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Drayton Manor Park

Winter wonderland and many other fairs charge a lot more for battered fun fair amusement rides.

However it would still make more sense to me anyway to buy a day pass in comparison and enjoy unlimited rides all day. Maybe good for old people who just want to go on the dogems with their grandkids? Completely stereotyping here.
 
Alphe86 said:
At £10 a ride…
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But there you go you see.
I am one of the old gits who now has no choice but to ride less, it is better than filling dippy's wife's car with puke for several hours.
So this would save me at least a tenner.
Old git but not a grandparent by choice thank you.
This offer is targeted at me and my like...nephews and nieces, now great ones, all being taken out and treated in the holidays intergenerationally, just like we used to at the Beach.
I have no grandkids, and at the Beach, no dodgems either.

Ten out of ten Drayton.
 
I see this as an interesting test in the current economic climate as to if they can make more money overall from wristbands and ppr. I like the idea and don't agree annual passholders like myself are disadvantaged by it. Nice excuse to bring parents with me for zoo and maybe they will do odd ride or get something to eat.
 
Aren't they only doing this because of the bad reaction to the April Fool's post, though? It definitely feels that way.

I wouldn't travel nearly 2 hrs and not want to ride at least 7/8 of the bigger rides so it doesn't even save me any money anyway. For locals who might want to nip in for a hour or two I suppose it could be quite nice.
 
I think it was always part of the plan- they are doing lots of stuff to celebrate the 75th Birthday and this is how it used to be- although was a small entrance change rather than being free and then you got a wristband or tickets.

I remember going loads in the late 80’s and 90’s as kids with our parents and they wouldn’t go on the rides so worked great, we never went to Alton towers as a family due to having to pay one price. I remember grand parents coming as well when was young again they wouldn’t go on rides.

I doubt it’s a test and they will retain their current pay one price structure but great PR activity anyway.
 
DistortAMG said:
You still dont seem to have grasped the issue. It is irrelevant if I visit or not, the pass that has been purchased, has still had its value lowered after the fact. It doesn't matter if I like it, dont like it. Vist on the days or dont visit. The pass's value has dropped.

Thats quite a cheeky move by the park, if it was any other industry, you could have trading standards on their case.
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How on earth are you working out that the value of the annual pass has dropped? Drayton do not offer split entrance fees. Ie. There isn’t an entrance fee and then a ride fee. Pay a flat fee, get in to the park and on all the rides. Annual pass equates to visiting as many times as you like (pass dependant) for its duration, including access to all the rides. This promotional weekend is purely providing access to the park. If you want to ride the rides, you pay. If you have an annual pass. You don’t. You can’t equate free entry for one weekend as a devaluing of the annual pass. I’d see your point if Drayton charged, say £5.00 to get in, plus a ride access charge. If they did, you’d effectively lose £10.00 of value in your pass if you visited on both days of the promotional weekend. But they don’t, so you aren’t. And you’re still getting your car parking benefit (pass dependent) and the on park retail and F&B discounts.

It’s promotional, clever, and a way of getting people in to the park who otherwise wouldn’t come. It ties in to the old model with a nice nostalgic nod to the past. It’s clever, creative and importantly, if you really feel like you’ve had the value of your annual pass nullified and denigrated, it’s only a single weekend. I’m sure the feelings of frustration will pass.
 
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Johnny_5 said:
How on earth are you working out that the value of the annual pass has dropped? Drayton do not offer split entrance fees. Ie. There isn’t an entrance fee and then a ride fee. Pay a flat fee, get in to the park and on all the rides. Annual pass equates to visiting as many times as you like (pass dependant) for its duration, including access to all the rides. This promotional weekend is purely providing access to the park. If you want to ride the rides, you pay. If you have an annual pass. You don’t. You can’t equate free entry for one weekend as a devaluing of the annual pass. I’d see your point if Drayton charged, say £5.00 to get in, plus a ride access charge. If they did, you’d effectively lose £10.00 of value in your pass if you visited on both days of the promotional weekend. But they don’t, so you aren’t. And you’re still getting your car parking benefit (pass dependent) and the on park retail and F&B discounts.

It’s promotional, clever, and a way of getting people in to the park who otherwise wouldn’t come. It ties in to the old model with a nice nostalgic nod to the past. It’s clever, creative and importantly, if you really feel like you’ve had the value of your annual pass nullified and denigrated, it’s only a single weekend. I’m sure the feelings of frustration will pass.
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After reading everyone's points of views and opinions, im doing a total u turn. Its not such a bad thing after all.

Everyone has put across some very valid and good points to be fair. I can't really argue with them.
 
I have a feeling this was never the 'plan'. I think their April fool went down so badly they had to backtrack and come up with a 'it isn't an April fool...' and this is how they've got round it. Place will most likely be heaving but the rides will be quiet.

Still, at least they'll get their car parking money 😀
 
I know a fair few people who are going who wouldn't have otherwise. So Drayton will get parking money and u suspect they will buy £20 worth of tickets plus some food so while not whatnthey would make from a family of 4 it's more then the 0 they would of made by friend's not going at all which would of been the plan before
 
I agree with DistortAMG the idea works for visitors who not been for years or in a while.
The looping group hadn’t even looked into the operations under the Bryan’s in the 80’s and 90’s.
IMG_5447.png
Like going off flyer admission into the park and zoo it cost:
Adults £2
Children £1
Under 4’s free
Car 40p

Wristbands £4:50 each
Tickets 5 for £1.50 or 20 for £5.

So back in 1990 a family of 4 with entrance, zoo, parking and wristbands cost £24.40 which is worth £70.87 in todays money.
 
This obsession with the Bryan’s and Looping’s “respect” for them is a continuing theme in this forum. I don’t know what rose tinted glasses get looked through, but Drayton Manor is in a way better state now than it has been for decades. I don’t understand how the Bryan’s seem to get a free pass, when Merlin get slammed. Is it just because we should forgive a small independent park because we like them? Forgive them for opening rides and letting them rot, regardless of how good they were on opening day (Stormforce, Pirates, Excalibur, even Apocalypse was left to rot, the station music, the condition of the station, the failing ride vehicles), The Shockwave building was rotting, the rapids SBNO (for obvious reasons) and so on and so forth. It was a mess of a park. Colin made multiple mistakes in the ride hardware he bought in, often at huge expense. Cost efficiencies such as cannibalising one of the shockwave trains to keep the other run running, the continual downward cycle set in many years ago. It was run on a shoe string and I’m honestly amazed it limped on for as long as it did. And I’m hugely nostalgic for Drayton Manor. As a native Brummie it was my home park for decades. But the reality is it was a mess of theming and was a long way past its early to mid 90’s peak a long way before Looping came in. The rot was entrenched and the park was in terminal decline. Looping, despite some missteps, have revitalised the park, are working to give it thematic coherence, updating buildings and ride themes, investing in areas that badly need it and have a plan, which they have so far delivered on pretty much to the letter. We’re never going to get major thrill rides back at Drayton and we should stop hankering after those long gone days. It’s a good value for money family day out. And I’m for one grateful of the work Looping have done. I’m not in the least bit surprised that they want to control which bits of the last 75 year narrative they’re choosing to celebrate.
 
Apocalypse In its final year of operation under the Bryan’s was good with 4 of the 5 sides working. 1 stand up, floorless and both sit downs were working.
Then in 2021 the motor on the other stand up went and then it was down to 3 sides for the remaining 2021 season.
At the start of the 2022 season it was down to just 1 sit down and 1 floorless with the other sit down saved for parts to keep the 2 towers working.
Then around May time the floorless stopped working and it was down to just 1 tower but they spend over £50000 on trying to fix the floorless but as it was raised to the top of the tower it wouldn’t release from the catch car so they had to lower it back down to the ground and not long after that the decision to scrap it off at the end of the season was made.
 
To recap from the last few posts...
I don't think many on here worship the previous owners...only one or two members in particular.
The park was badly managed overall in the old days, but at least they brought in new and different rides...Shockwave, Stormforce and Apocalypse come to mind, all decent, different rides and quality investment.
They had to change their appeal to younger ones, they could not compete head to head with Alton.
It is difficult to praise the operations on Apocalypse, I only ever rode it once with all sides open, and to say 80% operations are good isn't right, 100% opening is good, 4/5 opening isn't that good.
The park has changed from a family run thrill park, to a chain run family park.
It continues to evolve, PPR may help them adapt to a different market.
 
I been going to the park since the late 80’s so I seen the park go from been the zoo been the main attraction with an amusement park. The only themed attractions were the Jungle Cruise and the log flume. It was George and Vera with the help of Colin after visiting Disney World in the late 70’s they looked at the uk market and at the time and they decided to if they wanted to increase visitor numbers then they had to invest in rides that wasn’t available anywhere else in the uk.
So they build the pirate adventure and even to this day it’s been the most missed ride at the park.
From the success of the ride they installed the parks 1st themed area pirate’s Cove and the ghost train and dodgems were themed to fit into the area, a new pirate themed restaurant opened next door and the Jolly Buccaneer ride was added to the area.
Then they moved to the other side of the park and installed Splash Canyon, Shockwave and the Klondike gold mine and Action park was created with the Waltzers been put into a building and food outlets build.
Then the following year the Haunting was installed and when it open it was very impressive.
The following year they decided to invest in the children’s side of the park with 7 new flat rides been installed and the Jungle Cruise had a major upgrade.
Then Stormforce 10 was built with the uk’s 1st backwards drop the level of detail was excellent.
Then to mark the 50th anniversary of the park the world’s 1st stand up drop tower was installed with a sit down for smaller guests and Golden nuggets dark ride was added aside a new theatre complex which showed the Popeye stunt show.
Now them 10 years of major ride installations made me fall in love with the park.
They continued into the 2000’s and it was a mix bag of investments
Like Maelstrom was a great investment but Excalibur on paper and how long it took to build should have been a excellent replacement for the Jungle cruise but been honest in its 1st year of operation it was more closed than open. The onboard Audio was mainly please remain seated at all times. The effects in the indoor section was hit and miss and it only lasted 8 years.
The Cyclone was a great installation but in the wrong area of the park as it got so many complaints from the local residents from the screaming and again only lasted just over 2 years.
Then they replaced the sky flyer with a bigger version in Pandemonium and added G-Force the most painful coaster in the uk. I can understand they wanted the World’s 1st coaster but it was awful.
During that season they did a on park guest questionnaire and 1 of the questions on there was what was the most missed ride and the top 2 answers were the tea cups and the pirate ship so they installed the Drunken barrels and the Bounty pirate ship.
Then came the most successful investment Thomas Land with just the vintage car ride and the bus surviving from Robinson’s fruit shoot area.
With the money made it installed the 4D cinema,, 50’s cafe shop, gift shop as well as the fish and chip takeaway, burger kitchen and the chicken diner.
With the amount of visitors coming into the park the must delayed hotel which was originally gonna be for 75 guests was doubled to 150 with construction starting during the closed season of 2009.
Then in 2011 the last biggest investment the Bryan’s made with the opening of the new hotel, the Ben 10 coaster and the blue mountain engines.
Now this was the start of the downfall of the park under the Bryan’s when Colin lost his dad on the 20 September 2013 and his mum on the 16 October 2013.
The investments in the park slowed down with Winston’s ride opening and the following year the last major investment in the main park Air race.
He did open the Thomas land expansion in 2015 with 3 new rides and a new cafe and the very rarely used party rooms but I feel the 2.5m spent on this could have gone on the pirate adventure building but Colin and his son must have known Thomas land was the main pull for the park now so like Excalibur, Pirate adventure joined the SBNO club.
The following season the Haunting got the Dr Ghostman treatment with a new story line and effects added.
Then the final ride installed was James and the red balloon which cost £250000.
Then the 1st nail in the coffin went in when the Rapids incident resulting in the death of a 11 year old girl. The park was hit badly with visitor numbers down they made the decision to sell the big wheel which was only operating with less than half the pods in use and the chair lift was scrapped off.
The following season they did spent money on replacing the golden nuggets with sheriff showdown with new onboard screens, scoring system and the whole attraction designed so you couldn’t see the ride layout and the barn area been replaced as a mine.
Visitor numbers didn’t improve and g-force was having a lot of downtime but they spent money repairing it and it did re open for a short period of time but something major happened and they would have had to buy a new trains so they decided to close the coaster and it was left SNBO to Jan 2020. By now the park was looking very tired but they had plans to install a kids tea cup ride in Thomas land on the former Terrace’s ride/blue mountain engines site and construction did start but at the start of the Feb half term event disaster struck and the zoo and park was flooded. They managed to get the park back open for the march Thomas land event but they only managed to open for 1 weekend and then they were forced to close for the National Covid lockdown which put the final nail in the coffin as they nearly sold the rides to the Mellors group and in return they would pay the Bryan’s ground rent but they would still operate the hotel and the function rooms but the deal didn’t go though in time as the Administrators were called in July and the looping group came to the park’s rescue and they paid £15 million for the lot and the money went on paying off the debts.
As part of the deal all the staff was kept on and William Bryan stayed on the board just to keep the park operating for the remaining of the 2020 main season and to end of the 2021 season.

Now I have to agree with everyone that the park has never looked so good and they not added any new attractions this year but they have continued to improve the park in all the 3 new areas they installed and I’m sure the pirate Cove area is the next on the list but when your celebrating 75 years of the park you can’t forget what the Bryan’s brought to the industry in them 1st 70 years.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
I been going to the park since the late 80’s so I seen the park go from been the zoo been the main attraction with an amusement park. The only themed attractions were the Jungle Cruise and the log flume. It was George and Vera with the help of Colin after visiting Disney World in the late 70’s they looked at the uk market and at the time and they decided to if they wanted to increase visitor numbers then they had to invest in rides that wasn’t available anywhere else in the uk.
So they build the pirate adventure and even to this day it’s been the most missed ride at the park.
From the success of the ride they installed the parks 1st themed area pirate’s Cove and the ghost train and dodgems were themed to fit into the area, a new pirate themed restaurant opened next door and the Jolly Buccaneer ride was added to the area.
Then they moved to the other side of the park and installed Splash Canyon, Shockwave and the Klondike gold mine and Action park was created with the Waltzers been put into a building and food outlets build.
Then the following year the Haunting was installed and when it open it was very impressive.
The following year they decided to invest in the children’s side of the park with 7 new flat rides been installed and the Jungle Cruise had a major upgrade.
Then Stormforce 10 was built with the uk’s 1st backwards drop the level of detail was excellent.
Then to mark the 50th anniversary of the park the world’s 1st stand up drop tower was installed with a sit down for smaller guests and Golden nuggets dark ride was added aside a new theatre complex which showed the Popeye stunt show.
Now them 10 years of major ride installations made me fall in love with the park.
They continued into the 2000’s and it was a mix bag of investments
Like Maelstrom was a great investment but Excalibur on paper and how long it took to build should have been a excellent replacement for the Jungle cruise but been honest in its 1st year of operation it was more closed than open. The onboard Audio was mainly please remain seated at all times. The effects in the indoor section was hit and miss and it only lasted 8 years.
The Cyclone was a great installation but in the wrong area of the park as it got so many complaints from the local residents from the screaming and again only lasted just over 2 years.
Then they replaced the sky flyer with a bigger version in Pandemonium and added G-Force the most painful coaster in the uk. I can understand they wanted the World’s 1st coaster but it was awful.
During that season they did a on park guest questionnaire and 1 of the questions on there was what was the most missed ride and the top 2 answers were the tea cups and the pirate ship so they installed the Drunken barrels and the Bounty pirate ship.
Then came the most successful investment Thomas Land with just the vintage car ride and the bus surviving from Robinson’s fruit shoot area.
With the money made it installed the 4D cinema,, 50’s cafe shop, gift shop as well as the fish and chip takeaway, burger kitchen and the chicken diner.
With the amount of visitors coming into the park the must delayed hotel which was originally gonna be for 75 guests was doubled to 150 with construction starting during the closed season of 2009.
Then in 2011 the last biggest investment the Bryan’s made with the opening of the new hotel, the Ben 10 coaster and the blue mountain engines.
Now this was the start of the downfall of the park under the Bryan’s when Colin lost his dad on the 20 September 2013 and his mum on the 16 October 2013.
The investments in the park slowed down with Winston’s ride opening and the following year the last major investment in the main park Air race.
He did open the Thomas land expansion in 2015 with 3 new rides and a new cafe and the very rarely used party rooms but I feel the 2.5m spent on this could have gone on the pirate adventure building but Colin and his son must have known Thomas land was the main pull for the park now so like Excalibur, Pirate adventure joined the SBNO club.
The following season the Haunting got the Dr Ghostman treatment with a new story line and effects added.
Then the final ride installed was James and the red balloon which cost £250000.
Then the 1st nail in the coffin went in when the Rapids incident resulting in the death of a 11 year old girl. The park was hit badly with visitor numbers down they made the decision to sell the big wheel which was only operating with less than half the pods in use and the chair lift was scrapped off.
The following season they did spent money on replacing the golden nuggets with sheriff showdown with new onboard screens, scoring system and the whole attraction designed so you couldn’t see the ride layout and the barn area been replaced as a mine.
Visitor numbers didn’t improve and g-force was having a lot of downtime but they spent money repairing it and it did re open for a short period of time but something major happened and they would have had to buy a new trains so they decided to close the coaster and it was left SNBO to Jan 2020. By now the park was looking very tired but they had plans to install a kids tea cup ride in Thomas land on the former Terrace’s ride/blue mountain engines site and construction did start but at the start of the Feb half term event disaster struck and the zoo and park was flooded. They managed to get the park back open for the march Thomas land event but they only managed to open for 1 weekend and then they were forced to close for the National Covid lockdown which put the final nail in the coffin as they nearly sold the rides to the Mellors group and in return they would pay the Bryan’s ground rent but they would still operate the hotel and the function rooms but the deal didn’t go though in time as the Administrators were called in July and the looping group came to the park’s rescue and they paid £15 million for the lot and the money went on paying off the debts.
As part of the deal all the staff was kept on and William Bryan stayed on the board just to keep the park operating for the remaining of the 2020 main season and to end of the 2021 season.

Now I have to agree with everyone that the park has never looked so good and they not added any new attractions this year but they have continued to improve the park in all the 3 new areas they installed and I’m sure the pirate Cove area is the next on the list but when your celebrating 75 years of the park you can’t forget what the Bryan’s brought to the industry in them 1st 70 years.
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It be interesting to see if Pirates Cove is next for refurb not officially called Pirates Cove anymore but would be nice to see that part of the park redeveloped would be nice to see all the buildings and rides to tie in together.

Along with Pirates Adventure site used for something once again
 
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