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

There’s a zoo?? She loves animals!

Could you change the booking for the Bognor Regis site, I've been there a few times with my kids that age and they loved it, we were there last year. Skegness has a bad rep but I've not been x

I felt the same as you after booking Butlins Bognor Regis 12 years ago when my kids were about five and three as I had been there in the early 80s as a similar aged child. I booked it for my family then read reviews and some comments on here and was worried - but it was more than fine - it was not dirty as some claimed, it was not noisy at night and not full of people swearing and smoking as others claimed. We had an absolutely lovely time, I even went to the spa. Not the most helpful of anecdotes I know as a/ it was 12 years ago and b/ it was a different Butlins, but there you go. I do agree with the PP who said it is what it is, arcades, entertainment, chips. A lot of my friends would have hated it. But we didn't.

Edited to add - ooh cross posted with someone recommending Bognor, maybe it is nicer then.

I've been to Skegness itself in the past year and it's great aquarium, wildlife sanctuary, lovely beaches, there's loads to do off camp!

For me it was the hard drinking, pissed at 11am, swearing and fighting crowd that was the issue. I even got followed by a jeering crowd of lecherous pissheads at 10.30pm when I was on my own walking back to the apartment. Someone got badly beaten up one night. Genuinely frightened me. It just wasn't a pleasant place to be.
I know someone here has mentioned snobby, and it hand on heart wasn't that at all. I'd no problem with the apartment which was clean and tidy, no problem with the entertainment and the kids little rides and things looked fine. I just felt on edge the entire time.

We went to Butlin's Skegness for feb half term and had a ball. Most of the pool was shut but the circus show was fantastic, did loved the arcades and the sky zone park the most but also really enjoyed the masked singer show. We went to pottery painting, T-shirt painting, coaster making, plant pot making. Most we booked on the app on the day or the night before.

We went into Skegness and she absolutely loved nature land and seeing all the seals.

It was a great way to spend a cold rainy school holiday.

I looked down my nose at Butlins then ended up going 3 consecutive years to Minehead ,it is definitely a holiday for kids and mine loved it ,it's not very relaxing as there is such a lot you can do .
I also thought it would be full of undesirables 😄but it wasn't and it was very clean.

So we have gone to Butlins once a year for the last four years, Skegness three times, Bognor once - last year we did Skegness again. We won't and aren't going back.

Our kids are 6 and 4 now, I will base this on last year's visit to Skegness.

It's rough in that it's full of parents drinking, smoking, screaming and swearing at their kids and the kids are basically feral and do what they want. Obviously not ALL the parents / kids are like that - but the majority are and I hated it.

The pool is ok, but considering what I have read recently - if a large section of it is closed, they should have disclosed this before letting you book. The rest of the pool isn't huge if it's the main pool that is closed.

The fair is ok, but gets busy and staff are usually trying to run multiple rides so one is closed whilst they run one then switch, so queues can build up.

Food is crap, the "premium" dining was bad, the food court was even worse. It doesn't leave you with many options unless you like Burger King or fish and chips - unless you plan on self catering or ordering takeaway to the main gate.

Everything about Butlins is LOUD and brash - going into the skyline is an assault on the senses - there is either loud music playing across shit speakers, the constant noise from the arcades or screaming kids.

The shows are bad, we never bothered with them but I also have no plans to queue for an hour to get a good seat at the "pantomime" even those people have already booked - I never understood that!

The accommodation is pretty rubbish, we stayed Seaside and Fairground at Skegness which are the two most expensive - I dread to imagine what the cheaper ones are like. Our last visit was in Seaside and they put overlooking the noisy delivery yard which I complained about and was told tough.

Price wise, isn't too bad - it's cheap and you get what you pay for.

On another note, the new Skypark is quite honestly dangerous. My daughter nearly broke her arm on it, most of the slides are only reached by climbing rope tower things so if kids back out of going down the slide, they can't get back down easily. Kids who are far too old to be on them push the little ones about and I saw a number of children get hurt because of this. There is no staffing on it so it's a free for all.

We won't go back, going to Center Parcs this year.

We’ve been to Bognor and Minehead as a family more times than I can remember purely because the kids absolutely love it. They’re getting older now but still enjoy the shows and activities. I can’t comment on Skegness but generally most families want to give their kids a great holiday but you’ll always have rough, lairy folk who raise eyebrows but in my experience they are the minority. You get what you pay for in terms of the accommodation so we always try to get the nice ones!

We took our children there a couple of years ago. Not really our scene but good deal with Tesco vouchers. Anyway, Skegness and ingoldmells are known to not be high end destinations. When you know this in advance, you know what you are getting. We still managed to have a decent time. Our daughter absolutely loved the awful evening redcoat "show", in particular the Bingo Bango. The kids enjoyed the pool. You are right next to fantasy island. Yes it is the Mecca of chavs and smells of weed sometimes, but the wristbands for rides are a decent price and there are plenty of kids rides. Prices for food and drink are reasonable, unlike most theme parks. Just go on your holiday with the mindset that it's fun for the kids and you will probably manage a decent time eating fish and chips, going to the bingo and putting 2p coins in arcade machines.

I've only been to Bognor once but DS really liked it. Pool was actually more fun and practical than CP. I do think it's a shame about your pool, but then my DS is older so I think there might be more other things for younger kids anyway. I've heard the chalets aren't great in general at Butlins. Hotel was good though. I doubt your GC will be bothered about accommodation though...that's more for you.

Entertainment will be good for kids.

I didn't see any of the bad language or behaviour that's been described on here.

I think the trip will be what you make it.
If its bad you can always do the beach or the local area...I assume there are other attractions.

All three sites are still in business so I can only assume people enjoy going. And where else could you eat a curry and a roast on the same plate?!

Just been back, had a fab time as always! I’ve never witnessed any bad parent behaviour.

bookings open two weeks before on the app. Book the Masked Singer first, because that fills up fast (brilliant show- I had actually heard of the two celebs!)

The water slides and baby pool are open.

We went to minehead last year. Only went as it was £140 for Monday to Friday.

All the lead up to the holiday we were having second thoughts , we had booked the cheapest room .

It was fine . Room was tired but clean. Food is naff but we ate off site. Entertainment was really really good . I would have paid double just for the Entertainment alone!

Yes it was a bit rough, but the child loved it and we liked it. 👍

We booked again whilst we were there and went again this year.

We went to Skegness butlins last summer (private caravan) and although I was worried it was fine.
Yeah it's a bit rough around the edges and I purposely avoided some people but the shows were great, the parks and the fun fair were brilliant and we barely spent any money on extras because so much is included.

Kids absolutely loved it and the direct beach access makes all the difference.

I'm not sure that's a common experience

https://www.manorhousehotel-london.com/
This is brilliant. Independent hotel in Devon. Wall to wall sports crafts and pools. Spa and golf too. Thoroughly recommended.

I have to agree to be honest, although Butlins is out of my price range and I wouldn't go as don't have kids to entertain. Done a few 'big weekends' though, and they were a lot of fun.

Lots of nasty comments on this thread "like a giant council estate". Nice.

Does it matter? It was what I experienced. I've no reason to lie, I'm not getting anything out of it.
Having the briefest look online, I can see it's hardly rare that it's reviewed at rough and that there is fighting and security issues. Trust Pilot current newest review headline is: Minehead Children's Week: Fights, drug use and confrontation.
I'm not saying the OP is going to have a crap time. It might be absolutely brilliant. It wasn't for me.

I recently took my 15 year old DD to Manor House resort in Devon. It was amazing. So much to do, sporting & craft activities galore, mostly included in the price. We went to Butlins about 5 years in a row and I prefer it here. It's not fancy & not specifically aimed at families but loads for kids and adults to do. They also have the most amazing spa that kids can use sometimes too

Oops I didn't see this before posting though your link is to a place in London.

Glad you loved it as much as we did

Center parks? Classy? I think you've never been to center Parks?

I regularly go to the adult only weekends at Skegness Butlins and it's great. However I wouldn't take my kids. The accommodation can be questionable and having witnessed things happen in them over the adult weekends, I refuse to believe they could be cleaned properly afterwards.

Skegness however, great for kids. We stop in a caravan in chapel st Leonard's as a family and have a great time.

I've been to Skegness twice now , and have booked again for next Feb

Wouldn't pay the full prices but if you get a deal it's well worth it.

4year old will love the shows, the fairground, the park is amazing. There's plenty to do. As with anywhere you can get an off-putting person but on the whole it's like minded people trying to have a holiday.

We never stayed out late he's was always shattered.

The 80’s? 40years ago?!
you take that back!

Me and DD4 go every year and have since she was 1. It is what you make it! There are some parents that lack class but overall everyone is just there to let the kids have a fab time and make memories.

We went in March - main pool closed, but toddler pool, rapids and slides were all open. There was an ice rink and the circus was there. Not sure if these are still there or not (seasonal, perhaps) but DD is going 13-17 May with her DF so I could always update if this is before you go.

The fair is fab, the arcades are great and there's plenty going on. We didn't stop.

As for bookable activities - keep checking. People cancel so tickets become available and there are also 'non booked' queues for those who haven't booked.

I'd definitely go. She will have an absolute blast - go with a positive mindset. We do a Butlins holiday each year followed by an all inclusive somewhere hot and then a Parkdean. DD loves them all, despite them all being very different, because we turn them all into amazing memories.

Enjoy!