to think it’s daft Centre Parcs’ pool doesn’t open until 10am

[Aldibaldi555]

DC get up at 6am, as do lots of kids. Our local pool opens early so on weekends we often go swimming at 8am.

But Centre Parcs pool doesn’t open until 10am. Then when it opens everyone piles in (it’s raining hard so everyone heading to pool) and it’s insanely busy. Changing rooms were hell.

Whereas if they opened at 8am we would’ve swam then and been done by 10, the pool would be much quieter as people would stagger their visits rather than everyone descending on the pool at 10am.

It’s open until 9pm but that’s no good for us with small DC in bed at 7pm. I imagine a lot of people are similar.

We’ve done soft play already (while waiting for pool to open) but the soft play is small and toddler area very limited.

What else can we do in torrential rain with 15 month old?!

If you don't want to deal with bad weather then don't book a UK holiday.

@beyondmywits well don’t expect a dry holiday in the UK in late September!
OP needs to suck it up, yes, rain is a dampener (no pun intended, honest) to a holiday, but it really is what you make of it.

Which one is that that has soft play??
We did longleat but didn't see a soft play.

Going to woburn next and would be good if there is soft play!

They can sit and watch tv or you should of brought kid appropriate things if you didn’t want to go out in the rain. Don’t book a center parcs holiday at the end of September if you don’t want the possibility of getting wet

Hardly torrential rain? Depends where you are, it's currently hammering it down where I am up north

And this is why Haven and Hoburnes were born! Center parcs is over priced and out of touch with toddler families. You're being ripped off to fit in with times of activities that suit tween/teens but not babies and toddlers. When you could be paying £200 or so for a term time week away in a 5 haven/hoburne (also thousands of other parks that are 5 are beautiful and designed for toddlers) and have just as much fun and swimming from 8am etc. One for next time OP.

In the South West - it was raining horizontally so hard that even the dog didn't want to go for a walk earlier!

Nothing to do with swimming pool but I have to say I'm full of admiration for you, op, for managing to be up, dressed and out by 8am! I can't imagine that except when I was at work.

I wouldn't like kids to be up at 6am every day though, 9am is early enough :-).

YANBU. Presumably it is due to it being one of the few free activities available. We swim at least twice a day there and don't do the expensive activities as we've already paid enough for the stay. They need to raise their game.

@WarshipWarrior we do haven in spring/summer and Centre parcs in winters, haven is nice but the pools can be crap compared and the pubs/night life is always rammed!

Swim between 5 and 7 in the evening. You can get them washed and changed into their nightclothes afterwards and, with a bit of luck, they might sleep a bit longer.

I hate the rain. Just the thought of playing in the woods in heavy rain would give me nightmares. Fortunately it’s 19 degrees and sunny here.

We did centre parks in the week in June that was torrential rain all day. We did a booked activity in the morning, back to the villa for lunch and a nap and then swam around 3:30 when it was getting quieter. We tried it at 10am one day and would never do it it! It was too busy to be safe with a toddler.

We booked an activity straight before the pool opened when we went to cp so we were allowed to loiter around the pool area until it opened and so because we changed and got in the pool area well before it opened didn’t experience the changing room crush. I got the tip from a mn thread!

@WarshipWarrior, Haven also open their pool at 10am, so they can give exclusive access to van owners from 9 - 10am. Where have you stayed where general paying customers had access from 8am?

It might be hoburnes or the independent sites I'm thinking of then rather than haven
My point was theres a wealth of 5* sites far cheaper than center parcs all over the UK with better toddler friendly timings and activities.

We always go at 4pm and stay until closing :) we switch our meals around and have our main hot meal at lunch and then take a packed lunch at dinner time in the swimming.

I can’t stand how busy it is, went at 10am once and never again!

I'm a very early riser and I don't swim. I really wish the coffee shop/pancake house opened much earlier

We did the toddler swimming class before it opened with my son when we last went. We went in November though so probably much quieter all round! I wouldn't be able to hack it when it's properly busy and would never contemplate school holiday times!

Bloody hell how is it a holiday if you're still up at 6am with kids 😂 my kids wake up around 7:30-8 and entertain themselves until we get up lol

Up at 6am as we have a 1 year old.

Those saying just dress for the weather and go out - well we have embraced it as much as possible but there really has been some super heavy rain. Our tiny one year old only has first shoes as feet too tiny for wellies or more robust shoes - we visited Clarks at the weekend and they only have first shoes in that small a size and they are not robust enough for torrential rain. So we’ve done what walking and cycling we can today. Also 1 year old literally just started walking so still not a confident walker. So I don’t really think being out building dens is going to work for us - maybe next year.

DH and I are very outdoorsy and have all the waterproof kit etc.

Obviously we realised it could rain in September in England .... but it’s still disappointing when you’re on holiday and it does hammer it down .

Pool opening at 10am doesn’t work for us personally as DC eats early lunch (11.30) then naps. Whereas if pool opened at 8am we could swim say 8-10, get dressed and have drink and wander back to lodge for 11am for me to make lunch, then eat, nap then do something in the afternoon.

Just saying that I think if pool opened earlier it would be better for some people (obviously not everyone) and it would spread out visitors to the pool making it less busy.

Unfortunately I don’t think centre parts works that well for toddlers ( tbf only been to Woburn so might be different at the others). Everything just seemed so busy and there weren’t really any decent play areas. I also resented being charged extra for things like crazy golf or table tennis as for the price much more should be included especially as Woburn is pretty small so the whole forest element was a bit lacking.

I’d try one of the bigger ones again when the children are older and can enjoy the activities but I don’t think I’d bother again until then.

Given how expensive the whole place is and how popular the pool is they really should have a separate pool area for the paid for activities and have that closed off, say until 10am every day and tbh I think open the pool at 7 or 8 am. It’s a family holiday destination and young families are always up really early.

Do lots of kids really get up in what is essentially the middle of the night though? 10am is plenty early enough. Can’t you get your children to sleep longer?

Off to CP next year and totally loving the tips on this thread!

LoreleiRock you must either be incredibly lucky with your sleeping children or else have older children and forgotten the early wake ups. Unfortunately it isn’t as straightforwardly easy for most as just telling young children to sleep longer. 6am is the morning not the middle of the night!