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?

Oops, cross-posted - and I see you've been to Eurod before, so you know what you're letting yourself in for! Whatever you decide, have a good holiday :)

We've done Butlins Skegness a few times. And I am a bit of a snob. But after recommendations from friends we decided to go. Yes it's very 'Butlins' in exactly the ways you expect it to be but it was perfect for a young family with children who love fairground rides, live shows, discos, etc. We also went full board and the food was lovely. That was probably the thing that surprised me most.

We have just booked to go to Butlins in Minehead for a week in the Summer holidays.
For 2 adults and 2 children in a self catering apartment (silver) has cost just over £500- bearing in mind this is actually summer holidays so more expensive than going out of term time.

We saved over £500 what it would normally be as we used Christmas money to pay the deposit now when they had half price of summer holiday bookings.

I was nervous because apparently you either love or hate butlins. But we know our 2 daughters who are going to be 3 and 7 when we go will love it!

Splash pool is free ,so are the fairground rides, there are play areas, entertainment, characters etc.

We did price up to go abroad -but by the time we had added in passports etc it was just way too expensive for this year. And to be fair while the kids are young holidaying in the UK with them is a lot easier as we just pack up the car and off we go!

Do what you feel like doing- we would also love to do disney land but are going to wait for our youngest to be a bit older as feel she will enjoy it much more then

Couldn't afford to do either of them, so I guess in my eyes that people who quibble over one being better than the other because of location being "more desirable" aren't thinking about the kids, because it'll be much the same for them.

I'd love to take my children away with my carer to Butlins for a week of fun, it would be so lovely to spend some happy time away as family, but I'd have to budget for it in about a couple of years time, because that's how long it would take to save up for something like that.

If it's just the journey that puts you off Butlins Skegness, then how about Filey or Bridlington instead? No Butlins, but Haven and Pontins (and lots of other independents) are along that stretch of coast. Then there's the option of a train to York, and hiring a car for a final hour's drive. It's a beautiful stretch of coast up to Scarborough, Whitby and beyond - much nicer than Lincolnshire IMO!

I always gob smacked that adult parents give a fucking flying fuck what other people do....

Why would they care a shit where you holiday?
And why would you care what they think?

Fan, do you know about the trust funds/discounted holidays for children with disabilities, single parents and disabled adults with children? There are various ones, including the Family Holidays association.

You might find one that suits you using the links below: :)

www.fhaonline.org.uk/Documents/Prog_12_111130AccessToHolidays_0.9Mb.pdf

www.onespace.org.uk/family-fun/holidays

www.disability-grants.org/holiday-grants.html

Gosh lisad123everybodydancenow that post is my worst fears!
Disney it is!

Drunk parents is a real turn off for me. I like a drink, and don't object to people (or me) being drunk -per se I just don't want to be surrounded by them when I'm on holiday with my toddler.

I remember taking a Ryan Air flight to Alicante - it was a six am take off - and people were standing in the boarding queue supping pints. The chap next to me on the plane, ordered 2 double vodkas and a beer from the trolley - and then promptly fell asleep. Never seen anything like it before or since, but I presume it is common to that sort of destination. Not my thing at all!

When we have stayed at Disney, we used the Davy Crockett Ranch Lisa You need to hire a car, but it also means you can get to the supermarket and bakers too. We ended up taking sandwiches into the park because the food offering is so lousy in the park - though there is also a picnic area at the front - though it does mean walking all the way back to the entrance.

The Davy Crockett place is little mobile homes in the woods - each with its own bbq and picnic bench, and a very basic kitchen with hob, fridge and microwave. It has a buffet restaurant which is actually ok for 1 or 2 nights, but does wear thin after that. We used to do a trip to the market and stock up on salad and fruit and wine and some stuff to stick on the barbie. Cheaper too.

Thanks Oldboots

Flow4 yeah - we are all glutton for punishment with these city breaks. We did Rome last October when DD was 12 weeks. It was unseasonably hot - 35 degrees C - and it was like being cooked. We still made it round the Vatican and the Forum - we must be off our feckin' heads - but who could have predicted weather that blinking hot in October!

I don't really have any objections to commercialism at all. I don't think Disney is tacky though - it is a good product, done well.

We've done holidays at the other end of the spectrum - last October we rented a cottage in the middle of nowhere on a Scottish island - really idyllic. It suited us, as we were happy to potter, go for walks, eat sand on the beach (the 1 yr old, not us)... but I can see how other people might have found it complete hell as there was absolutely nothing "to do" other than visit an historic abbey.

I suppose this is the problem - people's tastes vary a lot - and I think the brochures can be a bit hard to translate into what it would be really like for you - which is why I'm very grateful for everyone's views here

Ah, flows links for fan have brought a small tear to my eye. My DSis (LP) had a few days in a caravan by the sea with her DD (3) after DD had had some ( successful - yay !) treatment for cancer They had a great time !
You should look into it fan !

And am liking the OP's attitude. Quite right that at 2 DC's are unlikely to appreciate posh ! Save your money for when they're teenagers - you'll need it then (voice of bitter experience !) Amused by the "duck" critiques at the Tate too !

We've done both and I think they can't be compared. Disney is a bit treat and buttons is a cheap break IMO.
I like the hotels at Disney and the whole magical experience. I like holiday parks in uk cis they are a laugh and not far to travel. We have fun wherever we go even a muddy field in our old bongo.

Oh the typos. Auto correct does my head in

Sorry to hear that you can't afford a holiday this year fanfuckingtastic That must be disappointing.

I don't think we're quibbling - we're trying to share experiences so that my family can work out the best option for us. Every sympathy for your situation, and I hope it improves soon x

Thanks Flow Bridlington is still 5 hours drive. We did think of train to York and hire a car - but tbh, it is 2 1/2 hours on the train for us to York - so still a tricky journey - plus you'd have to leave an hour for hte local journey to the station.. and the train isn't cheap - and hiring a car adds to the cost...

We've previously had a cottage near Whitby - it was lovely - but the journey does put me off

Where are you going?

Dunno. We're in Yorkshire, so short breaks tend to be Whitby/East Coast or Wales. We haven't had a holiday abroad for 3.5 years (single parent, part-time income, new boiler required last year and 'new' car the year before! ) so would like to bake my bones somewhere, if at all possible... No theme parks tho!

Does it have to be just Butlins or Disneyland. Dont know whereabouts in the country you are but why not just hire a cottage near a seaside town. As long as you are not going school holidays you should be able to get one for a few hundred pounds. I'm going to one for 4 nights in March with DH and 2 DC's which cost £225 plus £50 train fare for us all

I wouldn't take a chance on Butlins myself and 2 is too young to really appreciate Disneyland

Oh well now, that's something to look into. I would definitely fit all three of those categories, so might be able to rustle up some funding. I'll mention it to my social worker and see if she thinks it would be possible to organise. I have a CAF running at school at the moment, which is more about preventing homelessness than holidays, but I might suggest a holiday as being good for the children after going through such a difficult time with me being so ill.

Driving for anywhere more than 2/3 hours with children would put me off.

We have Bognor Butlins fairly close and the local airport is 30 mins away so I would do either but definitely wouldn't drive for 5 hours.

There are way more than 4 suitable rides at Disney for 2 year olds. There are very few that have height limits but some are quite scary. When DS1 was 2 he wasn't scared but DS2 when he was 4 was quite scared. DS2 was 5 months when we first went and came on everything as he wasn't bothered. I still think it is magical for children 2+.

Legoland is good but there are a few height limits, there is a lot of walking as everything is so far apart but we have always done 2 days there so it is not as stressful. Apparently the new hotel on site is brilliant.

Glad to hear you'll be looking into possibilities for you and your family too Fan

If you've never taken your child to Macdonalds and don't like the idea of that, then you'll hate Butlins.

We've done fancy holidays, EuroDisney and city breaks with the kids but still loved Butlins when they were young. Now they're older, we prefer Centre Parks but Butlins was more fun for them when they were young.

There were some very posh cars in the car parks but, yes there were "chavy" people as some would call them.

I think you come across as a bit of a snob yourself and I think you would hate Butlins. We took it for what it was - a cheap holiday which the kids loved. We loved it because they did. Having said that, I would never stay in the basic accommodation and we preferred to self cater.

I don't think it is for you though.

I think if I were fitter I'd love a Centre Parks holiday myself. But right now Butlins is my children's level of enjoyment.

I wouldn't care if it was 'full of chavs' or cheap & cheerful. I would care if it was poor value for money, shabby and not relaxing- that's what I'd worry about given past experience, but would hope things have improved in the last 20 years.

you know, i loved butlins when i was a child. best holidays ever.
it probably is a bit shabby/lowbrow/vulgar, but the DC don't really pick up on that. besides, i tend towards the shabby/lowbrow/vulgar myself.

i might just go and look into taking the DDs for a weekend......