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The opening of a brand new hotel and two new rides will be the highlights of Drayton Manor Theme Park’s 2011 season, which begins this Saturday 19th March.
At Easter, the award-winning park, located in Staffordshire, will become the home of Europe’s first ever Ben 10 themed roller coaster, called Ben 10: Ultimate Mission. The exciting new roller coaster will be part of an amazing Cartoon Network Street, which will include a fully branded restaurant and shop.
This summer will see the opening of the 150-bedroom Drayton Manor Park Hotel. The new facility will allow visitors to stay overnight, providing a real break for families and allowing them to make the most of their time at the park. The hotel will also feature 11 Thomas & Friends™ themed rooms.
Meanwhile, Thomas Land™ will become bigger and better than ever with the addition of a brand new family-friendly ride due to open May. Thomas Land currently features 19 rides and attractions based on the popular Thomas & Friends series, including indoor and outdoor play areas and a shop.
Drayton Manor is well-known and loved for its impressive variety of attractions. For the brave, there are the white-knuckle rides, such as Maelstrom, G-Force and Apocalypse. Younger visitors love the 4D Cinema, which this year will showcase a brand new film Marvin the Martian in the 3rd dimension. There’s also a 15-acre zoo, which is popular with all ages.
Colin Bryan, the park’s Managing Director, said: “I’m very excited about this year. Over the past six decades we’ve always strived to improve our facilities and attractions for each new season, and I can honestly say that this coming season will be a historic one.
“The hotel will transform Drayton Manor from a popular theme park for a day out, to a leisure resort, while the Ben 10 roller coaster will cement our position as a venue that constantly invests to provide visitors with new and exciting attractions.”
For an even bigger discount, tickets can be pre-booked online at www.draytonmanor.co.uk. It pays to book in advance as tickets cost just £21.95 for ages 12+ , £19.95 for ages 4–11 years and just £2.50 for ages 2-3.
Anyone wanting to book tickets can also do so via the park’s Call Centre on 0844 472 1960. Tickets cost £24 for aged 4-64 years, £2 for 2-3 years, £18 for Grandee (65 years +) and £21 for disabled visitors. Meanwhile, under 2s receive free entry.
The park also has free and plentiful parking for cars, mini-buses and coaches.
Drayton Manor Theme Park is one of the UK’s most popular family attractions with over one million visitors a year. Drayton Manor was first opened to the public by the current owners, the Bryan family, in 1950 after husband and wife co-founders, George, OBE, and Vera Bryan, converted 80 acres of derelict land, which once belonged to the former British Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and his family, into a wonderful family attraction. Today, set in approximately 280 acres of beautiful woodland and countryside, the family owned and run Drayton Manor Theme Park features some of the biggest, wettest and scariest rides around, including Shock-wave, G-force, Maelstrom, and Apocalypse, as well as a 15-acre zoo, the hugely popular Thomas Land™ attraction, and a 4D Cinema.
