Butlins
Okay so it’s not the most glamorous but there’s no denying this is a fantastic family fun getaway and requires very little in the way of planning.
We have visited both the Bognor and Minehead resorts. Both offer lots of entertainment and activities for kids but my personal favourite is Bognor and with the regeneration which has been going on both on and off the resort more recently, I look forward to holidaying there soon.
Check In
When you check in at the resort you will be given a map of the resort, information on where your accommodation is and the what’s on guide for the week.
Check in is usually fairly well organised with check in queues organised by surname (of the lead booker).
There is usually a drop-off point right by reception but this is not where you will be parked for the duration of your holiday. At check-in you will be directed to the car park nearest your accommodation as you don’t generally take your car into the resort.
Leisure and Activities
The swimming pool and fairground are big hits with families with children of all ages.
Fairground
Rides at the funfair are free and quite often you won’t even need to queue (or if you do then it’s not normally for long).
Most of the rides I would describe as gentle but there are a few moderately scary rides (I wouldn’t go on them but my 6 year old nephew would). There are height restrictions but we have been going since my daughter was about 80cms and there was always something she could go on. Children over 1m can go on most rides.
For younger children and toddlers there is an indoor fairground and soft play centre. The rides in the indoor fairground are best suited to toddlers/young children but they must be able to sit unaided as adults are not permitted to ride these rides.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pools contain wave machines, flumes and splash pools suitable for toddlers. Bognor have recently built a new pool so I’m excited to try it out on our next break (June 2019)..
Opening times for both the fairground and pool are published in the Butlins whats on guide.
Guests staying at the hotels often benefit from extra opening times for using the pool so can use the pool when it’s quieter. There are also scheduled quiet times for toddlers to use the pool when some of the big/loud attractions are switched off, so plan to go during this time if you have a young baby/toddler who is unsettled by loud noises.
Bike hire
In my opinion a break to Butlins wouldn’t be complete without hiring out a “ChuckleVision bike”. There are a range of different bikes you can hire if you want to cycle around the resort. Prices depend on what style of bike you want to rent. Of course if you’re used to holidaying at Centre Parcs you might feel a bit let down as the resorts aren’t that big and you don’t really get to see much but it’s still good fun.
Other activities
Scheduled throughout the week are a range of different activities – football, painting, singing, dancing, archery to name but a-few. Most of these are free but subject to age restrictions.
The times and locations of organised activities change according to the type of break you’re on but most activities are free and it is clearly marked out when there is a charge for activities.
Showtime
In the guide will also be the show times and venues. Again, these vary by the type of break you have booked.
The majority of shows are hosted by the Redcoats and often feature Billy and Bonnie Bear (Butlins mascots) and the Skyline Gang (the Butlins very own version of Lazy Town). They also have regular TV character shows scheduled such as Teletubbies, Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina. One of the most memorable moments for us as a family was (don’t judge me) watching our little one reduced to tears as the Teletubbies “wave bye-bye” when she was 1 and a half. That really brought it home to me just how much she was enjoying everything Butlins had to offer her.
There are often special guest appearances which include well-known children’s entertainers. These guests will be well advertised ahead of time and you may be given tickets to attend these shows. Tickets are free and allocated to you at check-in, you will need this ticket with you in order to access the show at the allotted time.
It is unreserved seating in the show lounge so you need to get in the queue early to get the best seats. If you upgrade to a B-line pass at either booking or during your stay you will get priority entry to such events.
Food and Drink
Each resort has their own restaurants (some restaurants are common across the resorts) but they usually consist of buffet-style restaurants for guests on the Food Court Dining Plans, Dine-In restaurants for guests on the Premium dining plans, Hotel restaurants for guests using the hotels and premium restaurants which are a la carte.
A personal recommendation for eating out is the Fish and Chip shop at Bognor and Minehead, the food is delicious and at both resorts the staff have been fantastic at accommodating our daughter who has an egg allergy.
We have also eaten at the 50’s diner at Bognor which we have mixed reviews about (starters were generally very good but mains weren’t great) and the pizza buffet restaurant which was fine but almost identical to a Pizza Hut buffet.
Depending on your accommodation type you may also have a kitchenette/full kitchen. We personally always opt for accommodation with a kitchen and put in a click-and-collect shopping order which we pick up en-route. This saves us time shopping when we arrive and means we save money on dining plans/eating out. There is a big Sainsbury’s near to the Bognor resort which we tend to use. We had to go a bit farther out of our way to find a click and collect supermarket at Minehead but providing you have a car it’s still worth it as saves you doing a weekly food-shop during your holiday.
Which resort is best?
It depends what you would define as best. If you plan to spend time outside of the resort then I would say Minehead as the town is much nicer.
If you plan to spend most of your time on the resort with the occasional beach day then I’d choose Bognor as the facilities are in better condition and everything feels newer. The town of Bognor itself does seem to be getting a bit of a make over and the beach area is actually really nice now with excellent playing facilities.
The entertainment at both venues is equally as good. If you want to go to one of the themed weeks or for a particular show then of course you may need to make your decision based on the dates they are available at each of the resorts.
Bognor and Minehead aren’t the only resorts but we haven’t been to Skegness so I can’t really compare it. If you have and want to share your 2-cents worth then please feel free to comment!
