Center Parcs, where special memories are made
Imagine having all your childhood holidays since 1997 at Center Parcs - then later being proposed to and finding out you’re pregnant there too! All of these special memories are from our amazing guest Aimee, who told us about her Center Parcs visits over the years and shared her hints and tips for a short break with a baby.
Looking back at old memories
Aimee’s first break to Center Parcs was in 1995 when her mum was pregnant with her. Two years later, they came back for another family break in 1997 - and have returned at least once a year ever since.
“Here’s a photo of me and my brother in one of the cycle attachments - they were so much fun! We’ve been at least once a year since and so many special memories have happened there!”
Fast forward to Aimee’s 21st birthday, where she and her partner Chris celebrated on a Center Parcs break at Woburn Forest, with a surprise visit from her mum and dad. Her 21st birthday break was jam-packed with Pottery Painting, the Aerial Adventure, a Pedalo on the lake and a meal at Rajinda Pradesh. Aimee woke up in the morning of her 21st birthday with the fireplace in her cosy lodge filled with presents, and the last present she opened was…a ring! Aimee and her new fiancé celebrated at Las Iguanas and enjoyed a woodland walk around the lake.
“I felt so happy with where we were and how he proposed. We got up in the morning in our lodge, just us two… it was perfect.”
When two became three
In June 2021, Aimee and her partner visited Woburn Forest for a short break. They had a meal in Las Iguanas, where they celebrated their engagement. The next day Aimee took a pregnancy test - and it was positive! They celebrated with a meal at Rajinda Pradesh and took a photo of the test with the trees outside their lodge so they could always remember where they found out that she was pregnant with their baby Wilf.
“I had taken a test with me as I had a weird feeling! And there he was! I couldn’t believe I found out in our special place!”
Aimee’s first visit back to Center Parcs after giving birth to Wilf was at Woburn Forest when he was 3 months old. As well as being the village that holds so many special memories for her, she chose Woburn Forest because it’s perfect for a short break with a baby:
“We decided to return to Woburn with Wilf as Woburn is so nice and compact that you don’t have to go far for any activities - everything is close together. We also felt that Woburn is extremely pram friendly, the Sports Café is so spacious and laid out so you can slot in anywhere with a pram!”
They recreated the picture of the pregnancy test, but this time with Wilf, in their special place in the exact same lodge …
Their most recent break was this year, when Wilf was 6 months old - this time in a Treehouse at Elveden Forest. They took Wilf swimming and on the Lazy River – he loved bobbing on the water! During a family trip to Pottery Painting, they created a photo frame with Wilf’s footprint and finished their break with dinner at Las Iguanas, where Wilf was in awe of the robot servers.
“He sat in a high chair for the first time as they were available everywhere we went - he loved being part of the table! Also while we were there his first teeth came through so that’s another milestone for Wilf at Center Parcs.😊”
We asked Aimee for her top hints and tips for a short break with a baby at Center Parcs:
- Plan one activity a day and go with the flow, you don’t want to be overrun with timings and if the weather is nice you’re free to choose what to do, like take a boat out on the lake!
- Take advantage of the wonderful crèche and visit Aqua Sana Spa
- Everywhere has amazing baby change facilities which made it stress-free!
- Check out the Activity Den activities, there are so many things we didn’t know about, like Wizard Academy and Chocolate Chefs Academy
- Swimming is free and unlimited and there’s so much to do in the pool, splash about and watch your little one gain confidence in the water
- Pottery Painting is a must, we created a baby footprint photo frame to capture some special memories
- The lodge has a cot and highchair – so you can save your packing space in your car
- Take a play mat for the floor for your little one to roll around on. In the Treehouse there was a cushioned reading nook which became Wilf’s corner
- You can buy baby floats in the shop beforehand and can get them blown up in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise – you don’t need to blow them up beforehand
- Allow extra time for everything, babies decide when they want to do things
Extra top tip: Don’t be scared to take children/babies anywhere, staff are so welcoming and accommodating!
“We are so grateful for the memories, thank you”
