I was very excited to be offered review tickets for Thomas Land at Drayton Manor, it was going to form part of our Staycation alongside a trip to some other attractions.
We arrived about 11.45am after a rather unfortunate navigation error which has now led to the SatNav being thrown in the bin!
On first impression I found the park a smaller than I had imagined but there still seemed to be plenty on offer. We got straight to it going on the swings which are right by the entrance, but the kids were eager to get straight into Thomas Land which we were dissapointed that one of the rides wasnt on but there still seemed plenty of choice, although there are no handmaps so its a good idea to have a wander round and get your bearings first.
We headed straight through and arrived through the gates just in time to see Sir Topham Hat singing and introducing Thomas.
The kids loved the singing and seeing Thomas arrive through the Tunnel, but I have to say the shine was taken a little of the arrival by the 'driver' leaning out of the cab chewing gum and not in any kind of costume.
We'd been told by loads of people that the queues are never bad here at Thomas Land so it came as a bit of a shock when the first ride took use 35 minutes to get on. Rides include plenty that little people can go on The kids enjoyed it though and we made it round a couple more before the hunger meltdown started rearing its head.
So we took a break for lunch, the food in the park is priced pretty much as you'd expect, £20 for a family meal of 4 burger and chips was a lot more reasonable than I was expecting but we'd managed to pack a picnic so we just found a spot by the car and had a break. Then back to the park, the rides outside of Thomas Land were much quicker to get on than those inside so we managed to try a few of the more child friendly ones, there's a range of rides on offer and there's also a zoo you can visit too with the option to feed a meerkat (extra charge applies)
Overall there's plenty to do to spend the day here and lots of fun for the kids but I do think there's a certain something lacking in the atmosphere maybe that's because we'd just come from a day in CBeebies which to be honest is almost Disney like in its customer service. Or perhaps we chose a particularly busy day ? However this doesn't detract from the many rides and activities.and the kids thought it was fun which is what this staycation has been about.
Our top tips for a trip to Drayton and Thomas Land
Ensure you have £3 for the carpark or request to pay it with your entry ticket
I'd always advise packing a picnic no matter what attraction you are going to, for us we have to cater for an allergy so home cooked is always safer, but it means less cost and probably more fruit and veg.
You'll need money for extras like grabber games and hook a duck and cash machines in park charge for use.
Bring some in queue entertainment, we like romp trumps as its small and can be played anywhere, it came in really handy for the longer queues
Try to hit Thomas Land with early morning or late afternoon and spend the rest of the time in the zoo or the rest of Drayton Manor
Keep a look out for discounts and special offers, a family of 5 costs £135 for the day which is a lot of money but there are offers to be had by searching on line, singing up with Drayton and even using Tesco clubcard points where £10.50 in points exchanged with a boost will get you a day ticket!
Oh I'm so sorry you had a few disappointments. We've always loved Thomasland (although Jack was Thomas obsessed for the first few years of his life). The kids still had a good day though and that's the main thing xx
Posted with Blogsy by The Monkeyfooted Mummy 
Oh I'm so sorry you had a few disappointments. We've always loved Thomasland (although Jack was Thomas obsessed for the first few years of his life). The kids still had a good day though and that's the main thing xx
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