We visited Center Parcs Winter Wonderland Sherwood Forest in Early December during the Christmas period and were pleasantly surprised. We visit Center Parcs resorts regularly, at least once per year, for a weekend break but we had never been at Christmas before.
Arrival and Lodgings
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with festive cheer. The trees along the entrance are beautifully wrapped with twinkling Christmas lights, setting the tone for a festive holiday. The queue to get in was no longer than 10 minutes. We parked our electric vehicle in one of the prebooked charging bays, which, although convenient, was a bit of a pain to operate resulting in a call to Rolec (the charger manufacturer) to resolve the issue. We got there in the end though.
Our Executive 1 bedroom lodge was cozy, clean, private, and surrounded by wildlife. The lodge’s patio area provided a perfect spot to enjoy the company of squirrels, ducks, and geese. Unpacking and settling in was easy, and the lodge’s cozy log fire made for perfect movie nights after exploring the park.
Activities and Dining
The highlight of our days was the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. Contrary to some reviews I had read, we found the pool to be perfectly warm, which was pleasant given the frosty temperatures outside. With a variety of slides, a wave pool, rapids, both indoor and outdoor pools and a separate kids swimming pool, the swimming area catered to all ages. The rapids, although busy, were my favourite. The Canopy Café & Bar, offering simple pub style food was a great spot to refuel after a swim. Very tasty fast food.
Ten Pin Bowling in the evening was a fun, classic activity that added to our holiday enjoyment. It was a typical bowling experience, complete with a few drinks from the bar. The price was reasonable for an hour of fun.
One morning we started off with delightful a breakfast at the Pancake House, where the service was swift and friendly. The pancakes went down a treat. An accidental mix up turned out to be a happy accident. They brought out the wrong pancake and were apologetic and quickly brought out the correct pancake, allowing us to keep both. Turns out the incorrect pancake was the favourite!
The electric boating activity near the Pancake House was a highlight. My favourite activity. For £30 you get a 30 minute session which is fantastic value, in my opinion, and a memorable part of our trip.
Winter Wonderland Experience
The whole resort felt festive. There were lights, interactive decorations and constant reminders of the Christmas season throughout the resort. The Winter Wonderland area was a magical Christmas experience. The abundance of festive lights and interactive displays for children created an enchanting environment. The light show area was very cool. We enjoyed a meal from a German-style Christmas food cart, which served tasty bratwurst rolls and a selection of hot drinks and mulled wine at reasonable prices.
Service and Overall Impression
One minor hiccup occurred with our lodge’s heating system on a frosty morning but the response from technical services was impressive. We made a call to technical services and a friendly technician arrived within 10 minutes and resolved the issue swiftly. Great service.
In conclusion, Center Parcs Sherwood Forest’s Winter Wonderland is an ideal holiday destination for couples and families alike. It’s a dream land for kids. They’ll remember this holiday for years to come. While some activities can be pricey, some are are reasonably priced, in my opinion, for example, the bowling, electric boating and mini golf. There is so much to do, you really don’t need to do lots of activities to have a great time. The overall experience offers good value, with a blend of nature, festive cheer, and a range of activities. We left with fond memories and are already looking forward to returning next Christmas.
Tips for Center Parcs Winter Wonderland
- Be sure to pack lots of warm clothes, it was very cold in Sherwood Forest in December. Frost was on the ground all day for a majority of the time.
- Bring your own logs. If you want to use the log fire during the evening, you can pick up smokeless logs in your local supermarket or hardware store for a third of the price of the ones in the Parc Market.
- Bring some food with you if you want to feed the wildlife. We brought a few packs of mixed chopped nuts from Tesco which the ducks, geese, swans and squirrels all enjoyed very much.
