Drayton Manor Park

[rob666]

How much money does AT water park make I wonder. It's obviously a revenue stream in the off season too which helps cash flow.

A water Park might actually be a good idea if there isn't anything local to compete with.

With the current costs of heating water in pools, a great number are hitting a hard costs over revenue wall.
The water park may be a revenue stream in the off season, but I bet expenditure will be greater than revenue this season.
We just don't have the weather for a long season outdoor water park.

 

[DistortAMG]

With the current costs of heating water in pools, a great number are hitting a hard costs over revenue wall.
The water park may be a revenue stream in the off season, but I bet expenditure will be greater than revenue this season.
We just don't have the weather for a long season outdoor water park.

Unsure if they are on a metered or unmetered supply. Unmetered means they would not be affected as much by electricity costs to heat the pool due to paying a flat rate. I know many industrial sites are unmetered. Not sure about Drayton and theme parks in general though.

One thing that has affected swimming pools in Tamworth though and would certainly affect a pool at Drayton, is the apparent chlorine shortage. The Snowdome swimming pool announced it's closure yesterday, with no set date of re opening. I wonder if this will affect other pools and waterparks around the country, I would imagine so. I guess it depends on how much of a supply they have stored.

SnowDome pool forced to shut due to chlorine shortage with no date set to reopen

The pool at Tamworth's SnowDome is currently closed due to a chlorine shortage

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[Ciaran]

I may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure AT is on an unmetered supply and DMP is not. This is just based on things I've overheard over the years. It could have changed since then though.

 

[jon81uk]

With the current costs of heating water in pools, a great number are hitting a hard costs over revenue wall.
The water park may be a revenue stream in the off season, but I bet expenditure will be greater than revenue this season.
We just don't have the weather for a long season outdoor water park.

Yeah I would expect if they did go down the waterpark route it would be indoors.
I wouldn't even bother with a small outside area like AT has.

 

[Willemgorman1]

In the next 10-15 years, i think this is what drayton needs:
•New family/thrill coaster on the pandemonium, apocalypse and old fish and chip shop site. I would love a mack extreme spinner with 1 or 2 inversions but realistically, i bet it’s something from intamin or gerstlaur.
•Do something with the pirates adventure building, if that’s brining the ride back, using the building for something else or just knocking the building down. If they did knock it down then that area and the excalibur area would be another major coaster site.
•The centre of the park where the bounty, jolly buccaneer, the carousel and the arcade building is needs a refresh. Maybe remove the arcades and that whole building and have a new ride there to make a pirate themed area including the bounty, the new ride, and jolly buccaneer. I would relocate the carousel somewhere into the zoo. Also have themed music in that area and not pop music.
•I can definitely see this happening for next year and that’s a phase 2 to vikings where the vertigo ticket building was and behind wallhalla. Either a brand new flat ride, a kids coaster similar to farmyard flyer at paultons, or an indoor and outdoor walkthrough experience. Also add some toilets into that area.
•When the new coaster is built on the apocalypse and pandemonium area, do something with the drunken barrels and sherrifs showdown area. Personally, i would replace those two rides with a brand new, really good dark ride investment and have it in the themed area with the new coaster and possibly a flat ride in the area.
•Do something with the very outdated and partly terrible looking zoo. Either completely refurbish it with brand new exhibits or transfer the animals to west midlands or other zoos in the u.k. and just expand the theme park.
•Finally, a couple of quick investments i would like to see is a refresh of the main entrance and a bridge over the lake from the river rapids to vikings.

 

[rob666]

I may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure AT is on an unmetered supply and DMP is not. This is just based on things I've overheard over the years. It could have changed since then though.

Doesn't matter if it metered or unmetered, industrial energy use is not limited in cost like residential...increases of 300% have been reported in some energy business contracts, with or without meters.
If you haven't got a meter, it does not protect you from massive increases in charges.

 

[AT86]

An unmetered supply doesn’t mean that a business can use unlimited energy either. They will be regularly assessed on what electric demand they are using and the bills adjusted accordingly.

You couldn’t just build a wacking great Waterpark and keep the same electric bill because you don’t have a meter. They will certainly be knocking on your door to re-assess usage.

 

[Ciaran]

Yeah I understand that, I’m not saying that just because it’s unmetered means they get free electric

What I meant was, if they are on an unmetered supply, then they are paying the same regardless of energy usage. Obviously if their usage spikes massively then they will be billed for it, but it’s nothing like being on a meter.

Hypothetically though, if they connected a consumer electric meter, I’d be intrigued to know their hourly usage, especially during operating hours…

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

The pirate adventure building when it opened only had the restaurant next door connected to it but 30+ later it’s also got the dodgems, winston’s queue line, soft park area, toilets, staff room and the Thomas land shop. It would cost a lot more to remove the building and new walls will have to go up on the surrounding building.

 

[Benjamino]

In the next 10-15 years, i think this is what drayton needs:
•New family/thrill coaster on the pandemonium, apocalypse and old fish and chip shop site. I would love a mack extreme spinner with 1 or 2 inversions but realistically, i bet it’s something from intamin or gerstlaur.
•Do something with the pirates adventure building, if that’s brining the ride back, using the building for something else or just knocking the building down. If they did knock it down then that area and the excalibur area would be another major coaster site.
•The centre of the park where the bounty, jolly buccaneer, the carousel and the arcade building is needs a refresh. Maybe remove the arcades and that whole building and have a new ride there to make a pirate themed area including the bounty, the new ride, and jolly buccaneer. I would relocate the carousel somewhere into the zoo. Also have themed music in that area and not pop music.
•I can definitely see this happening for next year and that’s a phase 2 to vikings where the vertigo ticket building was and behind wallhalla. Either a brand new flat ride, a kids coaster similar to farmyard flyer at paultons, or an indoor and outdoor walkthrough experience. Also add some toilets into that area.
•When the new coaster is built on the apocalypse and pandemonium area, do something with the drunken barrels and sherrifs showdown area. Personally, i would replace those two rides with a brand new, really good dark ride investment and have it in the themed area with the new coaster and possibly a flat ride in the area.
•Do something with the very outdated and partly terrible looking zoo. Either completely refurbish it with brand new exhibits or transfer the animals to west midlands or other zoos in the u.k. and just expand the theme park.
•Finally, a couple of quick investments i would like to see is a refresh of the main entrance and a bridge over the lake from the river rapids to vikings.

i would absolutely love to see the last one it would allow for so many new angles and views of things but would it really work in the park that is all

 

[JAperson]

What I think the park will do in 10-15 years (not what I want to happen but what I think they will do), these are in no particular order unless stated otherwise:

• Small investment of some form next year: probably a new ride in Thomas Land.
• Family Thrill coaster of some form - possibly something like a family launch coaster. Will be on the apocalpyse and Pandemonium site. Potentially coming with a new themed area to accompany the ride.
• Removal of Buffalo and possibly replaced with another family friendly coaster, maybe something from Mack, with a much better implemented Viking theme.
• Removal of Shockwave, probably replaced with family rides as they can't build another coaster there particularly easily.
• Some form of slightly more thrilling coaster to replace Shockwave. I don't think this will be a full thrill coaster but it might be something with one or two inversions, something with a lower height restriction but still got a good bit of thrill.
• Some additions to Thomas Land
• Probably a few more family flat rides
• Something done in Pirates adventure building, no idea what but I think it's to integrated into the park to remove. It's possible but would cause more problems than keeping it.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

2021 adventure cove
2022 Viking’s area
2023 new 4D movie, new ride in Thomas land
2024 new area to include a new family thill coaster
2025 new ride in the pirate adventure building and pirate cove made bigger.

2026/27/28 now the theme park is improved the looping group turn there attention to the zoo. They look at the designs the Bryan’s submitted for the penguins and monkey walkthrough


They also have idea to reuse the former Dinoland indoor section as a aquarium and built the reptile house bigger.

2026 After the park give the Buffalo its 40th birthday it’s removed and a family launch coaster is built and goes around the lake. Haunting gets another re-theme.
2027 Maelstrom been 25 years old now may be replaced with a newer model.
2028 Thomas land gets another expansion for its 20th birthday
2029 Storm force 10 gets a re-theme for its 30th birthday with new boats.
2030 Parks 80th another new coaster.

 

[Willemgorman1]

What I think the park will do in 10-15 years (not what I want to happen but what I think they will do), these are in no particular order unless stated otherwise:

• Small investment of some form next year: probably a new ride in Thomas Land.
• Family Thrill coaster of some form - possibly something like a family launch coaster. Will be on the apocalpyse and Pandemonium site. Potentially coming with a new themed area to accompany the ride.
• Removal of Buffalo and possibly replaced with another family friendly coaster, maybe something from Mack, with a much better implemented Viking theme.
• Removal of Shockwave, probably replaced with family rides as they can't build another coaster there particularly easily.
• Some form of slightly more thrilling coaster to replace Shockwave. I don't think this will be a full thrill coaster but it might be something with one or two inversions, something with a lower height restriction but still got a good bit of thrill.
• Some additions to Thomas Land
• Probably a few more family flat rides
• Something done in Pirates adventure building, no idea what but I think it's to integrated into the park to remove. It's possible but would cause more problems than keeping it.

I don’t get what you mean by replacing shockwave with some family rides but then you say replace it with a new thrill coaster?

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Well just had a email saying:

There's always next time!​

Unfortunately you just missed out on an invitation to the Vikings exclusive access.

But don't worry, there's always next time! We'll be hosting several Annual Passholder exclusive events throughout the season for you to take advantage of.




​

 

[Skyscraper]

Well just had a email saying:

There's always next time!​

Unfortunately you just missed out on an invitation to the Vikings exclusive access.

But don't worry, there's always next time! We'll be hosting several Annual Passholder exclusive events throughout the season for you to take advantage of.




​

I reckon that all AP holders' names were put in a ballot and selected at random due to a limited number of places. At least they'll be hosting more though!

 

[JAperson]

I don’t get what you mean by replacing shockwave with some family rides but then you say replace it with a new thrill coaster?

Family rides in the area where Shockwave is, a more thrilling coaster somewhere else in the park to compensate for the loss of Shockwave, they cannot build something that large scale on Shockwave's plot again, the council has apparently made that clear.

 

[Thameslink Rail]

It's been suggested a few times now they've finally done it!

Shame it doesn't include the WMSP rides though.

 

[Benjamino]

It's been suggested a few times now they've finally done it!

Shame it doesn't include the WMSP rides though.

i agree it is a shame though

 

[jon81uk]

The saving is against the on-the-day price, booking doesn't work out as cheap as the 30% saving.
But combi ticket is £45
Off-peak adult for DM is £28 and for WMSP its always £25, which is combined £53 so the combi saves £8.
But if you don't want to commit to a date for DM or are going on a busier day with higher prices then the saving will be higher.

You don't get a free return visit to WMSP with the combi though. So if planning to take the same car more than once (not on school holidays) to the safari park a standard ticket might work out better as can do two visits for the £25.
Although there are a lot more conditions than there used to be, I think the free return visit still makes WMSP a good deal https://www.wmsp.co.uk/free-return-ticket/

 

[Willemgorman1]

When i was speaking about a new pirates area for the park in a previous post, this is what i would do with it