Days out

Families staying in Center Parcs in the run-up to Christmas can book an “unforgettable” experience in the comfort of their own lodge, but the price tag has led to criticisms from fans of the holiday park

Center Parcs has always had a premium image, which comes with premium prices. However, fans of the lakeside holiday parks have taken to social media to complain about one of its new activities on offer for the festive season.

The Twilight Elf Visit is billed as “New and exclusive, an unforgettable Christmas experience awaits” on Center Parc’s website. It goes on to describe the experience: “As dusk begins to settle over the forest, gather in the comfort of your lodge for a surprise visit from two magical elves. Bringing an enchanting tale to tell, they’ll lead your family on a truly personal Christmas adventure filled with storytelling, festive surprises and magical moments.”

One Center Parcs guest, who was considering booking the experience, took to a Facebook page to question the price. They asked: “Has anyone seen on the website the new Twilight Elf visit to your lodge…. Surely no one is paying that sort of price £300+ for just one child!?!” She went on to post a screenshot of the prices she’d been quoted for the elf visit on Thursday, December 22. For one child, the activity costs £310, £360 for two, £410 for three, and £460 for four kids.

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When contacted about the cost of the activity, a spokesperson for Center Parcs said: “This is a private, personalised Christmas experience, with two elves visiting the family’s own lodge for 45 minutes. The visit brings a festive adventure into the place where families are spending their holiday together, with stories inspired by and tailored to the guests themselves and opportunities for children to become part of the magic.

“Throughout the experience, the elves reveal the special connection between the forest and the North Pole through storytelling, interactive moments and festive surprises. Children also create a Christmas wish to send to Santa, and families have the opportunity to capture photos with the elves.

“What makes Twilight Elf Visit special is the combination of time dedicated exclusively to the family, personal touches woven into the storytelling, and the intimacy of having the experience brought to their own lodge, so each experience for our guests is unique to them. It goes beyond a traditional festive meet and greet, giving children an active role in a story that feels personal to them, with the whole family sharing the experience in our unique forest setting.

“It’s a new, optional addition to our wider Winter Wonderland programme, which also includes favourites such as Santa’s Parade and the Enchanted Light Garden. We want families to have a choice of ways to enjoy the season together, with Twilight Elf Visit offering something particularly personal for those who choose it.”

The cost of the experience also includes a “beautifully engraved wooden family keepsake box filled with exclusive mementos to treasure long after your adventure ends. From a cuddly toy carrying each child’s Christmas wish to magical keepsakes inspired by your visit, each item is thoughtfully chosen to help your family relive the wonder of the season for years to come.”

But not everyone was convinced the activity would be worth the money. One poster noted: “This has to be the most expensive activity I have ever seen at [Center Parcs] …and I’ve been going years.” Another wrote: “This has to be a wind up?”. While a third commented: “That’s disgusting.”

However, many posters defended the cost of the experience. One said: “Yes, It’s a lot of money but I don’t see why everyone is so outraged about it, it’s obviously a very luxury thing they are offering, like the treehouses, If someone can afford them then they can afford the cost for the private elf visit.”

Others pointed out that other premium Christmas activities with kids can be just as expensive. “To be honest, people who go to Lapland UK are paying £300 sometimes more. So yes, there are people who will pay it.”

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A UK-based theme park has beaten competition from across the globe to be named the best in the world, and a brand-new ride that only opened this summer also scooped a major award

The Park World Excellence Awards has named its top theme park picks for 2026, and the coveted Best of the Best award has been given to a British theme park that has beaten competition from across the world.

The north west resort scooped the prestigious prize at the awards ceremony held on Wednesday (September 23). The awards, which focus on parks in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, included categories from the Best Roller Coaster to the Best Water Park, and competition was stiff, with nominations for huge theme parks including PortAventura, Futuroscope, and Land of Legends.

Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool took the top prize, which was described as being awarded to “theme parks, rides, or tourist attractions recognised for excelling as the best of all time within its respected industry.” The Best of the Best award is given to parks that offer “the absolute pinnacle, reflecting everything that is great about our industry”.

Formerly known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the iconic theme park has been celebrating its 130-year anniversary in 2026, making it one of Europe’s oldest, and it is fourth-generation family-owned. It’s the first UK theme park to win the award, with former recipients including Germany’s Europa Park and Siam Park in Tenerife.

The theme park also scooped Best Ride of the Year for Aviktas, the largest ride of its kind in the UK, which swings passengers 138ft in the air on a rotating pendulum. Aviktas opened in May 2026 and was an £8.27 million addition to the park. Meanwhile, Valhalla, a Viking-themed attraction, was the runner-up in the Best Water Ride category. It’s the fifth time the water-based ride has been nominated in this category.

The Pleasure Beach Resort is also home to the UK’s only Nickelodeon Land, which includes SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol-themed rides for all the family.

It’s Halloween event, Journey to Hell, is set to open on October 17, just in time for half term. Described as an “immersive scare experience”, it’ll include three new scare mazes and a selection of rides that stay open until 9pm.

Amanda Thompson, managing director of the Pleasure Beach Resort, said in a statement: “To be named Best of the Best is a massive achievement for our park. Our industry is full of so much talent, so to be recognised among the best speaks volumes on the dedication and hard work that has kept us moving forward for 130 years.

“Avitkas has been a hugely valuable addition to the park and I’ve been delighted by its reception so far. If they haven’t already I’d absolutely encourage people to visit Pleasure Beach and give our ride, now recognised as one of the world’s best a go!”

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If you’re on your annual Gilmore Girls re-watch and dreaming of an escape to Stars Hollow, without the long-haul flight, then this UK village gives seriously cosy vibes for a day out

Gilmore Girls may just be the perfect autumn show, and when the weather starts cooling off, many fans find themselves binge-watching the comedy-drama about a quirky mother and daughter duo.

And anyone who has watched the show will no doubt have dreamed about visiting Stars Hollow, the cosy Connecticut town where the Gilmores live, full of unique characters, friendly local shops, and of course, great coffee. Sadly, Stars Hollow isn’t a real location – the pilot was filmed in Canada before a set was built on a studio backlot in Burbank, California – but many fans have been looking out for locations that give the same vibes.

If you don’t fancy the flight to New England, British Gilmore Girls fans have been debating where the UK’s answer to Stars Hollow can be found, and one village with long literary associations is often named as the best local dupe.

Taking to TikTok, travel creator @lilyjbet posted a video captioned: “pov: you just found the real-life Stars Hollow in England” showing footage of the quaint village of Haworth in Yorkshire. Her video shows a variety of eclectic shops, cafés, and bookstores that would thrill any Gilmore Girls fan.

Haworth has literary associations that Rory Gilmore would find fascinating. The Brontë sisters lived and wrote most of their novels here, and their former home is now the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Sitting atop a hill, it overlooks miles of countryside, and the view no doubt inspired the rugged backdrops of many of their famous works. Fans of gothic literature can walk to Top Withins, a remote farmhouse surrounded by moorland, which many believe helped inspire the gloomy setting of Wuthering Heights.

The museum is an incredible memorial to the literary sisters, many rooms still holding the original furniture and personal items, as if waiting for the family to return.

Many of the colourful independent shops in Haworth look like they belong in Stars Hollow. Wave Of Nostalgia, a vintage bookshop that also sells unique gifts, would certainly be a place the Gilmores would visit. Cabinet of Curiosities is a kind of old-school apothecary which could easily be from the Victorian era, while Spooks of Haworth, a ‘spiritual emporium,’ is the perfect stop for lovers of autumn and Halloween.

And of course, there are plenty of cafés where you can enjoy cosy mother-daughter chats or simply sit and read your book. Café Verde has a great location with outdoor tables on the cobbled streets, while Villette Coffee House and Bakery offers a range of freshly-baked pastries and Yorkshire specialities.

The perfect way to arrive in Haworth is by train. Not only because riding the vintage steam trains to your location feels like stepping back in time, but also because you can avoid needing to navigate the extremely narrow, steep roads that were built for a horse and carriage. The village is on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a five-mile heritage railway that runs through the Yorkshire countryside, giving you stunning views on the way to your destination.

Fans of classic movies may also recognise the train line as being the setting of the 1970s adaptation of The Railway Children. In addition to standing in for the Edwardian railway hub, filming was completed around the village in locations including St Mary’s Churchyard.

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