• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Drayton Manor Park

I was talking about the rapids that was dead under the Bryan’s ownership.
The looping group have a history of re-theming rides and bringing back SNBO rides.
The problem with pirates is that to say its SBNO is over optimistic about its current status. There’s very very little ride left to stand and not operate. If all the various rumours are to be believed, very little, if any, of the ride we knew as Pirates is left - other than the building.
 
Just being curious - was there ever an official announcement of its closure, or did it just not open with the park in the 2016 season, never to operate again?
 
It closed a couple of days into the 2015 season, remaining untouched until the end of the season when it was fully drained, never to re-open. Some people may remember the ‘Closed for Maintenance’ sign that was positioned outside the main doors for the entire 2015 season.
 
I would enjoy seeing someone do a walk through of the pirate adventure just out of curiosity too see what’s left inside the building, I remeber riding before it closed and in some parts how slow the boats moved, almost at a standing still

Personally a good indoor spinning coaster like Crush's Coaster at Disneyland with heavy theming could be a good hit!

Also I remeber the opening of Excalibur with atomic kitten and they was asked the question for bbc news “did you enjoy your ride on Excalibur” and there reply was “there’s lots of rides to enjoy at drayton manor” personally I think the ride looked good on paper but it wasn’t there best investment

Excalibur and pirate adventure both take up so much room in the park at the moment that’s unused - but like I read above the looping group at the moment seem to be doing a good job at creating areas at the park so hopefully over the years they will sort out this area!

I have good hopes for the 2024 season with the new coaster coming, but I just prey that the new coaster packs some sort of punch with either height (or below ground level) or inversions because I really feel it’s needed!
 
Did the looping really need to re-theme at the time a 35 year old coaster but they had to as you go under the Arch to get into the area that coaster will see it’s 40th birthday at the park.
After the new coaster is installed and the rumoured flat ride to go into the new area.
The 2025 season is another thrill flat ride which I think will see the Flying Dutchman moved to the Viking site and themed to Viking boats with the new flat going on that piece of land.
Then really you got only the former pirate cove area left to built on/around for the 2026 season. The looping group will have some ideas for the pirate adventure building and it was before a ride the whole family could enjoy young and old.
With a hopefully Thomas land expansion at the farm end for 2028 for Thomas land 20th and the reason they want to built a raised walkway along the train route.
You then got the parks 80th birthday and the looping group 10th year since owning it which could be the next big coaster project.
 
Did the looping really need to re-theme at the time a 35 year old coaster but they had to as you go under the Arch to get into the area that coaster will see it’s 40th birthday at the park.

I think the big difference might be that Buffalo Coaster was probably fairly inexpensive to retheme in to Jormungandr compared to what it would take to get Pirate Adventure up and running again as a quality attraction. Just look at Valhalla over at Pleasure Beach for example as an example of refreshing a ride and how long that took (and the end results).

As suggested above, Loopings could decide that it makes more sense to gut it out and put a different kind of ride in there. I know that many people have fond memories of Pirate Adventure but reopening and restoring it might not be in the best interests of the park when the space could be used for something that could potentially be an exciting new addition to the park somewhere along the line. It’s already been eight years since it closed, it’s not like it’s only been SBNO for a year or two.
 
I would enjoy seeing someone do a walk through of the pirate adventure just out of curiosity too see what’s left inside the building, I remeber riding before it closed and in some parts how slow the boats moved, almost at a standing still

Personally a good indoor spinning coaster like Crush's Coaster at Disneyland with heavy theming could be a good hit!

Also I remeber the opening of Excalibur with atomic kitten and they was asked the question for bbc news “did you enjoy your ride on Excalibur” and there reply was “there’s lots of rides to enjoy at drayton manor” personally I think the ride looked good on paper but it wasn’t there best investment

Excalibur and pirate adventure both take up so much room in the park at the moment that’s unused - but like I read above the looping group at the moment seem to be doing a good job at creating areas at the park so hopefully over the years they will sort out this area!

I have good hopes for the 2024 season with the new coaster coming, but I just prey that the new coaster packs some sort of punch with either height (or below ground level) or inversions because I really feel it’s needed!
back in 2020 during the auction people who got to see parts of it said a lot of it remained
 
I think the big difference might be that Buffalo Coaster was probably fairly inexpensive to retheme in to Jormungandr compared to what it would take to get Pirate Adventure up and running again as a quality attraction. Just look at Valhalla over at Pleasure Beach for example as an example of refreshing a ride and how long that took (and the end results).

As suggested above, Loopings could decide that it makes more sense to gut it out and put a different kind of ride in there. I know that many people have fond memories of Pirate Adventure but reopening and restoring it might not be in the best interests of the park when the space could be used for something that could potentially be an exciting new addition to the park somewhere along the line. It’s already been eight years since it closed, it’s not like it’s only been SBNO for a year or two.
As someone pointed out a couple of pages ago the Vikings area cost 7.7m so the looping group ain’t worried about splashing the cash on investment and the Adventure Cove area must have been around the 4-5 million mark.
I’m sure this coaster and flat ride will cost roughly 10 million.
The pirate adventure building has been worked on during the closed season to repair the roof and they had skips round the back which had seats from the red shockwave train which was been stored in the maintenance area of pirate adventure.
They moved the castle of dreams entrance to round the other side so they won’t have any theming clashes and with the surrounding rides all themed to pirates most of the budget can go on repairing the walls of the pirate adventure building and adding a new dark ride inside.
 
Drayton uploaded a picture of Adventure Cove today in the sun
And 2 of the comments mentioned Pirate Adventure.
Most of the posts were about missed attractions at the park.

Many other rides were mentioned more than Pirate Adventure. Doesn't mean they will be coming back.

Personally. I cannot see Drayton spending the kind of money that would be needed to bring a ride that big back. Dark rides like that are out of the scope of companies like loopings in this day and age sadly.
 
Many other rides were mentioned more than Pirate Adventure. Doesn't mean they will be coming back.

Personally. I cannot see Drayton spending the kind of money that would be needed to bring a ride that big back. Dark rides like that are out of the scope of companies like loopings in this day and age sadly.
It was a post from the other day as someone said no 1 talks about the ride and I was just making a point they still talk about it 8 years since it closed.
The looping group main backer is Mubadala Capital so it all depends on if they think a new dark ride will increase attendances at the park.
Think they really need to get this coaster right as they really upset the guests without kids and teenagers with the Bryan’s removing G-Force and the looping group replacing it with a playground and wave swinger. Then removing Pandemonium and Apocalypse as they feel there’s nothing left at the park for them.
 
People complaining about G Force being gone clearly forgetting it was absolute rubbish.
If you think about it on that site you had the Jumbo jet coaster, Python coaster, Klondike gold mine coaster and the G-Force coaster and now cause of space they had to remove another 2 thrill rides for this new coaster so I can understand why guests on social media ain’t happy with the rides the looping group have added.
 
Top