We’ve had a brief visit a couple weekends ago to Drayton Manor mainly to collect our ultimate passes. There will be a blog discussing all things about the ultimate pass to come shortly. But for now we’re going to talk all things Drayton Manor & what we thought during our drop in visit. This blog may not include much to do with rides and how they are riding given the fact it was literally a few hours visit. We hope you enjoy & be sure to keep an eye out for the ultimate pass information blog to come.
Throughputs / Operations:
During our short visit we had only done Shockwave but that did take a little bit of time up. We joined the queue line expecting it to be pretty empty but actually we ended up queuing around 30-40 minutes. As always it was on one train with one row not been loaded. So of course as expected the throughput was pretty awful given the amount of people then loading, emptying and the ride length itself. Personally for us it would be fab to see it back onto two trains given it’s the only big thrill coaster left in operation. But again please if visiting do expect queues unless it’s an off peak day as the throughputs aren’t the best.
Shockwave:
This was the only ride we done during our brief visit so let’s talk about Shockwave. It’s not long turned 25 years old and given that age it’s riding like a dream. We had queued for the front row as we’ve always preferred that row in comparison to the rest. Before riding we had remembered our last ride been rather rough and uncomfortable. With that in mind we had an open mind to it this season. Yet we had a lovely surprise where we returned to the station really rating Shockwave. It was undeniably smooth and there was next to no head bashing what’s so ever. On the Friday beforehand we had rode Saw which is undoubtedly now our lowest ranked coaster. Shockwave is running so much better than Saw the ride given the age difference it’s pretty impressive.
Merchandise:
It does seem as if there’s a lack of merchandise currently and a lot for sale which usually means a new batch to come. There is in fact a brand new pin badge for £2 which those who collect pin badges will know that’s incredibly cheap. Ultimate pass holders do get discount as well. There’s no denying we’d love to see some more pin badges and specific ride related merchandise to come in the future. However there’s so much cheap and affordable merchandise available currently for under £5.
Zoo:
Something we’ve always wanted Drayton Manor to do was animals experiences. That is exactly what they’ve introduced for the 2019 season with the prices been affordable. Season pass holders do also receive discounts on the advertised prices. It’s something we’re hoping to do soon and share our experience with you guys as always. There’s several small improvements throughout the zoo as usual. Many enclosures have received some TLC and there’s new animals here and there too. In the middle section of the zoo there’s the opportunity to feed the fish for £1. This is something we love to do at Alton Towers and now Drayton offer it too it’s incredible. However we have noticed the signs of future plans for the zoo has been removed and there’s nothing anymore to state any future plans. Whether this means anything or not we’re completely unsure. However the original plans that were displayed looked really fab so we hope they are still going ahead.
Overall:
The park is looking pretty beautiful with repaints and overall clean up. It’s a little sad to see G Force still standing but not operating however we didn’t expect anything different. Not much has changed in regards to ride line up but older rides & attractions are looking real fresh. Of course we’d love to see a new investment happen in the nearby future. Drayton Manor is the perfect family day out with something for everyone.
We’d love to know your opinions below or across our socials.