Centre Parcs can be more expensive than going to Disneyland, says travel expert

According to data from theme park experts at AttractionTickets.com, staying in popular UK destinations such as Centre Parcs could cost families up to £50 more than taking a holiday abroad to Disneyland Paris.

With travel, accommodation, and park tickets included, a trip to Paris could not only be cheaper but offer better value than a staycation at Centre Parcs during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Centre Parcs Costs Soar

Families seeking a UK-based holiday might turn to Centre Parcs for its convenience and range of family-friendly activities. However, according to publicly available data on their website, a 7-night stay at Centre Parcs during the upcoming half-term (October 26th - November 3rd, 2024) could set a family of four back between £1,300 and £1,900 for a standard 3-bedroom Woodland Lodge. For larger, more premium accommodations, such as their luxury Treehouse lodges, the cost jumps to between £3,700 and £4,500. This makes the average cost of Centre Parcs £2,850, And that’s just for accommodation.

Disneyland Paris Cheaper than You Think

In comparison, a holiday to Disneyland Paris could offer families substantial savings. According to publicly available data from AttractionTickets.com and various travel providers, a 7-night stay including travel, accommodation, and theme park tickets for a family of four starts at £2,800.While these prices vary depending on accommodation choices and travel, they still undercut Centre Parcs’ upper-end costs by a notable margin considering that this package also includes travel and tickets to both parks at Disneyland Paris.

Even a 10-day stay in Walt Disney World Florida, including tickets to all four theme parks and two water parks, could be 16% cheaper than the most expensive stays at Centre Parcs during this high-demand period, when considering the average cost of additional activities at Centre Parcs sitting at £1.5k.

The Hidden Costs of UK Breaks

Other popular UK family holiday providers are also charging hefty prices for October half-term stays:

Parkdean Holidays: A 7-night stay at a family caravan resort like Parkdean could range from £800 to £1,600, depending on location and accommodation type.

Butlin’s: Families can expect to pay around £1,200 to £2,000 for a 7-night stay during the half-term.

Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com, weighed in on the findings:

"While many parents assume staying in the UK is the cheaper option for a family holiday, our research shows that the cost of popular UK breaks during half-term can be as much as 40% higher than going to Disney. This is primarily due to high demand during school holidays and the premium pricing models many UK resorts operate during peak periods. As school children in different countries have different holidays, the prices aren’t always as high when going abroad for these popular UK periods."