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Drayton Manor Park

Once again, they’re not awaiting any part of whatever it’s not fit to operate. It failed its fire audit and H&S Evacuation. The park aren’t prepared to pay what is over 1 million pounds to put it right. It’s either correcting this or a new ride? What would the public want? All I can say is RIP Pirate Adventure.
 
FreakOut is correct on this. I believe this happened around September/October 2014 (? can't quite remember). Having said that, it's not entirely impossible for it to be brought back, the park has made yearly profits greater than that sum and a hell of a lot of capital expenditure has been focused on maintenance in very recent times, compared to before.
Plus, I actually disagree with your last point @FreakOut , the GP loved Pirate Adventure, and whenever I visit with non-enthusiast friends, they are always asking about why it's closed. I've overheard families talking about it, and I've seen countless social media posts about it. In my personal, subjective opinion, I think it would be worth the money to bring it back. Or if need be, change the castle showroom from Pirate fort to Medieval castle and move some of the Farmer Studios theming from Excalibur inside.
 
Pirate Adventure was loved by the public indeed. It was a really good ride back in it's heyday. I think the park missed a trick back when the Pirate of the Caribbean movies were in their prime. They could have refurbished this and re promoted it and could have had a good response from the public I believe.

I would love to see it return, it adds to the diversity of the park and fits in perfect with their current family trend. The exact details are hazy. But the ride 100% closed as it failed it's H&S inspection. It is unclear if this was because the ride had fallen into a state, or new legislation would have required large investments to stay compliant with new legislation.

Interesting in regards to what @Themeparksandy1981 saying about new exits being needed. The ride had select evacuation points throughout the ride. Metal walk ways were situation just under the waterline at certain points in the ride where there were large bodys of water around the ride track (the start of the ride after the drop, and the battle scene) these walkways allowed people to walk out to exits if that was needed. The trouble is, the boats would have to be manually moved to these positions in the event of an evacuation in order for people to exit. Where the scenes closed in, platforms could be used to connect the boat to the side to get people off.

As much as I would love to see the ride open, I do not think it will happen. A coaster of any substantial size is also ruled out. The building is fine for boat rides and such, but as soon as you start going into coaster territory, there isn't much height for ride of much substance.

It is also great to see Golden Nuggets get re worked, the ride needed some love and needed that large scene splitting up, which has been done. Nice to see they still care about their older rides.
 
Regarding Pirate Adventure. I did email Steve Lomas, Head of Park Operations, at Drayton Manor in the past for some information on Pirate Adventure. Whilst it doesn't confirm anything, I thought it may be of interest to you.

EDIT: I don't know how to upload images, have a look here

Some details have been removed for privacy.

Although it doesn't confirm exactly what is happening to the ride, it does confirm that everything is in situ and the ride has not been dismantled.
 
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DW_0505 said:
Regarding Pirate Adventure. I did email Steve Lomas, Head of Park Operations, at Drayton Manor in the past for some information on Pirate Adventure. Whilst it doesn't confirm anything, I thought it may be of interest to you.

EDIT: I don't know how to upload images, have a look here

Some details have been removed for privacy.
Click to expand...
Link does not work :(.

Edit: Does now! :)
 
The link does not work for me. It is telling me the site is insecure.

It would be nice if they re opened it. The ride would need some work though I would imagine, given the size of it. The ride system was built by Mack Rides with the scenery being made by Space Leisure.

Interestingly, not sure if anyone was aware. Space Leisure built another Pirate boat ride for Bellewaerde a year after Pirate Adventure called Los Piratas.

While the rides had totally different layouts and some different scenes. Some of the scenes exist in both rides, as do some sound effects (the woman hitting a broom over the pirates head). Some of the props and animatronics look the same too, as does the big Pirate Ship.

This ride closed in 2012 but there are POVs about.

 
Well thanks for contacting them about it @DW_0505 , because like yourself, I've been on it back in its heyday and have great memories of going on it when I was little. I actually found the ride pretty terrifying when I was very young, guess it was the wax figures and dark areas the boats went through.I think it is fantastic that they have still got relaunching it on the table :)
 
I can just remember the year the pirate adventure opened. The queue all day was outside the main building. Everyone came to ride it as it was something new for the uk market. It was part of the parks logo to Shockwave opened.
It did get updated many times with pirates added to the queue line and 2 talking parrots added at the entrance and the other in the station area.
When it first opened the women hitting the pirate on the head was in the water opposite to where it is now so worked very well. Then it was moved to its current location and he popped out of a box but the box was removed and looked stupid seeing him just pop out.
I think the fire at the end of the ride was the start of the end of the ride as many of the pirates didn’t work.
The park need to think if spending 2 to 3 million on bringing it back to life would bring extra guests to the park.
 
Sauron97 said:
Well thanks for contacting them about it @DW_0505
Click to expand...
That's okay, I was just so disappointed to see it closed, I thought I should email them. Was lovely to hear your previous memories of the ride. It is amazing that a relaunch is still possible.

Themeparksandy1981 said:
The park need to think if spending 2 to 3 million on bringing it back to life would bring extra guests to the park.
Click to expand...
Wow, great to hear your memories of it opening, I never considered it to be so popular - but I suppose it is a UK first.

I agree, it would need significant investment - but I feel a lesser investment than installing a brand new ride - it already fits in with the Pirate Cove area, and the building demolition would be a significant cost, just seems a shame to loose such a well themed, and unique UK attraction, which fits in so well with the surrounding area. I've took a look at some of the YouTube Videos online, and I still find the theming so impressive for the UK.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
I can just remember the year the pirate adventure opened. The queue all day was outside the main building. Everyone came to ride it as it was something new for the uk market. It was part of the parks logo to Shockwave opened.
It did get updated many times with pirates added to the queue line and 2 talking parrots added at the entrance and the other in the station area.
When it first opened the women hitting the pirate on the head was in the water opposite to where it is now so worked very well. Then it was moved to its current location and he popped out of a box but the box was removed and looked stupid seeing him just pop out.
I think the fire at the end of the ride was the start of the end of the ride as many of the pirates didn’t work.
The park need to think if spending 2 to 3 million on bringing it back to life would bring extra guests to the park.
Click to expand...

I remember that, it used to be on the right hand side of the boat, near the fire exit. Do you remember the headless pirate too? It was a headless pirate who held his head by his hand and spoke. That was moved from Pirate Adventure to The Crypt at some point in the 90's, where it stayed until the Crypt closed in 2001.
 
Speaking of The Crypt, I have been on it once but can't even remember it. Either of you guys have any pictures of what it looked like inside?
 
I am not sure, I will have a look. I have all sorts of pictures lying around. (not all mine) Construction pics of Golden nuggets, Apocalypse, Maelstrom, pictures taken from walking around the lake when Excalibur was being built. But non of the Crypt inside I do not think. I was just a small average UV lit ghost train with basic jump scares. It was good back in the day though.
 
Did the Water Wheel underneath the queue line serve a purpose before it became an inanimate theming piece? It's huge!
 
The water wheel was last used during the Jungle Palladium days as I remember always looking at it while waiting for the show.
That’s been closed 20 years now.
There is pictures of the show and removed Animatronics here http://w11.zetaboards.com/Retro_Pizza_Zone/topic/30059991/1/
and audio of the attraction with some pics
Back in the 90s Drayton Manor was the place to go if you couldn’t afford to go to Disney as they had the Jungle Palladium,Jungle Cruise and the Pirate Adventure.
Wasn’t the headless ghost where the bloke who is upside down is now before the drop?
The Crypt was roughly the same size as the Thomasland indoor play area.
Did anyone go in the play area which use to be upstairs in the burger restaurant as I was to old to go in it but remember seeing it from the queue line of the pirate adventure.
 
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