| Product: |
Drayton Manor |
| Date: |
17/07/02 (3378 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A good day for the family
Disadvantages: Long queues
I visited Drayton Manor Theme Park near Tamworth Staffordshire on Monday 15th July 2002.
It was a beautiful hot day. The park is situated on the edge of Birmingham. Drayton Manor Theme Park is one of the oldest parks in the country. The park was built fifty years ago, in 1949, by George Bryan as an 'Inland Pleasure Resort in the UK'. Today families can enjoy a great day out. There are about a dozen rides made especially for children and have exciting white-knuckle rides for the daring visitors.
Most of rides are close to each other. Which is great when you have kids. The park is labelled into several areas. All the areas have shops where you can buy drinks hot and cold, food, gifts etc. The cost of food is expensive if you have a big family. It is better to take packed lunches and cooler for drinks. The car park is very close to the theme park. At lunchtime we went back to the car and had a picnic on the grass. There is a lake around the parks with ducks. It is great on a hot day.
Aerial Park has the following rides and attractions
The Fifth Element (Apocalypse)
Sky Flyer
Big Wheel
Flying Dutchman
Cine180
The Haunting
Golden Nuggets Wild West Shoot Out
Buffalo Coaster
Sombrero
Jubilee Circus
Drayton Queen Boat
The Drayton Jubilee Circus which opened this year was closed today. I was disappointed because I was very much looking forward to it. The Fifth Element (was called Apocalypse) this is a white-knuckle ride. You are hoisted skywards about 180 feet and then dropped with speed. You will experience pulling force of 3G on the way down. The Buffalo Coaster is a nice ride due the length of the ride. The Sky Flyer is a white-knuckle ride. The carriage you sit in, is lifted into the air upside down. This move is repeated too much. A shorter time would make the ride better.
Action Park has the following rides
Shockwave
Splash Canyon Rapids
Black Revolver
>Klondike Old Mine Coaster
Flying Jumbos
Tea Cups Ride
Pirate Ship
The shockwave a stand up white-knuckle roller coaster with corkscrews and a loops, a very good ride. Splash Canyon This is a Water ride. You are carried along the massive 475 meter ride on a specially designed circular boat. Klondike Old Mine ride is an edge of the seat, white-knuckle coaster. It takes you through a series of loops and spins at high speeds.
Fisherman's Wharf area has the following rides
Maelstrom
Stormforce 10
Polperro Express Railway
Carousel
Maelstrom: This ride is new for 2002. Best to wait until 17:30 waiting time in the queue is 15 mins. On this ride, 32 riders are all seated in a circle. The circular gondola at the end of a 17.4m long pendulum then swings into action to a height of 22.5m at an angle of 95° to 120°, while simultaneously whirling and revolving. If like white-knuckle rides you will love this one. The Stormforce 10 is excellent ride. We had wait in the queue for 35mins. But I am glad I went on the ride. You may get soaked. There are some great drops.
Pirate Cove has the following rides
Pirates Adventure
Rory's Adventure Safari
Dodgems
Jolly Bucaneer
The Crypt
Pairate Raft Ride
The Pirate Adventure: We got on this ride at 17:50 no queues just walked in. You sit on a boat which moves very slowly. It is set in the dark. If you have to wait in the queue for more than 10 minutes then avoid this ride. Dodgems is good specially with your friends.
Robinsons Land This area is full of rides for young children it has the following rides
Cadbury's Junior Pirate Ship
Giant Slide
Toy Ride
Junior Carousel
Ladybirds
Vintage Cars
Mini Ballons
Crazy Bus
Super Dragon Coaster
Frog Hopper
Whirly Copter Wheel
Train to Zoo, Farm and Museums
My six year daughter and son loved this area. There was no waiting t
ime for rides and you can sit on the rides as long as you want. This area is for children under nine years of age. On some of the rides parents can sit with the children. I loved the Super Dragon Coaster.
Zoo
The area is full of animals. Sadly for us the Tiger was a sleep when we went round. There is a Museum and Farmhouse. My children loved watching the animals. Take some bread for the ducks.
Entrance Plaza
Crazy Golf
9 Hole Golf
It cost you 60p for a round of Crazy golf or 9 hole golf.
Central Plaza has the following attractions
Games Booths
Cloakroom
Covered picnic area.
Prices & Opening Times.
The park is open daily from 23 March to Sunday 3 November 2002. The park opens at 9:00am, You can visit the Zoo at 10:00am. The Rides open from 10.30am to 5, 6 or 7pm depending on number of visitors. On 15th July 2002 the rides closed at 6pm.
There are three different price periods during 2002:
STANDARD/OFF PEAK/PEAK TIME
Adult tickets 14 years +
Child tickets 900mm to 13 years
Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children)
Xtra Family Ticket (2 adults & 3 children)
Grandee (Over 60 years of age)
Standard: Weekends and Holiday Weekends
23 March to 14 July & 7 Sept to 3 Nov
Adult £16.50
Child £12.50
Child height under 900mm Free
Family Ticket £51.00
Xtra Family Ticket £61.00
Grandee £8.00
Disabled visitor & Helper £8.50
Off-Peak: Week Days Only (excluding bank and school holidays)
25 March to 19 July & 2 Sept to 25 October
Adult £15.000
Child £11.00
Child height under 900mm Free
Family Ticket £51.00
Xtra Family Ticket £61.00
Grandee £6.50
Disabled visitor & Helper £6.50
Peak Time: Every day from 20 July to 1 September (Kids summer school holidays)
Adult £17.50
Child £13.50
Child height under 900mm Free
Family Ticket £51.00
Xtra Family Ticket £61.00
Grandee £8.00
Disabled visitor & Helper £9.00
Schools & Student Groups
Monday to Friday 1 to 19 July Schools £9.00 Students £11.50
Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)
Staffordshire Term Time only.
25 - 29 March, 15 April - 31 May, 10-28th June, 2 September - 25 October
Schools £7.50 Students £10.00
All school and student groups must pre-book. Telephone: 01827 252400. Students must be in a minimum party of twelve in one vehicle to qualify for the above rates.
If you live locally you can buy a season ticket.
Adult £48.50 Child 36.50 Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) £164.00
If you have any member of your family who do not sit on any rides then it would be cheaper if that person purchased an admission only ticket
Adult: £6.00 Child: 4.50 Grandee £4.50 Disabled Visitor/Helper: £4.50
Major events outstanding for 2002 season.
7 August - RNLI Family Fun Day
8 September - RNLI Splash & Dash Day
2 & 3 November - Firework Spectaculars
Directions: Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth, Staffordshire on the A4091, close to Junctions 9 & 10 of the M42.
Drayton Manor Park
near Tamworth
Staffordshire
B78 3TW
24 Hour Information Line: 01827 287979
Website http://www.draytonmanor.co.uk/
There are many stalls in the park where teddy bears, toys and money can be won for throwing rings, get 2 out of 2 balls into a bucket, shooting basketballs, the camel races etc. You time will be better spent enjoying the rides. The games are harder than it looks. You will find several amusement arcades.
The queue system used by the park for some rides is poor. Sometimes (The Storm force 10 ride) you cannot see the whole queue. Once you are in the queue it is very difficult to get out or turn back if you change your mind. You are made
to think that you are near the front of the queue when really there is still a long way to go.
There are facilities for disabled people.
I was not able to sit on all the rides, There are few reasons for this we got to the park at 10:40. We aimed to get to the park at 10:00 but due to the traffic we were delayed. It was the last week before the all the school starts summer holidays. Therefore we found a lot of school trips. Due to the weather being excellent it added more people than normal. Try to get your friends or other family members to go together, the more the better. I would go again because my family did have a great day out.
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alhow - 17/07/02 I was thinking of visiting there so this op was very helpful.
Thanks for the offer chris I will let you know the date. :-) |
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