Drayton Manor Theme Park April 2014 Review
Drayton Manor Theme Park
Tamworth, Staffordshire
Reviewed by Lee-Anne McCarthy
with Caitlin 9, Jack 7, Finn and Alfie 2
As much as I love a little trip out with my crew of husband and children there is always a little air of dread in the pit of my stomach. In my mind there a haze of what ifs… What if there’s nothing for toddlers? What if the older two get bored? What if there isn’t a baby change I can’t get my double pram in? What if there’s nowhere to picnic? Typical mum type questions that seem somewhat trivial but when trying to gain the cooperation of a two year while entertaining a 9 year old and trying to find somewhere to unload the banquet picnic it feels far from trivial. These were some of the worries I had at the prospect of reviewing Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire this week. However from the outset I can say those worries that I speak of had no foundation on our visit this past Monday.
We set out on our little trip from sunny South Wales hoping and praying the sun would follow us the whole way and stay the whole day as we got to have fun at Drayton Manor. I, as chief navigator, checked out the parks website in order to obtain some directions. The website provided a wealth of easily found information from directions to booking. It was colourful and informative and was easily navigated by myself and the children who were interested in checking out the rides they planned to coerce or forcibly move Daddy onto. With the info from the website and the help of satnav we were merrily on our way. As we got closer to the park the brown signs were really helpful and we could turn off the annoying lady (the satnav, not me) without the worry of getting lost.
We arrived early at the park wanting to really make the most of our day. The parking was easily signposted and we were helpfully shown to our parking space by a steward. We were incredibly close to the park gates which was of great benefit for the twin two years olds who insist on walking everywhere. The entrance to park was very well manned with almost every kiosk ticket booth open when we arrived. We were served immediately and it appeared that there was little to no queues anywhere. The member of staff at the ticket booth was polite and well mannered. She greeted us warmly and provided us with a map of the theme park. We were a little confused about the parking payment charge and found the displayed posters quite confusing. We had to ask the booth member about it and she explained the additional charge of £3 for a days parking. I in no way begrudge paying for parking in an area that is so well manned and maintained however it could be explained a little clearer than the odd poster we saw on our way to the ticket booth.
The park itself was open when we arrived however we were a little earlier than the opening times of the rides (gates open at 9.30am and the rides start at 10.30am). It gave us a chance to explore what rides we planned to go on and also a chance to refuel from the snack bar. The drinks were reasonably priced and we chose for our eldest two to buy the bottomless drinks bottles at £6 each. Now this may seem somewhat excessive however they were fantastic. They were refilled over and over again. We definitely got our monies worth. In the main park area there were plenty of places in which refills for the cups could be obtained. My only criticism is that on the side of park with the adventure play area, where drinks are often need most because of the children running around excessively, the refills weren’t as readily available and meant our visit to the adventure park was cut a little short. This is a very minor criticism and is maybe more of a suggestion to look at the distribution of refill stations even in this area.
With two year old twins in tow I ventured into the wonderful world of Thomas Land. It is a perfect place for little people to get up close and personal with that lovely little blue engine. With toddlers roaming everywhere the number of buggies was incredible however there was ample space close by to rides for parents like myself to leave a buggy while taking little people on these lovely rides. Our favourite by far was the classic cars. The whole crew even, the eldest two, loved the leisurely jaunt around while spinning the steering wheels like maniacs. During the day the fat controller was seen wandering around this area. He was the perfect jolly soul you imagine from the story. The statues of the trains themselves provided another point of interest for little eyes and definitely deserved a photo op or two. The toilet and baby change facilities in the Thomas Land area where fantastic. As a mum of twins, a double buggy is a necessary evil and one that often doesn’t fit through doors, however I was able to easily manoeuvre mine in and out the baby change whenever was necessary. To have the completely separate facility also meant all the changing wasn’t left completely to mum but instead daddy and I could tandem change. Always better when little people are excited to get back to see Thomas. Staff who manned the rides in Thomas Land were particularly helpful and friendly and often spoke with encouragement and interest to my duo. Despite being a school holiday and the perfect day for the visit we didn’t encounter the huge queues that we were in fact dreading. Even on the most popular Thomas Land rides queues were manageable for eager little feet. While my husband spent some time being forcibly taken on one thrilling ride after another I decided to take the youngest into the indoor play area in Thomas Land. This provided some excellent time for mum to sit down while little feet roamed and explored. The staffing of the facility is excellent and children’s height was checked to ensure the facility was reserved for the smaller visitors. From the prospective of the my 2 year olds this was excellent however for some families with mixed aged groups and maybe only one adult this could prove difficult. Inside there was a fantastic soft play facility with climbing frames, slides, nets, ball pits to name but a few. The rules within the facility were very strict and to be honest meant that my toddlers didn’t get the best out of the equipment. We are connoisseurs of soft play and the boys love to explore all the levels of play however being just two they often need support in doing so. However in this facility adults aren’t allowed to aid children on the equipment. This unfortunately meant it wasn’t something we spent a lot of time in. I wonder whether this is a rule that could be relaxed at staff discretion at quieter times as it was during our visit.
After our visit to Thomas Land we made a stop into the main park. This is the first time our 7 year old has really been able to enjoy all aspects of a theme park and enjoy he did. As long as being accompanied by an adult he was able to ride on the vast majority of rides and in his words because of it ‘was loving life’ all day. He particularly enjoyed he’s numerous goes on the Ben 10 ride. Again like in Thomas Land the queues for the rides weren’t long and arduous invariably all day we would wait not much longer than 5 minutes a ride. Some we were able to walk straight on immediately. This meant we were able go on all the rides the children were keen to try from Apocalypse to Splash Canyon.
The whole park was beautifully clean and staff were available around the park should you need any questions answered. Toilet facilities were dotted around the park and meant you didn’t have to go far with young people to find one. There were plenty of places to eat offering a wealth of different foods from grills to sandwiches. We chose to make our own picnic for our day out as we often do. Again there were numerous areas with picnic benches available to sit and eat as a family. The park really does cater for all types of visitor.
The whole McCarthy clan young and old had an amazing day out. It is a truly fun filled family day no one left wondering what to do, everyone with a story tell and favourite ride in the end. We would recommend Drayton Manor Theme Park for the whole family from the toddler to the old wrinkles who are just big kids themselves. We give Drayton Manor a well-deserved 5/5.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £5 to £36 (book online for the cheapest prices), under 2’s are FREE. For more information or to book tickets visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk/tickets.php.
Drayton Manor Theme Park, Near Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 3TW | 0844 472 1950
