Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

me again - calling all centerparcs lovers- who's been to Elvedon

69 replies

madgirl · 30/01/2004 14:44

me, dh and ds are looking at a mw break there end of april, and looking at an exec villa. i will be 7 months pregnant by then so won't be up for mega strenuous cycling to get anywhere, and would love to be near lake (i've been enthused by everyone's descriptions of BBQs on terrace etc etc!)- does anyone have recommendations for specific locations? also - is it worth paying for exec? we don't go away much!! thanks all.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 30/01/2004 14:49

i hav'nt been to elevdon but if its anything like sherwood then id highly recommend it, i absolutly love centre parcs, i had bikes first time i iwent but this time i just walked everywhere.
we had an exec villa near to a stream both times and its so peaceful, id definetly recommend paying the extra to stay in exec property as i feel this really added to just how much i love the place, the comfort villas are nice but the exec are really well furnished and homely.
wish i was going again!!!

tiredemma · 30/01/2004 14:51

sorry forgot to add, every morning we would go out onto patio and my ds1 would have all the ducks come up to him for food! his face was a picture!

Original poster
madgirl · 30/01/2004 15:03

tiredemma i really like the look of sherwood but i think it'll take about 4-5 hours to get there from south london..that's a lot of stops on the hard shoulder for outings of the pottette!

OP posts:
Quackers · 30/01/2004 15:44

Hiya MG!!!!!
Haven't been to Elevedon. It's supposed to be a little smaller than the others but obviously has same facilities!
Can't recommend the exec accomodation enough, as it's just cosy and comfy! You can ring up and ask for a map of the village and choose your villa if you want to be more central. I have done this for oasis as like you will be too big to be cycling up and down dale!!!!! You'll be able to have your Mum 2 be massage!!!
BTW, we're going end of April to Oasis!!!!! Did your DH come round then????
Tiredemma just reminded me of the squirrels too that come to your patio! We had one that came to DD's bedroom window every am for breakfast!! She was delighted. It's amazing how the little things fascinate the tots at C/P's!!!
I'll try and have a look online for you for avail!

Quackers · 30/01/2004 15:51

Just looked! There are 3 types of exec 2 beds available amazingly! £437 for all of you for midweek break (4 nights) Jacuzzi bath etc...!

Girly · 30/01/2004 15:51

I am going at the end of March to Eleveden, but not with the kids! Hooray, going with my sil and a couple of old school friends for a girly weekend. Have been there before and its nice and flat!

I really like CP its great with or without kids

Original poster
madgirl · 30/01/2004 15:55

quackers my dear! dh trusts me! ha! he's not actually 100% convinced, that's why i thought it might be an idea to go mon-fri as it's a bit cheaper and to test it out! so i am going to ring them and ask them to send me a map of the place. it sounds great. then we will have some money to do sth again end oct/november with TWO (gulp). can't imagine cycling with a bump!

OP posts:
Original poster
madgirl · 30/01/2004 15:56

what are the 3 types?? which type do you reckon? thanks mate.

OP posts:
sis · 30/01/2004 16:14

WE went to Elevedon in 1999 and it seems pretty similar to Sherwood Forest. If I recall correctly, all the villas backed onto water at Elvedon so that you are guaranteed ducks and swans in your villa patio! Never been in an Executive villa so can't comment on whether they are much better than the normal ones.

Quackers · 30/01/2004 16:16

Bless you, you're a luv!
I tried to do a link but it wouldn't do it. If you go to www.centerparcs.com, that's the main site. Enter it and input your dates and then exec choice of accom and choice of village. Then the 3 options will come up. You can then click on each villa typre for a summary of what each has. If you have the brochure it will tell you in there too! We're not getting bikes this time as we are central and can walk to most places easily. I did ask DH if he could pull me along in a burley trailer with DD but surprisingly was refused!!!

hmb · 30/01/2004 16:36

Went before it caught on fire. The executives are nice, and give you extra room. It is nice and flat, so easy to get around. Supermarket is a bit limited, so we took our own food and that was a good idea.

tiredemma · 30/01/2004 16:51

the absolute best time of the year to visit is the run up to xmas "christmas countdown " its called, couldnt afford lapland so i looked into this, it was the best family break we had ever had, the trees leading to the village had all fairy lights in them which looked magical - and the father chrismas cottage was amazing- my little boy loved it.

it is actually the cheapest time to go out of the whole year aswell, we went with PIL and our ds1 and had a 3 bed exec villa with private sauna and a jacuzzi bath and it also had a wood burning stove in it which really set the scene for xmas, as it was lovely to chill out with a glass of wine, fire on, watching xmas films.
we went again 2 weeks ago, still loved it but the "xmas feeling" obviously wasn't there so ive booked up for week b4 xmas this year.

Original poster
madgirl · 30/01/2004 17:11

wow, that does sound really lovely tiredemma. if all goes well in april, praps we will book it for before xmas too. i wonder when they roll out the decorations?

OP posts:
Original poster
madgirl · 30/01/2004 17:17

duh- it's on website- starts 6th December. isn't it a bit chilly to be cycling everywhere?

OP posts:
nutcracker · 30/01/2004 17:41

Tiredemma - That sounds lovely. I got a brochure for centre parcs this week. I really fancy it as it's not too far away, but dp said it's too expensive. I might just book it anyway.

Crunchie · 30/01/2004 17:52

madgirl, I am off there on Monday!! Hang fire booking until next weekend, and I promise to post on here the most up to date info possible. From what I know exec villas are great (I haven't stayed in a comfort) because they tend to be nearer everything, and there is someone who comes in a cleans Although lots of teh villas are near the lake, including comfort ones. ALso there is a 'pornstar' bath in the main en-suite. It is a massive circular hydrotherapy bath (about 6' round!) I wouldn't pay extra to confirm the villa number - you can do this - but I would explain the circumstances and request a villa nearby. Or ask for a wheelchair adapted one which are all close (they have normal facilities too) but this might seem a bit cheeky.

My boss just gave me a fab idea, you can't get a video there, or plug in your own into the TV, but if you have a TV/Video combi it is worth taking it and plugging into the kids room for a bit of piece and quiet.

tiredemma · 30/01/2004 20:24

madgirl, because it was december we took fleeces, jumpers etc and we didnt really expect too much of the weather, i knew it would be cold so made sure i had my gloves on etc when cycling.
my little boy was all wrapped up in the burley trailer with a kiddie hot water bottle on his lap and loads of blankets!!!

nutty, end of nov up to week b4 xmas is cheapest time to go, we had a 3 bed exec which we shared with dp's parents and it cost £300 for midweek, which split between the 4 of us didnt seem expensive, but when i went 2 weeks ago it was £400 for a 2 bed exec for the weekend so we couldnt share the cost with anyone and i think that it was expensive for us, but we both decided to go for the xmas countdown in future because 1. the accom is cheaper and 2. the setting and atmosphere is amazing especially for kids.

Slinky · 30/01/2004 20:45

Tiredemma

Have been to Elvedon lots in the past (not since reopening after fire though) but having read your posts, I really fancy the "Christmas Countdown" thing.

Did you have book up a long time in advance?

nutcracker · 30/01/2004 20:50

Tiredemma - Was it you who told me that you know someone who lets houses in great barr and kingstanding ??????

nutcracker · 30/01/2004 20:57

Oh no, you've gone, nevermind

tiredemma · 30/01/2004 22:21

slinky, we booked up in the may for the following xmas, it wasn't too crowded either, we only eat in the resturants once, we stopped off at sainsburys on the way up and bought loads of really nice food, wine, mulled wine etc and had a "mini-xmas" (even had a turkey dinner one night!)
i booked for this xmas about 3 weeks ago- just put down a deposit cuz i want exec accom and dont want to risk losing it.

im assuming you have children? the father christmas there was the best one i have ever seen, he was completly everything you want your kids to believe father xmas is, even down to the way he spoke, he wasnt just stuck in a makeshift grotto in a resturant, he was actually in a log cabin in the middle of the woods with a "santa postbox" outside!

Slinky · 30/01/2004 22:44

Oooh, I'll have a look on their website, tiredemma.

Yes, have 3 children - they're 8, 6 and 4. All Center Parcs fans, but seeing Father Christmas as well would be icing on the cake.

tiredemma · 30/01/2004 22:48

which one is your closest slinky? ive only ever been to the sherwood one - we were going to go to the longleat one for this year but i enjoyed sherwood so much that i was afraid i woulnt get the same feeling at longleat ( what a sap!) i was worried that the setting wouldnt b a "magical" as sherwood, im sure it is but as i say im being a bit of a sap about it (dp says im obsessed with center parcs!!)

have you stayed in exec accom before??

Slinky · 30/01/2004 23:13

Tiredemma

The nearest one to us is Elvedon Forest - about 50 minutes away

And yes, we've stayed in Exec. before (2 bedded).

Following your postings, had a hunt round on their website and I've booked:

3 Bed Exec. to EF - 17/20 December

Just broken the news to DH

Can't wait to tell the kids in the morning!

Slinky · 30/01/2004 23:18

Forgot to add - went for 17 Dec as it's DS1 birthday