Is anyone going to Center Parcs for Christmas?

[PDRlovesbiscuits]

We are! [so excited]

and i have already booked for next year but didnt know about the "come back" offer, but rang CP today and they have let me have the free insurance, the price promise and vouchers for next year thanks you lovely lot
Anyone know how much the vouchers are for? and for what?

The vouchers are cp gift vouchers 25.00 pounds

can you spend them anywhere?

what i mean is in the shop, resturant or activites?

Can't find ours to check right now but I think it's anywhere

U can use anywhere

Just a quick note check when the kids are of school at easter 2011 i booked 4 day break at Elvedon for £289.00 April 25 BARGAIN my kids dont go back till 4 May but some kids go back on 26 April i live in the midlands i also know welsh schools arre off the same period.
I dont think cp have noticed this so book before price TRIPLES!!!!!!!!

I'm feeling the urge to book next year already! This is the last year before i have to book around the school holidays as ds1 starts school next sep!

lisa123, i believe so?

i love the idea of a horse and carriage ride!! Its mentioned on the website but doesnt say anything about booking..is it just a turn up and wait thing do you think?

6 weeks before you go you can go online and book your activites, its £5 per child and £8 per adult

Mad4myboys, hello, are you a twixers girl?

hint for others whom are a family of 4, sometimes its worth booking "2extra friends" as you get a 3 bed for smae price as two bed

no lisa, brighton .

Ive noticed that! We are family of 4 and theoretically we would have ds2 (1) in with us but because of his health and his numerous night wakings we have booked 3 bed so me or dh will sleep in with him and 3 beds were cheaper than 2!! Very strange!

We are just under 6 weeks from going so will look to book the ride! Wondering how the poor horse will manage to pull people around longleat with all the hills

hmm, why am i not finding the horse and carriage rides??

you have to log in to book activities, have you done that? Think its listed under outdoor activites.

bgt - the new center parcs in bedfordshire may be open by Xmas 2010. Not sure though, think that is their aim date though.

The £25 vouchers are supplied as 5 x £5 vouchers which can only be used on the dates of your stay. They can't be used for booking AquaSana Spa Sessions or Treatments - unfair I feel, as those are what I book most. They can be used in the shops (including AquaSana shop) and restaurants - so I used mine to buy food and a magazine.

Booking tip... as already mentioned by some others but so important that I'll repeat it
Look at accommodation which has more bedrooms than you need. Then drop one bedroom and compare the price (and keep dropping to your minimum number of bedrooms). You can sometimes find that you can get a better spec villa, with more bedrooms at a slightly lower price than you would pay for something more basic with the minimum number of bedrooms.
Strange but true... did an example of it yesterday... 2 Bed Comfort Plus at Elvedon vs a 3-Bed Woodland... the 3-Bed Woodland villa was cheaper.

Mad4myboys - Patrick (think that's the name of the usual horse they use at Longleat - think I go to Longleat too often) is used to the route... could do it without the 'driver' and is on the flattest (well, least hilly) part, around Pine area.

I can't wait for our horse and carriage ride - such a nice family photo op too

bgt - ignore me with regard to Bedfordshire site. Looking at the press release following the rights of way move being permitted, looks like construction isn't due to start until late 2010/early 2011. So won't be open Xmas 2010. Wonder when it will open... how long does it take to build a Center Parcs? For those interested, some of the planning documents can be found here (Note these docs are in an old archive, so may not be the latest versions.)

Am so close to booking for next xmas, my OH thinks I am mad for booking for next xmas. Longleat for the weekend from 17th Dec for 3 nights in Executive is £489 and Woodland Lodge is £479.00. From mid week from 13th Dec only works out around £320.00. Should I wait for prices to come down or will they just go up??? I should have booked it when I got back in Septmeber from Sherwood Forest!

bgt those are the dates I am looking at too for next xmas at Longleat - see you there!

One word of warning - we booked our November trip in February when we got back and were really impressed with how much money we had saved...then I fell pregnant!

I'm sure CP will still be lots of fun at 8 months gone but if I'm not sure I'd have chosen it that way if I'd have known...

This is the other problem, am going to start trying for baby no 2 after xmas, so may end up with newborn baby or being pregnant next xmas!

PDRlovesbiscuits- you oging weekend or midweek

bgt are you me? also trying for baby no.2....

I think we'll probably end up going weekend as DH hasn't got much holiday left next yr but would much prefer midweek as always more relaxed.

Is Longleat suitable for toddlers, rang CP and she said NO.
Midweek in Longleat on 13th for new style executive is £329...........am very close to booking

She said no ?

Very odd.

We always enjoy ourselves and have been with our son and the place is always crawling with pre-schoolers out of season.

I wonder how long the "original" exec style will stay "orginal" as you would think they might have finished upgrading the villas by December 2010.....

Mid-week is often lower cost... I tend to go Weekends (Fri late evening as I go after work till Monday).

Is Longleat suitable for toddlers? I saw lots of toddlers there in the past year (think I've been 6 times in the past year)... plus am going in December with a 2 year old, nearly 4 year old, 11 month old.

I'm wondering what question you asked CP. Was it about the accommodation perhaps? Some accommodation they don't recommend for babies/toddlers - not sure why, maybe due to some safety issue of some kind. But CP Longleat as a whole I'd say is ideal for toddlers... good toddler area at the pool, beach by the lake.