Don’t know what to make of centre parcs

[Murphs1]

I’m staying in Woburn forest. The facilities are fantastic, albeit hideously expensive, the accommodation is pleasant, but… is it just me, it all feels a bit stepford wives and slightly prescribed fun! I don’t know I can’t put my finger on it.
I think part of it is I’m in a fenced in ‘forest’ which I know is a security thing, and my car is a half hour walk away if I want to get out, but I understand the no car rule.
I can’t say I’m not enjoying it, but it all feels a bit contrived?

Course it’s contrived.

I really like centre parcs (in fact I’m off to one tomorrow). However I do get what you mean. It’s very middle class, over priced for a lot of it etc.

I like that the cars are away and toy have to stay in one place.

I like it too. If it wasn’t car free you couldn’t cycle around safely.

What’s the issue?

erm you knew what it was before you went? Of course it’s contrived it was deliberately created!

I’d stop over thinking it and just enjoy lol

It’s not the no car rule as such that’s the problem, I think I’m feeling a bit hemmed in.
maybe I didn’t know what I was signing up for, once you’re in the Parc you’re in 😁

There is something fake about it. It was when we tried to go for a walk and couldn't walk through the woods that I started feeling it was just odd. We had a perfectly nice time, but yeah.

@Whatistheanswer2023 yes you’re right, I don’t know what I was expecting really lol

Probably only fun if high.

I really enjoy it, I haven’t found a holiday park place I’ve enjoyed as much. I wouldn’t enjoy going on a budget as do like doing all the activities. Woburn is very nice, I love the spa. I think it’s with paying for central accommodation.

the expensive over-priced-ness is intrinsic to the experience. it means that everyone there has no problem with paying several hundred pounds more than the same quality of accommodation would cost at another resort, therefore you are totally insulated from all the poor people.

Reminds me of a place I encountered on a business trip to the USA - there was a shopping centre that had a $20 entrance fee and I couldn't understand why people would pay for the privilege of going in - till I realised that was the point. because you have to think nothing of spending $20 to get in, that means only those who don't care about losing $20 on nothing are in there, and you narrow down on a specific affluent section on society with all others excluded.

I always felt I was in a zombie movie - all fenced in waiting for the hoard to breach security and eat us all - still there where squirrels , which was nice

@CitronVert22 yep thats what I thought but as pp said maybe overthinking it. I’m enjoying it but probably won’t be back.

I think I felt conned by all of the "back to nature" stuff when, as we live on the edge of a market town, we get more wildlife in the woods at the back of our house than you'd ever see at CP. I'd also heard so much about the amazing accommodation so was somehow expecting more than row upon row of identical cabins. And then the restaurants were all bland, chain places.
Don't get me wrong, we had a good time. But I felt we could have had a better time and saved significant sums of money if we'd stayed at home and just had a busy weekend doing lots of paid for activities in the local area.

Yes, I found it really claustrophobic. A feeling of being trapped in there.

I didn’t get it either. The restaurants were all awful. Having to book everything in advance then being stuck to a strict time scheduled itinerary when you were there seemed like the opposite of what I want from a holiday.

But each to their own! Loads of friends love it.

@FeinCuroxiVooz thats an interesting perspective, it is pretty middle class tbf

@ghostyslovesheets omg, just woke my kids up laughing at your post 😂

There ie s a nice bridleway all around the outside they dont tell you about

www.fetcheveryone.com/route-1747773

Never been but can I ask, why can't you just walk in the woods?

I really like centre parcs, I go at least once a year with DS 😳

We go to Longleat.

I enjoy the calmness of the place, no cars so biking and walking is safer. I pay for a few activities but mainly use the pool daily.

I'm not affluent at all, I'm a lone parent on £25k a year, so we do things like the roller skating, crazy golf, pedalo. Things we can do together that are really no more expensive than a trip to the sea side 😳

We don't eat out though, I do a Lidl shop before I go, and we may have the odd cold drink/ice cream in the sports bar.

I agree the restaurants are awful!

Having said I like it there, I would add I go out of season. I wouldn’t pay to go there in high season. I’m happy with my mon- fri in January and the cost is worth the fun in the pool every day. Wouldn’t be paying over a grand for a week in august though

I don’t find the restaurants awful.

@MoscowMules yes my kids are loving it, especially the pool.

It looks even weirder when you walk that footpath. The fencing and security makes it look like a very modern prison. I live very close, and it's like having an MI5 HQ down the road. Cars go on, cars come out. And you never see a soul.

Never been, dh is adamant it’s like a prison camp! I’m sure it’s not but that feeling of being trapped isn’t really for us. Plus school holiday prices are far too high.

@Murphs1 , what's really weird is that I have friends who live a mile away from the park, who regularly spend a fortune to stay there.

But I dare say that once you're in, you could be anywhere.

I don't think there's a fence around the Longleat one, plus there's a little land train that can transport you around, so you don't feel stuck/isolated weirdly. Just feels like a little village with odd public transport 🤣