European Center Parcs - how strict on age limits for waterslides?

[snowgirl1]

We went to a Center Parcs-like place (Landal Greenparks, Het Vennenbos) for Easter weekend last year. Had a great time, DD loved the pool and waterslides. I'm looking at some of the European CPs for this Easter and they all seem to have an age limit of 5 years old for the waterslides. Does anyone know how strict they are at enforcing this? DD won't be 5 and will be very disappointed if she can't go on any of the slides.

Would say it depends on how old and tall dd is, they won't be checking passports but I think dd shouldn't have armbands on.

Thanks Idefix. The website says 5 years old - I just wondered if CP did something like give a wristband on check-in to confirm if the child was old enough to use the slides.

We went to De Kempervennen in August and there was very little supervision in the pools. There were people going down in groups etc. I've just asked my DSs and they say they remember young children (about 3yrs) on the water slides. My youngest is 6, so it wasn't as issue for us.

Don't think they did wristbands when we went but children are older.
Landal de lommerbergen has a really good water park.

We went several times when DC were young. Safety enforcement was noticeably absent (although there were plenty of lifeguards) and some of those slides are pretty wild for under 10s IMO.

Thanks everyone. I think I'll take the risk and book - I just didn't want to end up with a DD who was upset she couldn't go the slides.

Sorry to jump on your thread snowgirl. Would you receommend landal greenparks? We're looking for something like this close to Amsterdam for next summer.

Ceolas we've never been to another Center Parcs/Landal Greenparks type place so I don't have anything to compare to. We went to Het Vennenbos as it seemed to have the best pool complex and I'd definitely recommend it. There was plenty to do in the park for the long-weekend that we were there and we also went on a bike ride outside the park - if your children can cycle by themselves the local cycle pathways are brilliant - even the quietest residential street had a cycle path, so you can safely cycle around with children. They've landscaped the park in such a way that you're not overlooked by others (or at least it seemed that way). It's a really nice wooded park, with lakes. We saw lots of red squirrels, which was really nice. The only downside was that none of the accommodation has ovens (which seems to be the same in Center Parcs), which is quite limiting if you want to cater for yourselves and the restaurants are fine family orientated type places, but not outstanding. We'd happily return to Het Vennenbos again and the only reason we're not is I just like seeing different places.

We've been to CP De Vossemeren (Belgium) twice. The water slides have theoretical age limits of 5. I have never seen these enforced. DD went down when she was 3 without any issues. The larger 'spacebowl' slide has an age limit of 9 but I saw children of about 5 or 6 going on it last year.

Scarily, I saw some people taking babies down the rapids that were not even at the stage of sitting up yet. I thought that was a bit much...

That's brilliant. Thanks

snowgirl can I ask how you got there from UK - did you drive or fly? Thanks :)

I don't know, but I'd be worried about the upper age limit!

Mermaid we drove - we live in SW London/Surrey, so drove to Folkestone, got Eurotunnel, and drove for about 2.5 hours (iirc) to get to Het Vennenbos.

Floppity