Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Drayton Manor - Thomas Land!

6 replies

newmumof2 · 11/03/2009 17:33

Hi
Anyone been? worth going with a Thomas mad 3 yr old? if so recommendations where to stay (have 4 mth old also) please and how to make the most of our trip? planning 2 nights away, budget is ok and prefer a hotel room that has space!

THANKS!

OP posts:
hedgiemum · 12/03/2009 11:15

We went last year with thomas mad 3 year ds and it was great success! Even 5 year old dd enjoyed it. We went for the day. Rest of Drayton Manor was in bad condition and scuzzy - but thomas land section great for little 'uns. We'd take a picnic and go in good weather if we went again, as food was even more terrible than usual. We prefer legoland (about same price and a lot more for the money), but for thomas mad child its a great experience.

Blackduck · 12/03/2009 11:19

Thomas mad child will love it! Agree about take your own food..... Ds badgering us to go again this year (groan) Pirate bit not too bad either...

Ceebee74 · 12/03/2009 11:22

We went last July for my DS1's 2nd birthday - he was perhaps a little too young as he couldn't go on all the rides (just not quite tall enough) but he still had a great time just looking at Thomas and we had a really great day.

We are going again for his birthday this year and hopefully we can go on all the rides (although not together this time as DS2 will be with us this time and he will be only 7 months!)

Didn't venture into the rest of Drayton Manor but there is plenty to do in Thomasland - if your DS is Thomas mad he will absolutely love it. You can take a ride on Thomas or Percy to the zoo section of the park aswell (not a huge zoo but something different to look at for a while) - they have an outdoors play area and picnic areas there aswell. Ds1 loved riding on Thomas - even now, 9 months later, when he looks at the photos of him in the carriages he says 'me in Annie'

Can't help with accommodation as we went down for the day - sorry. It isn't that far from Birmingham so maybe somewhere round that area and then you can do, say Cadbury''s World or another Brummy attraction on the other day.

ConnorTraceptive · 12/03/2009 11:25

Took ds when he was three he LOVED it. Fortunately he is quite tall and was able to go on everything and even some stuff in the main park.

If going on a weekend it does get very very busy. We went to the thomas bit first and it was heaving, by the later part of the day it was much quiter.

cestlavie · 12/03/2009 11:44

It looks great with all the right characters and a Fat Controller strolling around, is well themed throughout, has imaginative rides for little ones and is in very good condition (as you'd expect for something that's only been open for a year!).

It does get busy very early, unsurprisingly really and for certain rides the ride itself really doesn't justify the queue time especially with a toddler - on the other hand, some really great rides have quite short wait times. At the other end of the train ride from Thomasland is a good, big adventure playground which also lets them burn off steam and there's a big Thomas themed soft play area next to Thomasland which is in great condition and very imaginative.

The rest of the park is a real mixed bag and very teen orientated - lots of thrill rides - but there are plenty of other things you can do which the little ones like (and can go on), be it splashy water ride or dragon boats. The zoo is an utter disgrace (I actually wrote to the Zoological Society to complain) but sadly, DD did like it - probably because given the bare enclosures you're guaranteed getting a close up of the animals unlike at decent zoos. As others have said, I'd take your own lunch and buy necessities as you go - not cheap, and very average.

I'd check in at Thomasland early, wander around and get on a couple of rides to sate the little one's enthusiasm, catch the Thomas/ Percy up to the top of the park, then amble back through the zoo and the rest of the park, before getting back to Thomasland mid afternoon when it's getting quieter.

newmumof2 · 12/03/2009 20:09

cool thanks!!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread