Thomas Land

A Magical Christmas Day Out at Drayton Manor

Finding a Christmas day out can be a bit of a minefield, especially when you have a large range of ages to keep happy.

We were invited to Drayton Manor, home of Thomas Land, for a magical Christmas experience and we were not disappointed.

This was our first visit to Drayton Manor at Christmas and they had completely transformed Thomas Land into a winter wonderland, complete with snow on the roofs, christmas decorations and characters wandering around to meet and greet the children.

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There was also guaranteed snowfall over the Island of Sodor which the kids were delighted with as we danced along with The Fat Controller and all his Fungineer friends during their show – even Abbey got dragged up to join in.

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All the rides in Thomas Land were open and it was so quite we were literally walking onto each one without having to queue which meant the kids never got bored or cold.

Thomas Land

Thomas was decorated with fair lights and cute antlers and the train ride was decorated with Christmas scenes as you travelled from Knapford to Farmer McColl’s Farm.

The larger rides for teens are not open, however you can still visit the zoo, ride on Ben 10 Rollercoaster and experience the Polar Express in the 4D cinema.

Drayton Manor

We were booked in to see Father Christmas at 4pm and were surprised to find no queue at all. We were greeted at the door by a friendly elf who chatted to the children before letting us inside.

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You enter a large room with a stack of real toys in front of you with another elf explains that he has been making and are then ushered into a room to meet Father Christmas. Eagle eyed parents will notice there is more than one room but the kids were so transfixed by the toys that they didn’t notice.

I have to say that although the journey to see Father Christmas was a little uninspiring, the visit itself was fantastic. He engaged with the children, took a genuine interest in what they were saying and chatted to them for around 5 minutes.

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Santa’s gift to them was a white paper bag which contained a golden ticket to return to Drayton Manor next year, a huge (and I mean HUGE) gold chocolate coin and a cuddly elf which they were instructed to look after and place on the window sill of their bedroom on Christmas Eve so he knew where to deliver their presents.

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If you are looking for an experience that lasts the whole day then this is for you. The park closes at 5pm and finishes with a fantastic Christmas parade and show and then fireworks over the lake.

Park entry plus a visit to see Father Christmas costs £12 for age 2-3, £17 for age 4-11 and £22 for age 12+ which is very reasonable considering everything they have on offer – find out more on the website: DraytonManor.co.uk

The Places We Will Go
Thomas Land

A Winter Visit to Thomas Land

We were first introduced to Drayton Manor when Sebby was a newborn but it was our second visit where we really fell in love with Thomas Land and all the park had to offer. There is nothing better than seeing your child gasp with awe and excitement around every corner as they spot their favourite characters around every corner.

Last weekend we were invited to Drayton Manor, home of Thomas Land for an exclusive event where we got to ride our favourite characters before members of the public were allowed which meant no queues, not that I have ever found them that long on our previous visits.

We followed Sebby’s lead and soon found ourselves flying high aboard Jeremy’s Air Academy.

Thomas Land

Flynn’s Fire and Rescue was next up, although it was too cold to shoot the water jets we enjoyed the ride all the same. Sadly Sebby was just too short to ride Captain’s Sea Adventure, so we watched and waved to Abbey, Isaac and Eliza instead before another flying lesson but this time aboard Harold the helicopter.

Thomas Land

Nothing would persuade the older kids to go on the troublesome trucks rollercoaster although they did bravely ride Bertie Bus and Diesel’s Locomotive Mayhem for the first time, before a more gentle drive in Sodor’s Classic Cars and Winston.

Thomas Land

Around Thomas Land there are a few booth’s where you can win prizes and we decided to have a go at the hook a duck. The joy on Sebby’s face when he won, with Abbey’s help, a James cuddly toy was brilliant and seconds later he met Sir Toppam Hatt too – that was certainly the highlight of his day.

Thomas Land

No trip to Thomas Land would be complete without a ride on some trains and we also boarded the Blue Mountain Engines and got to ride in Clarabel, pulled by Thomas of course.

Thomas Land

At the other end of the line is the chance to ride on Terence the Tractor and see the Thomas & Friends™ Exhibition in Farmer McColls Farm.

Thomas Land

Sadly the bigger rides at Drayton Manor were closed, but the zoo was open and we got to see some very real looking dinosaurs as well as snakes, monkey’s, meerkats, lynx and a rather hungry looking black panther who was pacing his cage.

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I was really impressed with the facilities in the park too. The toilets and baby changing rooms were modern, warm and clean and the restaurants served reasonably priced food with a family meal deal costing £20 for four (season pass holders also get a 20% discount on food and in the shops).

Thomas Land

It may have been a cold and grey day, but it felt warm and sunny thanks to the excitement of all the children and we cannot wait to come back soon, do some of the bigger rides too and experience the what the rest of the park has to offer.

We were invited to Drayon Manor Theme Park as guests in exchange for this post.  This is our entry for the brand ambassador role for 2016.