To think nipping to Tesco at center parcs is no biggie?

[GreatBrickMoose]

four adults /2 cars going to center parcs in a few weeks. Original plan is for us to get their early and go swimming etc then at checkin time, one car goes to lodge with children and luggage and second car goes to Tesco to get click and collect.

my partner thinks this is a bad idea and that getting out and then back in to center parcs on day 1 will be stressful and chaotic.

my sister has tried to mitigate this by booking early checkin but he’s unconvinced.

the alternative suggestions are one car arrives later and comes straight from Tesco (so miss morning fun) or we go to Tesco very early and have food in car for a few hours (sister is worried about food spoiling with this option).

wwyd? I’ve not been to centerparcs before so not sure how chaotic day 1 is. He has but not for a long time. . is it really THAT busy outside of half term in winter?

yabu- he’s right you should rethink.
yanbu- tell him to shush.

No because everyone would do it, and the place would be jam packed with delivery vans

Option 3
arrive at 10 am (or whenever)

Go to the park supermarket. Its Co Op prices so not really £££
buy what you need and get it delivered to lodge so when you arrive its already packed away for you and in the fridge and no one needs to miss any time.

Given how ££££ CP actually is, someone not missing an hour+ of precious time is probably more valuable than the few £ and p saved by buying from tesco.

Or comprimise and C&C the non fridge stuff on route to CP (or pack it at home) and get the fridge and freezer stuff delivered to lodge

If you possibly can I would shop on the way/ before you go. Queues can get huge and everything very busy.

Definitely shop before you go. A few ice packs and packing the food into the middle of the car will be fine. It'll be a pain to go out and in again. Parc Market is usually well stocked too albeit pricier than Tesco.

Been to Whinfell a number of times & got big shop in the morning and used ice packs. You won’t be able to get a supermarket delivery direct to your lodge but you can get one to the security cabin & meet the driver there

Take enough for the first day and book C&C for later that evening once there are no longer queues to enter CP?

We we did exactly what you are suggesting you do a couple of weeks ago. Worked perfectly for us

Don’t plan for too much frozen stuff in your click and collect - most of the lodges just have a freezer shelf in the fridge rather than a seperate freezer - in the one we had last time we could just about fit a bag of chips and a box of fishfingers…

Beat me to it!

This is a very silly idea…

Yeah I wouldn't want to do this queing in twice and parking twice would put me right off

If you get a click and collect from a supermarket near to CP it shouldn't add much time to the journey. I'd definitely go before arriving as it is a right faff to go back out again. Not impossible but a waste of time and more relaxing to know that once you've arrived, that's it.

Obviously OP will have luggage in the boot, so bringing grocery shopping along with them would mean they won’t have enough space in the boot.

You can get pretty much everything you need from the Parc Market.
A couple of years ago, I looked at the price of their family welcome hamper and compared it directly to tesco prices - there was less than £3 difference!

Why on Earth would you flap about trying to sort Tesco when you can literally get your shopping & buy large ‘Cook’ style ready meals like fish pies and lasagnes from the Park Market.

Take something easy for night 1 or order take away to the Villa - you can mix and match from different in-site restaurants.

Take a box of faves you want to take with you and bobs your uncle.
We’ve never bought a food shop from anywhere else - it’s really not worth it.

sister is worried about food spoiling with this option

Food isn’t going to spoil in a car for a few hours in February.

I'd do my best to take it with me - we dud a click and collect in may and it was absolutely fine when we arrived four hours later at the haven site! Using a cool box makes it easy for the fridge stuff to be put away as one lot.

Do a shop before you go, if you have room in the car! It'll be fine in cool bags. Of course you can leave to go get a click and collect, the parcmarket will also deliver to your lodge for free if you spend over a certain amount.

Also bear in mind, the fridges in the villas are all under counter fridges with teeny ice shelf boxes at the top.

Changeover day parking at CP can be a right pain in the arse. I certainly wouldn't park then move it again the same day, in honesty.

Why not eat out on day 1, take enough food for breakfast then one person pop to a shop on the Tuesday? Their space is likely to be there when they get back.

so I’m getting the impression that partaking of a Center Parcs holiday involves staying mostly in the Parc. The queueing up to get in sounds really odd to me.

Buy everything except the very perishable bits before you leave home and get milk etc at the Parc Market, the joy of CP is the freedom from thinking about this.

He's right. Bring the shopping with you. Takes ages to get in on check in day.

Getting back into CP might be an issue given that not everyone can make it in the morning so the queues are big for both the afternoon and evening. We tend to take certain foods with us but then get milk, butter etc from parc market after swimming and before getting to the villa. This is mainly so we don't have to carry lots of bags back to the villa.

@Mrsphilmiller think there’s only 2 adults in each car though so should be plenty of room for food and luggage?

I think I’d take most things with me and have any fridge stuff in a cool box, I couldn’t be bothered to go out to a supermarket again after checking in.

@Mrsphilmiller apologies, I’ve just seen there are children in the car too. Although depending on sizes of cars should still be able to fit luggage and food? Although if tiny car and 3 kids in each might be more problematic.