Is thinking of Centre Parks for a week this year at some point with the good lady and an 11 and 8 year old. Has anyone been and was it good/Bad.
Cheers in advance.

Have been for 3 day break, enjoyed it, but pretty expensive.
Longleat one also has Longleat nearby for a great day out.
Thinking of going back at some point, prob as 3 or 4 day break though.

Brilliant fun.

Hire the onsite crap bikes, don’t take your nice bikes unless you are going off piste.

it’s brilliant, a little expensive but woeth every penny. I have been to Thetford, Penrith and Sherwood and they are all great.

We normally go a couple of times a year with family/friends. My kids are three and five and love it.
However a couple of caveats – we go outside school holidays because the costs are high otherwise and we’ve only ever visited Whinfell so I can’t comment on the other three.
If you hold on for a couple of minutes there will be a whole load of posts telling you how you can go abroad for the same price and that your bike will be nicked… 🙂

Is it not just a posh Butlins ?

go to the dutch ones higher spec and cheaper..

Been to Penrith (windfell forest) and longleat. Both brill. Lots to do there and my two would spend all day on the slides in the pool anyway! Second hire bikes though really not worth bringing your “proper” bikes.

agree, 3-4 days is enough for us too

Been to all of them over the years, as the fishing is very good at Sherwood & the swimming complex and sports centre are close together, that is the one we will be doing this year again.

Longleats is hilly (amazing Redwoods) and there is a bit of a walk from the pool to sports complex, zoo is across the road.

Whinfell, great swimming complex and good for spotting wildlife red squirrels & the Lakes are not far away for a day out.

Elvedon, was fine, but the above would be in the order we would pick.

Liftman – Member

Is it not just a posh Butlins ?

Yes, Butlins for the middle classes & yes we do Butlins too 😉

Got a slightly discounted bungalow/challet thingy just before christmas. Great fun, but be prepared to pay a bit for the badminton/table tennis/snooker etc. Would definitely go back.

Liftman – Member
Is it not just a posh Butlins ?

Yes, and that’s meant as a good thing.
Some of my best holiday memories from childhood are from Butlins, I can see how kids would love Centre Parks the same way.
More forest focused than beach focused is the biggest difference though.

Winfells great in the higher spec accommodation and if you do take your own bike Whinlatter is only half an hours drive (well worth the effort)and the pool complex is the place to be.

Facilities are great,

Pool is over crowded as it’s the only thing thats free

oh and the place is full of ****

not a patch on butlins

Been to Whinlatter the last 3yrs before Xmas for the santa experience. With 5 grand kids ranging from 4mths to 14yr old there is something for everyone. Booking again for 2012.
Yes it can be/is expensive but for us and many others it is a good way for the “extended family” to get together and have some fun/quality time together. The kids get so much out of it therefore we as grand parents do so as well 😆
My daughter still has some good memories of Butlins @ Ayr with her mum and gran but prefers CP for her kids.
We have been to Elvedon and Sherwood many yrs ago with our own kids and preferred Elvedon (pre fire)

Just back from Whinfell last week, second time there with the extended family and loved it both times, wish my folks had taken me to something like that when I was young. Outside of School holidays a lot cheaper and quieter but unlikely given the kids ages you mentioned, try to get something above comfort plus, then you get maid service and wifi. Took our own bikes but probably cost as much in extra fuel from Sussex as renting them there would have been.

Overall I’d definitely go back

I hate the place. Overpriced and mediocre… made me feel like a captive waiting for my wallet to be milked at every turn.

If you go to elveden check out this field archery place nearby…pretty much the highlight of our trip there.

The bigger the group you go with the more fun it is, two or three families together works well. Yes the restaurants are expensive but the chalets have everything you need to self cater if you are inclined.

The bigger the group you go with the more fun it is,

Agreed.

We went to Whinfell last year with the in-laws (six adults and three young children in total). We all shared the same (big) chalet/house and took turns cooking in the evening.

Enjoyed it so much that we all booked to go again this year as soon as we came home.

Having said that, my mate went and he hated it 😯

Differences seems to be: he went at peak time and everything was mobbed — we went when it was a bit quieter and got onto any activity we wanted without any problem. He got pumped in the restaurants for dinner — we stayed in with bottles of wine. He said his chalet was basic — we had more folk so we sprung for one of the big ones.

I went to the one in the lakes for a long weekend and utterly hated it.

Plus points: Good pool, car free environment, lots of birds and rabbits all over the place.

Bad points: Trapped in a holiday camp. Expensive and poor quality food. Biking is rubbish, I took mine and the only tracks are between ‘attractions’. Activities are average and expensive.

It seems to me like a very expensive and commercialised way to have an packaged ‘outdoor’ weekend for people who don’t really know how to have an ‘outdoor’ weekend. The best part of our stay was a picnic on the shores of Ullswater on the way home. My advice is to just book a cottage/log cabin somewhere with some mates and have some control over the situation.

used to go to Whinfell for 4 nights every year and liked it. Priced it the other day for first week of our summer hols and it was looking at £900 plus on accommodation for the 4 nights, so went for a place in Northumberland for a week for £750..

As above posts – lots to do, great for kids, accommodation pretty poor unless you go for the luxury lodges, which are premium price, restaurants poor and expensive.

an packaged ‘outdoor’ weekend for people who don’t really know how to have an ‘outdoor’ weekend.

Excuse me while I go construct a luxury cabin, swimming pool, boating lake, archery range, assault course and climbing wall in the woods. Oh, and catch some African Eagle Owl chicks for my daughter to meet. 😀

We do lots of outdoor stuff – but sometimes it’s more of a holiday if it’s all laid on and on your doorstep, n’est-ce pas?

I looked at booking for a week in the summer holidays (my wife is a teacher) and i was shocked at the price they wanted. I believe there are good midweek deals to be had outside of the holidays though

If it helps we went Monday to Friday (30th May till 3rd June) and split a chalet between us. Prices didn’t seem that bad per head.

Used to work there, stayed at a couple, basically as others have said many people love em. I would add that if you do stay in summer book things beforehand, they tend to sell out.

I did see the woburn one is signposted, dunno when it opens though.

Regarding Prices: Just had a look on their website, for the same week we took last year it is £499.

That’s for 6 adults and 3 kids (one under 2) staying Mon-Fri at the start of June in the “Woodland Lodge Accommodation” (which is nice).

That doesn’t seem like a bad price to me at all. YMMV.

Just been looking this morning for ideas during easter and girlfriend suggested Center Parcs. 2 adults plus a 11 month old, 3 yr old and 6 yr old for 4 nights at Whinfell. £759 😯

The wallet does take some damage when you’re there though, wouldn’t you say GrahamS? It seems like you’re constantly dishing out tenners for every single activity bar the pool.
This might be more psychological in fairness, in that you’re in the one place so notice the cost of things more than if you were going to different places over a weekend.

That said, I liked the one near Penrith when I was there. Only negative I remember was the restaurant and bar being very average. Kids really loved it (much younger sister and her mates). If it sounds affordable to you, factoring in the cost of activities, then I’d say it’s a good bet for a family break.

The wallet does take some damage when you’re there though, wouldn’t you say GrahamS?

Definitely!

But I think you just have to be sensible about it. We brought all our own food and booze and did breakfast and dinner ourselves at the lodge. That helped a lot I think and made it a nicer family holiday.

The activities can nip a bit, but I don’t think they are that outrageous compared to prices for the same thing outside the camp. We found we only needed a couple of activities to really make the holiday for the kids – the rest of the time they were very happy in the pool, playing together or chasing squirrels.

Edit: chorlton: yeah Easter week will kill you obviously! Same lodge at the end of March is £299!

Garry_Lager – Member

The wallet does take some damage when you’re there though, wouldn’t you say GrahamS? It seems like you’re constantly dishing out tenners for every single activity bar the pool.
This might be more psychological in fairness, in that you’re in the one place so notice the cost of things more than if you were going to different places over a weekend.
With 1 4mth old, 1 14mth old, 2x 6yr olds and a 14yr old to cater for + 6 adults we find it is a good break for everyone. Not many guaranteed activities available end Dec. Or is there?
If you do travel to different places for activities then it also costs for fuel etc. When we were in the Lakes over the summer we found that most places only cater for over 8s or 10s 🙄 Grandson is quite small for his age which can also be an issue even though he is extremely adventurous
Try booking for next Dec/Xmas period 😯
Daughter is a teacher. Daughter-in-law is a nurse and struggles with her work rota(small team)to get holidays when kids are off.
We have looked at cottages but they tend to be much the same price when you factor in all the travelling and looking around for stuff to do ie pay to go swimming

Just been looking this morning for ideas during easter and girlfriend suggested Center Parcs. 2 adults plus a 11 month old, 3 yr old and 6 yr old for 4 nights at Whinfell. £759

I just booked Easter weekend for 3 nights, half board, 1 adult, 3 kids for £280 – at Butlins

Might not be everyones cup of tea, but kids love it.

Been 3 times now & found it to be as expensive as you want it to be.
Kids spend long time in the pool complex (which is included in price) they feel safer riding there bikes in car free environment.
Some of the activities are pretty costly but others are not, pre book em as well.
Eating out is not cheap or particularly of high quality we tend to eat in & save our hard earned for some of the activities.
Not been for a week, could be too long as the kids get burned out after 3 days.