Drayton Manor Theme Park is a special day out...and it’s just been given an extra bit of Thomas the Tank Engine magic.
The theme park in Staffordshire is a perfect place for families, with genuinely something for all the family, whatever the age range.
We are a family of five, with children aged two, four and seven. It could potentially be a tricky mix but at Drayton Manor, it is easy to divide your time.
While the two youngest were enjoying Thomas Land, the oldest could go off with mum on some of the thrill-seeking rides, before meeting up for a ride we could all go on.
The theme park opens an hour before the rides and it’s a good tip to arrive in plenty of time to make the most of the quieter time to get your bearings and head for the rides that get busier as the day goes on.
Thomas Land is now in its fifth year and to celebrate the anniversary, Drayton Manor has opened its latest ride, Winston’s Whistle-Stop Tour. The ride is a monorail tour above the rest of the Sodor-based attractions. It’s a great little ride with an entertaining commentary, which the children loved, and we had the added bonus of luckily timing our tour with the Fat Controller in situ welcoming everyone aboard.
Elsewhere in Thomas Land, you can enjoy the Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster - a surprisingly quick rollercoaster ride that’s great fun - or the Cranky the Crane Drop Tower,
Our two-year-old and four-year-old had a great time in Thomas Land, the youngest especially enjoyed the train ride with Thomas, definitely not something to be overlooked.
And on that point, Drayton Manor can be deceptive. It seems a pretty small theme park. Its size is a real positive, especially if you are dividing up as a family as you never feel that you are far away from each other and that if you walk around the rough area you think the others are you’ll probably bump into them.
But take the time to explore a little further away from the main rides. There’s an outdoor dinosaur play park that many people may miss, there’s a zoo, a teacups style ride, a shoot ‘em up and Splash Canyon, a river rapids bumper boat ride that is tucked away on one of the outer edges of the park and not instantly visible.
Outside of Thomas Land, there is so much to enjoy and it is a real challenge to see everything in a one-day visit to the park.
Top rides as far as our seven-year-old was concerned were the G-Force rollercoaster which he loved despite having his breath literally taken away, Stormforce 10 wet ride but don’t sit at the back as you will get soaked from head to foot and his ultimate favourite, Apocalypse, a 150ft drop tower that gives you a great view of the park followed by a terrifying full speed drop. He went on this 11 times.
While our four-year-old loved Thomas Land, his favourite ride of the day was the Ben 10 rollercoaster, which packs a lot of thrills into its small space and was a real hit with all of us.
No surprises on the favourite rides for our two-year-old, all of them were in Thomas Land. She loved it and her face lit up whenever she saw Thomas and his friends. Her reaction was one of the higlights of the day.
For my adrenaline junkie wife, Pandemonium - an upside down pendulum ride - was a real hit but this was trumped by Shockwave, voted the world’s best stand up rollercoaster. Judging by the grin of her face when she got off, I think she would agree.
If you’ve still got the energy, and the time, there’s still plenty more to enjoy. Maelstrom - a similar ride to Pandemonium but it doesn’t go upside down, a traditional pirate ship, Pirate Adventure and the old school Buffalo rollercoaster.
By the end of the day, you will go home satisfied no matter what your thrill-ride level. A good barometer for a successful family day out is how long it takes for them to fall asleep in the car on the way back. It didn’t take long.
The 2013 season runs until Sunday November 3. To book tickets, or for more information about the park, visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1960. Reduced prices are available for tickets bought in advance.
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