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Drayton Manor Theme Park
www.draytonmanor.co.uk
Reviewed by Brian Grehan
I have driven down the M6 toll road on numerous occassions and passed the sign for Drayton Manor and wondered what it is like. On a beautiful Sunday morning we decided to find out.
After a slight issue with an errant sat nav system we found Drayton Manor and excitedly waited for our entrance tickets and for a small additional fee the parking for the day was taken care of.
We examined the park map to decide what to try first. It is amazing as there is so much to do and so much choice for the whole family. For the younger ones Drayton Manor is the home of Thomas Land and has all things Thomas the Tank Engine related !
To cater for the slightly older kids Drayton Manor has rides like Ben 10 and the Buffalo Coaster. There are also the Cartoon Network store and Cafe.
The first attraction we tried was The Bounty a swinging ship that seems to swing to an impossible angle. The screams of excited riders nearly deafened me ! This was only the start of the day !
The great thing about Drayton Manor for me was the fact that everything is so close together. You do not have walk for what seems like miles between attractions as in other theme parks. Im not saying that everything is on top of each other. Its perfect for people with kids who seem to ask the same question all the time. Parents who drive with kids will know the question “Are we there yet ???”
We wandered around to see where to go next and decided to try the Buffalo Coaster and my 2 young reviewers loved it. Especially the younger who was a bit anxious about going on rides but the Buffalo Coaster had her really excited that she decided to try out a few more !
As we walked back from the Coaster we ventured into the amusement arcade where we had great fun winning tickets for some prizes. It was great fun as everyone won some tickets which we combined so that everyone could claim a prize !
While waiting for the Pirate Adventure the 2 younger reviewers, Emily and Lauren, went on the Jolly Buccaneer. The smiling faces as they came off told me how much they enjoyed it. Then onto the adventure. Laurens apprehension returned as we waited to get in the boat for Pirate Adventure. That soon disappeared as she became enthralled by it. I was amazed that she said she wanted to go straight back on it when we got off !
To change pace a little we decided to have a walk around the zoo. This part of the theme park is a little more relaxed and calm compared to the rest of the park. It has everything from from cats big and small to snakes and lizards.
After this brief excursion we returned to the main park where Emily decided to try out Ben 10. It was little too much for Lauren,she decided to opt out so we watched as Emily flew around in this brilliant roller coaster.
As I had not been on any of the main white knuckle rides myself it was time for me to step up to the plate ! I picked G-Force to start with. I was quite lucky when I tried it as the queue for theride was very short. My heart was pumping as I sat in my seat. Then woooosh it was off ! All I can say is it was BRILLIANT !!!!!
With my adrenalin still pumping through me I then tried Shockwave. This is a unique roller coaster as you actually stand up in it. Again I was quite lucky with the queue and was soon standing on the ride waiting for it to start. I loved this ride all too soon it was over but I definitely recommend it !
As I got off Emily said she would like to try out Stormforce 10 which is a huge log flume ride. Lauren and myself waited for her. We watched and laughed as people who were brave enough to try it got off soaked to the skin ! Everyone seemed to be laughing no matter how wet they were. They all sought out their pictures which could be purchased for a reasonable price. There was a dryer nearby so they could dry themselves again for a reasonable price.
As our time there was running out we decided to end our visit with a visit to the Haunting. This was a little scary as Lauren did not like it but Emily did.
So the day ended and we decided that we liked Drayton Manor so much that we would definitely be making a return trip very soon ! To sum up Drayton Manor Theme Park is where family fun lives !
A huge thumbs up from all of us ! Out of 5 we would give Drayton Manor a 7 !!!!!