Center Parcs virgin - hit me with your tips!

[CraggyIslandTouristBoard]

[...and for the CP haters out there, I'm not interested in hearing "Don't bother" - no need to rain on my parade in this most Mumsnetty of threads 😜.]

Booked for a Friday-Monday in Woburn in early December due to an odd Friday inset day. Though we are planning on leaving after an early dinner on Sunday as the kids have school the Monday morning.

Asking now as apparently booking for activities opens in 5 days - yikes!

Planning on taking our own bikes, but obviously the weather could be rubbish all weekend so need to factor that in.

• Our junior school aged kids love a water park, but would a visit each day to the pool be a bit much of a good thing? I think they've done away with booking now anyway.
• Assuming we do go to the pool every day, is 1 other bookable activity about right? We are looking at the family activities which we can all do together, not really interested in dumping the kids at stuff they do alone. Current thoughts are: archery, an owls experience and possibly a pedalo or an electric boat. There is also a 'Festive Forest Discovery Trail' which we can do in our own time so we can play by ear depending on weather.
• Also wondering about Street Karts/Family Karts and an escape room. Do we have to prebook everything, ie do many/most things book up?
• Do we need to make reservations for lunches/dinners? We will probably cater for ourselves a bit, so breakfast and one other meal at home, and one out. I'm sure I've heard that CP restaurants are overpriced and not that great but any recommendations gratefully received (equally places to avoid). We will bring our own food with us.

Any other tips/hacks welcome, I have had a quick look at past threads but many are either pre-pandemic or commenting on things during the pandemic so current info really useful. Thank you in advance!

Just back from our yearly trip and we love it. Kids are teens but have always enjoyed it

We take full advantage of the swimming and flumes etc as this is always a winner for all kids ( and adults!)

We did a lot of activities this time round, probably about 2 a day, but usually it's at least 1 activity a day

I always like to be prepared so I book as soon as the window opens and I would strongly suggest booking restaurant as these get booked up quickly and I saw lots of people getting turned away without a booking.

Enjoy your stay and make the most of the environment ( even if it's cold!) never see the point when some people spend all that money to sit in their lodge most of the day

We're at Woburn right now and sadly this is the last time for us, as it is clearly well past it's day. I've been to Center Parcs quite a lot in the last 30 years but it really is now an over-priced We're at Woburn right now and sadly this is the last time for us, as it is clearly well past it's day. I've been to Center Parcs quite a lot in the last 30 years but it really is now an over-priced Pontins.

You don't need to book meals before you arrive, but for some odd reason you do have to before you eat at a lot if the restaurants - so yes people are turned away, but they are turned away to go outside - book on the app then come back again - they wouldn't take walk-ins, despite there being loads of empty tables and available tables on the app.

Obviously we're here now and it's still England school holidays,but there is really no need to book loads of activities in advance- we've booked ours since arriving and had no problem.

Most people swim every day I think, as it's the only thing included in the price. But it is the smallest CP swimming complex I've visited and it really is very crowded to the point of being unpleasant. My kids love swimming, but they've only managed an hour at a time this time, not the 3 hours they have done at Elveden, Longleat, and someone the French parks. 11 year old was in tears today because of the lazy river being hideously overcrowded and adults pushing. As I heard one man say "bloody hell you can't move without someone's foot or arse in your face". Swimming after 6pm is definitely quieter but then you're in grubby changing rooms and pool side from a day of it being ravaged.

We haven't hired bikes this time and I'm glad really as the site is much steeper than I expected,but much smaller than other sites too. I've seen a lot of people pushing their bikes around, so I'd say it's easier to just walk.

We enjoyed the electric boats for a relaxing half an hour and the kids loved Las Iguanas restaurant, though we can go there at home.

The forest itself is nice, lovely mature pines and well kept. Staff are lovely everywhere.

Take lubricant?

@hangingbagger you beat me to it

DS has asd and hates change so we do centreparcs 4 times a year, love it.

I'd recommend aiming to swim everyday, it's free so why not even if you only take 30 mins. We usually go first thing and often again at 6.

Restaurants fill up quickly so do get those booked, you can cancel up until the day before.

If you're on a budget looks for the price per activity rather than per person stuff like hiring a badminton court or bowling.

They do have some free activities like playgrounds and guided walks and kids disco. And usually leaflets with suggestions on what to do if it's raining.

Hope you have a lovely break.

Came on to say bum sex

The old jokes and all that

We booked all activities and restaurants on the morning as soon as booking was open. I had a list of all the activities the kids wanted to do, had already planned roughly day by day what we’d do and managed to book it all.
We did cancel a few things nearer the time but had booked swimming and moved that around a few times no problem.
Unlike others above, we did find it hard to book restaurants when we were there at dinner time so glad we’d booked most of them.

Swimming is much quieter after 6pm and it’s nice to swim outside in the dark so do this at least once.
Do swim everyday, is is certainly well worth it at the other sites. This includes swimming on the first day as soon as you arrive (before you allowed on the lodge if you can get their early) and on the last day before you leave.

We love a pre-Christmas winter weekend. We swim at least once each day, go bowling, eat out at least once and then play games, watch films, play in the play areas and see the lights. It's a good idea to book any meals out. We have found that you really don't need to book much in the way of activities for a long weekend; there's a risk that you end up as a stressed slave to the itinerary rather than having time to relax. Hope you enjoy it- there are some useful Facebook groups with good tips for first time visitors. If you're planning to use the log burner buy the logs before you go in Home Bargains or somewhere like that- much cheaper and they have to be the ones in individual paper wrappers.

No idea but your inadvertent double entendre did make me laugh 😂

i love CP. It just really works for our family.

Tips:

Don't overbook yourselves. You don't want to run around trying to make appointments all day every day on holiday.

Swimming plus one other thing a day is enough.

The treetop rope trails are great and a real achievement for not yet teens.

Crazy Science is a lot of fun for young kids (our 4 year old and 7 year old loved it). Owls great for the whole family.

I learned how to paddle board at CP. It was great fun and my solo activity. DH and I chose something solo each, to get a break from the kids. Totally recommend some time to yourself, even if just an hour having a treatment at the spa.

Take a big shop in cool boxes -family sized lasagnes and pasta bakes from Asda are great. If you eat in for most (or even all) of it, you'll feel less tied to the sense of having lots of appointments.

Take some board games for rainy days -putting the fire on and just staying in playing a family board game is one the best things at CP!