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Drayton Manor Park

pjanvil said:
Annoyed they are now making passholders book, if they didn't need to during Covid I can't see any good reason from a customers point of view to make them do so.
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In 2020 you had to book on the website as they had limited numbers.
It’s so they know in advance how many they expect on park each day. I guess it’s for marketing if the events and later opening hours is getting more guests in the parks during peak days and weekends.
 
pjanvil said:
Annoyed they are now making passholders book, if they didn't need to during Covid I can't see any good reason from a customers point of view to make them do so.
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Themeparksandy1981 said:
In 2020 you had to book on the website as they had limited numbers.
It’s so they know in advance how many they expect on park each day. I guess it’s for marketing if the events and later opening hours is getting more guests in the parks during peak days and weekends.
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I suspect because in 2022 they had a few days where the park 'sold out'. Meaning many customers who would pay on the gate or on the day were turned away. Part of this was because they were guaranteeing entry on those sold out days to anyone with an annual pass, not only that, they were also guaranteeing the friends and family vouchers that come with the pass.

I know this because on the jubilee weekend, after the park had announced they were sold out and for no one to travel to the resort without pre booked tickets. Myself an annual pass holder and my friends using the vouchers, were able to gain entry to the park, when other people were being turned away in front of us.

The park was busy but not to true capacity, further supporting this idea.

So by utilising a pre-book system, they can manage this far better and actually fill the park to capacity better on those exceptionally busy days. As I am pretty sure everyone with an annual pass did not turn up on those days.
 
James Watkins said:
Latest progress on the 2023 Thomas ride!

From: https://twitter.com/AerialAmusement/status/1624791677792575491
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James' coach being removed and him being pushed back (plus Maithwaite Station having some of its platform ripped up) gave me a bit of a shock! Hope they find a new home for the coach as it was a lovely piece of theming to pair with him, but interesting to see how massive this new ride might be! Curious if it may be more of a raft ride given the large turntable foundation but hard to say with how the size of the area is.
 
It does look like they are excavating out some sort of lake. Exactly what you need for a log flume. The water has to go somewhere when the pumps are turned off and the trough drains.

That doesn't look like the space for a turntable I do not think. Given how it protrudes into the existing area quire a bit, it could be the afterdrop turning area. Which could also double up as a good viewing area.
 
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It looks far too small to be a turntable imo. I think it’s likely to be a turn-around section as @DistortAMG said above.

I’m still not overly convinced it will be a log flume. Definitely some sort of water ride, but I don’t think it will be a log flume. More likely a raft ride such as the one at WMSP or a free flow such as In The Night Garden at Towers.

A log flume doesn’t seem to fit the target market of Thomas Land and also wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense since they have one of the best log flumes in the UK already.
 
Ciaran said:
It looks far too small to be a turntable imo. I think it’s likely to be a turn-around section as @DistortAMG said above.

I’m still not overly convinced it will be a log flume. Definitely some sort of water ride, but I don’t think it will be a log flume. More likely a raft ride such as the one at WMSP or a free flow such as In The Night Garden at Towers.

A log flume doesn’t seem to fit the target market of Thomas Land and also wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense since they have one of the best log flumes in the UK already.
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Very much agree on the raft ride theory.

Alternatively, the original Thomas Land in Japan does have a river cruise ride themed after the canal boats in the model seasons! Could this perhaps be a clue?

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TheMilanTooner said:
Very much agree on the raft ride theory.

Alternatively, the original Thomas Land in Japan does have a river cruise ride themed after the canal boats in the model seasons! Could this perhaps be a clue?

latest
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Just noticed on the back of the boat says 'Bluebell Valley' - nice little reference to the Bluebell Railway, the home of the character and real engine Stepney. Yeah, inner OG Railway Series fan in me being a geek.
 
pete999films said:
Financial statements at Companies House show a financial commitment of £3.3 million commitment in September. The park spent 7.7 million on rides in the year so I expect the cost to increase significantly but covers a commitment for the rollercoaster and a childrens ride which is expected to be revealed shortly.
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Confused here, financial commitment of 7.7 million for the year ending Sept 2022. That would be the expenditure for the Vikings area which was not just new ride hardware but ancillary buildings and the actual area itself. Plus various smaller things we saw across the park last season.

I cannot see that 3.3m capex though, in September last year? I must be blind. Please point that out, that could potentially cover purchasing of what is being installed right now in Thomas Land. Interesting. I wonder what the cost of demolishing Apocalypse was, I mean, it will not be 3.3 million, but it would not have been cheap either, getting a specialist crew and crane in.
They also had fireworks that although small, they had them, which would more than likely have been purchased around that time too. These would all more than likely bleed into that 3.3m figure. So I would not just put that 3.3m down to new ride hardware, as with Apocalypse and fireworks, not insignificant sums would have been spent around that time in order to make them happen.
 
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It’s interesting that the Adventure Cove cost roughly 8.4 million
The wave swinger including all ground work must have been 2 million
The Rapids 4-5 million
With the rest going on repainting and the theming the other rides and building with new lighting and sound system.
With Vikings Thor must have cost 3 million
Loki 2 million
Sleipnir 1 million
With the rest on Buffalo re-theme and to theme the area and buildings.
 
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