We had a beautiful day to go and try the Magical Christmas experience in Thomas Land at Drayton Manor last week. It was very cold but had beautiful blue skies – perfect for a magical Christmas adventure.
If you are looking for a fun Christmas day out for your little ones then you can’t beat Drayon Manor at this time of year. Only Thomas Land is open so it is perfect for the under elev age group. The hole place is decorated for the festive season. There are so many things to do you can’t possibly fit them all in.
There are quite a few new additions this year. There is a whole extra area near the airport with a few new rides and some extra shows. The girls really like these new decorations. You can go inside them and look like a giant present, Christmas pudding or bauble. So silly and great for posing for your family Chritmas card.
Things I didn’t think I’d say: “Stop eating your sister!”
The rideas are so much fun and the queues are short so you can hop on a ride really easily. The girls all loved the rides this year – I think five is the perfect age as they can go on everything and really enjoy it.
ALso it means I don’t have to go on the spinning rides anymore.
There are shows throuout the day, including a Christmas parade. These have a lovely Christmas theme and involves corny jokes and festive songs which will really get you in the Christmas spirit.
The best thing is at the end of the show it snows! The children love playing in the snow and some years it can be the only snow we get.
A trip on Thomas is an essential part of the day. We liked how he had made an effort and was decorated for the season. You can take a ride to the other station and visit the reindeer and other animals. We were planning to walk back through the zoo but you do need to check what time it closes as the gates were closed, but you can come back on Thomas.
In the centre of the park is a huge Christmas tree which has a special light show throughout the day. It looks beuatiful in the dark as well.
There are several places throughout the park where you can go and warm up. There are several cafes and places to eat. We spent a bit of time in the arcade where you can play on tradional penny machines.
The girls were amazed that they actually won a sweet in the slot machines. After this we went to visit Santa. You can book a time slot so don’t have too long to wait. Also there are videos playing to keep you entertained so it doens’t seem too long. The children are given a long time to sit and talk to Santa and a gift bag with a present and a huge chcolate coin.
Another thing we tried for the first time this year was the slide and glide. This was great for beginners and little ones as it is much eaiser than ice to stay upright. They loved having a penguin to push around. However if you can actually ice skate, it is probably worth gibving it a miss, as you will actually find it really hard because you have to do a different motion than on real ice.
The rides stay open until 6pm and you can get some lovely views of Thomas Land lit up as you go on some of the higher rides.
One of our highlights from the day is the 4D Polar Express film. This is good to schedule for when you need to sit down and warm up. This is a shortened version of the film – with all the exciting bits kept in. The special effects really add to the film and it feels like you are actually riding on the train and can reach out and touch a snowflake. This is our favoruite Christmas film and the perfect way to get us in the festive mood.
After the rides close there is a spectacular fireworks display. This is perfect for little ones as it starts at 6pm so they don’t have to wait too long. There are just the right amount of fireworks to keep them interested. This is the perfect end to a magical day. There is so much to see and do at Thomas Land that I really think it is worth the cost of the entrance. This is £15 for children and £20 for over 12 year olds. I like the fact that you can also just pay for entrance to the park if you don’t want to see Santa, and this costs just £10 for children and £15 for adults. £50 for a family of four is really great price for such a fun packed day.
Our final view of the park was seeing Thomas tucked up for the night after his busy day ferrying happy children around Thomas Land. He really is a useful little engine.
Here is our review from last year:
Magical Christmas at Drayton Manor
Disclaimer: We were given a family ticket for the press day for the purposes of this review.