Yes I know what you are all thinking when your opening this blog up it’s been so long since it closed. But I held onto hope for many years and the fact majority of the items from within this ride sold at the auction, it does confirm the fact it’s gone for good. So let’s have a chat about this no longer operating ride and why it meant so much to me. Everything within this blog is speculation or opinion I know nothing in regards to its future.
Pirates Adventure was always that ride which gave me an interest within the theme park industry and I do believe it made me an enthusiast. I remember being around 6 or 7 years old and riding it for the first time & really taking it all in. Afterwards, I became obsessed with indoor boat rides like it was really infectious to me. Every year after that first ride whenever I’d ride it again I couldn’t help but become more intrigued in how it all worked. Before this ride, I never had much of an enthusiastic mindset around theme parks or rides. But this was that first ride I ever played in-depth attention too. I loved to draw little sketches of a dark ride I would create based on this ride.
I remember turning 10 I believe and I headed to Drayton for our annual family visit & this point I was fully obsessed with it. I loved the entire theming aspect and at that point in life I hardly been to any other theme park so this was a big deal and the biggest scale dark ride I had experienced. By the time it closed back in 2014/2015 I was 15/16 years old and was convinced on the idea it would reopen and just facing some refurbishments. But obliviously that wasn’t the case given the fact it isn’t here today.
It was the first ride which taken all my interest and still does to this day I still find myself googling it and watching YouTube videos. It’s a ride I feel I will never be able to get over fully. Of course, it was a sad moment when those doors closed and never reopened. Personally, for me, I ain’t sure whether it would ever be possible but I’d love to see an updated version of this exact ride in its place. Just updates effects, animatronic’s but the theming kept the exact same. That would be lush to see and going by recent investments Drayton Manor have done with theming they would nail it if it was to happen. But unfortunately, I doubt this would ever be the case as clearly there was a reason for its closure in the first place.
This blog in no way is saying this ride was perfect at all but it definitely was a fab experience. I was very young at the time and maybe if I rode it in the mindset I have now it could of all been very different. But the ride did look very aged and dated the final time I got to ride it and the boats weren’t in the best condition neither. Yet I still managed to maintain this love for this ride and I do hope I can continue to remember how happy it once made me. I understand a lot of you probably will be thinking I’m completely bonkers for this blog post. But your girl is been honest about her love for the ride which made her become an enthusiast. I’m sure you can appreciate that.
Do you miss this ride too? Let us know in the comments or across our social media.
Thank you for reading
I feel exactly the same about it being closed. It makes me so sad. I recently visited the park last week. I sent a review about the park lacking love and care. I even stated pirate adventure was a ride for all ages and that it was a shame it was left to go into despair and to rot. I would of loved to have taken my little ones on it. The park use to be pirate themed and I wish that could be reborn. Pirate adventure I feel should be modernized but I doubt they will do anything with it, it will just be left an empty space with all memories left alone in the dark.
It’s always sad to see such a fab ride leave the parks. I am somewhat hopeful the future is bright for the park & that specific building! Who knows what the looping group will make happen!