Thomas Land - any tips?

[storminabuttercup]

Taking DS in august, it's a fair drive for us so we plan on setting off very early, letting him nap in the car and we have a premier inn booked for the night so we can grab a meal nearby and have a good nights sleep before driving back. Anything I need to know, does it fill a day or do we need to go to Drayton too?

Total lack of manners there! Thanks in advance

When we have been to Thomas land it has easily filled the day. We had a little walk around the Zoo but the rest of the time was in Thomas land

I didn't realise there was a zoo! DS will love that too.

How old is DS? When we did it DS was just 5 and Thomas Land was mobbed when we got there at opening time. We took the train up to the zoo then walked round Drayton Manner taking DS on the rides he was big enough for then headed back to the Thomas Land area after lunch.

By that time there were hardly any queues for any of the Thomas rides and we stayed there until the park closed around 6pm.

We definitely had our moneys worth for that day out!

He's 4 jazz, think I may take your advice on that one. Maybe people start at thomas land then go on to DM. Does the ticket allow entry to both? Thank you

Thomasland isn't very big and I thought the rest of Drayton manor was very run down.
Paid for it with Tesco vouchers and didn't feel it was worth the actual gate price. We stayed about 3 hours.

Our ticket allowed us entry in to both. I think I may have used tesco vouchers towards them too. We bought food there and it wasn't cheap (same as all these places really)

I took my 4 year old twins a few weeks back and they loved it.

Did Thomasland first and then just before lunch picked up picnic from car and took the Thomas train over to zoo part and had lunch. Then walked back through zoo and dinosaur part and did a few rides in the main park. They loved ben10 ride, buffalo coaster, carousel and rapids.

Then returned to thomasland and repeated rides there. We had heavy rain but still enjoyed a full day there.

The ticket gets you into the whole of Drayton Manor. Thomas land is just a part of it.
Take a picnic and get the thomas train at lunchtime to the other side of the park. There is a big play area there where you can have your food.

We always leave our food in the car to save lugging it around. DH goes back for it as the car parks aren't huge.

We have had a few great days out there!

You can then walk back through the zoo.

x post with jerry

We've been looking at taking DS as he is a complete Thomas obsessive but as he's only 2 we think he might be a bit little still.

Are there many rides? Do they have all the trains there (there are favourites who will be hunted for if they're not there)?

Any chance you can go in term time? It'd be much quieter. My kids all love it, and did at that age. One mistake we did was assume the DM rides were too big, so spend most the day in TL, then found that actually there are great rides all over the park for them.

If possible don't bother with the little cars on the track thing - the queue is always massive and the ride is very boring.

We spent an entire two days with our Thomas-mad DCs in Thomasland for the most part, with brief forays to nearby rides and the zoo. It was busy but we still rode everything in Thomasland twice by the end of it.

Drayton Manor Park isn't huge, but there should still be a fair few rides for your 4yo to do.

All of the food in and around Thomasland is of the hotdog/nugget/burger variety, but it is possible to get other food at the cafe at the other end of the Thomas line (Mrs Kyndley's IIRC) and there is a big restaurant the other side of the "castle", towards the Ben 10 ride, which has jacket potatoes etc.

FWIW, our 4yo loves the Ben 10 ride too although the queues can get enormous.

LouisaJF the featured engines are Thomas/Percy/Rosie (two operate the line, the other will be sat trackside), Bertie, Lady, Winston, Cranky, Bulstrode, Terence, the Troublesome Trucks and Spencer. There are a selection of Diesels (Salty, Mavis, Dennis, Diesel that I can remember) and the Blue Mountain Quarry engines (Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam and Skarloey) on their own rides. Oh, and Jeremy the Jet Plane and Harold each have their own rides. James is trackside and can be climbed on. Spencer is in the playground. The other favourites such as Toby, Edward, Henry, Gordon feature as faces around the "engine shed" around Harold's ride, so your child can still pose for photos with them. Emily has a soft play area.

I've probably forgotten someone, let me know which engines your child will want to see!

Oh and LouisaJF our just-2yo didn't really "get" Thomasland on first visiting. We went back 6 months later and at 2.6yo it was the Best Day Ever.

He's really going to want to see Gordon, Henry and Percy. From what you've said he might be a bit too little at the moment.

Top tip for going on Thomas, walk through the zoo to the other staton and catch the train back to thomasland. The queues are really long at the Thomas land station, but really short to come back the other way. When we've been there, the trains have been two out of Thomas Rosie and I think Percy. We have been a few times as we are kind of local in the midlands, and when ds was about two we spent the entire day going backwards and forwards on the trains. He didn't like the other rides, wouldn't even entertain them, it was all about the train.

Do have a wander around the rest of the park, there are other rides suitable for youngsters to go on and your ticket is valid for the whole place not just Thomas land.

Some great tips here! I think the plan is to start in the zoo work our way back to have picnic and then do thomas land. Lucy with you being local can you recommend anywhere for an evening meal? We are staying at the premier in in tamworth

I would go for Thomasland first - the zoo isn't much, really. We have had a couple of really good days there.

We went yesterday, greatday out. Very bust but didnt queue for long for anything at Thomasland. 20 mins max. Kids 5,4 and 2 loved it and would hsppily have spent all day riding Thomas and Percy up and down the line. Dont miss the Thomas exhibition room by the Terence tractors, the kids spent ages in there looking....
We only did one ride in the main park as every time we left Thomasland
the kids wanted to go back. You can easily fill a day, there is lots to do!
We brought a picknick and didnt spend anything on food and drink.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn xpress Tamworth, excellent location, clean hotel. Microwave and ice in the lobby and lots of shops nearby at the Ventura retail park for picknick stuff (Asda sainsburys m&S boots etc) .
There is a Frankie and Bennys nearby heavily promoted by the reception staff, avoid avoid avoid it was vile!!! Cold Pizza still frozen, microwaved chips and disorganised rude staff. There is a pizza express nearby that looked lovely wish we had gone there!!! Second night we drove to the village of Hopwas (10 mins from TL) lovely place on the canal, choice of 2 pubs ; the Tame Otter gastropub or The Red Lion with a great playarea and garden. Lovely and recomended on here!
Were finishing off with snowplay this morning in the snowdome before heading home!:)