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Original poster

Spending money for Center parcs-what do you spend money on when there?

22 replies

AutisticLegoLover · 10/01/2023 22:25

I'm trying to save up for our holiday to CP. I've already booked and paid for the activities we want to do but will mainly be swimming and walking. We are going for 3 nights and will eat out all 3 nights. Breakfast and lunch at the lodge but maybe one lunch at a restaurant. There's one adult and 2 children aged 8 and 14. Most of the money will go on food and drinks but not alcohol at least. Fussy eaters with small appetites and vegetarian so no steak dinners or anything like that.

What do you spend your money on when there?

I've been before but it's been years and I can't remember.

OP posts:
rambunctiousrapscallion · 10/01/2023 22:34

I agree food and drink will be the main expense. We went recently and actually only ate out 1 night. We were in the apartments which were a 2 min walk from everything so could nip back for tea/ coffee. The cooking facilities were great so we had no problem whipping up a quick meal in the flat. I suppose if you are a little further out you may want coffees in the village rather than walking to and from which could add up.

Apart from food & drink it depends on what you want to spend. There are shops with sweets and toys. Our little one was too small to want anything so we bought a little trinket to remember it by at £7 and that was it. The toys and sweets were pricey.

Other costs include if you want to rent towels at the pool (we brought our own). If you do the pottery painting you have to pay for your piece which can add up.

beethecrackon24995 · 10/01/2023 22:34

We went this time last year (dh and i). We didn't do any activities as not our thing really. We went to cook, hang out, watch films, walk & feed the muntjac and cycle. We would have had beauty treatments but all booked up. My favourite thing aside from feeding the deer was going to the pancake restaurant every morning 😍

SisterAgatha · 10/01/2023 22:35

We spend all our money on pancakes tbh!

Nagado · 10/01/2023 22:42

Are you doing pottery painting? If so, you’ll need extra to pay for whatever you choose to paint. There’s a food shop, a few gift shops, a sweet shop and branches of Joules, as well as Starbucks.

We spent the most money on carrots and apples for the deer, nuts for the squirrels and bird seed (which isn’t sold in the shop anymore).

takealettermsjones · 10/01/2023 23:10

The restaurants are expensive, and then there's lunch at the pancake house, coffee at Starbucks, the odd drink and ice cream etc, and maybe sweets for the kids. We also found ourselves with a few spare chunks of time and there were usually slots available for the boating lake to just book there and then, but you pay for that online.

ILikePlants · 10/01/2023 23:59

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Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 11/01/2023 07:37

@ILikePlants what's your point?

OP posts:
Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 13/01/2023 17:16

So how much would you take for a Friday to Monday break?

OP posts:
CeriB82 · 13/01/2023 17:47

Pool and snooker. Every day. Bowling, alcohol. Food.

Nicanabanana · 13/01/2023 17:53

Not much there except eating out once activities are paid for.

I will say the food isn’t amazing I’d cook one night and get some value that way. We threw pizzas in the oven and I made a chilli before I left because we really did not like the food on a previous visit. Liked the pancakes though.

MabelMoo23 · 13/01/2023 17:57

Just be aware that Center Parcs is totally cashless. Not a penny cash can be spent there. It’s card payment for everything. So any kids taking cash from grandparents? Nope. Can’t spend it. Can’t even buy a gift card with cash. Card / contactless only.

as a result they’ve now added automatic gratuity payment on top to literally everything you buy food and drink related, so just be mindful of that

AWomanKnows · 13/01/2023 17:58

I’d allow about £500 if you’ve already paid for activities.

LookItsMeAgain · 13/01/2023 18:01

We hired a cabana in the swimming pool area so we could leave our belongings there while we swam. There was a fridge in the cabana and the drinks in the fridge were covered as part of the price of hiring it. It was one of the better things we did as there was also a TV in the thing so if you didn't want to be in the pool, you could still chill out.

WellTidy · 13/01/2023 18:02

Coffee in Starbucks when having a break in the pool area, and coffees/hot chocolates after a swim (always starving)

the Dc choose something from the toy shop, and sweets from the sweet shop on the first day (stops them asking constantly all week)

restaurant meals and pancake house

we barely spend anything, to be honest, certainly compared to what we would spend at home. It just coats loads to be there in the first place!

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 13/01/2023 18:13

Sounds like £100 a day.

Alannahxx · 13/01/2023 18:21

We normally spend £100-£200 a day when we're there...little things just add up and food is quite expensive, even in the swimming bit.

AWomanKnows · 13/01/2023 18:46

It may be better to have the middle meal in the lodge and spend that money on a few little treats. My (big) DC Luke the sweet shops.

Seashor · 13/01/2023 18:54

We don’t spend anything on eating out. We do however use the Aqua Sana and splash out on a tree house which we absolutely love.

Roselilly36 · 13/01/2023 19:02

A meal for 4 will be more than £100 per night, I would imagine based on our visits 10 years or so ago. Also you must pre book the restaurants otherwise they are usually booked up. We spent quite a bit in the shops, parc market, coffee shop, pancakes after swimming, bowling, mini golf etc. have a great time, we loved CP when our boys were little.

ProfessorofCunning · 13/01/2023 19:17

We went last week. Took all our own food and booze. Paid extra to hire bikes before we went, but that’s it. Stayed in a basic woodland lodge, which was great and all we needed as a family. Swim, cycle, walk, park - didn’t need anything else. What are you expecting to spend money on?

Original poster
AutisticLegoLover · 13/01/2023 19:36

Thanks for the heads up about it being cashless now, I'll transfer Christmas money onto their go Henry cards.

We are eating out all 3 nights. I'm having a break from cooking 3 different meals most nights (autistic restricted eaters due to sensory issues) We have looked at all the menus on offer. We don't have big appetites thankfully. We will eat breakfast and lunch in the lodge but dinner is definitely eating out.

It's mainly going to be food and Starbucks I think. The dc have already discussed their planned sweet purchases and will use their own money.

I'll take breakfast and lunch food with us but will buy a baguette most days.

OP posts:
Nicanabanana · 13/01/2023 19:50

AutisticLegoLover · 13/01/2023 19:36

Thanks for the heads up about it being cashless now, I'll transfer Christmas money onto their go Henry cards.

We are eating out all 3 nights. I'm having a break from cooking 3 different meals most nights (autistic restricted eaters due to sensory issues) We have looked at all the menus on offer. We don't have big appetites thankfully. We will eat breakfast and lunch in the lodge but dinner is definitely eating out.

It's mainly going to be food and Starbucks I think. The dc have already discussed their planned sweet purchases and will use their own money.

I'll take breakfast and lunch food with us but will buy a baguette most days.

Sounds fab you will love it. Ours adore the pool rapids are the complete favourites.

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