Is Center Parcs worth the hype?

[holidayexplorer]

I am planning a UK summer holiday with my DH, DS and DD (aged 7 and 9). Center Parcs is very expensive, is it worth it? Do you have to pay for a lot once you arrive? There is a lot of criticism online.

What about Parkdean Resorts? Has anyone had a happy time there? There are many more locations to choose from than Center Parcs.

Hoping to book ASAP before it gets booked up for summer. Thanks!

We’ve done CP and Haven before. To be honest we much preferred Haven. There are some really lovely sites next to the beach and then if you wanted the whole cycling thing you can usually hire bikes there. If you go for a really good grade of caravan (Gold plus) it’s just as nice as CP for half the price.

I wouldn’t pay school holiday prices, but we went every year in Jan/Feb and shared a 4 bed with another family. The first year we went (2012) it cost us £99.50 per family Mon-Fri, a few years later (2019) it was around £250 each but still great value for 4 nights.

The school holiday price now is knocking on a grand and I don’t think it’s worth that to be honest. We had some excellent cheap weeks there though, happy days.

No, I don't think so. It was an absolute rip off and we spent the week avoiding Adders. Couldn't have the patio doors open. The shop was so expensive it made your eyes water. I'd never go back. I have friends who think it's amazing though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Felt like I was in The Hunger Games when I went. Not for me

We prefer the French CP, they have their sheds (as DH calls them) in little clusters with a car park. Really easy to go back and forth as you just swipe your bracelet to raise the barrier. Never seen massive check in queues. generally we go out in the day and then swim in the late afternoon. Bois aux Daims in the Loire Valley is lovely. Much better equipped than the Uk ones too. I would not stay here. Last time I went I thought it was really crap. So difficult to get out abd overpriced crud food. There is a carrefour on site which isn't much more expensive than the main supermarket in town.

I've not been to Center Parcs for years so not sure what it's like now, but if you do go I'd go to Sherwood as it has the best range of play areas, pool slides, and is more spread out so you can eg have a walk to the country club in the evening. Your children should still just be at the age where they are happy to spend several hours in the pool, and play on the adventure play areas.

We never did many other activities, but you could let them choose one each, maybe one of the high ropes type stuff, then all do badminton or pottery painting one day?

It's really not worth it.
I'm not sure where in the country you are but if you live rurally or anywhere vaguely pretty you'll find it's a crap shadow of 'naturalness' basically a sanitised forest experience for people who live in cities.
The activities are really pricey as are the restaurants serving up what amounts to ready meals.
It's a bit of a cult though, some people are obsessed with it. I don't get it!

Agree with some of the others here, CPs is just not worth the hype. Overpriced and you end paying for a lot more extras. Kids loved it of course. Meh...

We love it for a short break. It wouldn't be our "summer holiday", just 3 or 4 nights outside school holiday times.

Wake up to scenes from Snow White... deer, squirrels, ducks, woodpecker, lots of little birds, go swimming every day, long walk round the lake, maybe some crazy golf or bowling and eat out with a jug of cocktails to follow. Roll back to the lodge, sit out on the patio with the lights on and the bats whizz around picking off moths. Then sleep really deeply because we are tired after being active all day.
Yep, we could do the same somewhere else, probably cheaper. But it is under a couple of hours drive ... no travelling really...and our experience at CP has been consistently good.