Great day out for Thomas fans (Drayton Manor)

Member Name: KLockwood75

Product:	Drayton Manor
Date:	18/02/09 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thomas Land is perfect for toddlers

Disadvantages: Some areas of the park seem run down, especially the zoo

We went to Drayton Manor with our two year old son in October 2008, mainly as he is completely obsessed by Thomas the Tank Engine and we had heard good things about the Thomas Land area of the park. This review will mainly focus on Thomas Land, as although we did wander around the rest of the park, we were restricted as to what we could do with a two year old in tow.

We arrived just after it opened and paid the parent and toddler rate for one adult, and then an additional adult rate for the second adult - cheaper than buying two adult tickets, although there are usually cheap deals around if you are organised.

We headed straight for Thomas Land which was great - it all looked very new and clean, and the rides were attractive. Our son was very excited to see all his favourite Thomas characters. Most of the rides are suitable for under 2's if accompanied by an adult, although a couple had height restrictions of 90cm. Particular highlights for our son were flying on Jeremy the Jet Plane and Harold The Helicopter, and spinning round on the Diesel 10 ride. There is also a really nice soft play area within Thomas Land which we had all to ourselves for the time we spent there.

We then rode on Thomas the Tank Engine up to another station where we had lunch - just sandwiches and crisps, but I felt that it was reasonably priced for theme park food. There was an outdoor Thomas-themed play area there which again looked very new and was greatly enjoyed by our son.

We walked back through the park to Thomas Land through the zoo - I was disappointed in the zoo as the animals did not have much space, and there wasn't much thought given to providing them with something resembling their natural habitat. It all looked very old and in need of serious money spending on it, although my son did enjoy seeing the animals, particularly the tigers. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for a zoo visit.

We went on a couple of the more traditional rides in the park - the big wheel and carousel - but then headed back into Thomas Land to go on his favourite rides all over again.

Overall, it was a great day out and I think would be perfect for all Thomas-obsessed toddlers and probably for those who aren't into Thomas as a gentle introduction to a theme park. The rollercoasters looked great but unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try them out so I can't really comment.

Summary: Thomas Land is a great attraction and is highly recommended for families