema etc
Tea time, rest at the chalet (we had my elderly nana, as well as the kids, who needed rest). Change into night time clothes
Disco/caberet/circus/magic show or whatever. Sometimes the kids would just see an earlier show and the adults would take turns babysitting so the adukts coukd see things like the abba show.
Bed!

There were about five stages, so it is far more about shows and activites, meeting characters and so on than rides.

We also did Haven another year and didn't find it nearly as good. Only one stage for a start and nowhere near as many activities.

flow4 wrote:

Thanks BitofSparklingPerry - that's a really useful description.

I think the evening entertainment would be out for us - as it would just be the 3 of us, and not really compatible with a tot. I also don't think I would use the creche - DD has never really been away from me, and I know I would just worry, not relax! The shows sounds good - are they frequent? Are we talking one an hour or one a day or one every other day?

I have done Disneyland Paris a few times (and Florida once) Butlins 3 or 4 times as a family and more recently on an adult weekend.

Butlins with small children is fab. Much as I love Disney I dont think its worth the expense with pre schoolers. Its been a few years since we have done Butlins as a family because my DC are now older but they loved it and went several times based on the cost and because of how fab the kids found it. To be honest though Butlins has always fallen short on the accommodation front in our experience. I dont think we have just been unlucky either as no one I have told about our accommodation experiences have been shocked and usually tell similar stories back. My tip to anyone going to Butlins is to book the highest level of accommodation you can afford and frankly I would rather stay at home than ever stay in the budget accom.

I do think Disney (Paris) is well worth the expense with those with DC over the age of 5 though and there is little comparison with Butlins - its a different level but not one thats going impress a 2yo anymore than Butlins.

And to the Poster who said people who go to Disney Florida sneer at DisneyLand Paris (I know such people exist because I have been told "bet you wont ever go back to Disneyland in Paris now you have done Florida) the 2 are 2 different things imo so not campariable. Disneyland Paris is DisneyLAND and Florida is DisneyWORLD. Paris is 2 theme parks and Florida is 4 not including all the other Disney add ons such as the water parks and its larger scale. We have since been to Disney Land Paris since Florida and loved it - because its what it is - a different theme park.

Dont worry what others think - go and spend a few hundred at Butlins than more at Disney and enjoy it whilst the kids are young. Save the Disney experience for when the DC are old enough to remember it and actually express and interest in going.

We've done Disneyland with a 2 year old before too Flow

In some ways, 2 is an easier age, as rides like Pirates of the Carribean and Peter Pan and Snow White are actually less likely to scare the be-jesus out of her at this age.

I think it would be good for the huge variety of shows - am sure DD would like these - the parades - again, another sure hit. I would have thought most of the rides, except the thrill rides would be ok. One of the things I like about Disney is that once you're in - pretty much everything is included...and that doesn't sound the case for Butlins :(

I'm not sure I would compare Butlins and Disneyland but I do think something like the Legoland or Chessington hotel would compare and would certainly be my preference.

I get that, Shiney. If you had asked "Should we go to Paris, or should we go to Butlins at Skegness?", I'd have said "Paris!"

FWIW, I have done a few city breaks with young children, including Paris, Venice and Barcelona... Paris is the best of these three (and Venice the worst, by a long way) but they're all hard work... (And sometimes frustrating - in Barce, we ended up at the zoo instead of the Picasso museum, for example!) All in all, IME, with a two year old, a city break anywhere is not significantly different from going to London for a few days... I'd sooner do city breaks abroad when they're younger (BF babes in arms in art galleries are fine!) or old enough to enjoy the different culture. :)

But in any case, you didn't ask about Paris, you asked whether you should go to Eurodisney... And I (still) say Butlins, with a two year old.

Butlins is more like Wimpy than McD's (IMO) , but Eurodisney is McD's with bells on. If it's tacky commercialism you object to, avoid Eurod like the plague! The only reason I would ever go there is to entertain the kids; and at 2, yours is too young to enjoy it!

I would never take a toddler to Disney, unless I had much older DCs as well.

It's a total waste of money, they aren't going to remember it or be tall enough for many of the rides or the water parks.

DD1 did go round lots of Washington museums aged 2.5, but that because DH was able to extend a works trip and only I had to pay.

She had lots of fun pressing buttons and seeing new things, but she doesn't remember it. Her fav. things were launching a rocket in the science museum and MacDonalds soft play. Things she can do a lot nearer home

Thanks justaboutchilledout and lollybrolly

Florida is a definite no for me - I am sure it is fabulous and on a different scale and all that - but the journey really puts me off. I also tend to think if I was going to spend that much money and travel that far that I would start to think of alternative destinations... and lets face it - I'm confused enough

I'm really not worried about whether she'll remember it - or look forward to it.. personally, all my memories before 10 or so are a bit hazy now (must be those years of hard drinking as an u/g) so that would be an excuse to do nothing for the next decade or so... My criteria is - will she enjoy it - and will we enjoy watching her enjoy it and come back chilled, exhausted and happy.

I do worry about Butlins - it is not a low-stress easy option for us, because of the journey. It would be actually easier to get to Paris!

Am very impressed with the children's tour of the Louvre - didn't even cross my mind that they might exist! DD spent 2 hours in the Tate last week shouting duck at everything and gesticulating wildly. She only has about 30 words, so I think this was her attempt at critique. Very insightful I thought