Drayton Manor Status
Drayton Manor Theme Park is open from March to October. The Drayton Manor Zoo is open all year round and is a great visit during the winter period!
Welcome to Manor Central, over the last three years we have been working at creating the very best Drayton Manor Fansite to bring you all the latest news and information from the theme park.
Over coming months we aim to bring you all the latest news on everything new coming to Drayton Manor for the 60th birthday of the theme park and some updates on the building of the hotel.
Be sure to register as a user on the website and become part of the Manor Central Community!!
Latest News
A WEBSITE UPDATE IS CURRENTLY IN ACTION, THEREFORE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THERE WILL BE OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS, WE APOLOGISE IN ADVANCED!
2nd November 2010
Drayton Manor Closed for Winter!
After a very successful 60th Season, Drayton Manor has now closed for the winter, however, Drayton Manor will not be sleeping this winter, as there is a lot of additions arriving for the 2011 season, including a new rollercoaster, a new BIG ride for Thomas Land and of course the new mulit million pound Hotel!
More news on the rollercoaster and BIG ride for Thomas Land will be available later in the winter!
Explore The Park
Take a look around the theme park with our all new area guide!
21st June 2010
All New Manor Central!
Manor Central has recently been under a complete make over, this means the new website is completely interactive!
There are a range of new features including our long awaited "Explore The Park" page, which allows visitors to take a tour around the park and view what can be found in the different areas of the theme park!
More content and features will be added to the website a lot over the next few days as we begin to get the website online and running preoperly, please do check back soon!
Drayton Manor Hotel Updates New Feature!
Manor Central has now added a brand new feature to the media section of the website for you all to enjoy, on a regular basis new images of the construction of the hotel will be added to the website, which are being recieved from a website set up by Drayton Manor!
Drayton Manor's new attraction for 2011 is a new 150 Bedroom Hotel. We are getting daily webcam image updates of the construction of the hotel and as often as possible we will update the webcam images. Please be aware over time it is likely that hundreds of images will stock up, but the construction is set to continue right through to summer 2011 so be sure to keep checking for the next year!
Find out what's going on at Drayton Manor in the 2010 season including event dates such as the Halloween Spooktacular and the Firework Evenings!
Find your way to Drayton Manor using the maps and directions included here!
Before visiting, check the different height restrictions for different rides to ensure you and the people you visit with can ride!
Find out the prices for tickets at Drayton Manor here, look out for the deals for families and parents with children!
Visiting within the next 5 days? well check out the latest 5 day weather forecast for the Drayton Manor area here!
We have visited Drayton Manor many times, at all different times within the year, so here are our Top Tips for you to take into consideration for your visit to Drayton Manor to make it more enjoyable!
Aerial Park is home to some of the highest flying rides which are found at Drayton Manor. The rides are suited for every sort of visitor, from the thrill seekers right through to the families.
Makeover for 2009
In 2009, Aerial Park had a slight make over, with the addition of the 4D Cinema to the area, the whole of the retail section of the area had a re-theme as a sort of retro style going back to the 60's, with an all new Coffee Shop, Toy Shop and of course the 4D Cinema.
The rides which are found in Aerial Park are:
- Apocalypse
- The Haunting
- Drunken Barrels
- Wild West Shoot Out
- The Big Wheel
- Pandemonium
- Buffalo Coaster
- Sombrero's
- Flying Dutchman
- Drayton Queen
- The Circus
- 4D Cinema
In Aerial Park there is the new Coffee Shop, which is one of our favourite food outlets in the theme park. There is also some sweet stands in this area heading around towards the Zoo.
Aerial Park is home to some of the most thrilling rides in the theme park. All Adrenaline Junkies will enjoy a visit to Action Park, with some record breaking rides featured there!
Record Breakers
Shockwave - Europe's First Stand-Up Rollercoaster
G-Force - Europe's First X-Car Rollercoaster
The rides which are found in Action Park are:
- Maelstrom
- G-Force
- Shockwave
- Splash Canyon
- The Black Revolver
In Action Park there is a brand new Chicken Diner which opened in 2009, serving a whole range of chicken snacks and Drayton Manor's famous Spicy Curly Fries!
There is also Maelstrom's Hot Dogs which can be found in front of Maelstrom!
Toilets are found behind Shockwave past The Black Revolver!
Games Stools are found across many of the different areas of Drayton Manor, allowing guests to play some fun games and have the chance to win some great prizes!
If you're looking to get soaked, Fisherman's Wharf is the place for you! With one of the countries wettest rides, you would be crazy to miss out! What this area lacks in quatity of rides, it makes up for in other attractions!
- Stormforce 10
- The Bounty
- Carousel
- Polperro Express Railway
The food outlets in Fisherman's Wharf are nice little themed cafes and can be found near the Carousel and next to The Bounty!
- Cashpoint
- Shark Photo Point
- Guest Services
- Dolphin Shop
- RNLI Shop
The RNLI Shop is in association with StormForce 10, which sponsors the RNLI and helps fund the great job which the volunteers do on a daily basis!
Pirate's Cove is one of the best themed areas in Drayton Manor. With a whole selection of pirate themed rides throughout the area, this is certainly a place to visit with your family!
The rides which are found in Pirate's Cove are:
- Excalibur
- Pirate Adventure
- Dodgems
- Jolly Bucaneer
In Pirate's Cove there is only one food outlet, this is the "Bucaneer Burger Bar" which is basically just a fast food outlet, with the regular fast food including burgers, fries etc.
There are no public services in this area. The nearest toilets are found near Thomas Land and the entrance to the park!
Welcome to the best themed area of Drayton Manor!
Thomas Land opened back in 2008 and has been a massive hit, costing the theme park £5 million, this investment has been popular with all visitors young and old and is definately worth a visit!
- Knapford Station
- Troublesome Trucks Rollercoaster
- Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem
- Jeremy's Flying Academy
- Crazy Bertie Bus
- Harold's Heli Tours
- Rockin Bulstrode
- Cranky's Drop Tower
- Sodor's Classic Cars
- Lady's Carousel
- Terence's Driving School
Food Outlets found in Thomas Land:
- Sodor Sweets
- Cranky's Refreshment
- Knapford Cafe & Patio
Toilets can be found outside the entrance to Thomas Land and at the other end of the Train Journey in the Farm.
The Game Stalls can be found in Thomas Land and feature a number of games and prizes!
The Thomas Land Shop can be found in Thomas Land, this shop has loads of Thomas and Friends gifts to buy for your children, yourself and friends!
Drayton Manor Zoo is definately worth a visit. Drayton Manor Zoo features a whole range of exotic and rare species of animals!
Set across 15 acres, there are animals, exhibition houses, food outlets, shops and now a new farm!
Food Outlets found in The Farm:
Mrs Kyndley's Kitchen
Food Outlets found in The Zoo:
Rainforest Pizzeria
Toilets can be found in the Farm and Zoo
A Zoo and Garden Centre shop can be found next to the bird section of the zoo, filled with a whole range of cool gifts to be brought!
Armed Force's Weekend 26th and 27th June 2010
With proof of current serving ID up to 4 people can enjoy a discounted rate of £17 each for unlimited rides in the park.
You can purchase these in advance on 0844 472 1960 and collect on the day or purchase on the day.
No other promotional offers can be used with this discount.
Tesco clubcard vouchers can not be used with this offer.
Comedy Night 23rd July
Comedy Night Friday 23rd July!
Tickets £15 for Comedy only
£20 for Comedy and Buffet
Doors Open 7pm
Show starts at 8pm
Bar open till midnight
3 Top Comedians
Located in the Tower Suite at Drayton Manor Park!
Discover Thomas and Friends Exhibition
The Discover Thomas & Friends exhibition has been carefully created to reflect scenes from the popular books and TV show and is based at Farmer McColls barn at the theme parks popular Thomas Land™ attraction.
Visitors can watch as Thomas and his friends go full steam ahead around the original sets from the highly acclaimed Thomas & Friends TV series - offering the ultimate experience for any Thomas the Tank Engine fan.
The whole set has been painstakingly recreated to scale for enthusiasts to enjoy, featuring the familiar sights of Sodor and many of its most famous engines including Rosie, Edward, Terence, Trevor and Bulgy
More Events
Halloween Spooktacular October 2010
Each year during the October period, Drayton Manor has a make over and becomes a spooky theme park. With some great themes across the theme park, it definately makes you feel in the mood!
Saturday 30th October & Sunday 31st October - Fireworks!!
Dont miss these Drayton Manor spectaculars!
Displays Start 7pm
Last Admission 6pm
Two amazing displays that will leave you breathless - with lots of rides open through till 9pm
Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth, Staffordshire on the A4091, just off the A38 / A446, J9 M42 & Exit T2 M6 Toll.
To make travelling to Drayton Manor even easier this Summer CrossCountry trains are running a bus service direct from Tamworth station into the theme park on Fridays and Saturdays over the holiday period 26 June to the 29 August 2009.
Plus you can save up to £1.60 off the standard return bus fare when you buy a rail and bus combination ticket!
Go by rail + bus and save! with CrossCountry trains. To find out more go to CrossCountry trains special offers.
Bus services
For details of bus services to Drayton Manor, visit Arriva or Travel West Midlands
National Express Bus and Coach Services
National Express is making travel simpler by taking you direct to Drayton Manor Theme Park.
National Express West Midlands are running bus services direct to the park at Bank Holiday weekends and throughout the summer starting from the last week in July. http://www.travelwm.co.uk/places-to-visit/
National Express are also running coach services from across the UK which feed into the National Express West Midlands bus services leaving from Birmingham Central Coach Station, Coach services commence from Wednesday 23 July, running five days a week until Sunday 31 August. http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/destinations/events/Drayton.cfm
Satellite Navigation
For visitors that will be using Satellite Navigation to get here, our post code is B78 3TW
Restrictions
Apocalypse (stand-up) 1.4 metres
Apocalypse (sit down) 1.2 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
The following rides are NOT SUITABLE for wheelchair users, special needs and guests with heart trouble, motion sickness, back and neck injuries and expectant mothers:
Apocalypse
Black Revolver
The Bounty
The Haunting
Maelstrom
Pandemonium
Shockwave
Stormforce 10
G-Force
CHILDREN UNDER 1 METRE must be accompanied by an adult on the following rides:
Buffalo Coaster
Big Wheel
Carousel
Chair Lift (no-one under 16 years of age unless accompanied by an adult)
Dodgems
Drunken Barrels
Excalibur
Flying Dutchman
Wild West Shoot Out
Pirate Adventure
Splash Canyon
Jolly Buccaneer
Prices include admission and rides. Free car and coach parking.
Drayton Manor Theme Park is open from 20th March 2010 to 31st October 2010.
Gates open at 9.30am
Rides from 10.30am till a minimum of 5.00pm (please note that ride queues may close earlier).
Please note that the theme park is CLOSED on 20th, 21st and 27th, 28th September and 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th October (the Zoo will be open).
The Zoo is open daily though the 2010 season
Tickets Adult (age 12+ ) £28.00
Child (age 4-11) £24.00
Grandee (age 60+) £14.00
Disabled Visitor & Helper (each) £19.00
Under 4 FREE
Family Supersavers
3 Family Members £69.00
4 Family Members £92.00
5 Family Members £115.00
1 Extra Grandee Ticket (When purchased with any Family Ticket) £14.00
Adult & Toddler (under 4 years)* £19.00
Grandee & Toddler (under 4 years)* £14.00
*Ticket Available only during Staffordshire Term Time (Monday - Friday only 20th March-1st April, 15th April-28th May, 7th June-23rd July, 6th September-22nd October)
Prices include VAT at the current prevailing rate.
No child or children under the age of 12 will be admitted to the park unless they are accompanied by a paying adult who is over 18 years of age.
We accept American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Delta & Maestro. We do NOT accept personal cheques.
Please be aware these weather forecasts are only predictions, 90% of the time these forecasts will be correct, however occasionaly the weather may change, so please do not plan a day visit just on the weather forecasted for a couple of days in advanced!
Drayton Manor is a great family theme park, but there are some tips that we have for you to make the trip more enjoyable!
- On the day of visiting, check the Drayton Manor website to find out which rides are not in operation on the day. Check the scrolling text on the homepage to find out what rides are closed.
- Get to the teme park as early as you can on the day to avoid dissapointment, the theme park opens at 9am and rides open at 10:30am, if you arrive for around 9:30am you will be able to get near the front of the queue for one of your favourite rides!
- Arrange to ride the wet rides usually during the middle of the day, this would be a good idea as you then have the whole afternoon to dry off!
- One top way to spend your lunch would be to ride Stormforce 10 before lunch, then consider going for a walk around the Zoo whilst getting lunch to walk around and eat, especially in the summer this is a good idea as you dry off the the sun!
- Don't be put off by the queue for Pandemonium, the ride takes 64 people per ride and that is usually about 75% of the queue getting on one ride. Join the queue and you will be on the ride within 2 rides!
- Check height restrictions at the entrance of the queue lines to ensure everybody who is going on the ride is tall enough to ride. The worst thing to happen would be to queue for a ride for over an hour and then find out somebody is not tall enough to ride!
- Grab a map at the park entrance when you buy your tickets! They are a useful item to carry around, especially when you don't know your way around!
- Don't plan your route around the park before you even get there, there could be large queues for some rides and so you may miss some rides and make your route plan fail, arrive at the park and choose ride by ride, it's the best way to have fun!
- Finally have fun!
Don't let anything ruin your day, there is always the possibilty something may not go how you planned, for example the length of a queue or the weather. There are loads of other things in your visit to make the day amazing!
Take a look at how Drayton Manor has evolved over the last 60 years with this new timeline!
1790 Estate, including a Georgian House, is purchased by Sir Robert Peel.
1830 The building of the new Drayton Manor house begins. It would take five years to complete.
1843 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit the estate.
1884 The Peel Estate, which had expanded to over 10,000 acres, is split up to pay off debts.
1926 Drayton Manor is sold to Mr King of Aberdeen for £6,780 who demolished the house. Only the clock tower was left standing.
1939-45 Drayton Manor is used as an army base
1949 The estate is purchased by Mr & Mrs George Bryan for around £6,000.
16th October arrive on site and work to create Drayton Manor Park also begins.
1950 Easter Drayton Manor Park opened with one restaurant, a tea room, three hand operated rides, six rowing boats and some dodgems.
1954 A small zoo is opened by Mrs Molly Badham, who later opened Twycross Zoo.
1959 Mr J Shipley introduced more rides and side shows as a concession.
1960 The Tower Ballroom was opened.
1964 The Chairlift was built at a cost of £27,000 across 1/2 mile of water.
1966 A new larger zoo is built covering 15 acres.
1971 Drayton Queen Paddle Steamer is launched.
1976 Dinosaurland was built with 29 life size models on display.
1981 Roller coaster and log flume installed.
1982-1992 Between £500,000 to £1m is invested yearly on installing
new rides. In 1990 the Pirate Adventure was built at a cost of £3 million. The park also celebrated its anniversary.
1992 Splash Canyon is opened after six months work at a cost of £3 million.
1993 Shockwave, the only stand up coaster in Europe is installed.
1994 The Python roller coaster is replaced with the Klondike Old Mine ride.
1995 The Haunting, a haunted house, opened at a cost of £1 million.
1998 Seven new childrens rides are introduced to Robinsons Childrens Corner, including Frog Hopper, Mini Balloons and the Whirly Copter Wheel.
1999 Stormforce 10 is opened at a cost of £2 million.
2000 Apocalypse, the worlds first stand-up drop ride is opened, along with the Golden Nuggets Wild West Shoot-Out and the Popeye Stage Show, at a combined cost of almost £3 million.
2002 Maelstrom, the thrilling gyro swing, which soars to a height of over 22 metres and revolves at up to 120 degrees, is launched.
2003 Excalibur, a dragons tale is opened. This is a journey through a medieval town in the company of a mighty, but normally friendly, dragon, who is chased by a gang of knights.
2004 Jolly Roger, a new family ride opened during the Easter holiday. This is a boat ride with a difference, which joins the Jolly Buccaneer and Pirate Adventure, in the Pirate cove area.
Pandemonium is launched on 29th June, a new £1million ride which sends the world upside down for 64 thrill-seekers, when sat on two 32-seater platforms, riders are sent soaring as high as 24.7 metres into the sky.
In 2004 George Bryan received an OBE.
2005 G Force is opened by G4 on 26th July. The new £3 million roller coaster features a revolutionary new hip restraint system, leaving passengers dangling totally free to experience the ride of a lifetime.
2007 The Bounty is launched and quickly becomes a favourite with thrill seekers.
2008 Opening of Thomas Land™. Set within three acres of the existing park, Europes first and only Thomas Land features 12 themed rides, an indoor play arena, café, an outdoor play area, as well a huge shop where visitors can choose from a massive range of Thomas & Friends goodies.
2009 Curtains rise for the sensational 152-seat 4D Cinema. This new £1m attraction uses the latest in technology and film content to ensure the ultimate cinema experience. It allows the audience to watch a movie in 3D whilst seated in chairs that react to scenes in the film by moving up and down, releasing bursts of air, bubbles and various smells.
The unique Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition, featuring the original model sets from the highly acclaimed TV series, unveiled in Thomas Land. The exhibition has been painstakingly recreated using original sets from the TV series filmed at Shepperton Studios.
2010 Marks Drayton Manors 60th Anniversary year.
Premier of the Oscar-winning animation, Happy Feet in the 4D Cinema. This specially adapted 12-minute film tells the tale of penguin Mumble, who bravely tries to save his friends from starvation after humans steal their supply of fish.
New Dino Trail that has near-life size models of dinosaurs, including the likes of Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, Iguanodon and Stegosaurus.
Building work begins on the Drayton Manor Park Hotel.
Status
Attraction
Theme Park
CLOSED
Zoo
Open Again 27th Nov
Hotel
Under Construction
Manor Central Forum is Back!
After a short period we have been able to return Manor Central Forum back to the website, to visit the forum click the logo below and join the Manor Central Community!
