Drayton Manor Theme Park Review

Reviewed by Lee-Anne McCarthy

I made the long journey from South Wales to Drayton Manor Park for a fun day out with my husband and twin boys aged 5. We were all very excited for the fun that was hopefully to come. The weather was promising and were looking forward to sampling the rides Drayton had to offer. We found our way quite easily and the park was easily found with the brown signage displayed close to the park.

When we arrived as you do with small children there was a mad dash to the gate in search of the nearest toilets. We entered near to the buffalo rollercoaster and much to our dismay found just two toilets available with a very long queue. As a small suggestion that as this is an arrival point and departure point for many families that a more substantial set of facilities would be beneficial.

Upon arrival, we found a notice board with a number of ride closures these tended to the bigger rides that weren’t really suited to our little men. I can imagine for the bigger thrill seekers this could be quite a disappointment.

Our first stop was to the famous Thomas Land. This is a site that has grown quite significantly over the years with the addition new rides including James Red Balloon new for this year. As we entered the site immediately we were greeted by a performance by the Fat Controller and his station crew. My show loving twin was completely engrossed in the singing and dancing. The highlight for him was receiving a high five from one of the dancing crew members.

There are numerous rides within Thomas Land aimed at the younger children. It was lovely to see children running excitedly from one ride to another. The area gets very busy however many queues ran quickly allowing the children to enjoy a number of rides. Our favourites were definitely the Thomas Train ride and James Red Balloon ride.

Across this part of the park there were numerous food and refreshment outlets that for a theme park were unreasonably priced. For those like us who prefer a homemade picnic there areas around that a picnic could be eaten on a nice day. I’m not sure things would be so favourable on a not so good day. We have visited Drayton Manor in the past and have enjoyed the drink all day drinks however upon this visit it seems these are no longer available at the park. This was a little disappointing as it was a fantastic idea for families not wishing to carry around bag loads of drinks.

While in Thomas Land we had another toilet rush as you often do with small children. Although two toilet blocks were available in Thomas Land only one was open. In an area designed for young children who often have a rush to these facilities it was disappointing to find not all the available facilities were in use on what was a very busy day.

A short train ride from Thomas Land was a lovely play park. This was a nice place to stop and eat our picnic together. It also allowed us to come away from the hustle and bustle of the busy park. Alongside this there was a dinosaur park. This was looking in need of a little more care. It was the only area of the park that felt somewhat aged. That being said it didn’t take away from the interest and fun my boys took from meeting the dinosaurs.

Our favourite part of the whole day was the 4d cinema Yogi Bear Experience. We joined the queue around 15mins before the show time. Just before the doors opened we were handed our 3d glasses and entered the cinema on time. The show itself was funny, engaging and even had my twins belly laughing. The extra parts of the experience from the water to the movements all added to a great half hour of fun. There were numerous other rides throughout the park we got to enjoy including the accelerator which was a big hit with my dare devil twin.

As a family, we had a great day out with so many highlights. However, I would say for families with older children is would be important to check the ride closures as had my children been older they may not have enjoyed the experience quite so much.

Rating: 3/5

Tickets start from £29 (on the day prices). For online discounts, special offers or to book tickets online visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk.