The £1 passes that make a family trip to Butlin's cheaper than a swim at my local leisure centre

Plus, how to pay £1 for your kids' meals at Butlin's
The £1 passes that make a family trip to Butlin's cheaper than a swim at my local leisure centre
My family loves a Butlin's trip and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the latest day pass deal of just £1 for children.
That actually makes it cheaper for me to take my three boys for a swim at Butlin's than at my local leisure centre, where I have to pay more than a fiver per person.
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Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse with her family at Butlin's
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
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Butlin's is offering day passes from £1 for kids, with water park, funfair rides and shows in the Skyline Pavilion all included
Credit: Butlin's
Instead of spending £20 for an hour in the pool, I could spend £15 for an adult day pass and then £3 for the boys and enjoy a full day out at the seaside resort, with swimming, funfair rides and shows in the Skyline Pavilion all included.
With the incredible Skyparks at Skegness and Minehead and the brand-new soft play at Bognor, now's a good time to head to your nearest site for a day to try out the latest family-friendly facilities, particularly if you have a school inset day in May, like we do.
This deal is only available term-time midweek until May halfterm, so you need to be quick if you're going to take advantage.
Prices for day passes in halfterm rise to as much as £33 for adults and £23 for children depending on the resort, so it could be a huge saving to go midweek in May.
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Plus it'll be much quieter when everyone else is at school, so you can make the most of your family fun without battling crowds of holidaymakers.
If you've always wondered whether a Butlin's break is for you, this could be the perfect way to give it a go with minimal investment in time or money, before you decide whether you'd like to book a longer stay.
And it's a great deal if you've got little ones who aren't school age yet, as they will love all the shows in the Skyline such as Peppa Pig or the Skyline Gang, which tend to be geared towards their age group.
In fact, for some of the day pass dates, you'll need to have a tot in tow as you can't get onto site during the weeks aimed at young families without someone aged 14 or under in your party.
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As always, you need to factor in the age of those you're taking to work out if you might actually be better off going on a May weekend, when day passes are £15 for adults and £5 for children.
For example, if you have grandparents in your party, they only cost £5 at weekends, but £11 during the week.
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This deal is only available term-time midweek until May halfterm, so you need to be quick if you're going to take advantage
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
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Prices for day passes in half term rise to as much as £33 for adults and £23 for children depending on the resort
Credit: Butlin's
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Day visitors won't be able to see the shows in venues like Studio 36, Reds or Centre Stage, so if you're hoping to catch a headline act like Justin Fletcher aka Mr Tumble during a Showtime Tots week, that won't be possible.
And your ticket doesn't include parking, so you need to factor that in to your budget for the day as well.
The best value is at Skegness, where parking is available on resort, with a charge of £1 per day to be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Parking for Bognor Regis day visitors is at the council pay and display car park opposite the day visit entrance on Gloucester Road and costs £13.90 for more than six hours.
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At Minehead, day visitors can use Warren Road Upper car park, which costs £7.30 for the day.
While on site, you'll be able to take advantage of the 'kids eat for a quid' deal, that runs at the resort restaurants from midday to 3pm.
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Catherine's son poses at the brand-new soft play at the Bognor Regis park
Credit: Catherine Lofthouse
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For some of the day pass dates, you'll need to have a tot in tow as you can't get onto site during the weeks aimed at young families without someone aged 14 or under
Credit: Supplied
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For each adult meal purchased at Papa John's, Firehouse Grill, the Diner or the Beachcomber Inn, you can add a £1 child's meal.
Day visitors at Bognor can book Playxperience activities if there is availability, but they do need an existing day visit booking to do so in advance.

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Daily Mirror

18 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Stephen Mulhern confirms he's been dropped by Butlin's amid disaster career woes

Former Dancing On Ice presenter Stephen Mulhern has been dealt another career blow as he has now lost his lucrative deal with iconic British holiday firm Butlin's Stephen Mulhern has been dropped from his lucrative deal with Butlin's - capping off a round of bad luck for the star. The 48-year-old presenter had been the face of the family-friendly holiday resort chain in the UK - to the tune of a reported £1 million. But now the star's magic has run out and his contract reportedly won't be renewed. Stephen enjoyed early success in his career as a Redcooat at the iconic holiday chain. And he returned to the stage at centres in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness as part of his now defunct deal. ‌ A report has claimed the ITV star will no longer perform once the summer season is over - and that his contract won't be renewed. A spokesperson for the star confirmed that the collaboration between the brand and the TV star had indeed ended. ‌ However, they added that host had enjoyed his time working with the chain. The spokesperson told The Mirror: "Stephen has absolutely loved being part of the Butlin's family - performing his stage shows in front of thousands of holiday makers across the country and the relationship with Butlin's remains hugely positive. "This change allows Stephen to explore new opportunities in the family holiday space – something he's incredibly passionate about." A spokesperson for Butlin's said they had nothing to add when asked about the reports Stephen had been dropped as the face of the company. The Sun broke news of Stephen's loss of work, with a source saying: 'Stephen has been a massive hit with holidaymakers. He began his career as a Redcoat and has kept families brilliantly entertained.' However, this is just the latest incident in a line of bad news for Stephen - both professionally and personally. The long-running ITV winter sport reality show Dancing On Ice was axed earlier this year - with the show being cancelled after ratings tanked after he came on board to co-host it alongside Holly Willoughby in 2024. Stephen replaced Phillip Schofield who saw his contract with ITV go up in flames in 2023 after he admitted having an office affair behind-the-scenes of This Morning with a much younger employee and then lying about it. ‌ Last year, Stephen's other TV show, In For A Penny, was cancelled after six seasons - but it was teased that the show could be revived in the future. A source previously told The Sun: "So don't put your pennies away just yet as the team could be popping up in your local town, to challenge even more members of the public to take part in their unique and madcap games in the future." ‌ Meanwhile, fans of Stephen were worried last year when he had a health scare - as he collapsed in a Pizza Express after undergoing surgery for a health issue. He also suffered a devastating bereavement last year when his father passed away. Stephen paid tribute to his late father in a touching moment after his Royal Variety Performance act last December. As the audience applauded his magic tricks, he said: "That was for you dad." In happier news, some of Stephen's other TV projects are continuing - including Deal or No Deal which was revived in 2023 with Stephen as the host.

The Herald Scotland

a day ago

• The Herald Scotland

VIP all-inclusive Butlin's Minehead experience review

We arrived at the seaside town of Minehead in Somerset, ready and raring to go, after breaking up the journey on the way down from Bury with a lovely overnight stay in Droitwich Spa just off the M5. The site is right on the coast and we were soon through the drive-through check-in and checking out our seafront apartment which was a perfect base for a family-of-four. Our Butlin's Minehead Bayside Apartment living area and bedroom (Image: NQ) But you don't come to Butlin's to sit around, and we were soon out and exploring all the site had to offer us for our four-night stay. The great thing about Butlin's is that a lot of things are already included in the price, so you don't have to worry about how many times the kids want to go on the fairground rides, in the soft play or the vast swimming pool, as well as regular shows on the Skyline Stage. Extreme Mountain Bike Show on the Skyline Stage (Image: NQ) There are also more activities than you'd have time to fit in, at an extra cost, such as mini archery (£6), laser tag (£15), high ropes (£13) and pottery painting (from £10). We also had an Action Pass each (£22pp), which we used towards two games of bowling, a game of American pool, and one go on the Go-Karts. Unless you know you're going to make use of every single pass, I'm not sure these are worth the extra cost. The kids didn't manage to make it onto the bungee trampolines as the queues seemed to shift slowly. Bowling; party night at Reds; a full house of 1,500 in Studio 36 for The Masked Singer and Hotshots sports bar at Butlin's Minehead (Image: NQ) Which brings me nicely onto something I thought was an absolute game-changer – the Early Access VIP (from £29pp) pass that allows you to book onto shows three days before everyone else and entry 15 minutes before the rest. The shows at Butlin's really are first-class and it was wonderful not worrying about whether we would be stuck at the back, with little ones getting bored as they couldn't see the stage properly. On our first night, we were treated to a wonderful show called Animals and Mythical Beasts by The Animal Guyz whose motto is learning through laughter. Part comedy, part educational and all about the wonder of animals, it was a delight of a show. A packed crowd enjoying Animals and Mythical Beasts (Image: NQ) Later in the week, 1,500 people packed into Studio 36 for a live version of The Masked Singer for which we had a prime spot. The show was hosted by YouTuber Nathan Connor, bringing all the elaborate costumes and ridiculous guesses from Saturday night TV to a delighted live audience whooping 'Take it off!' I won't spoil the surprise of who the two celebrities underneath the masks were but, let's just say, I was not disappointed and recognised them instantly… Another highlight was Meet the Gladiators, for which a huge queue started forming well before the event was due to open. The reboot of the '90s favourite has been delighting a new generation of fans and excitement was building in the huge venue as the host asked eager holidaymakers which Gladiators they thought would grace the stage. Much to the delight of the crowd, it was Dynamite and Sabre – purring, 'I can't wait to meet the dads,' – who were unveiled. Sabre on the big screen at Butlin's (Image: NQ) Families waited patiently to get photos with the glam pair, with snaps taken by a professional photographer at a cost of £8. A great price for something that is sure to be a lovely keepsake for many. After all that excitement, it was time for a tipple or two for which the All Inclusive Drinks Package had us more than covered. There was a range of drinks included, from pints of Madri, to wine, spirits and mixers and soft drinks for the kids. The All Inclusive Drinks Package menu (Image: NQ) From £25.95 per adult, per day, if you like a bev then this easily pays for itself and you can even add the package to your stay and pay monthly for the total using Autopay. We also enjoyed Premium Dining (£32.95 per adult, per day) which includes all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner options in a choice of two eateries – The Deck and The Yacht Club. More: My Eurocamp holiday to Italy was 4 years later than planned – was it worth the wait? More: 'Stay at top-rated hotel and spa left me feeling on cloud nine' Dining options - The Yacht Club and, the one we preferred, The Deck, where there are fresh food stations (Image: NQ) While The Yacht Club was more of a canteen style, we much preferred The Deck which had service stations offering food such as freshly-cooked omelettes for breakfast and pasta, burgers made to order and Chinese options in the evening. The accommodation had everything we needed for our stay and it was lovely waking up each morning to the sounds of the sea. The bed probably wasn't the comfiest I've ever slept in but, after full-on days, falling asleep certainly wasn't a problem. Some of the park could probably do with a refresh but the kids certainly didn't notice or care. If you're the kind of person who lets something needing a lick of paint spoil your holiday, then Butlin's probably isn't for you. After a full-on and action-packed week, it was time to hit the road and head home. Holiday traffic meant it took seven hours on the return journey so I think my next Butlin's port of call will be the closer-to-home Skegness – once I've recovered from May half term. Football and playgrounds aplenty to keep the kids entertained on site (Image: NQ) Butlin's has three UK resorts, Skegness, Minehead, and Bognor Regis. Visit Summer Holidays from £475 (£119 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Comfort Room from £475 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides and the SKYPARK playground. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5). Summer Holidays from £1753 (£439 per person) Butlin's offers a four-night Summer Holiday break featuring Stephen Mulhern staying in a two bedroom Bayside Apartment from £1753 on 21 July 2025. Price is based on a family of four sharing and includes live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides and the SKYPARK playground. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per child (6-14), per day and £6.95 per child (2-5).

Daily Record

2 days ago

• Daily Record

'I went to Butlin's for the first time on my own and three words sum it up'

Walking into Butlin's Bognor Regis, two things were crystal clear. One, I was the only child-free person for miles. And two, it was going to be an epic weekend. As a resident of the United Kingdom, I was recently told that going to a Butlin's was a rite of passage. As a relatively new resident of the United Kingdom - I had absolutely no idea what Butlin's was. So naturally I decided to spend a weekend at the closest one I could find, stat. For some context - I moved from India to the UK in June last year and holiday parks were not a popular concept back at home. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find one, especially of the same scale and renown. So off I went to Butlin's Bognor Regis to have myself a 'typically British' holiday break. To be fair, Butlin's isn't a holiday park. ‌ It's a holiday resort with all the frills and fancies to keep oneself entertained within its (expansive) boundary walls. Although a literal stone's throw away from the beach, that's not the Butlin's USP. The resort chain prides itself at having enough activities on offer within its premises that guests don't feel the need to turn to the beach for excitement. ‌ Walking into Butlin's with my partner during the May Bank Holiday weekend, almost immediately two things were crystal clear. One, my partner and I were perhaps the only child-free couple for miles. And two, it was going to be a wild weekend. The Rooms Butlin's Bognor Regis has three hotels within its premises - the Shoreline, Ocean, and Wave Hotels - along with the Comfort range of rooms and apartments. I was staying at the Wave Hotel which was fairly close to the action, and quite frankly, delightful. Entering the room, we were greeted by a neon blue glow (it was there in the name, really), yellow interiors, and the most adorable junior room for kids - outfitted with bunkbeds and a quirky porthole on the door. My 30-year-old self was so excited to have a lie-in on those bunk beds (complete with their own mini-TVs on each level), that I could only imagine how chuffed a child would be to have that space all to themselves. Entertainment Butlin's signature white tents hold a whole world within themselves. Complete with an arcade, a bowling alley, pool tables, a couple of bars, restaurants, and a few stages for entertainment shows in and around the space - it's hard to imagine being bored within its tented walls. ‌ You best believe I was a sucker for the arcade games, enjoying myself as much as the swarms of elated children around me. On closer inspection, I found I wasn't the only adult indulging. Seeing the parents in my vicinity become kids themselves was a joy to watch. A spirited game of bowling and a few rounds of pool later, I was in my 11-year-old self's childhood paradise. For those with kids, there were heaps of live shows on offer including The Masked Singer hosted by Mark Rhodes (of Crackerjack and CBBCs Junior Bake Off fame) featuring masked celebrity participants, Electric Wonderland, Iconic, Snow White and her Magnificent Friends, Animals and Mythical Beasts, and even a meet-and-greet with Gladiators stars Cyclone and Nitro. They were always jam-packed, and with the energy radiating out of them, it wasn't difficult to understand why. The PLAYXPERIENCE ‌ A brand-new addition to Butlin's Bognor Regis' already jam-packed holiday resort is the PLAYXPERIENCE. Having opened its doors to the public in October 2024, the PLAYXPERIENCE was definitely a highlight of my first-ever Butlin's weekend. Sprawled over two floors and nearly 50,000 square feet, it's undoubtedly a haven for gamers and fans of modern tech. A VR Cade featuring state-of-the-art VR games, laser tag, techputt (mini-golf), digi darts, escape rooms, glow pong, shuffleboard, a batting cage, and neo games - there's something for everyone is this gamer's paradise. ‌ Equipped with a bar and cafe within the premises, it was safe to say me and my passion fruit daiquiri had a great time while indulging in some neon mini golf. Another definite highlight was playing laser tag with mischievous kids and their equally (over) enthusiastic parents. Turns out, adrenaline-fuelled, cutthroat competitiveness is all one needs to get the morning going. As we squared off into four teams, it was once again apparent to me that the adults were enjoying themselves as much as the kids. That seemed to be the magic of Butlin's. Food and drink ‌ The Butlin's all inclusive drinks package felt like a no-brainer. With a good selection of cocktails, spirits, beers, ciders, wines, mocktails, Costa coffee, and soft drinks on offer - it's almost worth walking around with a pulsing neon-orange wristband for three days. It helps that most of the drinks are fairly delicious and get the job more than done. And with well-placed bars and restaurants throughout the resort site, we never had to go too long without refreshments. There were plenty of options no matter what your budget, whether we were after breakfast or a buffet dinner. We had the premium dining package booked which sorted our breakfast and dinner on each of the days. Breakfast timings were 8am to 10:30am on all days, and while the spread was extensive and catered to both kids and adults, the actual taste and quality of the food was average for me. But I guess you can't have everything. ‌ We were also surprised when we walked in at 10am the first day - I guess everyone wakes up really, really early as we definitely felt like the odd ones out, with people looking at us like we had two heads! The next day we made it at 9.45am but I still think everyone gets up really early and fuels up - which for me, being the person who likes to maximise sleep and get breakfast at the last minute, was not ideal. Fairground and Splash Waterworld A cute little fairground was the cherry on top of my Butlin's weekend. From go-karts and adventure golf, to mini-rides and a trampoline - the pre-booked All-Action Pass proved to be a success. My inner Lewis Hamilton came out to play in a spirited round of karting (in which I came first - and no, it doesn't matter that I was one of a handful of adults competing against mainly children). While I didn't take a swim, the faces of happy families walking around with wet hair and huge smiles plastered on their faces was enough to tell me it would've been a fun experience (when it wasn't raining and unbelievably windy). So, how did my first Butlin's visit rank as far as holidays go? Three days of fun, games, activities, and kids. Lots and lots and lots of kids. Perhaps the next time I'll return is when I have a little one of my own. Book the holiday Butlin's offers a three-night Showtime Weekend break featuring staying in a two bedroom Ocean Hotel room in Bognor Regis from £269 on 11 July 2025. Price is based on a two adults sharing and includes all live shows and activities with free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides and access to PLAYXPERIENCE. Dining packages start from £24.95 per adult, per day, £14.95 per junior (6-14), per day and £6.80 per child (2-5). To find out more head to