Drayton Manor
-
Don't_Look_Down
- Member
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 4:41 pm
- Location: Stuck at the top of Apocalypse
I was reinforcing the original post by posting an official statement from the park.
Duh
Duh
Oblivion beckons in T-minus five minutes, be prepared for embarkation!
Eat, sleep, Apocalypse!
-
ImagineerJohn
- New Member
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 11:08 pm
I just thought I would share in this topic the potential the "Site" in suspect has for a medium sized family thrill ride development:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 717&type=1
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 717&type=1
[align=center]
[/align]
[/align]-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
That looks great! It reminds me of a cross between the Backlot Stunt Coasters at Cedar Fair parks...
...and the stunt shows at Disney...
My only suggestion would be to make one or two of the hills slightly taller and for the whole thing to be slightly longer, but the ideas and theming look great.
...and the stunt shows at Disney...
My only suggestion would be to make one or two of the hills slightly taller and for the whole thing to be slightly longer, but the ideas and theming look great.
-
joshc807
- Member
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:25 pm
I went to Drayton Manor yesterday for the first time in years, and I've got to say I was very disappointed.
I must firstly say well done to the improvements made to the eating facilities and shops, they are much better! It was great to see that they don't just spend money on new rides.
However, when I was going on the thrill rides at Drayton it was clear that they don't spend much money on their thrill rides, G-Force was covered in Graffiti, was filthy everywhere and the projectors were not working and covered in marks. The same can be said for Shockwave, this was also filthy and looked unloved. I'm sorry but deep cleaning rides during closed season doesn't cost a lot and it does give a good impression/have a good impact! I don't blame Drayton too much for this one but when I went on Pirates Adventure they were having to push the boats when they were departing from the station! Many of the other rides looked unloved too and I understand they don't have as much investment as Merlin Parks but some of the faults and maintenance was inexcusable.
Not only were some of the rides in quite a bad state, the staff were awful! They were so rude and unprofessional, on Shockwave they were all chewing gum and sitting on the queue railings waiting for the train to come back. In the Stormforce shop they were 3 staff members standing there on talking to each other (one on her phone), shooing us out of the shop because we were wet! Although most of the staff I encountered were awful I must say for fairness that some were very pleasant, they could do with teaching the others!
When walking around the park something that worried me was lack of investment for thrill. I understand Drayton is a family park, and Thomas Land is fantastic It does feel like you are in Sodor, but a lot of the park is only for younger children. What worries me is that Drayton will get carried away with the family market and loose a lot of the young adult population, the park was pretty derelict yesterday, and I understand the weather wouldn't of helped, but I've never seen it so quite before. Something that also concerned me was the amount of IP's, yes they can work great and Thomas Land has for Drayton, but it would be nice to see some individual theming to Drayton and not lots of IP's everywhere!
I do understand Drayton target the family market and do not have as much money as other theme parks, however family does include thrill rides, and some of the issues at the park don't cost a lot to resolve!
I must firstly say well done to the improvements made to the eating facilities and shops, they are much better! It was great to see that they don't just spend money on new rides.
However, when I was going on the thrill rides at Drayton it was clear that they don't spend much money on their thrill rides, G-Force was covered in Graffiti, was filthy everywhere and the projectors were not working and covered in marks. The same can be said for Shockwave, this was also filthy and looked unloved. I'm sorry but deep cleaning rides during closed season doesn't cost a lot and it does give a good impression/have a good impact! I don't blame Drayton too much for this one but when I went on Pirates Adventure they were having to push the boats when they were departing from the station! Many of the other rides looked unloved too and I understand they don't have as much investment as Merlin Parks but some of the faults and maintenance was inexcusable.
Not only were some of the rides in quite a bad state, the staff were awful! They were so rude and unprofessional, on Shockwave they were all chewing gum and sitting on the queue railings waiting for the train to come back. In the Stormforce shop they were 3 staff members standing there on talking to each other (one on her phone), shooing us out of the shop because we were wet! Although most of the staff I encountered were awful I must say for fairness that some were very pleasant, they could do with teaching the others!
When walking around the park something that worried me was lack of investment for thrill. I understand Drayton is a family park, and Thomas Land is fantastic It does feel like you are in Sodor, but a lot of the park is only for younger children. What worries me is that Drayton will get carried away with the family market and loose a lot of the young adult population, the park was pretty derelict yesterday, and I understand the weather wouldn't of helped, but I've never seen it so quite before. Something that also concerned me was the amount of IP's, yes they can work great and Thomas Land has for Drayton, but it would be nice to see some individual theming to Drayton and not lots of IP's everywhere!
I do understand Drayton target the family market and do not have as much money as other theme parks, however family does include thrill rides, and some of the issues at the park don't cost a lot to resolve!
-
SLC
- Member
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:01 pm
I also went (for the first time ever) yesterday, and although I myself did not encounter any issues with the staff, I was disappointed with the extremely low throughput of the rides. I don't know if they always do, but both the major coasters were only running a single train which turned a 5 minute wait into a 20 minute one.
-
ImURNemesis
- Member
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 9:19 pm
- Location: The valley
Look like that good be a great coaster! Looks very... Mack(ish)ImagineerJohn wrote: I just thought I would share in this topic the potential the "Site" in suspect has for a medium sized family thrill ride development:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 717&type=1
May not be a mack launch looper, but our dreams of Drayton getting a Mack launch coaster may come true! In what ever shape or form it comes in.
-
Squiggles
- Member
- Posts: 2172
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 8:44 pm
- Location: The Land of Make Believe! (No... really)
- Contact:
DiogoJ42 wrote: Looks utterly boring and worthless.
But... but... it has shipping containers... surely that means it must be a sure fire hit?
Edwardo..... move me!
-
owenjones92
- Member
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:13 pm
- Location: Chester
Suprisingly enough G force only has 1 Train !SLC wrote: I also went (for the first time ever) yesterday, and although I myself did not encounter any issues with the staff, I was disappointed with the extremely low throughput of the rides. I don't know if they always do, but both the major coasters were only running a single train which turned a 5 minute wait into a 20 minute one.
DONT...LOOK..DOWN
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
Well, at least they aren't pretending that the shipping containers are anything but shipping containers. Not that that's really any better. :PSquiggles wrote:DiogoJ42 wrote: Looks utterly boring and worthless.
But... but... it has shipping containers... surely that means it must be a sure fire hit?
-
Don't_Look_Down
- Member
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 4:41 pm
- Location: Stuck at the top of Apocalypse
The number of trains doesn't doesn't have any effect on the throughput. G Force has such a short layout, that it doesn't warrant an extra train. With Shockwave, the poor throughput is due to loading people into the ridiculous restraint system.
Oblivion beckons in T-minus five minutes, be prepared for embarkation!
Eat, sleep, Apocalypse!
-
thefatone
- Member
- Posts: 865
- Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:14 pm
- Location: Hidden behind an ancient bookcase..
Bit of a lie with G Force though - although the ride has a short layout, you could easily load the train in the time one is going round the track. So, it could very easily at least double its throughput, when taking into consideration of loading time of just one train as well.
Shockwave, although the restraint system is stupid, adds to throughput slightly - due to the fact you're spending about a minute or two less to dispatch a train each time.
Shockwave, although the restraint system is stupid, adds to throughput slightly - due to the fact you're spending about a minute or two less to dispatch a train each time.
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
Would it be worth investing in new trains for Shockwave? I've no idea if it could be worth it, but couldn't B&M make a couple of trains for them and update any other bits that could be improved/need improving? It's still Drayton's biggest ride and its star attraction, so it's definitely worth investing some money in to keep it running smoothly and looking good. Even if they couldn't get new trains for it, I'd still like to see them sort the queue out. It's such a dull, dusty and grim place to wait in.
Am I the only one that thinks the B&M stand-up trains look good? :P
Am I the only one that thinks the B&M stand-up trains look good? :P
Last edited by BigAl on Fri Jun 08, 2012 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
Don't_Look_Down
- Member
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2010 4:41 pm
- Location: Stuck at the top of Apocalypse
^ Unfortunately this is Drayton we're talking about, and they never carry out projects on this scale. It's a very plausible idea, though.
Oblivion beckons in T-minus five minutes, be prepared for embarkation!
Eat, sleep, Apocalypse!
-
BigAl
- Member
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:00 am
- Location: South East Cheshire
- Contact:
They could even use it for new marketing. Remember that Chessington marketed Vampire as "the new Vampire" when it reopened in 2002 (albeit with less theming and the Vekoma trains 
). It would be great if they also installed a new ride along with a Shockwave makeover and then advertised them both. Drayton have showed promising signs with the maintenance across the park this season, so if they could just take that and apply it to some of their rides then it would really help to improve the place.
). It would be great if they also installed a new ride along with a Shockwave makeover and then advertised them both. Drayton have showed promising signs with the maintenance across the park this season, so if they could just take that and apply it to some of their rides then it would really help to improve the place.