Regretting booking Butlins, words of wisdom needed!

[DogsBehavingWrongly]

I used to go to Butlins as a child in the 80s and I loved it! Us kids used to just set off in a morning on our own and have fun until bed time! So I booked it (Skegness) for my granddaughter - going in May.

Im really regretting it 😭 for a start the main reason I booked it was for the swimming pool … turns out most of it is closed yet they never told me that on booking!! Secondly you have to book all activities now … I’ve just gone to book stuff and most is “unavailable”

Then there’s the reviews 🤦‍♀️ do people really strut around drinking Stella and calling their kids little cunts??! It never used to be like this, what the hell happened ?!

Anyone who has been recently … please tell me she’ll enjoy it?! She’s 4

No there isn’t a prison haha made that sound terrible didn’t I but Butlins it’s fully fenced in nobody gets in without a pass so there’s strong fencing and guards the beach gate is only open between certain hours then you have to enter via the car gates.

I went there on a 90s weekend about 12-15 years ago. My only recollection is that they had Monster energy drink on tap at the bar.

A holiday park next to a prison has really tickled me.

@OhmygodDont haha! So it's not next to a prison, it IS one! Crikey.

We haven’t done Skeggy but have done Bognor and had a great time. My DD6 ranked it above Lanzarote 🤣 Real mix of people but didn’t hear anyone calling their kids that, and people really minded their own business

The prison comments - both the prison wall and the person asking if the beach is really next to a prison … 😂😂😂 that alone has cheered me up! Thank you!

Just went and found a photo of the beach gate off google haha open 9am-4pm. A man(or women) stands in the shed checking you in or out 😅

Never been to Skegness but my kids love Bognor, although we only stay in the hotel.

Last time I went in December the activities only opened for booking a week or possibly two before checkin.

Never heard anyone call their kid a cunt though it is a very good spot for people watching.

It's never been closed when we go? My 3 grandchildren love it and always have.

The shows are great. The play parks are great. Swimming is awesome.

Don't believe the MN naysayers, please!

😱 that actually does look like the gate to a prison car park! 😂 Jesus Christ 🤦‍♀️ centreparks next year I think 🤣

@OhmygodDont haha! That is pretty prisontastic lol. I've been sectioned before and it's more subtle than that!

She will LOVE it! We did the same with Pontins, was a childhood favourite of mine so took my little girl, 4 with my mum and dad. She absolutely loved it! It was pretty awful to be fair but she had the time of her life!

Why is Centreparcs classy? Do wealthier people not smoke weed then?

All the wealthier people I know use coke actually. Much classier, obviously.

It’s because so much is free on site locals or people staying on the cheaper sites try and sneak in. It’s the pay off for it 😅

Though if you humour the caravan sales people you can get a day visits for free anyway 🤫😂

I'd love to say it was ok, but I'll be absolutely honest and say that when I went, it was horrendous and you couldn't pay me to go back. Rough is an understatement.

So many snobs on here! You get what you pay for, arcade machines, old fashioned evening entertainment, characters for the kids. The kids love it, it's just snotty parents who think they are above it

When I was sitting in Bella Italia in Centre Parcs eating a £18 plate of pasta, I was thinking to myself - “this is well classy”.

I only know Bognor but it is not cheap. It is coming in around a grand for 4 nights in May half term

They trick you into thinking it's posh because they charged you 2 grand to go there for a weekend!

We had a lovely time, can't say I noticed any name calling although Stella may possibly have been consumed

Well, I’ve been to Minehead and Bognor, with the grandkids, and they were fine (compared to the 60s when I was little!), but not sure about Skegness.

But, I’m sure it will be fine.

DS loved it at that age…. Mainly a little park near the carousel where there was a couple of artificial hills he could tumble down, a train in the fairground, hungry Dumpty on a wall, the little beach and the shows (afternoon - evening was too loud. One of my favourite moments was him running around in the outdoor splash pads. He cried when we left as he didn’t want to go home. If you are in a basic chalet I’d upgrade for my own sanity!

It's not about being "snotty"... most of us don't like to have our children exposed to swearing/excessive daytime drinking/fighting/filth etc. All of which are common place at Butlins in my experience. Never again.

There's plenty for kids to do in Skegness, including the little zoo. Lots of huge sandy beaches up and down the coast.

Can you elaborate? I appreciate the honesty ☺️