Drayton Manor Park, Birmingham > Reviews (35)

I have now visited Drayton Manor Park about five or six times during the last ten years or so, and it has never failed to be a fun day out, and money well spent. The park has this year been voted to be the best family day out throughou the whole of the UK, which as far as I know, is pretty accurate.

The park is not in the same league as Alton Towers for example. But you do not pay the price ofalton towers, or have to queue for anywhere near as long as at Alton Towers. My most recent visit the the park, was last month (April 2007) and the longest i had to queue for was about 55 mins, This was for Maelstrom (pictured). This is not bad, as i have known people who have queued for 3 hours plus for rides at Alton Towers.

As mentioned before, the prices are relative of the size of the theme park

, being about eight pounds less than the ticket prices for Alton towers. The main advantage of drayton manor is that it is just the right size to be able to get on all of the rides that you want to, within one day.

----------Ticket Prices----------

Age 12+ (Adult) £16 to £19
Ages 4-11 £12 to £15
Under 4's Free of charge
Disabled Visitor £9 to £11.50
Age 60+ £8 to £9.50

Family tickets to the theme park are also available, which slightly reduces the price for each member of the group. As shown in the prices, they vary depending on what time of year you visit the park. So if you fancy going when the park opens in March, and dont mind a bit of rain, it will be cheaper, but bear in mind that some of the better rides can close in certain weather conditions such as strong winds.

For local people to the park there are also season tickets available. A standard adult season ticket is £78.00, or a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) costs £226.00. If you think you would probably like to visit the park more than 5 times in a year, then this type of ticket would be well worth purchasing.

However, if you are looking at a one off trip to the theme park, there are sometimes ticket offers in the newspapers. (usually local papers in the surrounding areas of the park). After all, something for free is better than nothing!!!

----------Opening Times & Dates----------

The theme park opens for the first time each year in March, and closes near to the end of October. Obviously this will change slightly from year to year, but this year (2007) the dates are 24th March, and 28th October. There are a few dates that in September and October the park closes, so it would be good to check their website to ensure you dont plan your visit on one of these closed days.

The park opens to visitors at 9.30AM, and the rides open at 10.30AM. The park closes at either 5 or 6PM. Although the queues to some of the big rides may close before the advertised closing time, in order for them to get everyone through.

----------The Rides---------- On all of these rides in this section, the tallest height restriction for these rides is 1.4 metres, so they are suitable for most people who visit the park. A full list of the height restrictions can be found at the bottom of this review.

The park has many different types of rides to cater for everyones tastes, whether you are looking to get wet, fast roller coasters, or vertical drops. There are also family and children's rides. The children's rides are mostly situated all together in the "Robinson's Fruit Shoot" area. Below is some of the main rides: In this section i will also give each of the ride a mark out of ten, on how fun or exciting they are, and how much i suggest you go on these rides if you make a visit the Drayton Manor.

----------G-Force---------

This is the parks newest roller coaster, which boasts g forces of up to 4.3G, and speeds upto 70KPH. As you are queueing you get the usual scary music, and the information of the ride to try to add to the tension, which all works. By the time i reached the front of the queue i was ready to

give and walk away. But i braved it, and honestly, i didnt think it was that great. Just like a standard roller coaster. Nothing bad to say about the ride, but nothing good either.
6/10

---------Apocalypse---------

This ride hoists the riders to a height of 54 metres, as they are tilted forwards 15 degrees. When you reach the top, it is a free fall back down to the bottom. You have a choice to make staright away, whether to stand up, or to sit down. I always go for standing up as the queue is usually shorter. Then if you go for standing up, you also have the choice to go for the "firth dimension", this is like the standing up, but you have no footrest! Again i like to go for this one as you can usually walk past most of the queue as very few people want to try it. Every time i have visited the park, this ride is always the highlight of the day. Beware though, this ride can be closed in strong winds due to the height of the ride.

9/10

----------Shock Wave----------

Drayton manor park is also home to the worlds best stand up roller coaster. This was voted by the roller coaster club of great britain. It is actually still the only stand up roller coaster in Europe. FHM magazine also said that this roller coaster "goes like lightning" with its top speeds of over 50MPH. This ride is another one of the days highlights, being fast, and throws you around in your restraint, with forces of 4G!! On all of the times i have visited the park, i have never missed out shockwave as it is the best roller coaster there.
8/10

----------Maelstrom----------

This is another one of the parks newer rides. It is actually the one in the ciao picture. It is a gyro swing, where you sit facing outwards, and the ride also turns around. I like to descride the ride like a whirlpool. As you are queueing up, there is the scene of a storm, with broken windows, surfboards and clothing blowing away, all adding to the experience of the ride. This ride is suitable for most people, as it is not really a white knuckle ride, just good fun!!
8/10

----------Pandomonium---------

This is a ride of two gondolas, that turn a full 360 degrees, and even hold you upside down at the top. This is another one of the days highlights, but is one you could go on a few times, as the queue goes down quickly because each time the ride operates, it takes 64 riderseach time.

Each time that i have been to the park, i have never failed to go on this ride. (Some people may know this ride by a different name, (name escapes me) as it has been refurbished and renamed)
9/10

---------Storm Force Ten---------

You have been on all of the usual log flumes, like the one at Alton towers, now you have storm force ten. This is basically a logflume, but uses the RNLI theme, and the boats look just like the life boat dinghys. It is actually supposed to recreate a lifeboat rescue. If you are planning on going on this ride i would take a change of clothes, as you do get very wet. The ride has the drops into water pools where you get very wet (back seats are worst), and also features a turning platform, where one of the drops is bacwards. This adds a bit more excitement compared to a normal log flume. The Daily Telegraph called storm force ten the best water ride in the country, and so far, have to agree with it. Be warned however, the queue for this ride can become very long. This is the only ride that you may have to queue for more than an hour (probably due to it being so unique). I advise maybe going on this ride as soon as you arrive at the park, when it first opens so that you avoid too much queueing.
10/10

----------Splash Canyon----------

This ride is exactly what you expect, rapids where you just sit back, enjoy the ride and mabe get a bit wet. You wont always get wet, just depends where your raft hits the walls etc, and where the water splashes, an what drips or squirts of water you travel under. The canyon trail is over half a mile long, so it is a decent ride, and worth the queue that you have to stand in. Usually dont have to queue too long, as there are more rafts coming round constantly. Just good family ride really.
7/10

---------The Bounty----------

Never been on this as it was not completely built the last time i visited the park, but was almost done. From a distance it looks like a pirate ship. Although it is the first pirate ship that i have seen that is actually in the water!
?/10

----------Family Rides---------

As i am a bit older now, it is a while since i have been on some of these rides, and therefore this section of the review will be less detailed than the previous, but i will do my best!

*Excalibur - A slow boat ride through a medieval scene with dragons and knights. Never been on this ride as it is quite new.

*Drunken Barrels - Didnt go on this either, these are the newest ride in the family section. Look like big tea cups, just go round and round, nothing more i can say about these.

*Pirate Adventure - This is another old time favourite at Drayton Manor, a boat ride around a large pirate scene with squirts of water fired at you. There is one steep ish drop into a water pool, but nothing too scary, so it is suitable for everyone. Usually a good easy slow ride after lunch!

*The Jolly Rodger - These are small boats that seat two people, and are lifted off the ground and spin around! does get a bit dizzy, and isnt very exciting now, but was good when i was younger.

*Wild West Shoot Out - This ride is set on the scene of Golden Nuggets. Up to four people ride a car around the course and shot at as many targets as you can using a laser hand gun. As you shoot at the targets, you clock up your score which you can compare with your family when you get to the end of the ride. Look out for the Golden Nuggets characters as if you shoot at these they are worth more points (never found them though). This is another good family ride that is suitable for everyone, and another good one for after lunch. Last time i went to the park i went on this ride 5 times, excellent!!

*Buffalo Roller Coaster - A family roller coaster, where the front car looks like a buffalo. It is quite fast, and also travels over the lake aswell which can be a bit scary. I always try to go on this ride, but the last time i didnt, as i try to go on the thril rides first

This is just a few of the family rides, there are more, but like i said it is a while since i used many of them and cannot remember much more abut them.

----------Kids Rides--------The Park has been voted best attraction for kids in the UK three consecutive years running, so that may help to tell you it is pretty good. Have never used any of these rides, so will just list them as i cant really say much about them.

• Crazy Bus
• Frog Hopper
• Super Dragon roller coaster
• Vintage cars
• Whirly wheel
• Flying Jumbo
• Plus more that i cant really remember

Remember though, many of the rides on the park also cater for kids,as long as they are accompanied by an adult (Except the big roller coasters)---------The Zoo----------

The park is also home to a small zoo, which is good to have a look round after lunch if you dont fancy hitting the rides again straight away. I have only ever look around the zoo once, and found it hightly boring, mainly because i go to a theme park for the rides not animals. The following is some of the animals at the zoo:

Big Cats
Reptiles
Monkeys
Parrots
Eagles
They did also have a panther, but it recently died, which is a bit sad to see when you go round to its empty cage.

The zoo is worth a look round if you are interested in animals, but it is nothing great, as it is not a dedicated zoo.

---------Food---------

Like any theme park you go to, the food is a bit more expensive than anywhere else. If you are going in the summer i like to take a picnic with me mainly because it is cheaper. You get all the usual theme park choices: burgers, nuggets, fish and chips, do-nuts, fizzy drinks. When i went i had a double cheese burger, fries a drink, and this came upto £5.50 but you do get plenty of food, i had eaten enough by the end of it, and i am not the smallest person around. Not too bad for one person, but is expensive if you have to feed the family. These is also plenty of seating, depending on where you go, it can be outside the fast food shop, inside, or by the lake side which is nice. If you are not into the fast food, then there is also a restaurant on the park site.

---------Other Entertainment----------

You also get the usual side show stalls where it is impossible to win that big teddy, but there are some "prize every time stalls" which are much better value for your money.

Although there is no need to use these as there is plenty of fun to be found in all of the rides without spending yet more money. There is also an amusement arcade with 2p and 10p slot machines and the £1 gambling machines, i try to avoid it as i could spend all my money in there, not good.

Just remember there is no need to spend any more money at all after your ticket to get in, so it can be a reasonably cheap day out after your ticket price.

---------Fireworks--------

The last few years the park has done a big fireworks display. This year it is the 27th and 28th of October, and many of the rides are also open til 9pm on these days for the added enjoyment. Never been, but i guess it wont be up to the same standard as the alton towers dispays, but then it wont costs as much, so you get what you pay for.

----------How To get There----------

Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth, Staffordshire on the A4091, close to Junctions 9 & 10 of the M42.

For visitors that will be using Satellite Navigation to get there, the post code is B78 3TW.

----------Height Restrictions----------

Here are the height restrictions that i mentioned previously in this review:

Apocalypse (stand-up) - 1.4 metres (sit down) - 1.2 metres
Jolly Roger 1.05 metres
Maelstrom 1.3 metres
Pandemonium 1.2 metres
Shockwave 1.4 metres
Sombrero 1 metre
Stormforce 10 1.2 metres
G-Force 1.3 metres
The Bounty 1.2 metres

CHILDREN UNDER 1 METRE must be accompanied by an adult on the following rides:

Black Revolver
Buffalo Coaster
Big Wheel
Carousel
Chair Lift
Dodgems
Drunken Barrels
Excalibur
Flying Dutchman
Flying Jumbos
Wild West Shoot Out
The Haunting
Pirate Adventure
Splash Canyon
Super Dragon Roller Coaster

---------Conclusion----------

Drayton Manor Park is an excellent day out for kids, teenagers and adults who like the fast rides. It is a good day out for just about everyone, there are even many disabled people who visit the park. All of the rides are really good, and look to be well maintained, and all of the staff are friendly. I have been to Alton Towers, and although it is bigger, i would rather go to Drayton Manor as you have time in one day to get on all of the rides.

I would recommned Drayton Manor Park to Everyone! Just look past the price, or look out for them special offers on tickets, and look at the great day out that you wil have at the UKs best family day out!! I know people of all ages, who all love a day out at Drayton Manor, everyone who has been to the theme park will tell you that it is an excellent day out. I dont know anyone who has not enjoyed the day!

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate my review.

UPDATE

Since writing this review i have now been back to drayton manor again, and not a word of this review needs changing, another excellent day out, i seriously dont think this park can be beaten. not anywhere near where i live anyway. Also been to alton towers, very good place, but the price make this place win over alton towers all day long!