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Drayton Manor Park
- Thread starter Matty
- Start date
DistortAMG
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
Few bits I noticed today. First one was the animatronic bird in The Haunting queue. Animatronic might be a stretch but it moves. Never ever noticed that before.
Noticed a nod to Pirate Adventure with the last figurine in Sherrifs showdown being one from the Pirate Adventure.
When did they remove the metal fencing in the dogems queue line. I could quite easily reach up and touch the live electrified DC roof cage if I wished to. Something the fence stopped. Fences like this are needed for the woman I mention below.
Standing in Sheriffs showdown queue at the start of the day, a woman comes barging past to speak to the operator. No issues. Laughable facepalm moment when she then tells the operator that there is a chain up covering the entrance of The Haunting and should she just go over it, then pretty much telling the operator she is going over it....this is why H&S has to be so strict, for people like this.
Noticed a nod to Pirate Adventure with the last figurine in Sherrifs showdown being one from the Pirate Adventure.
When did they remove the metal fencing in the dogems queue line. I could quite easily reach up and touch the live electrified DC roof cage if I wished to. Something the fence stopped. Fences like this are needed for the woman I mention below.
Standing in Sheriffs showdown queue at the start of the day, a woman comes barging past to speak to the operator. No issues. Laughable facepalm moment when she then tells the operator that there is a chain up covering the entrance of The Haunting and should she just go over it, then pretty much telling the operator she is going over it....this is why H&S has to be so strict, for people like this.
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Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
When the birds were 1st installed in 2016 they had red led eyes which made them more scary. I told my daughter that the bird was watching her so be good.
The figure at the end of Sheriff showdown has always been in there from day 1. It’s hit or miss if he works or not. If you look closely the guy on the toilet also is 1 of the pirates heads they must have had some spare.
The metal fencing was removed when it was re-themed from the sponsorship of free radio to Dodgems ahoy think it was 2016 with the outside been re-themed in 2017.
It’s shocking how many parents let there kids sit on the metal railing while they wait. I always said they need to having a new sign up telling guests how many are admitted every 15 mins and on busy days they have another chain so when they let in up to 40 guests they count another 40 into the area in front of the fake doors so if anyone has just joined the queue pass the 2nd chain they got a 30 min wait and have a sign in the court yard area that you could be waiting 45 mins from here so it be up to guests if they join or not.
The figure at the end of Sheriff showdown has always been in there from day 1. It’s hit or miss if he works or not. If you look closely the guy on the toilet also is 1 of the pirates heads they must have had some spare.
The metal fencing was removed when it was re-themed from the sponsorship of free radio to Dodgems ahoy think it was 2016 with the outside been re-themed in 2017.
It’s shocking how many parents let there kids sit on the metal railing while they wait. I always said they need to having a new sign up telling guests how many are admitted every 15 mins and on busy days they have another chain so when they let in up to 40 guests they count another 40 into the area in front of the fake doors so if anyone has just joined the queue pass the 2nd chain they got a 30 min wait and have a sign in the court yard area that you could be waiting 45 mins from here so it be up to guests if they join or not.
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
Went to the park this afternoon. Can’t believe for a bank holiday weekend how quiet it was.
Just a few news updates we got a new name for the ice cream parlour by the haunting also they brought back the lunch boxes for kids which is a good move by the park.
Now on the Viking’s area got some good and bad news.
First the good news when Jormungandr opens it’s gonna have on ride photos and it looks like it was the camera that was on the rapids. Still no sign of the new train on site yet.
Now for the bad news not sure what’s wrong with Sleipnir but the whole track has been removed and placed on the former Vertigo site. There was management looking round the ride station building.
Just a few news updates we got a new name for the ice cream parlour by the haunting also they brought back the lunch boxes for kids which is a good move by the park.
Now on the Viking’s area got some good and bad news.
First the good news when Jormungandr opens it’s gonna have on ride photos and it looks like it was the camera that was on the rapids. Still no sign of the new train on site yet.
Now for the bad news not sure what’s wrong with Sleipnir but the whole track has been removed and placed on the former Vertigo site. There was management looking round the ride station building.
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Willemgorman1
TS Member
Overall, it will probably take 1-2 more months to be open. Refurbishing buffalo was a great idea and so was adding loki and thor. I think they could’ve done something better than sleipnir. Maybe just have those 3 rides for this year and instead of sleipnir a family thrill coaster as part of a phase 2. That would’ve been much betterWent to the park this afternoon. Can’t believe for a bank holiday weekend how quiet it was.
Just a few news updates we got a new name for the ice cream parlour by the haunting also they brought back the lunch boxes for kids which is a good move by the park.
Now on the Viking’s area got some good and bad news.
First the good news when Jormungandr opens it’s gonna have on ride photos and it looks like it was the camera that was on the rapids. Still no sign of the new train on site yet.
Now for the bad news not sure what’s wrong with Sleipnir but the whole track has been removed and placed on the former Vertigo site. There was management looking round the ride station building.
Nice to see it will have ride photos. Do you know if the ride photos on the rapids are gone for good? I noticed the camera was MIA when I was there a month back.Went to the park this afternoon. Can’t believe for a bank holiday weekend how quiet it was.
Just a few news updates we got a new name for the ice cream parlour by the haunting also they brought back the lunch boxes for kids which is a good move by the park.
Now on the Viking’s area got some good and bad news.
First the good news when Jormungandr opens it’s gonna have on ride photos and it looks like it was the camera that was on the rapids. Still no sign of the new train on site yet.
Now for the bad news not sure what’s wrong with Sleipnir but the whole track has been removed and placed on the former Vertigo site. There was management looking round the ride station building.
A new coaster is rumoured to be planned for the park, expected to be for 2024.
Promised by park management and discussed since 2012!
Yes while it’s is only rumoured, as have many coasters in the past. (Vekoma launched coaster, S&S suspended coaster and wooden coaster just to name a few planed for last 10 years that haven’t gone ahead).
There is a difference now though with the looping group, and we are actually seeing non thomasland investment. However it is early days and could easily be cancelled/not go ahead.
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I take it you not got kids yet as im glad there looking at adding rides for the under 1m tall age group as my daughter been over 1.35 she can enjoy Thor and Loki while I take my son on Sleipnir as his just over 900m. That's the only problem with adventure cove he can only go on some of the outdoor play area while my daughter can't go on the rapids or storm force 10 as she's not old enough on her own.
George W
TS Member
Not that it means much but one of the accelerator operators I was making conversation with said don't expect a new rollercoaster for a very long time
Jb85
TS Member
To be fair I don’t think 2024 is realistic. There is a lot for the park to sort out first. And I would also say 2024 is likely to be a big year for Uk coasters, with Thorpe getting one and Chessington. Best wait a couple of years if I were Drayton
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Chessington's is due for 2023.
James Watkins
TS Member
Laurent Bruloy (Looping Group CEO) has said “We think this park has good potential. We will build three new rides for this year and have a very big project for 2024.” (This was originally 2023, but the article was updated)
Coaster Chall, has said this ‘very big project’ will be a family thrill coaster. I have no reason to doubt this, as he clearly has a reliable inside source, having correctly predicted both Adventure Cove and Vikings.
Excalibur
TS Member
I did sit and wonder a few times over the past week the scenarios, that if the Bryan’s still owned the park and the Splash Canyon incident didn’t happen to know what position or investment the park would get now, or was it on the table all along to sell up?
As much as I loved the Bryan’s and what they achieved… Investment dried up in the main park, only focusing on Thomas Land, I think G Force would have left either way. But it would be interesting to know what there next step would have been for the park.
As much as I loved the Bryan’s and what they achieved… Investment dried up in the main park, only focusing on Thomas Land, I think G Force would have left either way. But it would be interesting to know what there next step would have been for the park.
DistortAMG
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- POTC Disneyland Paris
It would have got non, that is why the park had no main investments for well over a decade. They had no money. The floods, COVID and then the anticipated fine was enough to tip them over the edge. But they were fundamentally running on fumes and riddled with debt, this is supported by the public accounts and the fact there were no real substantial additions for a long time.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the park has a much better future now they are in new hands. It is kind of sad, as some of the factors were outside the Bryan's control. It cannot of been easy letting go of something you built and nurtured into it's third generation of family. To be fair I do think 2024 is realistic. There is a lot for the park to sort out but they are doing that now / will do that in time.
A coaster is absolutely coming soon I think. 2024. As others have said, it is desperately needed and the park know this. 'Holding off' until after other parks have built their new rides is a bit of a silly move, which is exactly why the park will not do that. You want to keep up with the competition, not let them get ahead and then make your move. Drayton sat around for over a decade, there is no time like the present for them.
Besides, the Merlin parks are scheduled for next year opening, possibly 2024 for Thorpe? Not that this will make much of a difference as they are approximately 100 miles away and while in competition technically, Drayton have a massive city and surrounding area with a huge population to pull the majority of their guests in from, aka the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Warwickshire to name a few.
You could argue that Drayton 'held off' for 10 years. Look where that got them. Nearly 40% of the UK's population are within an hour or so of Drayton Manor. Competition from the southern parks won't be much of an issue and never has been, specifically because of this. They just need to invest now, like they are doing, to capture more of that huge population centre that surrounds the park. Exactly like how they used to capture it in decades gone by. Sure people do travel from afar, but it is not like the park is lacking in people near to it, that is the point I am making.
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BigShadowtinytree
TS Member
There are two things the park is missing, another coaster and a dark ride. The big 2024 project will be one of those things in my opinion. More likely to be a new coaster I think, but I would be so excited if they finally did something with the Pirate Adventure building (as long as it doesn’t involve tearing it down for more Thomas Land).
Themeparksandy1981
TS Member
I was going thought my old phone and found a old planning application the park submitted in 2019.
