DESTINATIONS THOMAS LAND THEME PARKS & ATTRACTIONS


from a hose into a ‘burning’ building.


My son was at the younger end of the age spectrum for the park, and too short for some of the more thrilling rides, including Cranky’s Tower Drop and the Troublesome Trucks Runaway Rollercoaster. These were also the rides with the longest queues, and considering a toddler’s attention span, it was actually a bit of a relief to take them out of the equation.


 UP IN THE AIR Happily, the queue wasn’t too long at James & the Red Balloon, one of the newest rides, where Dexter loved spinning up in the air in the baskets. After multiple goes, the only way to persuade him to move on was the promise of a live show, where he would get to see the ‘real’ Fat Controller. We watched the singing and dancing, and then waited for the next engine tour, climbing into a carriage behind Thomas himself to be chugged slowly across the park to Tidmouth Hault station. For the littlest legs, this is


a fantastic way of linking up Thomas Land with the other toddler-friendly elements at Drayton Manor. Thomas, Percy and Emily make appearances on this route, though not every engine seems to run every day, so it’s best not to make promises if a child has a favourite. At the other end of the line,


we whiled away an hour on the climbing frames, slides, tunnels and bridges of the rail-themed Spencer’s Outdoor Adventure Play, and – to my dinosaur- obsessed son’s delight – also discovered the park’s Dino Trail.


 ANIMAL ATTRACTION This station is also near Drayton Manor Zoo. With more than 100 animals, it’s brilliant for kids, and provides a quieter environment when you need to calm down after the thrills of Thomas Land. There’s an imposing Sumatran tiger, playful gibbons, lemurs and macaques, cute red pandas, and crowd-pleasing meerkats. Rain is always an unwelcome


visitor at a theme park, but there are a couple of options to duck


Stay chez Thomas


Just outside the gates of the park, Drayton Manor Hotel is not only the most convenient place to stay before or after your Thomas Land adventure – it also allows you to keep the magic alive that bit longer. Dexter was enchanted by the Thomas diorama at the entrance, and ran over to hug the plastic passengers standing around the lobby. There are branded elements all over the hotel – right down to themed rooms with bunk beds. Our Family Room had a sofa bed and blackout curtains – although even those couldn’t stop Dexter waking early


in anticipation of the character breakfast we’d booked, where he got to meet the Fat Controller. Book it: A night in a Family Room, including one-day tickets to the park for a family of four, starts at £224 with Super Break. superbreak.com/agents


into to wait out a shower. In the main Thomas Land park, Emily’s Adventure Play is a soft-play area with slides and a ball pit, and at Tidmouth Hault, you’ll find the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition. Die-hard Thomas fans young and old will love this miniature railway featuring original


models from the first TV series. With no rain on our visit, we


rode back – behind Percy this time – to Knapford Station for a last go on James & the Red Balloon be- fore waving goodbye to Thomas Land. If Dexter has anything to do with it, we’ll be choo-choo- choosing to visit again soon.


ABOVE: Thomas the Tank Engine


LEFT: Ben 10 Ultimate Mission rollercoaster


RIGHT: A red panda in Drayton Manor Zoo


50travelweekly.co.uk28 March 2019


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