The Fun of the Fair (Drayton Manor)

Member Name: emmakate06

Product:	Drayton Manor
Date:	21/02/09 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rides for all ages

Disadvantages: Not enough baby changing facilities when I visited.

I visited Drayton Manor theme park with my family early last year. It was the weekend after it had opened for the new season and I therefore thought it would be really busy. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find it lovely and quiet with queueing times of no more than ten minutes.

We found Drayton Manor theme park easy to get to. It is located near Tamworth, Staffordshire and is easily accessible from junctions 9 and 10 of the M42. On leaving the motorway it is clearly signposted and not very far at all. It is a seasonal attraction like most theme parks in the UK and is open from the end of March till the end of October. The park itself opens an hour before the rides are available, but this gives you time to explore your surroundings and to start queuing for the ride you want to experience first.
Price wise, its not cheap, but as well as the theme park there is a zoo also and there are rides available to cater for all ages, which does make it a great family day out. They also offer the usual discounts for booking family tickets. The current prices are as follows:
Adult 12+ £20.95
Child aged 4-11 £16.95
Grandee (a person aged 60+) £10
Disabled Visitor and helper £13.95 each
Under 4 years go free

They also offer an adult and toddler ticket which is available for £12 during term time only. Payment is made at the desk and can be done via cash or by debit/credit card. Tickets may also be purchased in advance online.
There were a couple of bad points which I noticed immediately on arrival at the theme park which were that firstly, I dont tend to carry cash around and depend on using my card or withdrawing cash as and when its needed. I had checked online prior to going that there were cash points available and I was told that there were a few located throughout the park. The few turned out to actually only be 2, which were both out of order, not very convenient!! Secondly the biggest problem I had is that there are no specific baby changing facilities inside the park, instead these are located outside the main gates. When I asked about facilities in the park I was told to use the spare bit of worktop at the side of the sinks. I dont think so!! So instead I had to keep having my hand stamped so that I could re-enter the park after changing my childs nappy. Big need for improvement here I think!!Now for the rides - There are rides to cater for all ages and fear factors, there are white knuckle rides a plenty and there are many rides for toddlers. The white knuckle rides include the following:

* Apocolypse - Riders are raised to a height of 54 metres, tilted forwards so that you are facing downwards and then dropped to the ground at a force of 4Gs.
* Shockwave - The only stand up rollercoaster in Europe and travels at a speed of 53 mph.
* Stormforce 10 - A log flume with a difference as you are transported around in replica lifeboats and face both forwards and backwards drops.
* G Force - On this rollercoaster you are fastened in by the hip so there is nothing to hold on to, I really didnt like the look of this and it was the one ride I backed out of.


For children there are an array of lovely rides such as the crazy bus, the frog hopper, vintage cars, and the flying Jumbos. I didnt really experience this area myself as my 7 year old stepson is more of a thrill seeker and therefore prefers the faster adult rides and water rides.If you are able to keep your food down whilst trying out these rides, there are numerous food outlets located throughout the park. Not the cheapest of prices, or best of portions, but you always have the option of taking a prepared pack lunch with you if you would prefer to eat a little healthier at a fraction of the cost. There is ample seating throughout the park with numerous picnic benches available.

Overall apart from a couple of negative points which I mentioned earlier, we thoroughly enjoyed our day at Drayton Manor and will be visiting again next year!!

This is my own review and has featured on another review website.

Summary: Great day out for all.