There's a lot to be said for Center Parcs - I went for the first time in April, to the Elveden Forest site, and so these are some of the thoughts I've had about the place.
First of all, Center Parcs is a pretty good idea. It's not entirely my cup of tea - I prefer my nature to be not quite so tame - but it's pretty good. I'm also not entirely convinced by the entire concept of "you'll never have to leave the complex" - although in this case it wasn't too bad, I'm still not overly comfortable with keeping everyone in pretty much one space. It's too easy to start over-charging for things from the shop ( sorry, ParcMarket ), for example, when people don't have any choice in where to go. The idea too of closing the shop and "cheaper" cafe place in order to drive customers/residents/punters into the higher-priced restaurants of an evening is also - to me - slightly distasteful, particularly when those restaurants aren't overly great. But for the most part, the idea is an OK one, and seems to work for the majority of people.
I should point out that in all fairness I'll have no real hesitations in going back to one - and the likelihood is that this'll turn out to be a kind of semi-annual thing for the next few years at least, which doesn't cause me a problem. I will learn a few things for next time though.
I do like the idea that cars are almost barred from the complex. Only when arriving and departing are cars seen on the pathways/roadways of the site - and in general that's a good thing. However, it does seem to engender a bit of a false feeling of "safety" in most people, who immediately turn off their brains and happily dither across roadways and the like, forgetting that most people are now on bikes, which have the added factor of (generally) being bloody quiet. So you can cause any number of heart-attacks by coasting up behind people then either ringing the bell, or yelling "excuse me". Cruel, and of course I wouldn't do any such thing - but still amsuing when it happens.
The Elveden Forest site (and, I imagine, all the others) are in what can kindly be termed "the backside of nowhere", which does kind of limit the desire to go off-site anyway. Particularly when it's a ten or fifteen minute walk to find the car as well. With Elveden Forest in particular, the problem that rears its ugly head is that there's really only one road in and out - the A11, which is also single-carriageway. As you can imagine, this means that getting in and out can involve some fairly hefty traffic jams!
Once there though, it's an attractive place. They've learned about signage from counties like Somerset and Cornwall, and seem to be follow the rule of "signpost it 'til you're within a certain distance of the place, then don't bother". It's a bit frustrating on occasion, but in general we managed OK. The site itself is home to quite a number of "wild" animals and birdlife - I put quotes round "wild" because most of the creatures are completely inured to the presence of humans, and will come extremely close to you. We had squirels and rabbits right under the patio table while I was sitting outside, and a heron came within about three feet of me on a couple of occasions. While this makes for some great photos and so on, I'm not entirely convinced it's a good thing. Although it is a novelty to see a swan that wasn't a mean bad-tempered bastard.
As for activities and the like, there's plenty on offer at the site. All sorts of sports, including badminton, tennis, bowling and so on, as well as various outdoor activities and even a 9-hole golf course. Not that I care about golf at all, but well, it's worth pointing out. Some of the activities can be booked before you get there, but there's also a lot that can be done on the day, or for during the week. In all, it's not a bad way to do things.
For myself, I did the Tai Chi class and the Archery, which were both pre-booked, and we also played a fair amount of pool (badly, in my case), went ten-pin bowling, and a selection of other stuff. Other members of the group did laser clay-pigeon shooting, 4x4 off-road driving, Aquatonic/Aquarobics (can't remember which it was), badminton, crazy golf (sorry, adventure golf, in Parcs parlance), Line dancing, and some other odds and sods that I can't recall. So in all it was pretty busy, although there was also plenty of time to sit and read, or go out for walks/bike rides, and all sorts of things.
If you like holidays where you're in control of everything, or don't want loads of people around, Center Parcs isn't for you. However, if you've got small kids, or a family group, then you can do a lot worse. And like I said, I'm sure I'll be back too.