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The best things to do at Whiteley for a day out

Everything you need in one place for an incredible family day out

From delicious dining at restaurants and cafes including family favourites Burger King, McDonalds, Prezzo and Kaspa’s Desserts to summer movies at Cineworld and incredible climbing walls at Rock Up, Whiteley is the place to enjoy days out with your family and friends.With free parking and public transport links, you can enjoy a full day full of activities and fun.

Plus- the Sandpit is now open every day (weather depending)! Bring your own bucket and spade, or you’re welcome to use ours.

1.   See big new movies at Cineworld

Summer 2024 is full of amazing new releases including Furiosa (24 May), Despicable Me 4 (12 July) and Inside Out 2 (14 June).

Cineworld offers a whole host of special discounts including £5.99 tickets on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, family tickets, weekly Movies for Juniors for £2.50 a ticket, family special snacks with 30% off and dimmed-light Cinebabies screenings for parents and carers.

Don’t miss Frankie & Benny’s amazing movie and a meal offer – head there after the big screen, show your ticket and you’ll get a whopping 30% off. If you buy any products from Compare the Market, you can also enjoy Meerkat Movies for a whole year with 2-for-1 tickets every Tuesday and Wednesday.

2.   Try out new summer menus

Frankie & Benny’s now has Vegan Crispy Cauli Bites and stacked burgers followed by the CookieJar Sundae. They’re incredible! Prezzo has a new summer menu of tasty pizzas alongside The Summer Gousto set menu for groups of 12 or more with two courses from £20 and three courses from £26.

wagamama has a new menu featuring summer desserts including yuzu basque cheesecake or momo meringue; a cocktail of strawberry shiso mojito and mains including a coconut kare with chicken, hoki or butternut squash; koyo bowls of pulled shiitake or thai beef salad; beef brisket and kimchee gyoza and kokopanko chicken with sriracha mayo.

3.   The best places to eat with family menus and offers for kids

Whiteley is home to some of the most children-friendly places to eat on the planet. Frankie & Benny’s offers £6.80 Small Eaters or £8.30 Big Eaters menus featuring cheesy tomato pizza, creamy mac ‘n’ cheese and omega-3 fish fingers with soft drinks and a free dessert. Make a note for your diary: Rock Up does free pizzas for kids on Thursday with any climbs after 3pm.

You can always enjoy Happy Meals at McDonalds (with special offers during the holidays),  King Jr meals at Burger King, Prezzo’s pizza, pasta and gelatos and Harvester’s £6.49 offer on a main, two sides and dessert with a menu of veggie fingers, meatballs and mini beef burgers.

Nando’s famous Nandinos meals have chicken strips, wings with side orders of corn on the cob and fries with either a juice or bottomless frozen yoghurt for £6.25 and wagamama does mini chicken ramen, mini katsu curry and more.

Kaspa’s Desserts is sweet-tooth heaven with gelatos, waffles, crepes, milkshakes, smoothies and sundaes and a kids’ menu; Wildwood has kids’ menus with traditional pasta, pizza, desserts and drinks for £7.95 while Dim T makes dining out really fun with bento boxes, crispy duck pancakes, dim sum, ice cream and drinks for £7.95.

During the holidays, kids can eat for free or for just £1 at leading cafes and restaurants so keep an eye on our offers page.

4.   Book Rock Up climbing and soft play

With fantastic climbing walls (going up to 8m) and 70 different challenges, all-day soft play, slides, swings and obstacle courses, enjoy a family climbing session at Rock Up for four years and up. There are helpful intros, toddler sessions, discounted super saver sessions, parties for kids and climbing clubs with special passes all year round.

5.   Discover the best shopping with kids

H&M puts stunning shapes and bold prints at the heart of their Summer 2024 collection. The look is graphic and vivid, organic yet strong with eye-catching modern kaftans, sun dresses and matching sets inspired by the warmth, energy and rich culture of Brazil

Whiteley is home to some of the best fashion, beauty, food and gifting stores making Click & Collect and everyday shopping easy. There are also plenty of clothes and shoe stores for kids including Mamas and Papas, Mountain Warehouse, Next, Marks & Spencer, JoJo Maman Bébé, H&M and Clarks if you need to pick things up while you’re here with the family.

Don’t miss our kid-friendly stores: The Entertainer, Smiggle and Flying Tiger Copenhagen are full of exciting toys and gifts for all budgets. Help them brush up their maths and english knowledge with Explore Learning. Or, have a fun time finding bedtime reading at Waterstones and WH Smith.

Stay up to date with the latest news and offers here. Happy shopping!

6.   Easy parking and the best ways to get to Whiteley

It’s super easy for families to get here. There are plenty of free four-hour parking spaces available at Whiteley (you can also top up to six hours for £2), including parent-and-child spaces outside Tesco. There is also Blue Badge parking in the East, Cinema A, Tesco and Market Square car parks.

We also have three very useful Pod Point electric vehicle charging bays – one is located in the East outside Harvester with a further two charging points located outside the cinema in the Cinema B car park.

7.   Family-friendly essentials at Whiteley

Mamas and Papas have a fully air-conditioned feeding room on their first floor and there are toilets located in the centre with baby-changing facilities.

8.   Special offers, discounts and insider tips

Don’t forget there are always exclusive discounts for students, Blue Light card holders and NHS workers plus there are plenty of loyalty memberships from Boots, Tesco, H&M and more to take advantage of. 

Keep an eye on our offers page for the latest deals, menus and ways to shop and enjoy delicious food and drink all year round.

Last updated Friday 24 May, 2024