Without wishing to start a debate on the current high-profile case, I have to say I had no idea that holiday resorts provided such comprehensive child care facilities.  I always remember family holidays as a time for the whole family to spend time together, enjoying each other's company and having loads of fun :-D
 
Taking your children on a family break and then putting them in creche or nursery every day is a completely alien concept to me :rolleyes: but I'd be interested to hear other people's views :)

> Taking your children on a family break and then putting them in creche or nursery every day is a completely alien concept to me

And to me :) :) I've only been on one package holiday (three years ago when my children were grown-up) - can't see me ever going on another anyway - I hate being 'packaged' - so I have never used such child-minding facilities. We have taken our children camping in France, on narrowboats etc etc it gives them such different experiences AND the parents :D :D Surely, as a lot of these children are probably used to going into creches, day-nurseries at home, they need to spend time with their parents rather than be farmed off onto strangers :( :(

Daisy

As a holiday is meant to be a change from routine, a creche in Sardinia or Spain or Portugal or Greece is no different to a creche-using child's normal life - therefore not a holiday. So why take them?

I am the same the thought of going on a package holiday with children send chills down my spine :D

I think a lot of parents see these facilities as enabling them to have a holiday (from their children) :( :( It's sad :( Yes - there were times when I wished to go home when the children weren't being their normal angelic selves :D :D BUT, they are only children for such a short time. Perhaps people shouldn't have children if they aren't prepared to spend time with them :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Daisy

Perhaps people shouldn't have children if they aren't prepared to spend time with them

I SO agree, Daisy :)

Why not let the children have a holiday at their grandparents' home and only the parents go abroad? The parents have a break and so do the children.

Yes we have the odd weekend away where Dingo goes to Nana and Grandpops but apart from that we always go self catering in cottages near the coast so all of us including the dogs have fun ;)

Just because you actually go on a package holiday doesn't mean you have a " package Holiday"

We go away all the time more so lately twice a year and we have done every year with my daughter who is now 17. Never used any child care facilities ever and never would BUT we use the package holiday deal just to get us there and then we have "our" own holiday doing the things we like to do. We never go to meet and greets or have anything to do with the hoilday reps except to get us there.

The reason is 1st and foremost they are hard to beat in price..

I am not a sun worshiper by any means ( I;m a sun block kid ;-) )  but I am busy busy working mum so I love to get away from everything including the house so that I can only holiday :-)    Kids love the swimming pools in the warmth at hotels. It is one thing I miss living in the UK that I grew up with in Canada.

You could package me off to Disney every year if you like :-D

> You could package me off to Disney every year if you like

:D No, no - never, ever been to Disney nor ever want to :D :D :D Holiday from Hell for me :D :D :D

I've heard from a lot of people that it can be a lot cheaper making your own arrangements than going via a tour operator, particularly since cheap flights and hotels can be booked on the internet. I've not tried it, so only rumour :D :D :D

Daisy

Honestly Daisy.:-D  We used the be the same about Disney, My husband thought it was the last place on earth he wanted to go. I had to drag him , I mean drag him.  He loved it.   It is so so different to what people expect honestly. I can explain 100% why but it's the truth.   I am sure someone will say they hated it but most I know  have loved it.  We always get a lovely villa when we are there to..

Hubby is 50 this year and I asked him where he wants to go so we can over the birthday period , he wants to go to Florida or India :-D  I know what you are going to say..

We have also done the booking everything different and overall all the holidays the only one we have been cheaper doing it with is Florida. All the other holidays people like Direct Holiday could not be beaten.   Counting on my fingers over 15 years,    22 holidays.  I think we have booked about 6 of them seperately. :-)

I'm with Blue Daisy, I don't know anyone who has actually been to Disneyland that didn't absolutely love it. It's not just for kids either, my ex and I went quite a few times. I would hate your standard tacky spanish holiday, I'd much rather get away from the tourist places and see the real country so I was surprised to love Disney so much. Just to walk about appreciating the beauty of it all, the cleverness of the designs and architecture. Everything is perfect, fabulous landscaping etc. I don't like rollercoasters and similar scary rides, but loved the theatre shows and the 'tamer' rides. They also have gymnastic displays - by world class gymnasts, in disney dress. Wonderful street performances and displays. Disney floridas Animal Kingdom is superb, our safari parks could learn a great deal by the way they display animals so fences are all hidden. It appears to be such a natural landscape, and actually looks like lions, antelopes, elephants etc are all sharing the same plains :)

Oh I could go on for ever and ever, but dogs need walked - anyone who thinks they won't like Disney really should go, just get a day pass - you'll be back for more :D

No - I'd hate it :) :) I don't like crowds and tacky ness :) Hate rides. I like quiet countryside and seeing unspolit villages and towns. If I won a trip to Disney, I wouldn't go - not even if I was paid to :D :D :D

Daisy

Not a bit of tackyness it sight. That is where people go wrong they think it is a big fair ground park and it isn't at all.. 

I'd hate it too. I loathe people dressed up as cartoon characters - they terrified me as a child and I still avoid them whenever possible! There's no way I'd go to any of the Disney places. I also hate Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park etc - too many crowds, too much noise - no fun at all.

I've never taken my children to any theme park except a very small one in the Midlands somewhere. I'm afraid that I wouldn't waste my money on taking them to Disney :) Each to their own - I'm not half as bad as my OH who arranged to spend the one day of our honeymoon plumbing a toilet in for his parents :D :D :D Wouldn't catch him going anywhere near Disney :D :D :D He'd be quite happy staying at home and building a shed :D :D :D

Daisy

I loathe people dressed up as cartoon characters   You never see them except in th adverts :-)

Now cheesy is Alton towers etc but Disney is just nothing like these places. Honestly.  Not even a remote likeness.

I wouldn't sell anything to anyone but I can also bet a months wage both of you would like it .   It is so big that there is no such a thing as crowds.   It isn't noisy either because of the size of it. You can quite happily sunbathe if you wanted right on a beautiful park bench.

You both sound like my hubby never seen a man eat his words so quickly and he is 50 and grumpy :-D

You wouldn't get me in any UK theme park, hate them with a passion..

Disney is special and impossible to describe :-)

Exactly because we have nothing to compare it to people think it is like tacky Blackpool.  The beautiful boats that take you over, the beautiful landscaped parks   so very few " rollercoaster" rides.

It is the most welcoming and organised place on the planet. 

I have never ever in my life ever heard anyone come back and not having fallen in love with the place.  The size for us living on a postage stamp is to the beholder.

The seaworld and animal parks are just out of this world.

People would not spend that kind of money for a crappy fairground ride.  The problem is those who claim to dislike it so much have never seen or experienced it.

I am one of the most unsociable people on the planet and hate busy places and hotels.  Give me Disney every day. I would never get bored.

So educational also..

We loved it!!!!!!  My daugthers (not so much my son as he is only 3) absolutely love disney and the princessess especially so going to Disneyland Paris was a dream come true for them.  My husband who is the most rufty tufty guy going has talked non stop about it since we got back and that was in September . 

Yes we did the touristy thing by getting phots with some of the characters which the girls adored.  We watched the parade everyday for the whole 4 days we were there and the kids never tired of it.  If hubby and kids could go again tomorrow they would (not sure our bank would agree though ;)) 

LIke Blue said, it is a very organised place and not a drop of litter anywhere, the bins were never full as they were emptied so regularly so you didn't have to worry about wasps/insects or the smell (unlike here).  Everyone was so welcoming and the view from our hotel and the rides was breathtaking.  We didn't do some of the white knuckle rides but to us it wasn't what we were there for.  We went on many of the rides over and over again, especially the boat ones as it was so gentle and relaxing.  Even though we were exhausted every night and the children couldn't wait to get to bed, we couldn't wait to get out there again the next morning.

I did Disney in Paris last year and the year before with my daughter and I'm not sure who loved it more me and Oh or daughter!!! Like everyone has said until you have been it is imppossible to imagine what it is like. It was just fantastic and isn't 'just' for the kids as me and OH both said how nice it would be as a place to go for a weekend just us 2 at some point as well. I didn't find it tacky at all and I also hate busy places. I live in the countryside and hate having to venture into town!! Even the hotel was lovely and peaceful and like someone else has said everywhere was so clean.

If I'd had my way we'd have been going back this year but OH fancied a change so we're doing sunshine holiday this year and Disney again next year!! Unless I can scrape enough cash together to go for a long weekend this year as until September kids under 7 go free with it being their anniversary this year so will be loads cheaper!! As the adverts say it is magical!!:-D

I shall refrain from saying what I really want....

However on the few times my parents went on holiday they always took me and my brother along and spent time with us, a couple of times tey went away for weekends and left us with our grandparents.  (Now we are older they are going away and leaving us to look after the dogs!!!!!)

I can never understand those who want to go on a family holiday but leave the kids in the care of other people. 

However there must be a demand for it and this must be the way people holiday :)

When we went to Eurodisney in September, we had the chance to use the babysitting service  but we didn't.  Instead as soon as the children were in bed, we moved the chairs to sit near the bathroom/wardrobe (all 6 of us in one room but the beds were separated from the bathroom etc by a partition).  It wasn't ideal and not comfy but we had a couple of drinks and chocolate and just sat and talked til it was time for us to go to bed. 

We never entertained the idea of farming the children out as it was a family holiday and was determined it was going to stay like that!

Coincidence though but my parents have just mentioned that they want to have the children for a week or so in the summer holidays so we can go away ;).  Our first holiday together (apart from honeymoon 18 months after we got married ;)).  So excited.  And the kids love going to their grandmas and grandpas.  They get spoilt rotten with late nights, a HUGE garden to do what they want in and run complete circles around them!!!!  Now, we have just got to decide what we are going to do or where to go ...................... decisions, decisions :p :p

We went on a package holiday.........another thread Bulgaria........ another of the reasons that I hated it so much was the fact children of parents were crying wanting to go to bed and yet the parents were more interested in being 'at the bar'.
I swore never again.
Karen :rolleyes: