{"id":9033,"date":"2021-09-19T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2021-09-19T08:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/?p=9033"},"modified":"2025-06-12T20:04:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T20:04:56","slug":"ride-review-river-rapids-drayton-manor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/?p=9033","title":{"rendered":"Ride Review | River Rapids – Drayton Manor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brand new for this season was the refurbishment \/ re-theme of the River Rapids at Drayton Manor! It was something I was particularly enthusiastic about as soon as the announcement was made. I\u2019ve always known Drayton Manor were capable of amazing things and theming but weren\u2019t sure on how you could theme up a rapid especially to the standard it has been! So without further ado, let\u2019s have a chat shall we?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Entrance & Queue Line:<\/h2>\n

The queue line is beautifully themed in the area where it\u2019s practical to add props for theming. Not all areas of the queue are adequate for props to be added however the majority of the queue offers unusual and truly breathtaking views of Shockwave. The entrance is colourful, cheerful & welcoming, this theme remains throughout the queue line.\"\"<\/p>\n

Safety:<\/h2>\n

Whilst you are queuing there is a considerable amount of screens throughout illustrating the safety regulations that have gone into place. But also visually you can recognize the volume of measures that have been introduced including staff sitting amongst the banks of the troth, staff clothing in the station, security cameras to name a few.<\/p>\n

The Station:<\/h2>\n

Within the station, the largest apparent alteration is the location of the operator’s cabin. It is no longer situated in the centre it\u2019s over the far side. All staff are equipped up for their safety in case of any emergencies too. As for the theming in the station, it is fab. So sharp, optimistic and uplifting as a whole. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Audio:\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The audio is everything I had wanted it to be! It\u2019s positive and irresistible to bop along too. To those who established this audio, you have smashed it!<\/p>\n

Throughputs:<\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/span>With any new ride, you have to visit anticipating substantial queues, which we did. However, we joined the queue in an area that had a sign saying 60 minutes however we only waited for 20 max. The queue barely stopped moving at any point. Staff were asking people to share with others however if they didn\u2019t want to they didn\u2019t have to. We have sat alone as the family behind did not want their boat, I assume due to the COVID factors, which is fair enough. The boats are currently only seating a max of 6 people anyway. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The Boats:<\/h2>\n

Another considerable change is the new boats. These boats have several side panels and doors to ensure the safety of guests. As for comfort, I don\u2019t think they aren’t the most comfortable boats around and would struggle to seat 3 adults on one bench.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ride Itself:<\/h2>\n

Now the ride experience itself has enhanced greatly. The photo point has shifted it\u2019s pretty much as soon as you turn the first corner. Throughout your journey along the troth, there are so many fresh theming elements to spot which look fab. Once you\u2019ve headed into the tunnel it looks entirely new to how many of us would have remembered it. It\u2019s really fun inside there. There are smell pods, smoke effects and it is just themed so flawlessly! Upon exiting this section of the ride you are met by some water effects that do get you relatively moist! Although these rapids have enviably been toned down to the retired version it has also improved hugely. There is so much to take in whilst riding it is crazy. For me, I would say these are THE best rapids in the UK. The level of character that has been put into making these fab is insane. It has clarified beautifully what the team at Drayton Manor are able of. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Exit:\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

You exit in the normal place and on your way down the slopes you can take in the beautifully themed station once more. Once you reach the end of the exit you can get your on-ride photos. \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall:<\/h2>\n

River rapids are a fab addition to the lineup at Drayton Manor and the park once again feels somewhat perfect. The work that has gone into developing this ride this good is extraordinary and all of the team should be so proud of themselves. People around us was loving them been back open and we cherished the newly re-themed ride that we are so pleased to have down the road. These rapids have once again taken the title for being the best in the UK. I never knew or at least visualized a rapids ride being able to pull off this degree of theming yet it has been done and done to the quality of excellence. It is so nice to have such a joyful and uplifting ride so close to home.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n

Have you experienced River Rapids as of yet? If so, what are your impressions? If not, have you planned your trip yet?<\/p>\n

Thank you so much for reading!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brand new for this season was the refurbishment \/ re-theme of the River Rapids at Drayton Manor! It was something I was particularly enthusiastic about as soon as the announcement was made. I\u2019ve always known Drayton Manor were capable of amazing things and theming but weren\u2019t sure on how you could theme up a rapid especially to the standard it has been! So without further ado, let\u2019s have a chat shall we?\u00a0 Entrance & Queue Line: The queue line is beautifully themed in the area where it\u2019s practical to add props for theming. Not all areas of the queue are adequate for props to be added however the majority of the queue offers unusual and truly breathtaking views of Shockwave. The entrance is colourful, cheerful & welcoming, this theme remains throughout the queue line. Safety: Whilst you are queuing there is a considerable amount of screens throughout illustrating the safety regulations that have gone into place. But also visually you can recognize the volume of measures that have been introduced including staff sitting amongst the banks of the troth, staff clothing in the station, security cameras to name a few. The Station: Within the station, the largest apparent alteration is the location of the operator’s cabin. It is no longer situated in the centre it\u2019s over the far side. All staff are equipped up for their safety in case of any emergencies too. As for the theming in the station, it is fab. So sharp, optimistic and uplifting as a whole. Audio:\u00a0 The audio is everything I had wanted it to be! It\u2019s positive and irresistible to bop along too. To those who established this audio, you have smashed it! Throughputs: \u00a0With any new ride, you have to visit anticipating substantial queues, which we did. However, we joined the queue in an area that had a sign saying 60 minutes however we only waited for 20 max. The queue barely stopped moving at any point. Staff were asking people to share with others however if they didn\u2019t want to they didn\u2019t have to. We have sat alone as the family behind did not want their boat, I assume due to the COVID factors, which is fair enough. The boats are currently only seating a max of 6 people anyway. The Boats: Another considerable change is the new boats. These boats have several side panels and doors to ensure the safety of guests. As for comfort, I don\u2019t think they aren’t the most comfortable boats around and would struggle to seat 3 adults on one bench.\u00a0 The Ride Itself: Now the ride experience itself has enhanced greatly. The photo point has shifted it\u2019s pretty much as soon as you turn the first corner. Throughout your journey along the troth, there are so many fresh theming elements to spot which look fab. Once you\u2019ve headed into the tunnel it looks entirely new to how many of us would have remembered it. It\u2019s really fun inside there. There are smell pods, smoke effects and it is just themed so flawlessly! Upon exiting this section of the ride you are met by some water effects that do get you relatively moist! Although these rapids have enviably been toned down to the retired version it has also improved hugely. There is so much to take in whilst riding it is crazy. For me, I would say these are THE best rapids in the UK. The level of character that has been put into making these fab is insane. It has clarified beautifully what the team at Drayton Manor are able of. Exit:\u00a0 You exit in the normal place and on your way down the slopes you can take in the beautifully themed station once more. Once you reach the end of the exit you can get your on-ride photos. Overall: River rapids are a fab addition to the lineup at Drayton Manor and the park once again feels somewhat perfect. The work that has gone into developing this ride this good is extraordinary and all of the team should be so proud of themselves. People around us was loving them been back open and we cherished the newly re-themed ride that we are so pleased to have down the road. These rapids have once again taken the title for being the best in the UK. I never knew or at least visualized a rapids ride being able to pull off this degree of theming yet it has been done and done to the quality of excellence. It is so nice to have such a joyful and uplifting ride so close to home. \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014- Have you experienced River Rapids as of yet? If so, what are your impressions? If not, have you planned your trip yet? Thank you so much for reading!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5053,5054],"tags":[3435,744,139,3437,3443,3434,3442,2210,448,2747,3312],"class_list":["post-9033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theme-parks","category-themed-attractions","tag-adventure-cove","tag-dmp","tag-drayton-manor","tag-drayton-manor-adventure-cove","tag-new-theme","tag-river-rapids","tag-river-rapids-drayton-manor","tag-uk-rides","tag-uk-theme-park","tag-uk-theme-park-enthusiast","tag-uk-theme-park-rides"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/C4E12986-4C52-452F-906E-D540DB299673.jpeg?fit=828%2C783&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb4qDv-2lH","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9033"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9033\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9038,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9033\/revisions\/9038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coastersonthecoast.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}