centerparcs - you've got to be joking - what's all the fuss about????

[lisalisa]

Just returned from a bloody freezing and nightmare break in centerparcs. Having been looking forward to it for ages i visualised cycling lazily through the sunlit ( albeit cold) forest with 5 rosy cheeked kids in tow en route to some activcity or other and returning refreshed and tired but happy in the evenings , How wrong can a person be????

Cue the first evening - there are no bloody road names nor precious little signs so how are you supposed to know where the heck you are going? We went round and round in circles from 8.00- 9.30pm at night until some poor bloke took pity on us and dumped us in the mobility bus and took us back to our villa. 3 out of 5 kids crying and they're aged 4,6,8,10 and 13. me about to start too.

next morning bright and cheery up we get for tea and - - no power. Cue a long wait for power to be restored so we can have a cuppa and get going. Set out and hailstorm starts. We are all however suitably dressed so should be ok. But no - lost again and this time kids are sopping wet, freezing and really naffed off. Back home for clean clothes. Set off again now sky is brighter. Leave bikes at pool complex. Had a nice day only ruined by the literally 100s of people in the changing rooms meaning we had to wait ages for changing cubicle and on our return the locker key did not work and we stood sopping wait awaiting a staff member who had to break the lock.....

Left complex to find there are at least 2 bike parks and we didn't note which one. Cue half hour wasted identifiying bikes and discovered that son aged 10 didn't lock his properly and it was gone. He goes off to cycle returns to explain and get another one. We all cycle slowly home - its raining again and we are half an hour from villa and kids gloves soaked through and they are miserable.

Arrive home and another power cut. No hot water and no heating. This is really miserable now as we are all cold and wet an dlooking forward to hot shower and hot drinks. Staff come reasonably quickly and sort it out.

There were some nice periods interspersed with this and some good activities but on the whole overpriced and not a patch on going to a farm for a break with a swimming pool and animals.

My main bugbears were the distances - we had to trek half hour to get to the centre - very offputting in the weather conditions - and the fact that nothing is signposted properly or enough so aimless wandering ruined a good protion of the break. On balance I would not go back.

We always go to evelden and love it. We have stayed furthest from centre before and on bike it take 10mins max to the centre, but is about 20-30 mins walking.

Weather cant be helped. TBH if it was me I owuld have conplained about power cut while there. When we went our oven broke to they paid for us to have dinner in that night and breakfast the next moring too

You really have to be prepared for all weathers, and we always take raincoats and umbrellas.

I've been going annually (first with my parents and now with my own children) for the last 21 years (I'm 32) and have never had a bad experience.
Last time (Nov 09), DD and I had to go pick up her bike in the dark on the first night whilst DH and DS took the car to villa to unpack as we'd been swimming all day (this was at Elvedon). We did get completely lost and silly me hadn't packed the torch it tells you to pack in the booklet. So DD span her pedal round and round near a water mains map we found and so we had just enough light to find out where we were on the map and wander off in the pitch dark. Eventually we found it but saw it as a hilarious adventure and DH has never laughed so much (mainly AT me).
Tip for the changing rooms is go in the non-cubicle changing rooms. Yes there's less modesty but there was only me and DD in there the whole time we were there.
Have never had a problem with power cuts/probs with villa.
For the bike park, you would need to remember a point nearby so you don't forget where you put them and never don't lock them properly - it's been in the paper recently about burglaries at Elvedon (not just bikes but in luxury villas too).
I am slightly biased in my love for CP. If I could live at Center Parcs, I would!

I think there are ways and means of enjoying CP, and that's sort of the point. Like most UK holidays. There's a good bit in 'Where did it all go right' when the author talks about how when his family were less well off and they had to make their own entertainment on a damp week in Rhyl, they felt that they had achieved something, whereas once they were better off and went to Spain, where was the achievement? Anyone could have a good time there.

Not sure if this helps

The good thing is though choosy - you can breaks for £199 at the right time if you keep an eye out, you can take all of your own food and you could spend the entire time in the pool dome, which is free. You wouldn't be able to hire a family cottage with as much to do if it's wet for that price.

I actually quite like Centerparcs (have only been as a single adult though, on work trips) but can't really imagine actually spending my own money on going there. I would much, much rather go to a youth hostel for the same/fewer nights, and in fact that's what we did last year - huge success. I think the image of Centerparcs - Tropical Paradise! Fun Fun Fun! - is at odds with the deeply humdrum reality and you are set up for disappointment, whereas the very WORDS youth hostel suggest intense discomfort and so the reality is a pleasant surprise.

[ponders dissertation on Planned Disappointment in British Culture]

Nope - I neeed one a couple of weeks ago and they don't have one in the discounts section at the moment - very annoying!
You oculd just google center parcs voucher codes though - you might find some.

Elvendon's the best of the four :-)

Been there twice now, it's quite big but had no real trouble navigating as al signposted fairly well, and if all else fails follow the signs back to the centre and then follow signs down to your area.

We just got back from Longleat, we expected terrible weather and so booked lots of indoor activites and made sure we got a spot near the plaza, just as well as it isnt as big or flat as elvendon and not so good for cycling.

Will definitely return to elvendon year on year...

If you can bring yourself to go back there, go in the summer..

Our fave time is autumn winter - much quieter and more room and more relaxing everywhere but yes, in summer, nice not to worry about having cold, damp hair. At least at Longleat, you can grab the land train back to your villa if it's hoying down.

did not like the feeling of being locked up and all the extras
went to forest holidays at half term kids and husband loved it kelida yorkshire, just great outdoors booked via www.michaelpaulholidays.co.uk this site has quality privately owned lodge and caravan parks in the uk all hand picked

liz01246: We had a week with Forest Holidays at Keldy and really enjoyed it. Actually prefer that environment to Center Parcs