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Drayton Manor Park

flyingguitar said:
it could be quite good, the design of a dark ride is very different from general theming thus a lot of parks don't design or fabricate their dark rides theming, there are quite a few companies who will design, fabricate etc a dark ride for a park to the parks needs if loopings were smart thry would just hire one of these companies to design and build the scenery
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I am well aware of this, the same type of companies who should be and did previously do general theming around the park too.

But they didn't, they did it on the cheap, which is why I dont have high hopes for any dark ride, which is going to cost alot.
 
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It is a crying shame if Gold Rush is running 1 train on a peak day. It’s a long enough ride that it shouldn’t really be running 1, and I imagine the throughput is terrible on 1 with the length in mind.

The throughput was not exactly astounding when I went last September (575pph, if I remember rightly?), and it was running 2. The operations were by no means terrible, and it didn’t really matter on the day I went given how quiet it was, but I can imagine that queue being a slog if the ride is on 1 on a busy day.

As for Vikings, I think it’s nice enough in terms of presentation and looks quite polished and nicely landscaped. However, I wouldn’t call it overly groundbreaking in terms of theming. As independent UK parks go, it’s certainly no Tornado Springs or Lost Kingdom, in my view.
 
Vikings is much better than when it first better they added some additional theming but also the landscaping has grown in over time
 
The Vikings area is serviceable, disappointing the food kiosk wasn't open as our group would've appreciated gyros far more than what Safari Pizza Pasta and Chicken Diner had to offer. I did like the repurposed Excalibur boat as a planter, but whether any the people sat with the yard cups and bags on the side were aware they were using a piece of park history as a bench is another matter.
 
Rowe said:
The Vikings area is serviceable, disappointing the food kiosk wasn't open as our group would've appreciated gyros far more than what Safari Pizza Pasta and Chicken Diner had to offer. I did like the repurposed Excalibur boat as a planter, but whether any the people sat with the yard cups and bags on the side were aware they were using a piece of park history as a bench is another matter.
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Pizza and Pasta is best restaurant on park well themed and is legit good pizza
 
Rowe said:
disappointing the food kiosk wasn't open
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It was open for the opening weekend, crucially not selling gyros. It's been completely closed ever since.
Hid said:
they added some additional theming
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The discarded Walkers crisp packets and cans of Monster Energy Drinks really bring a whole new level of authenticity.
Matt N said:
It is a crying shame if Gold Rush is running 1 train on a peak day.
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It's been running a single train for the majority of the season. It closed on May 11th and has been running a single train ever since it reopened. The second train is in pieces, not even covered, at the back of the toilet block.

Anyone fancy taking odds on it remaining a single train coaster for the rest of the season?
 
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Jb85 said:
I’m middle ground with this.

Whilst I concur - far to much timber and paint, it’s still a million times better than what was there before. Let’s me honest.
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Such as? The country leading themed attractions such as Storm Force 10, Pirate Adventure, Excalibur? They may have fell into dis repair now, but the theming used to be excellent at Drayton Manor. Admittedly, the quality did drop in later years of the Bryans. But when Drayton were in their prime, they were leading the country in themed attraction quality.

The point I was making was they will struggle to make a quality dark ride with the approach they currently use. It is crap. Painted wood galore.
 
Hid said:
Pizza and Pasta is best restaurant on park well themed and is legit good pizza
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The interior was fun and unexpected, yes. However our group were all waiting 30+ minutes to receive our food orders, which were a mix of pizza, pasta and boxed salad and certainly weren't worth the price and wait time. The beef bolognese sauce for the pasta ran out just before @Cheese's order was ready, meaning he had to pick a new sauce. The tomato and herb pasta I had was basically secondary school canteen grade and the grated mozzarella wasn't fresh either, it had definitely come out of a defrosted wholesale bag.

@AstroDan can tell you all about his experience in a separate post. And I'm sure everyone else who went there with me for lunch can share similarly middling to negative opinions.
 
Rowe said:
The interior was fun and unexpected, yes. However our group were all waiting 30+ minutes to receive our food orders, which were a mix of pizza, pasta and boxed salad and certainly weren't worth the price and wait time. The beef bolognese sauce for the pasta ran out just before @Cheese's order was ready, meaning he had to pick a new sauce. The tomato and herb pasta I had was basically secondary school canteen grade and the grated mozzarella wasn't fresh either, it had definitely come out of a defrosted wholesale bag.

@AstroDan can tell you all about his experience in a separate post. And I'm sure everyone else who went there with me for lunch can share similarly middling to negative opinions.
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Sounds like it is the same crap they were shovelling out yeats ago. Nothing has improved then.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
The discarded Walkers crisp packets and cans of Monster Energy Drinks really bring a whole new level of authenticity.
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No the foliage has grown in and an Excalibur Planter has been put in.


DistortAMG said:
The point I was making was they will struggle to make a quality dark ride with the approach they currently use. It is crap. Painted wood galore.
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It is not just wood it has theming around it have you actually looked into the areas it's not just 1 material there is theming around look at Gold Rush for example has Barrels smoke and a theming around the queue.

And so does Wave Swinger.

It is not bad quality theming
 
Hid said:
No the foliage has grown in and an Excalibur Planter has been put in.



It is not just wood it has theming around it have you actually looked into the areas it's not just 1 material there is theming around look at Gold Rush for example has Barrels smoke and a theming around the queue.

And so does Wave Swinger.

It is not bad quality theming
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The majority is just painted wood. I am sorry have you actually seen the areas? Rather than blindly defending them. As I have said MANY times previously, there might be a few themed elements, but, they are very sparse and apart. Nothing like the sheer quantity of themeing they used to have on previous attractions.

Even Storm Force 10 today, in it's sorry state with many original things missing, is now living proof of this. Infact, there is more bespoke pieces of theming in Storm Force 10's queue alone, than the whole of the 3 new areas that have been built since loopings took over.
 
DistortAMG said:
The majority is just painted wood. I am sorry have you actually seen the areas? Rather than blindly defending them. As I have said MANY times previously, there might be a few themed elements, but, they are very sparse and apart. Nothing like the sheer quantity of themeing they used to have on previous attractions.

Even Storm Force 10 today, in it's sorry state with many original things missing, is now living proof of this. Infact, there is more bespoke pieces of theming in Storm Force 10's queue alone, than than whole of the 3 new areas that have been built since loopings took over.
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I disagree with you the rides still look great as long as I have known and I have seen a lot worse presented rides
 
Hid said:
I disagree with you the rides still look great as long as I have known and I have seen a lot worse presented rides
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With all due respect, I don't care if you disagree. It was not my opinion.

It is a subjective, provable fact. You can start by counting the bespoke pieces of theming in that queue line, then counting what is in the new areas. You will be surprised if that is your angle.

I never said the rides did not look great. I was making the argument about bespoke themeing pieces.

You seem to have a habit of changing the goalposts of your debate, mid debate, then using those changed goalposts as a way to try win the argument. You were doing it yesterday with Pirate Adventure and today with this.

Please do not take this the wrong way, I mean no harm whatsoever. It is just an observation of mine.
 
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