‘Here’s how the week went… stupidly we booked a lot of things to do’: Holidaymaker’s hilarious and honest Center Parcs review goes viral

“Here’s how the week went down.”

So begins a vacationer’s hilarious and “honest” video review of a family stay at Center Parcs, which has gone viral on his Instagram account (@alexdodman), with more than 114,000 likes and more than 7,700 comments.

In the clip, Alex Dodman dryly lays out the cost of all the activities he paid for and what he thinks about them in terms of value for money.

And it’s not good news for Center Parcs, with Alex adding before revealing all: “Stupidly, we’ve booked a lot of things to do.”

Alex, from Saffron Walden, Essex, visited the Woburn Forest Resort in Bedfordshire with her partner and two children last month. He begins his review by showing the Center Parcs website’s “fantastic date selector tool.”

He states: “You can understand the children’s school holidays when the price goes up by a thousand dollars. So you know it’s time to book that magical family trip.

He then checks into his “ridiculously overpriced shed”, before listing the multitude of activities the family experiences.

The first was karting.

In the video, Alex reveals a “small concrete track” and go-karts that require “using your own energy.”

He sarcastically remarks: “For four of us, for 20 minutes, it only cost £41. »

Next on the list was soccer billiards.

Revealing a giant pool table on the floor with soccer balls on it, Alex says, “Yeah, don’t bother with the kids.” (It was) £14.50 for half an hour.

Reviewing the next set of activities, Alex says: ‘Kids’ Cupcake Decorating, £27 for two children for 45 minutes. Shit.

“Kids’ mini jet skis, £25 for two for a whole nine minutes at 9.30am. Shit.’

Then, a ray of sunshine. He describes Center Parcs’ interactive squash, which costs £18 for 45 minutes, as “really decent” and says it “annoys the kids”.

The next montage is a game of badminton, for which he paid £18 for 45 minutes. Alex says it’s “not bad, just find a good partner.”

But then more disappointments. His images reveal a room full of interactive lights and a giant toy owl, which turns out to be the station’s “Winter Quest” activity.

The verdict? “(I paid) £49 for 20 minutes. I repeat, £49. Absolutely shit,” says Alex.

He was also disappointed with the resort’s mini jeeps. For his two children to drive the 4×4 for 20 minutes, he says it costs £49. Defeated, he said, “I don’t even know where to start.

Alex then moves on to the Center Parcs pottery painting studio, which he says “is ahead of the pack”.

He says: “This has got to be the biggest extortion racket in British history – £18 to book for three, you’d think: ‘Yeah, not bad.’ But that’s just to get in.

“Now that they have you, you’re inside. The children are buzzing. Time to buy some mass-produced crap to paint.

“One cup, one train, one pot later, and I’m 76 pounds lighter.”

The total cost of the activities mentioned in Alex’s review is £335.50.

And “that’s not even half,” he said.

Filming the resort’s supermarket and revealing a £3.60 jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce, Alex says: “The food prices are reasonable.” He also claims there is a “dry robe pandemic”, as he films a stranger wearing a dressing gown in a cafe at the resort.

Summing up his week-long stay, he says: “Unless you can get your kids to swim and cycle aimlessly for the whole week. You’re a fucking piece of shit.’

Her video received mixed reactions when it was posted on social media. Some Instagram users were quick to agree with Alex, with one describing Center Parcs as ‘daylight robbery’ and another wondering ‘why do people do so much’? .

User “Azizaramjane” commented: “Finally, someone said it! At that rate, you could just add a few thousand and opt for an all-inclusive package at a 5-star resort with guaranteed sun.

However, others jumped to defend Center Parcs. User ‘mikedinni’ wrote: ‘Tthank you for this review. The more people who think it’s too expensive, the better. This makes it nice and quiet for me. It’s £420 for five days in March.

User ‘raddygriffinwood’ added: “Or just cycle and use the pool for free.” Share a lodge with your extended family and it’s much cheaper. No one is forcing you to book a multitude of activities.

Center Parcs commented: “Each year, Center Parcs welcomes over 2.2 million visitors, meaning we are almost fully booked every day of the year. We strive to provide a high quality family short break and reinvest millions of pounds each year to maintain the high standards our guests expect and value – over 60% of those who visit undertake a another reservation with us. ‘