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?

I like Centre Parcs, but I hate the countryside. If you want real countryside…go to the country?
Ive never had poorly maintained or dirty accommodation. The customer service is really good. The restaurants are really bad but you don’t have to eat in them. We go for the pool, kids love it and always have a great time.
If I could only afford one holiday it would definitely not be centre parcs, and I would never go without kids, but for a weekend break in the Uk, it’s fun and easy.

We absolutely love CenterParcs. So many wonderful trips there with our children as babies/toddlers.
We last went in December 2021 for DS's 4th Birthday, with DD 10mths and did Winter Wonderland.
It was without a doubt one of the best weeks of my life (and I've travelled really extensively across the world). They both loved the pool, we had some great meals at the onsite restaurants, walked, biked, watched and fed the wildlife from the back door, DS did treetop clip n climb, Gingerbread Decorating (on his Birthday and everyone sang to him), we all did the festive Pottery painting and made a tree bauble with their handprints on, we did the festive carriage ride. There was the stunning lit up Christmas forest, personalised letters from Santa for the kids.
It was truly magical.

I didn't like it much either, OP. I didn't hate it, but found it ... odd. I hated the fact that I was 'fenced in' and it made me immediately want to leave 😂 the restaurants were awful, pool was okay, but not that great. Booking everything in advance was annoying, villas were average at best. Not dreadful, just not lovely, either.

@Murphs1, a tip for Longleat CP - always pay the £50-ish extra to choose your location. IIRC, same-standard villas are the same price across the Parc - but if you don't pay to choose, you will alwaysalwaysalways be allocated the 'western villas', a long walk/bike ride/land train ride from the plaza /Jardin du sports.

Choose one in the quiet woodlands just along from the plaza, and you'll have a much nicer time, not ruled by the land train timetable.

We used to go once or twice a year, in the Jan/Feb term time cheap times - we lived 1hr away, we'd arrive after school on Friday (I'd pick up DC with car loaded up ready) and leave with them in their PJs on Sunday evening. They let you drive your car in the parc outside changeover days to do this.

CP is one of the most cynically priced providers, with prices tripling in school holidays, and this worked for us

I like it. It can be hard to keep kids of a certain age doing stuff and not staring at a screen, so a bit of organised fun is a good thing.
I wouldn't take all my holidays there but it's nice once in a while. I remember liking the outdoor spa pool at Woburn.
And I don't remember the restaurants being too bad. Better than Disneyland.