Butlins advice

[GARLANDGIRL2024]

Looking at booking butlins for the last weekend in the summer holidays, as our kids are obsessed with the masked singer and gladiators (they are 5 and 7 years old )
we’ve never been before and have no idea about butlins so any guidance would be amazing !

Which site is better Bognor or Skegness ?
The good packages look great, is the basic one with buffets good enough food?
is the drinks package worth it ?
is it like center parcs where zero activities are included and we will end up spending a fortune booking activities?
is there much to do for free?
what are the swimming pools like ?

any other tips would be amazing !

thank you

Went 10 yrs ago to bognor twice. DD Loved it. Basic food package was fine. Didn't have drinks package in my day. Suppose it depends how much you drink?
There was lots of free shows and a free fun fair. You got a list of the free activities. Plus paid for things like rock climbing. Apparently the pool at butlins has been refurbished?
Que early for shows to get a table.

Bognor is great, the pool and slides are brilliant.
I recall all the entertainment is included. You can pay extra to do high ropes and go karting , that was all I think.
We went sc, so can't comment on food. Sc apartment was well equipped. I took all food, all snacks, even coffee as buying food/drinks gets expensive on site.

Having been to both in recent years, Bognor definitely over Skegness (though the beach at Skeggy is better).

It's cleaner, recently had new fast food places put in and the pool is amazing. The bookable activities aren't that expensive but there's lots of free stuff to do - soft play, parks, walking down to the beach, shows, the funfair. Have fun!

I've never done the food court dining but we did the hotel dining at Bognor 2 years ago and it was very good. We did premium dining at Skegness last year and it wasn't great. If you go to Skegness I would probably self cater.

Top tip - don’t go!

Bognor much better than Skegness. The basic food option is fairly good for the cost you pay - I wouldn't say the drinks package is worth it unless you're very heavy drinkers as the drinks on-site are pretty cheap already.

Swimming pools are okay, lots of water slides/different pools etc though the changing rooms are pretty chaotic and I always find it hard to find a decent sized changing room - we now just whack on sweatpants/hoodies over our costumes and change back at the apartment. Loads of free stuff to do - playgrounds/shows/swimming/some activities, other activities you pay for but the cost is still pretty low.

Honestly it's fine as long as you manage your expectations. There's a reason it's so much cheaper than Centre Parcs etc (though still expensive in the holidays!) and I think when people hate it it's because they expecting a lot! The rooms are pretty basic, the cleaning is too, it can be loud/rowdy and the food is def not 5 star! But kids love it (DS is 5 and prefers it to Disneyworld if you can believe it!) and there's plenty of options for family downtime/being chill.

The food in the same. We always do premium which does have a few extras I think. But we always find that the food court is like feeding time at the zoo.

Our children have additional needs so we find the premium is quieter and can usually find a quiet spot for them.

We do the drink packages. Though we didn't last year as I wasn't paying adult price for a child who couldn't drink. But this year she be 18 so we are paying again. But it depends how much and what you drink.

We always do vip it's meant we have always been able to book what we wanted. As vip can book first. It's not so much an issue term time. But half terms your find things book up quickly.

I alternate between Bognor and Skegness. I wouldn't say one is better than the other.

Went to Butlins for the first time last Oct. Went to Skeggy. It was great! The Masked Singer was really good by the way.

There are activities you can book but a fraction of the price of Center Parcs.

The food was ok. We did the premium dining package - I've since heard don't do the cheaper food court option fyi. My kids bloody loved the food - especially the breakfasts. What had was edible. Think mass catered Littlewoods cafe type food. We have booked again for this year and intend to book the food package again.

I didn't do the drinks package as I rarely drink alcohol, and my favourite tipple wasn't in the list of included drinks anyway. If you're a big drinker it may be worth getting. You have to get it for everyone though, which could get expensive. 15-17 pay the adult price but obviously can't have alcohol, so I find this particularly unfair. They should charge the kids price for that (I get it on Food as they'll eat a lot more).

It's very much like a cheaper Center Parcs - but a lot busier everywhere. Lots of queuing. The pool was ok, not worth the massive queue and the slides were shit. But overall we had a lovely time so I do recommend it.

Dont go, you’ll come home wanting to wash your body and your eyeballs with bleach, the clientele there is something else. Jokes aside it is fab for children

My dcs have loved Butlins and the eldest loves the Masked Singer too so we'll probably go this year. My kids prefer it to CP as they like the live entertainment and the fairground rides.

The soft play is being refurbished at Bognor so perhaps do Skegness unless it's confirmed to be completed when you go.
We've only been to Bognor not Skegness. There's a great new outdoor playground at Skegness but they don't have one at Bognor (they do have playgrounds but the new one looks particularly nice with more stuff for older kids). But there's an indoor video game arena at Bognor, so might be better if your kids are into that.

Stay in the best accommodation you can afford - the cheaper ones are a bit rubbish (and book ahead as the best ones get booked up quickly).

Make a note of when online booking opens for shows, and book as soon as it opens (in the app). They will get booked up quickly.

The pool is great at Bognor and there are plenty of slides. I don't think CP pool is any better. I'd recommend going as early as you can, or later (after 4pm).
The food package is fine (the more expensive one).