During the school holidays, we try to have a family day out. Not just a trip to the local park but one of the bigger family attractions.
This half term we surprised the boys with a trip to Drayton Manor Park, located near Tamworth, Staffordshire.
This is the second year in a row we have been to Drayton Manor during February half term. We choose this time of year as the price of tickets are cheaper as the only parts of the park open are Thomas Land and the zoo. It's ideal for a family of young children as the high ticket prices during the summer season, when the thrill rides are running, just isn't worth it in my opinion. Not when the children are too little to go on the bigger rides.
The boys were so excited when they saw where we were. Little R shouted 'Thomas Land' over and over. At first thought it may not seem the best place to take young children, long queues and impatient toddlers don't mix, but we had a brilliant day. Here are my top tips to help you enjoy your experience.
1. Buy tickets in advance
There's usually a discount if you purchase your tickets ahead of the day you plan to visit, in this case it was half the cost of the at-the-gate price. There is the option of printing your tickets at home or you can collect from the gate. We find printing at home the better option as you don't have to queue to collect your ticket, which can be quite long. We were able to walk straight in.
2. Arrive early
The park is hugely popular and does get really busy. There is also so much to do there, especially if you want to take a look at the zoo. As a family, we are completely unorganised of a morning, so I lay clothes out and pack bags the night before. At the time we visited, the gates opened at 10 and we got there at 11, still not as early as I'd hoped. The queue for tickets was fairly small at that time but inside, the queues for the rides were already starting to build. By around 1pm the park really was quite busy.
3. Queue for your favourite rides first
If you want to go on a particular ride but the queue is long then it stands to chance it will be that way till close. We thought if we waited a while then the rides we really wanted to go on would become less busy, this wasn't the case. Once in the queue, the time waiting does go quickly. Our boys handled the long queues really well, not one tantrum, we didn't see any other parent having problems either. The littlies are so transfixed watching their favourite characters that it distracts them from the long wait. If your children are really eager to have a go on a ride then there are plenty of smaller rides where there isn't a wait.
4. Travel light
If you can, then take as little as possible into the park with you. I took a back pack which had our drinks bottles, a change of bottoms for our potty training little one and a pack of wipes. The bag was by no means heavy but my shoulders were aching by the end of the day. If you are travelling by car, then anything heavy like a picnic, or in our case the pram, then leave it in the car and fetch it once you need it. Remember to have your hand stamped when you leave the gate so that you can gain entry again. There are lockers within the park, available for a fee. There is also an area to leave prams, although you can also leave them next to whichever ride you're on, this does get crowded though.
5. Visit with more than 1 adult
Even though Thomas Land is aimed at children, there are height restrictions on some of the rides. Although our 2 year old was able to go on most rides, he was under the 1 metre height restrictions for a couple of them. We didn't want our 5 year old to miss out so while one of us went on the rides with Z, the other would stay with R and watch. Even though our 5 year old could ride, even he was too small to ride alone so parents be prepared to jump on as well, not that it took us much convincing. We loved it just as much as the boys. There wasn't any ride that they went on alone.
6. Pack drinks and snacks
It is a long day out which you will mostly spend on your feet. The children especially will want to eat and drink throughout the day. We found it best budget wise to take our own drinks and a few snacks. There are also plenty of options to buy food and drinks should you want to buy them there. We stopped at Sodor Sweets before we left and treated ourselves to candyfloss and rock. Not great for teeth buy hey ho! It's not an everyday treat.
7. Our highlights
During our trip we managed to go on pretty much all of the rides there.
Our favourites were:
- Jeremy Jet's flying academy- children control how high they go by pressing a button
- Bertie Bus- belly tickler as it lifts you up and down
- Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster- great junior rollercoaster
- Winston's Whistle-Stop Tours- gentle pace tour of Thomas Land from up above
- Harold's Helicopter Tours- gently rotates to the top of the tower
We all really enjoyed our day out. There was so much to keep kids, young and old alike, entertained. Our 2 were so tired by the end of the day, they fell asleep once we were back in the car. If you have young children, especially Thomas fans, then it is well worth the visit. Even better if you can go when they have the Thomas and friends specials running during February half term and weekends throughout March. If you want to see Thomas Land in action, then check out our vlog below.
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