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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:
TheBigFish · 26/01/2017 19:27

FaFoutis - Erperheide, but I have heard they are all good. For those who have to go in school holidays Belgium is much more reasonable in price!

EastMidsMummy · 26/01/2017 19:30

You have your own BBQ and there is a shop that even delivers the groceries to your cottage, if you don't like the restaurants. Lots to do, even if the weather is bad - archery, roller skating, rock climbing, high tree tops adventure, mini golf, boating on the lake, bowling, swimming, all in one place and not crowded.

This sounds like life in a town. Your own BBQ! Home delivery! Bowling and swimming!

Mollyboom · 26/01/2017 19:33

I got absolutely hammered one evening and fell of that fecking twee train that shuttles you around. Lots of tutting and a few of the dads looked on with awe and jealousy.

littleoysterslittleoysters · 26/01/2017 19:42

Peppa Pig world which really does have fake trees.

There is a PP world???? That sounds amazing!!!!

Wandainn · 26/01/2017 19:43

We go for a short weather proof break, we already live in the country. DC are happy with pool and cheaper sports. I don't care about fancy restaurants, chains are fine by me.
I thought I'd try an alternative. Someone upthread mentioned a country hotel. Can anyone point me to a country hotel with a decent pool, spa, gym, choice of restaurants etc where I can take 5 adults (3 adult DC) for a weekend 3 nights for under £600 in March?

longestlurkerever · 26/01/2017 19:45

Pp world is part of Poulton's park in the New Forest. It's quite sweet

TeenAndTween · 26/01/2017 19:49

Peppa Pig World is part of Paulton's Park near Romsey / Southampton. Jn2 M27.

PPW and the whole of Paulton's Park are ACE if you have primary or younger children.

Well worth a visit. Smile (No I don't work for them, but we have had season tickets on and off for 10 years)

TiredyMcTired · 26/01/2017 19:50

Totally love CP, it is where we go to have an amazing time as a family and I get relaxed and happy there in a way I don't anywhere else! Not sure what the fake forest thing is about, the villages are all in real forests...
We love it so much we go twice a year to Longleat, and we finally went to Winter Wonderland last year, it was bloody marvellous! Smile

TeenAndTween · 26/01/2017 19:51

ps Its a theme park with rides, but not gigantic scary ones like Alton towers. (But still a number too scary for me).

Eolian · 26/01/2017 19:57

I've always thought it sounded pretty ghastly and plastic, but then so many people said it was great that I relented and looked at prices.... then laughed my arse off and booked an actual cottage in some actual countryside instead.

Menus of activities, faux village squares etc. Definitely not my scene. We do holiday houses or camping, that's it. Not mad about hotels and would never do all inclusive.

slummamumma · 26/01/2017 20:05

Never been but the classic MN bumsex reminder has me sniggering. Sorry OP.

CheesyNachos · 26/01/2017 20:19

We went to CP last year (Longleat). It was bloody marvellous. It's a holiday for people with small children. Everything is set up, and easy, and relaxing. Who doesn't need to relax now and then with small children?

FrameyMcFrame · 26/01/2017 20:22

Human soup

bum sex

CheesyNachos · 26/01/2017 20:25

And seriously can people stop with the 'concentration camp' analogies.

That's just offensive. I'm not even going to bother to explain why.

NotCitrus · 26/01/2017 20:27

I quite wanted to try a CP when ds was small, but he hated swimming pools, so we just went self-catering around England instead. Ds and dn aren't crazy about doing activities with unknown kids either, and DP and I are fussy about food, so CP just doesn't really work. I've enjoyed day
trips to Butlins though.

Back when I was a student my friends organised a holiday to a holiday camp that made Butlins look well posh. Evening activities involving dancing round handbags! The chalet was clean and functional though, and under £20 each for a week.

VictoriaMcdade · 26/01/2017 20:27

It's the outdoors for people who don't really like the outdoors.

The sight of people covered in tattoos and wearing leopard skin bikinis eating chips by the indoor swimming pool will always haunt me.

Strongmummy · 26/01/2017 20:29

I always thought I'd hate centre parcs as I'm a massive snob, but I love it. Like a weird village where everyone is relaxed

febel · 26/01/2017 20:35

I love it. So does DH..and he is VERY weird about liking holiday parks etc As in, doesn't. We have been going since my youngest was 5. Went with groups of friends at first, is best way to holiday with a lot of people as you are separate but together (separate cabins, so you can have your own space if you want) Recently took our now grown up children and one of their partners (others were unattached at time) Had a fab time.

I like it cos you don't have to be in each others pockets if you don't want to be, and I like the pool. Yes , it is expensive , but so are hotels. We don't and never have done the pricey stuff there. We play badminton, go in the pool a lot, eat out one evening only usually, walk, cycle, go on the driving range , for coffee etc Oh..and had a go at fencing (with the sword things not building one!)...now that was fun! (paid for by kids as a thank you for taking them)

It's the holiday all our kids would choose to go on if asked. However it still hacks me off it's so expensive in school holidays ...3 of us have to stick to school holidays still :-( But tbh a long weekend is fine. Plus we have a park near to us so don't have to travel far. It's just easy.....

rose69 · 26/01/2017 20:40

Odd that everyone hires bikes in elves on even though the site is tiny. The bird watching hide is fab, lots of animals and birds. Felt a bit quest in the revolving restaurant in the hotel. Too overpriced now we have kids.

Verbena37 · 26/01/2017 20:42

We love it but I'm guessing you've probably only been to Woburn......which is much much smaller forested area than any other CP forest.....in fact, you can the min road with cars whizzing past from some areas so it doesn't really give you that vast feeling of space and freedom that the others do.

Try another one if you've only been to Woburn....Sherwood vast and longleat is ..spectacular on either side of a deep gorge valley.

Sundance01 · 26/01/2017 20:52

Everytime I have been to centreparcs I have enjoyed it but also felt totally ripped off at the same time. The activities are horrendously overpriced - you could have an exact same holiday for less than half the price if booked independently.

We went to butlins and had a better time for 1/3 the cost and would never go back to centreparcs.

Except the spa .......The spa is the best!!!

Miss2mrs · 26/01/2017 20:55

We've been to CP twice a year since DS was born and have visited all bar one. We were lucky enough to go during term time so it wasn't so expensive. DS loves it, and is more than happy feeding all the wildlife that appears at your door, walking round the village and spending a few hours in swimming pool. Yes it can be expensive to eat there but if you're happy to eat in your lodge you can make it as cheap as you want to. Now that DS has started school we need to really think when when can afford a visit as we're restricted to school holidays and it is significantly more. It never appealed to DH's but after one visit he was hooked any loves it as it's somewhere where he can totally switch off and relax.

Audreyhelp · 26/01/2017 21:00

I hated centre parks . It was really busy and there weren't cars but I had many near misses with bloody bikes coming at me .
I felt like I had been let out of prison when we left it was a bit like being in a cult.

Atlast2017 · 26/01/2017 21:01

It is nothing whatsoever like Butlins.

And it's not two minutes back to the lodge. Not where I stayed anyway. It was half an hour waiting for a bus in the snow.

MrGrumpy01 · 26/01/2017 21:03

Has anyone taken a child with autism?

I can't decide if ds would really hate it - too busy and not really being able to get away, or love it.