To be worried about Butlins?!

[Burlee]

I’ve booked a few nights at Butlins in May - I used to go as a kid.

Last night I saw on their website that part of the pool in closed which was the main thing we were going for so I checked the trip advisor reviews to see if anyone mentioned it - OMG the reviews!! They were so bad they were actually funny! One person saying that the people who go there are tough as toast and it’s not unusual for parents to be calling their kids “little cunt” etc - kids running around absolutely feral, people queuing for 6pm entertainment from 2pm - everywhere smells of urine - half the rides don’t work - the accommodation is like a run down council flat - WTF have I done!

Anyone been recently and can tell me it’s not this bad?

Of course it's possible to access these kinds of activities without going to Butllins i think they point is it's included in the cost of the holiday which is great if your on a budget
My kids are 17 and 13 now
I doubt they would enjoy Butllins now but the loved it when they were little

And I don't recall them being around shouty ,swearing adults

Yes and because it's included in the cost and accessible you can be spontaneous...so we'd be walking to the entertainment or dinner and the kids would have a quick go on a funfair ride...

I used to love it, but went last year and it (minehead) has gone right downhill.
The place was so rundown,the staff didn't seem very happy either
Our accommodation was disgusting and we got moved at 12 at night as there were mouse running about!
The accommodation we we offered wasn't much better either.
Would never go there again.

We love it and are going again in Feb but there are some people there who, well, I won't elaborate but my DD said once, "There's the sweary mum!" And, "Why do people have kids if they're going to be that horrible to them?!"

We still love it

I've not stayed at the Butlins in Minehead but I like the town. We visited Dunster Castle and travelled through Exmoor to Devon when staying there. So lovely.

Is the suggestion that if we didn't see shouty, swearing adults at Butlins, it must be because we shout and swear at our own kids so our kids are used to it? 😀
Not the case here.

@Burlee cancel and go to Haven instead. The Haven just up the road in Cleethorpes is fine x

Is this sarcasm?

Don’t go to Skegness. I’ve been half a dozen times over the last ten years and my kids have absolutely loved it, but it has deteriorated so much last summer, we vowed we’d never go again.

The first day, the river rapids outdoor water ride was shut. The next day, even the lazy river was shut too. The pool is one of the things we most loved about it previously. There was a dirty nappy on the balcony leading to our apartment on the day we arrived. Despite reporting it, it was still there when we left. The shower flooded. The fire alarm went off every morning. One of the stages smelt like cow manure.

It was grim. We still just about had a good time, but only because we got it really cheap with Tesco vouchers. I’d have been really pissed off otherwise.

The new sky park is pretty cool, but my kids said that there were little kids getting stuck in it and crying.

It’s Butlins, and Skegness. YABVU to expect it to be anything other than rough as a badgers arse

If you would like somewhere family friendly, with entertainment etc but without feeling like you’re live on the set of Jeremy Kyle, the Hoburne parks are great.

The difference with Center Parcs though is that it isn't about drinking or entertainment it is an outdoors activity holiday. There is no entertainment and not really any bars to buy a drink, you really need to pay for a restaurant meal to have a drink. As the emphasis is different, there's limited social side in the evening.

We're in a tourist area. Heard shouty sweary folks on beaches, in restaurants, cafes, at the zoo, on the quay, there's no avoiding them. Just steer the children away.

We were in a lovely marina restaurant an unpleasant mother was swearing at the children husband who had two grandchildren asked her to stop. This lovely mother sent in her partner big ugly and 40 years younger to sort out the bleep pensioners.

That's true

It’s rough ! And dirty and grim

but the kids love it

Sounds boring AF. I'll stick to Skeggy and Butlins.

😂😂😂

This is true, but there were still loud sweary obnoxious gits there on the two occasions we have been. Hell is other people.

Me and DD are going in Feb half term. My expectations are low but I figure it will be more fun than sitting around at home trying to figure out a weeks worth of indoor activities for a 9 yo when it's cold/rainy/snowy/dismal grey.

All we really need is a base of operations and then we'll explore the local area, the aquarium and seal sanctuary are high on her list, do the entertainment and some of the onsite activities.

Like anything else, it is what you make it.

Not been to Butlins - but I was verbally abused about my appearance by a (not dissimilar in size and shape) man in the pool last time I went to CenterParcs. You get arseholes everywhere.

The masked singer show at Butlins is only an hour long and it's actually redcoats inside the costumes with a recording for the 'singing', that they dance along to for only 3 songs. They do have one 'celebrity' who sings and three people from the audience have to have a guess at who it could be. Ours was Clare Sweeny. I don't know if the touring show was any different? I wouldn't go all the way there for the show, we were sorely disappointed- especially after paying an extra £60 to make sure we got in with VIP. You can pay for a day pass, but not sure what time it runs until. You'd have to queue up though for the show, as don't know if you can get VIP with a day pass.

Butlin’s is fine! It’s BR Ive been too but principle must be the same.

It’s a fun place for kids with lots to do and not as expensive as some others.

People swearing and the like - well you could see that in the street or supermarket- some people do have no manners and don’t know how to speak to their kids but that’s just life. You get all sorts at Butlin’s in my experience, by no means not all sweary, not all polite.

I’ve only been a couple of times but the only thing that’s ever bothered me is the seagulls nicking our chips! 😂

drowningintinsel · Today 07:52
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I go to Minehead all the time. It's nothing like that.”

Friends returning to UK after living overseas took their girls for a nostalgic trip, both had been as kids and had happy memories. They left after a couple of hours, said it was bloody awful.

I think it depends which one you go to, as one we visited was like that. I've never heard swearing at the one we visit loads. We don't have a need to not socialise in the evening as have teens so we find that a bit of downside now but our idea of an evening out is not to be had in Butlins!