One of the worst experiences I have ever had here. I been he previously and my experience was fine but this time was the worst. At the start it was fine. Entered the park with ease and went on the wave and was really fun and enjoyable. The I went on the swing again fun and enjoyable. But now I waited for the accelerator and there was a technical issue which forced us to exit the ride. Then we went to the gold rush and waited there for at least 2 1/2hr and there was also a technical issue multiple times and is making us spend all of our time on this ride and has made this 1 of the worst experience I have ever had a Drayton manor. read more

I went here on a school trip yesterday. I was disappointed. Although the food and coasters were good, the queues were horrible, first off the queue for the wave WAS like a human wave because of people cutting into the line. I'm the smallest person in my group so this was a very big problem, at some points in the queue I could hardly breathe because of many people pushing around in the queue and we ended up waiting 2-3 hours stuck like that. Secondly it felt like all of the staff were mad at something and at some points weren't even doing their job. I'm a big fan of the chips, but not a big fan of the wasps there, they were constantly swarming my can of Pepsi that I brought. Thirdly, HORRIBLE prices, one single portion of chips was £4.50 one single, small bottle of Oasis was £3.50! I had to swipe my card without looking both times. Also the queue for accelerator was the same as the queue for the wave, I was pushed from the inside of the line to the outside of the line in seconds. again probably from people pushing in which the staff couldn't care enough to deal with. Both of these coasters were amazing but the queues just ruined the experience. Please improve the staff and please try to fix the line cutting problem so people can have a better experience next time. read more

It's a great family park, but it's only a family park. The only real thrill ride was apocalypse, but that was removed. Just go to Alton towers. read more

Not sprawling in pretty grounds like Alton Towers, but this means that you can cart children around without them getting too knackered. These days, I feel a bit old at DM and I don't think I would go again without my niece or nephew in tow (Nephew in particular is a Thomas the Tank fan, despite his Dad's "not like the old days" protesting). It is mostly aimed at kids, but, if you're a big kid, that means quicker times getting yourself on the bigger rides- which are adequate enough for a bit of adrenaline. Like all theme parks, food is a bit pricey, and some people are pushy, and you are pretty much guaranteed to see a minimum of three crying children. (Granted, I was terrified of the haunted house here when my childhood best friend and I came for her 5th Birthday, I thought the man in the painting was watching us, and she thought the floor was on fire- it's really not terrifying). read more

DO NOT and i repeat DO NOT go here on a day where school children go even if it's cheaper, you would be lucky to get on 2 rides

Great day out for the kids and even adults, price can be expensive, but some good vouchers online so look around, sometimes all rides arnt working like the day this year we went. If you want to save bit of money take lunch as you can go back to car at anytime. as food prices could be expensive. It is a good day out, see some pics and more details on my site at http://www.kevinsimon.co.uk/?p=954 read more

Drayton Manor Theme Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Tamworth, STS

Drayton Manor Park is a fun amusement park with some terrific rides and a zoo. I usually make it a double fun weekend by combining a visit here with a ski at the nearby Tamworth Snowdome. It's nice that Drayton Manor Park has remained independent, out of the clutches of the corporate giants like Merlin. Some parts of the park could do with a facelift but it's still got some of the best thrill rides in the UK. My favourite is Apocalyse, which is in my top 3 rides in the UK. It's a 54 meter vertical drop tower but there are 3 ways of riding it. The first is sitting, which gives a great drop sensation and is similar to most of the other drop towers. The second is to ride it standing up but as you rise up the tower, you're tipped outwards so that at the top, you're leaning outwards before you fall - the daredevils let go of the shoulder restraints and smile at the camera at the top. Then, there is the '5th dimension', where you're standing and there's no footrest to stand on!! A true adrenaline rush. The other unique ride is Shockwave, the only standup roller coaster in Europe. It can bash your head around a bit, so press your head sideways into the restraint to stop your ears getting a good boxing! The newest ride is G-Force, which has a novel restraint system and spins you through multiple rolls, curves and camelbacks. There are also water rides and more family friendly rides. The zoo isn't huge but worth a wander round to get the breath and balance back between rides. I've haven't been up yet this year to experience the new 4D theatre experience. For an adrenaline junkie like me, it's worth going up to Drayton Manor just to ride Apocalyse. read more

Being the kind of jammy person who gets free tickets for things, I can't really comment on the buying tickets experience, or VFM. However, what's great about Drayton Manor is it is genuinely good for younger kids- with ThomasLand, rollercoasters and rides like the carousel, ferris wheel and boat trips it's pretty well set up. Also it's actually fairly small so you can get around easily, no big treks. Food concessions are quite varied and look nice- we ate at the Grill by the back entrance. It's not actually in the park but you can get your hand stamped to go there. Prices are pub-normal so around a tenner for a burger with chips and slaw and about £8 for kids menu which includes dessert. Good if you want a proper meal rather than snacks. Don't worry, it does have some 'big' rides too- G Force hangs you upside down which is slightly unnerving... We didn't go on many of these though as the weather became a bit dire- there are a few more weather friendly attractions though. A few of the other coasters looked pretty good too though, it's definitely got good adult rides- and a friend of mine admits he actually found the Ben 10 ride a bit scary- it looks good! We must have been there off peak, it being the Sunday before the bank holiday weekend as we barely queued at all, I think the longest queue was around 20 minutes and that was for G Force. The kids rides were fine, maybe 5 or so minute queues- I hear that's definitely not always the case though so do check your dates. There's a zoo as well, with monkeys, a panther, ostriches, owls and the like. I'm not a big fan though- it's a bit old fashioned with small cages and the panther was just pacing up and down. I think most zoos have moved on and this seems a bit stuck in the past. The monkeys were being fed when we got there though, which was fun to watch. read more

There are plenty of great rides and lots to do a very fun day out, with friends and family.

It seems, for me anyway, that Drayton Manor has always been in direct competition with Alton Towers, as to who will succeed and welcome me as a visitor in the summer. For my friends and I, It has always been a 'thing' of ours, to head over to a theme park in the summer months, and with these two the closest/biggest nearby we've always had to make this tough decision. The past few years saw us choose Alton Towers, but this summer we broke from tradition and headed to Tamworth, to Drayton Manor. Paying just over £20 each, this group of 19/20 year old men had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, especially favouring the more thrilling rides such as Apocalypse, Maelstrom and Storm-Force 10. Overall, the day was a success, the weather was on our side and we made the great decision of bringing our own food, avoiding the extortionate prices on offer (may this be a warning to you...) read more

We're a little spoiled for theme parks in the midlands, with having both Alton Towers and Drayton Manor close by! And although Alton Towers would be first choice for a lot of people, Drayton Manor has many advantages. It's a great day out for all the family there are more rides and attractions to keep the children amused than at Alton Towers, and the entry price is much cheaper. There are quite a few bigger rides for the thrillseekers as well, including Shockwave, a stand-up rollercoaster! The zoo is pretty impressive too, and last time I went we were just in time to see an amazing display with the birds of prey there were eagles and owls flying about all over the place! It was lovely to be able to see the animals so close up. Definitely a good value day out for the whole family. read more

Not the biggest or best theme park around, but a decent short day out. About 6 'big' rides and quite a few other 'go on once' types. Also storm force 10 will get you very very wet :) Fairly cheap at £21 online for an adult, well organised parking and food not too expensive, also photos only a fiver now. read more

This is a place that very much reminds me of my childhood - or mispent youth as some would put it - when we used to sneak in for free and chat up the male staff to get extra rides..... Anyway now for the serious stuff Drayton Manor Park and Zoo has been around in various forms for around 100 yrs and is steeped in history. It started off as a private house(which is still there) with beautiful gardens and grounds which they decided to open to the public. Over the time that has elapsed since it has grown into one of the best theme parks in the Uk (in my opinion). Prices are steep (£22 an adult, £19 a child, free for under 4s) - but comparable with similar alternatives like Alton Towers. You can get a reduced family of four ticket for £70 though. There is plenty to do whatever your age and you can have a really good day even if you are not into the large-scale rides. I have to say not the best place to go if raining though - there is not that much that is undercover. The Zoo is worth dedicating a good couple of hours too. Well laid out, with an excellent gift shop and a particularly good reptile house I feel. The dedicated kids are has just had a bucket-load of money spent on it and is now revamped with 'Thomas the Tank Engine' theme. Even if you are taking young children they will enjoy this area plus the zoo, boats, amusement arcade, and park areas. Oh, and they do have kids theatre, circus, pantomime and other events also. For the adults there are numerous adrenaline rides which they add to quite frequently, a pub, plus another bar and plenty of green leafy places to sit and just chill if the weather suits. Catering - wise its again expensive - as always at these places but there are several options and the food has always been of decent quality in my experience. Mainly the food is of the burger, hot dog and chips variety. The large waffle cones they make are recommended if you are an ice-cream lover like me. The Park also has evening events which are viewable on its website, and has a function room available for hire. good for weddings and parties. I have attended a couple of amateur boxing nights at the 'Manor' and found them to be really enjoyable (although I have to say the accompanying meal only scored a 2 or a 3). read more

Drayton Manor Theme Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Tamworth, STS

As theme parks the world over stand, Drayton Manor is a solid choice. It is definitely a local theme park, but with enough action and adventure to please all ye swashbucklers! Tickets aren't cheap, but they aren't astronomical either -- £28 is a full price adult's tickets. If you do one of their Family Saver Deals, you'll probably only end up paying £22, which, for a full day of fun, including lions, tigers and bears, oh my! is probably worth it. Drayton Manor has all the theme park staples -- large log cabin-style water ride, upside down ferris wheel, twisty turny sick-making huge roller coaster, etc. But then it all gets interesting. Firstly, for kids (and adults -- you know you loved Thomas as a child) there's Thomas Land, full of all sorts of Thomas the Tank Engine themed rides, attractions and fun. The Fat Controller can be seen walking around, looking at his pocket watch and taking photos with kids. Then there's the zoo (that was the lions, tigers and bears, oh MY! bit, in case you didn't get it), full of the aforementioned animals, and loads more. Whether you agree with zoos or not, this is a pretty good one, and has a unique collection of worldwide animals. At the Discovery Centre, there are talks on wildlife and ecology and a man playing round with a boa constricter, which kids absolutely adore. All the talks I've heard have been informative but really fun and accessible for kids. During Christmas, Drayton Manor really lay on the charm, with old Victorian Christmas villages, ice skating, Christmas-themed shows and food, and a sparkling winter wonderland of snow and millions of fairy lights. It's truly magical. read more

Great theme park, with a great selection of rides for young and old. Recent addition is Thomasland, which is great for those with younger children. read more

Drayton Manor is a theme park based in Staffordshire and really has attraction that will appeal to everyone. I haven't been to Drayton Manor for years and it was like a distant memory from my childhood. Booking online was really very simple and cost £23, which I consider at decent price considering the amount of attractions they have. I don't know if the price is different at the gate though. Right, the park itself. I love the big thrill rides so always do them first. My three top rides are; the Apocalypse, a stand up tower drop ride (there is a sit down option as well) it takes a few minutes to reach the top but seconds to get back down again, awesome. The ride tilts you forward slightly to improve the experience. Secondly the Maelstrom, which is a big swing ride that is very cool. My favourite of the thrill rides is Storm Force 10, my friends and I sat on the back seat and when it forces you backwards you get soaked, brilliant fun though! On a separate note, there is also a carousel, how old school is that!! For the children there is Thomas Land, which I'm not an expert on but seems to get great reviews with the children. There is also a zoo which provides a great interlude from the thrill rides, especially if you need to dry off from Storm Force 10. There is a wide range of animals, loving the monkey by the way, to keep everyone amused. Overall Drayton Manor is a great day out that the whole family can really enjoy, there is also quite a lot and I would argue it is not an expensive day when there is so much on offer. Food at the park is pretty good, I know I'll definitely be going back. read more

I love this place especially when they have firework shows near october november. Prices are expensive but well worth it. Its a really nice place to go with the family. they have a zoo aswell. If you know any child who loves thomas the tank engine its a must they have a whole area devoted to thomas! They have really big rides and little rides. Something for everyone. They have a really good drink offer of big bottle and you pay like 5 pound for it and can get it filled as many times as you like. Food is mainly chips hot dogs. have really long ques though but it is what you would expect. read more

Drayton manor is a nice theme park, there is something for all the family. There is ample parking, food areas and photo opportunities. Drayton manor does not compare well to larger parks such as Alton Towers due to size and number of rides. read more

I went to DM with my family. We were so excited! We were not disappointed. The big thriller rides had very short queues. Apocalypse had no queue and all and therefore I went on it 3 times...in a row!!! I didn't know I had it in me. I was so scared going up the ride, the fall was immense. I recommend you all give it a go. There was a VERY long queue for the mild rollercoaster ride with the Red Indian on it. It wasn't worth the wait at all. Wasted time, but it wasn't too bad as we made up for it on the big rides as the queues were short. We didn't eat there...we did the Indian thing and packed a massive lunch, so we ate at our cars. The staff were really helpful and the toilets were clean. Couldn't ask for anything more. We bought our tickets online and so it was approx. £20 as opposed to a whopping £36 at the door! read more

Drayton Manor has always been great, well worth a visit to the impressive rides - a lot closer to home for Brummies than Alton Towers, that's for sure! The 110 bus takes you there from Birmingham/Sutton, read more

Drayton Manor is one of the worst theme park in Britain. It is a bit of a kids' theme park with roller-coaster ride like 'Thomas the tank engine' in the Draytons' Manor zoo part but there are some good rides, although you have to wait about 3 hours just to get on one ride, they aren't well themed either. The prices for everything is expensive for an example is the entrance of the Theme Park. Some of the staff are unfriendly and even rood, though others are OK. The park is quite untidy as there don't seem to be much bins, so there is litter around. read more

nahhh i love this place! :D my fav ride is the first 1 u see wen u first walk in, cant remember wot its called but its the big round swing thing and makes every1 b sick :L meeeee looovvvvvvveeeeeee! read more

This is a nice sized theme park. It has plenty of rides but isn't so large you can't get round in a day. We went midweek so it was quiet but I an see there being long queues at weekends. There are rids suitable for everyone including adults and kids and also a nice zoo and animal petting place. The food is expensive but no more than other theme parks. read more

I love this place, there are so many rides to go on & the price are reasonable. They are have many rides such as bounce, stormforce 10, shockwave(which is scary, but great!!) For a great family day out this is the place to go! read more

A great day out for the whole family with rides for younger children too! plenty of souveneir shops and places to get food. I reccomend maelstrom and g-force! storm force 10 always seems to have the biggest queues so i wait until the last half hour where there is not really much queue! read more

perfect place for families of all ages. prices have gone up in the last few years but its understandbale qwhen you see what they have to offer. the zoo is a must see and i reccommend the shockwave!! read more

great day out for all, thomas land is fab for the young ones and you can onthe rides too, the zoo, entertainments, adult rides, lake etc the list goes on. its advisable to pack a picnic as always food and drink etc is pricey especially if there is a group or family going. the best way of paying for it as well is through the tesco clubcard deals it's a fraction of the price, especially if it's a day out to Thomas Land who wants to pay full price adlult entry to meet the fat controller......they also do special xmas events etc definitlet worth the trip x read more

Drayton Manor always suffers from comparisons with its bigger, better neighbour Alton Towers, but it is a great theme park in its own right. I spent many a school trip here and have been back several times as an adult. Last time I went, I went on Maelstrom first and it made me rather ill. Shockwave is a classic, rode that many times as a kid. And Stormforce10 is a great water ride, though you'll get wetter standing outside the fence of the ride than you will on it. The Haunting's a good laugh, though often disappoints those who have been queuing for the nine months or so it can seem to take to get into it. The Pirate Adventure's probably still my favourite, though it looks very dated now compared to when I was a kid. Food and drink are very expensive here as they are at any theme park. Drayton Manor tends to be not as hectic and mad-dash as Alton Towers, it's a nice day out. Give it a go. Go on. read more

this place is poor it has only 5 proper good rides all the others are for babies and even if you do go on the good rides you have gotta with in up to 4 hour long lines !!!!! read more

Draytom manor is a well kept theme park with plenty to do for all the family there are lots of rides & attractions.

drayton manner is fantastic!! it has something for everybody and any age group!! it also has a great zoo with a great variety of animals!! there is plenty of choices to eat and everywhere is easy to get to!! everywhere is nice and clean and the staff are all helpful and polite!! they also do a great firework display aswell near bonfire night!! read more

Drayton manor theme park is a great day out for all the family. They have many attractions for all ages including the new thomas land which i must say is a must for children. The price are average compared to other places £25.00 for an adult £21.00 for a child and under 4s are free. Not only do you have access to the ride you also have access to their wonderful zoo which has a wide range of animals ranging from tigers to reptiles. The staff there are great and go out of their way to entertain you. The only thing i hate about drayton manor is the prices of drinks and food its ok i suppose if you want to buy a gift as its a one of but when your there all day and you need a drink by the end of the visit it all totals up so i would advise taking a packed lunch and drinks with you. If you have a young child or baby drayton manor also do i facility where you can hire a pushchair from them. If i had to rate drayton manor i would give it a 7/10 read more

I live locally so visit this park on a regular basis. In 2008, this park has really gone downhill whilst cutting costs. Litter is everywhere, graffitti everywhere, wasps and insects everywhere,rides needing painted. I would really save your £22 (expensive for small park) and use it towards Alton Towers - Staffordshire's best park! read more

Great to spend a day out. But you can spend an extra £5max and have a huge day out at alton towers. Sorry but its too expensive for its size. read more

Drayton Manor is a great place if you want to go to a theme park but don;t want to go to somewhere quite as expensive and flash as Alton Towers. There are plenty of thrill rides for the more adventurous of people, but also some nice family rides. One thing that I particuarly like is that there is also a zoo here. I sometimes felt a bit sorry for the animals being in such a noisy place, btu they seem happy for the most part. Its nice to have a big exciting day on the rides and then relax by giong aroundthe zoo for a bit. Drayton Manor is definitely worth the money and if you go in the autumn/winter when they do their fireworks display you definitely won't be disappointed. The display is brilliant and it means that the rides are open longer meaning that you might be riding in the dark very scary!! read more

Drayton Manor is a great theme park to go to with young children, especially since the addition of the fantastic Thomas Land. There are many rides suitable for pre-school children here, and if it rains there is also an indoor playground. After you have enjoyed the morning on the rides, it is nice to have a lazy afternoon strolling around the zoo - the tigers are the main attraction. The theme park is not too big that you can't see it all in a day too. read more

great day out for young and old everything in one place,easy to get there plenty of parking.fantastic rides

the place is clean and well maintained but there isnt that much there they is a zoo (but i havent visited that part). the rides are thrilling and it has europes only stand up coaster. it has a really good log flume (that goes backwards!) overall it is a fun day out but its only a thing that you go to for a day and thats it. read more