Haven holiday park TIPS! (Burnham on sea) please!

superflygal

Hi folks,

We are off to Haven Burnham-On-Sea in March for our little 3yo girl's birthday.

Need to keep costs as low as possible. Wondered if anyone can offer tips?? For example, what are the best free activities? Is there anything we should definitely make time to do/see?

Also, I have read that the club is always chockablock. Any tips?? Has anyone has bags searched on entry to club? Was thinking of taking in pop and crisps for kids to keep costs down. Our kids love the evening 'nightclub' entertainment most of all, and I would prioritise it.

Also, do you need to keep entertainment passes with you all the time? Are they paper wristbands? Do you need to wear them? We booked direct so have them for free.

We have already planned to take 3 frozen dishes with us of homemade food for after the club, to microwave and pasta/rice to accompany, so no nasty restaurant/takeaway bills to worry about (a tip I did find on here!).

Would be so grateful for any Haven experts to advise us! We haven't stayed at a Haven before.

Very excited though!!

SFG x

artichoke

HI

I have never been to Burnham on Sea as i think it is a site that does not take dogs but i have been to many other and always do them as cheapily as possible.

Food:

The caravans are well equipt and i cook all meals in the van, we take breakfast cereal and bacon, eggs etc, we usually buy fresh bread from the onsite shop ie french sticks and make a sandwich for lunch and then have a frozen home made ready meal or a treat of a shop bought ready meal for tea eg pizza or lasagne or curry.

Activities:

Swimming is free and my kids spend a few hours a day in the pool.
Most Haven sites also have a good outdoor adventure playground.

there are also daytime activities that are free such as kids craft activities and sports activities - we have never done them as mine would rather get to the pool at 9 and stay in until lunch time..and have been known to go back to the pool after lunch as well. All sites have a few hours with the big inflatable run in the pool - but kids have to be able to swim 25 metres.

We usually do a few paid activities as well such as adventure golf and the kids do aqua jets which they love..

Entertainment:

The kids shows usually start early - about 6 or 6.30 and in peak season you need to get in then to get a seat but it might not be too bad in March. We tend to get in early to get a seat near the front so we can keep an eye on the kids dancing. The kids shows end at about 8ish and so often families leave then and others can get a seat.

We have always taken drinks into the showbar - my kids drink milk and so i have filled up their school drinks bottles with milk and taken them in my handbag. I have been known to also fill one up with wine and then buy a glass of wine from the bar and top up. DH drinks pints from the bar and so they get money from us that way. We are discreet and have never had a problem.

the first year we went i bought all the character soft toys from ebay for 99p each and we take those with us each year...

The entertainment passes have always been credit card size passes that you show on entry into the Entertainment complex. You do usually have to show them after 6pm when the entertainment begins.


When going out of season we have always taken extra blankets or hot water bottles as it can be cold i know others take electric fan heaters.

hope that helps a bit

Art

bluebluecow

hi although not the same site your going to, we did blue dolphin lots last year.

Look on ebay for cheap pin badges, although they are for sale at £1.50 on site so make it sure they are cheaper then that, mine love swaping pins. On the pin swap night they sell a lanyard and 3 badges for £5, so not a bad deal.

Get to the eve ent early, in the june half term break last year we had to be there by 5.30 at the latest (doors open at 6)to get a seat, usually me or dh would go and queue and grab a table and the other one would take the kids down later.

For drinks and snacks, dont make it obvious, at bluedolphin the pool is next to the eve ent bar, so I took a tescos bag for life down, with drinks and snacks in bottom, then put a towel or 2 on top so looked like we where going swimming, once in the bar then most people pull out drinks for kids from bags lol.

Watch out for balloons, they are normal air filled ones, they dot tell you the price, gave one to my daughter (4 at the time) and then charged me a £1.

We also found that slush drinks where cheaper at the fish and chip takeaway in the complex then the bar, so we got them from there lol.

superflygal

Hi folks!

Hey some brilliant tips there! I never realised about character toys Art! My DD and DS would definitely want souvenirs! Great plan for wine in bottle! Hehe. Last time we went to a holiday park the beer was £5 a pint! At least that would take the sting out of it! So if I sent DH and my Dad to bar at 5.30pm, that would secure us a table? Great plan. They would love that too, as it would get them out of kid duty!!!!

Bluebluecow, the swimming bag is a stroke of genius! Do you know what brand of drinks they sell in the bar? I normally get some fruit shoots (well 2, then refill with squash! Our kids never realise! I just make it a bit stronger than normal.=) and what brand of crisps?

That is a disgraceful scam with the balloon!! How difficult for you. As if you could refuse the £1 when your DD is thrilled with being given it. Reminds me of those single red roses they always sold in bars!

Art, i'll check out Ebay now!

Thanks again!
SFG x

superflygal

Back again!

Bradley toy with P&P is £3.99 cheapest. Is that a good price??

SFG x

artichoke

hi

re the balloon scam - i went on 4 different Haven holidays last year and never saw the balloon scam - my kids were 5 and 6 last year - so at the age they would take one but the Funstars never tried to give or make them buy anything, In previous years at different Havens i have seen the pin badge thing, when they try and sell them pin badges etc, and also the "the show is ended for now so tell you mums and dads to buy you sweets and drinks in the break" but last year nothing like that. Both of these happened at Golden Sands, Mabblethorpe.

I thought maybe people had complained and they had changed their policy but maybe it depends on which site it is??


One more tip - i think Greedys Party in the Dark might run again this season so in that case stock up on flourescent and flashing things before you go.... although some things are not too bad at the shop in the bar. We bought finger lights for a £1 each at the beginning of the season and took them back for each holiday. The strap broke when my DS was dancing in Oct half term and a funstar picked it up and swapped it for a non-broken one. I did not dare tell them we had bought it 6 months ago.

Also Polly's fancy dress party - if that is on again it is worth taking a kids fancy dress costume from home with you so you don't have to create / buy one on holiday.

Perhaps if the people going to Haven in March let us know what the kids shows are this year we can be prepared and buy the accessories before we go.

Art

vax2002

The tip about the fan heater is a 100% gem.
They may charge for gas on a bottle basis.
If electric is included, use the fan heater, you will need it.

superflygal

Hey thanks folks!

I have just checked though, and they DO include gas and Elec so whew! We have got heaters in the bedrooms, so I will leave them on permanently I think! Last time we caravanned was in May, and is was still very nippy!

Art, thanks for the glow in dark tips! I will pop to poundland for glowsticks! That is so sneaky using pester power! I might take a pack of balloons with me! haha. Gosh. I'll make sure we take plenty of crisps and sweets too! I will report back when we return and let everyone know what kids entertainment is. Forewarned is forarmed after all!!!!!

SFG x