Center Parcs essentials & tips

[MadamPomfrey]

We're going away to Center Parcs (Longleat) in just over a week with our two DC (2.5 and 4 months). I have been before when I was a child, but never as an adult! I am SO looking forward to it as have such fond memories myself and think my DH will love it too (he's never been). I am in list writing mode trying to think of everything I might need.

Please can you CP veterans please give me any useful tips or a list of things I should bring with me that I may not think of?

Thank you!

Also, we have a seat on the back of a bike for 2.5DS, and I've ordered a children's trailer, but how do we transport my 4.5 month old DD who can't sit up by herself yet??

Make sure you precooked the restaurants you want as the popular times go quickly :)

Thank you!

Find a nearby supermarket and buy.food etc there, including those disposable BBQs etc otherwise the parc market will rip you off.

Pre-book meals out, definitely

Have 2 sets of swimmers to dry one set and use the other

Take birdseed, if you have any knocking about. Chuck it out your backdoor and see the squirrels, geese, ducks, deer, moorhens etc appear like you're snow white!
Also a disposable BBQ, so you can cook on your patio if you like. ( I think each lodge has a BBQ stand outside where you can put a disposable tray BBQ)
Bucket and spade/sand toys for the little beach by the lake
Picnic stuff like cook bag, ice blocks, lunchboxes and tin foil
Washing up liquid
Dishwasher tablets
Tea towel/kitchen towel
Pan scourer
Toddler cutlery
Cooking oil, salt, pepper and condiments
Last time I took a couple of bigger saucepans and roasting tins etc as we planned to cook in and most of the time I find the pans etc that are supplied are tiny.
Extra loo roll
Hand soap
Pegs/tape for sealing opened packets
Worth taking a couple of swimming towels each as if swimming everyday it can be hard to get stuff dry.
Bike locks
Bin bags
Lighter/matches for the BBQ
Chalk for the chalk board (since Covid these are no longer provided in the lodge)
Blackout blind

Cancel it and go somewhere nice instead?

Lightweight cover up top or tunic for yourself. It is much comfier when you are standing around in the toddler section where the water is all two inches deep so you are swimming or in water. If that makes sense.
Plus more towels than you think you need. There get horribly dirty in the changing area and you won’t want to use them all week.

There’s just no need.

Cancel it and go somewhere nice instead
Behold, the quintessential Mumsnet Prick

Behold, the quintessential Mumsnet Prick

Excellent work Nancy 😁

We book a click and collect shop at a nearby supermarket to get on the way there.

Pre booking activities and restaurants is essential.

That's it for me.

Haven't found any way of transporting baby by bike - researched loads of options for my LO, but ultimately everything seem to beed baby to have good enough head control to withstand the bumps!

Following with interest though, as we're going in Sept when he'll be 9 months old!

Are they fine in just a swim nappy at the pool or should I bring the happy nappy wetsuit we have? (Our local pool is chilly!)

The chalk is back!
We’ve just been and I didn’t find the supermarket too pricey for essentials, I forgot to take cleaning spray and a cloth, they provided one tea towel, one washing up sponge, a teeny bit of washing up liquid and three dishwasher tablets.
it’s card only everywhere now too.
Have a fabulous time, don’t know why people knock it, it’s expensive but, I think, high quality, well designed and organised and you know what you’re getting, which is no bad thing sometimes!

The fridges are tiny and the freezer is just a small section within the fridge, so don’t bring too much food that requires refrigeration.

the shop on site is really good so easy to do top up shops/buy COOK ready meals.

Re the baby, you won't be able to use the trailer. Whilst I do know of people who have used trailers with car seats in them, Center Parcs (a) wouldn't allow it and (b) if I remember correctly have seats that wouldn't take a car seat anyway. They have to be old enough to sit up and wear a helmet.

Random things to take, all of which I've forgotten at least once (we've been about 25 times):
tea towels (as they only provide one I recall)
washing up liquid (as they only provide a sachet)
liquid soap if your kids (or you) won't use bar soap
swim nappies, baby swim towel
rucksack so you can carry stuff and have hands free (for bike, child, etc)
shopping bags
cot sheets / baby sleeping bags
duvets/sheets if you don't like sleeping under think duvet or nothing in hot weather
keys for bike/roofbars if you're taking your own bikes on car

Top Center Parks tip:

Ignore twatty MNers like Vinvertabrate.

Center Parks is excellent, we’ve done nearly all of them and always had a fab time.

Fire logs, we buy them in Wilko as much cheaper, well used to be 99p each but now £2.10 I think!

Lovely a baby Centre Parcs trip.

I'm a slack human so buy my logs there, shop in the Parc Market or eat out so literally no tips to share.

BUT! My 2 year olds absolute highlight was Chestnut's Picnic and they got lunch and a cuddly toy so it even felt reasonably priced (relatively!). So that's my tip - Chestnut's picnic.

We’ve done longleat a few times, you won’t be able to transport baby in anything other than a pram or a sling I’m afraid as too little for bike trailer and seat, but you partner can take turns taking oldest out for a ride. Depending on where about you’re located it can be a loooong walk or cycle, with steep hills or steps so plan accordingly and set off with enough time. There is a land train too.

take monkey nuts and a Perspex stick on bird feeder to stick on the patio doors, it encourages all the animals right to your door, amazing!

take 2 player games and wine for after bed time!

I'm probably repeating but this is our list:

Swim towels (cape style ones are so useful for children)
2 sets of swimwear for everyone
Beach toys for sand play
Rucksack/swim bag you can cycle with (we used to find it useful to split into 2 - one adult with one child when in changing rooms for getting ready)
Bikes, locks, helmets

Tea towels, hand towels, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, toilet roll, handwash, bin bags, we took our children's cutlery etc when that young too
cot sheets, request extra cot in advance if older child in cot or bedguards if in bed
We plan our meals in advance and shop accordingly so only milk/bread top ups to buy once there. Everything for cooking if you do cook there - oil, salt, pepper etc. Nothing is provided. Snacks for children (we would take this into the pool area)

Have a fantastic time, we went multiple times a year when children were same age as yours as it was a cheap and easy holiday. Sadly our CP days are over now kids in school and ££££

Can't believe no one has told OP not to forget the lube.

My tip for CP is always ditch the bikes and walk everywhere instead with pushchair/toddler bike if necessary - it's so much less stressful. Order take out/delivery is always good too to avoid the chaos in the restaurants.

Amazing, thank you all so much! These are all super helpful tips and lists! Definitely some things I wouldn't have thought to bring (do they provide anything in the lodges?! 🤣)

https://www.centerparcs.co.uk/discover-center-parcs/short-family-breaks/whats-included.html

And another tip - the cot they provide is usually kept in the cleaning/boiler cupboard (normally just inside the front door) - don't do what we did the first time and think they've not provided one. Obviously it needs to come out of there. (I think there's even signs up telling you that, as clearly some people think that's the baby's room!)

when we went as a large family group and hired bikes I took a selection of brightly coloured ribbons which everyone tied to their handlebars making it MUCH easier to locate your hired bike amongst hundreds of others in a bike park!