Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Centre Parcs is a very weird place.

342 replies

MOIST · 25/01/2017 20:23

Fake forest. Plastic stuff. Signposts and advertising everywhere. Like Ikea in a fake forest with one-way system and bad feng.

Most peculiar.

OP posts:
butterfliesandzebras · 25/01/2017 22:27

You could book yourselves into a decent country hotel, hire as many bikes as you like and eat out somewhere far nicer for half the cost.

At deal prices (which is all I ever pay) you can get a three bed chalet for four nights for £300. So your 'half the price' country hotel would have to be £12.50 per room per night, plus I don't know any country hotels with multiple pools, waterslides, inflatable rings etc and a similar sized outdoor roaming area, so I can't imagine the kids not going stir crazy and needing to be taken out and entertained at extra cost/effort.

I'm certainly not saying it's for everyone, or even that I'd do it that often (because I like other types of holiday), but it is good for a certain kind of low/no effort get away (and for us for a big group where the main aim is catching up with each other, without the logistical hassle), so I've no idea why people are so snooty and critical of others who are just want a few days of relaxation.

JackieMac77 · 25/01/2017 22:27

It does feel a bit like Wayward Pines. Stupidly expensive for a chalet on a holiday camp (albeit a middle class one). The water in the pools was disappointingly cool too, so not the tropical paradise feeling I was expecting. I prefer Haven.

Misswiggy · 25/01/2017 22:28

May I recommend park resorts mnetters? We've been to 2 (white cross bay and fallbarrow) - both are actually on lake Windermere, u can get a boat to several different places. I'm a right snob but I was really impressed.
They have parks all over UK and I would say they are a lot more upmarket than butlins/haven. They have an indoor swimming pool and stuff for the kids/a decent bar/restaurant and it's really well located for getting to all the local stuff there's loads to do in the area (we did a tree-top walk five mins away which the kids absolutely loved). All for half the price of CP in Cumbria, they are a great base if u want to be in a nice setting but not necessarily just stay in the same fakeforest place all week

TinselTwins · 25/01/2017 22:31

I don't like haven. Gotta spend most days finding things off site to do.. in which case you may as well be in a premier inn. The pools are tiny and crowded, you don't really wanna spent too long in them.. and then there's not a lot happening except listening to next doors conversations until the evening entertainment. It doesn't really tick the "easy" box, but it doesn't tix the box of exploring the area independantly either because there's cheaper "just a bed" ways to do that.

StealthPolarBear · 25/01/2017 22:36

The centre parks i was at had bears

Original poster
MOIST · 25/01/2017 22:39

I spect they were fake plastic ones exit.

OP posts:
MrGrumpy01 · 25/01/2017 22:41

Actually I have just had a sudden flash back. I got my only adult verruca from Centre Parks/Oasis.

I'm quite happy to go somewhere without a pool, if there was a pool they would be asking to go everyday.

BoffinMum · 25/01/2017 22:42

MOIST Shock

SirRodneyEffing · 25/01/2017 22:43

It's been 10 years since I've set foot in a CP. This thread has prompted me to have a look at what they're charging over Easter Shock. It's over £1000 more expensive to stay in a chalet in Nottinghamshire than I'm paying for an ocean front villa in Bali, complete with private infinity pool and own chef for the same dates!

StealthPolarBear · 25/01/2017 22:44

Including flights? Please share!

Wdigin2this · 25/01/2017 22:49

We did enjoy it, but bloody hell its expensive!

GabsAlot · 25/01/2017 22:51

wait wait

cp isnt under a dome?

toomanytolist · 25/01/2017 23:00

We went several times when the kids were young and loved it - with small kids what's not to like about bikes, a great pool, a few actvities, bbqs, no cars, play stations in every restaurant and lovely forest?

Once they were a bit older it wasn't an attractive option - too expensive to keep them entertained and no contest with holidays abroad.

We're rediscovering it now as it's the perfect holiday with my widowed dad - local, predictable, safe, undemanding. And suprisingly, the teens love it! They can just do what they want without any worries on my part (despite woeful mobile signal) and it's a relaxing multi-generational break which we look forward to - we're going for the third year in a row to Longleat this July. But as a short break - we would definitely be bored with a week!

TheMysteriousJackelope · 25/01/2017 23:07

Yes it is weird. I like it.

My 80 something mother likes it too.

We both love Disneyland too.

We are those kind of people.

NorksAreMessy · 25/01/2017 23:08

Centre Parcs is FAB

We have been going with DC since they were tiny and always feel relaxed immediately BUT we have been honing our 'dealing with Center Parcs Bollox' skills for about 15 years.

: do not try to move the car until after about 5pm on the first day, else you will be sitting in a tree lined traffic jam
: take as many groceries as you can possibly fit in
: book loads of indoor group activities in advance just in case it rains
: grown ups MUST escape to the spa at least twice each
: electric bikes at Longleat
: you are actually allowed to LEAVE the site, it is not a prison camp
: but on the other hand, children can be completely free to explore, because they can't easily escape

Every year I say 'SURELY you are too old?' Apparently not yet

charlestrenet · 25/01/2017 23:11

I'm not going if there's no dome. I thought that was the entire point: a British holiday the weather can't spoil, if I remember right.

Maz2444466 · 25/01/2017 23:21

I agree, been three times now, it's great when you just want no hassle - when DC were newborn we could just go there easily and have everything on our doorstep plus the lodges are lovely but when they got a bit older and I remembered what it was like to do a 'real' holiday I realised that centre parcs is a a bit artificial although a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday nonetheless!

IDismyname · 25/01/2017 23:27

DS's and I went to the Norfolk one about 15 years ago with a friend and her kids. DS was getting over chickenpox, and was really very post viral. I hardly slept a wink, he was up so much every night. Took him to the GP on site who said 'take him home' then at least you can get some rest.

The palava I had to go through to get the car and collect our stuff! It was like trying to escape from Colditz.

Never ever will I go anywhere near CP. Like someone's DH, I shudder as I drive past it.

itsaruddygame · 25/01/2017 23:28

Can't stand the place myself - been once and I will never go again. Awful food, average accommodation and a very strange atmosphere. So many beautiful places to visit in the UK - centre parcs just doesn't cut it imo.

Twopeapods · 25/01/2017 23:32

I've been three times to Whinfell forest. I love it as it's safe and loads to do for young children. I will be going back but once my youngest turns 4/5 I think we will be going abroad. But I still love centre Parcs.

TheEmmaDilemma · 25/01/2017 23:37

And there was me thinking you'd come to talk about the anal sex required.

Confuzzlediddled · 25/01/2017 23:38
this is the 1987 advert, it does say the British holiday the weather can't spoil
GabsAlot · 25/01/2017 23:39

that was the advert as i remember it charles

its all a lie!

brasty · 25/01/2017 23:39

Brilliant with kids. Agree it is a slightly posh Butlins. Great especially if you have kids of very different ages.

MrTCakes · 25/01/2017 23:40

It looks all futuristic and a bit creepy. I can imagine a weird female voiceover accompanying you everywhere for your structured fun.

Swipe left for the next trending thread