Latest news with #DraytonManorResort
Metro
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Huge UK theme park is axing entry fees – but you'll need to grab tickets fast
Theme parks have long been a go-to choice for a family day out. But they're not exactly cheap. Even if you manage to get a discount on tickets, once you factor in travel, food, and overpriced teddies from the gift shop, a family of four is looking at spending well over £100. However, one popular UK resort is transporting its guests back to the good old days — when you could pass through its barriers for absolutely nothing. Drayton Manor is reviving its 1950s pricing model by scrapping its entry fees. Guests can enjoy free entry on April 24 and 25 — but it won't be a totally free day out, instead, park-goers will use pay-as-you-go tokens to access park rides. The Staffordshire-based theme park boasts over 50 rides and attractions, a 15-acre zoo with more than 500 animals, and an immersive Thomas the Tank Engine-themed land for the little ones. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. During the two-day deal, each ride can be enjoyed for just one to five tokens. These are available to purchase in packs of five and 10 online or from various points around the park. For those who want to avoid counting their tokens, wristbands are also available for unlimited access to rides. These are priced at £30 per person if purchased online in advance or £35 per person when bought on the day at the park. The free entrance is in honour of Drayton Manor's 75th anniversary. Tickets to the theme park would usually start from £27.50 when booked online. All guests are required to book a free ticket online before their visit and walk-up entry is not guaranteed. The free tickets will go on sale 9am on Tuesday 22 April. Victoria Lynn, managing director at Drayton Manor Resort, said: 'Our 75th-anniversary celebrations are in full swing, and as part of that, we want to give families the chance to discover Drayton Manor for less. 'Whether you choose to join us at the park with a picnic or browse the rides, arcade, museum and zoo for free, or go for it with a full wristband, there's plenty of fun to be had at Drayton Manor throughout the weekend and beyond.' Drayton Manor will continue its celebrations throughout the year with 'monthly Fireworks Extravaganzas', live music and a variety of family-themed entertainment. More Trending The theme park, which was awarded the UK's best value theme park in 2023, boasts plenty of attractions. From thrill rides, such as 'The Wave' to River Rapids and children's rides – there's plenty to explore. It also offers a four-star hotel on site, with family rooms, executive rooms, and presidential available to book. You can also find Viking or Thomas & Friends-themed rooms. And, the park is a big hit with visitors. One TripAdvisor reviewer, who went to the park with their three grandchildren, called it a 'thrilling day out', adding: 'Big variety of rides for all ages. We hardly queued at all… Staff are friendly and very hardworking… Definitely would recommend.' Another guest said Drayton Manor was a 'fabulous place': 'Highly recommend. Great selection of rides and all round happy atmosphere.' And a third said their family had an 'overall amazing and joyful experience.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Mejuri launches unmissable Stacking Event with up to 20% off for a limited time only MORE: The six companies in the UK that give dads 52 weeks paid paternity leave MORE: After decades of hair pulling, this 'fast-acting' serum helped me grow my it back
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
UK attraction confirms two days of FREE entry to celebrate 75th anniversary
DRAYTON Manor has revealed two days of free entry to celebrate 75 years of the park. The Staffordshire theme park first opened its doors in 1950 and has gone back to its original token pricing system next week to mark the occasion. 4 On 24 and 25 April 2025, Drayton Manor will offer free entry to the park and zoo. Visitors will then use pay-as-you-go tokens or an unlimited wristband to enjoy the 50 rides and attractions around the park. Each ride can be enjoyed for between one and five tokens, which are available to buy in packs of five or 10 online in advance or you can buy them during the day around the park. Tokens cost between £2 and £10 - which vary depending on the rides. You can also get a wristband which will give guests unlimited access to everything inside Drayton Manor. That's not all, Drayton Manor is planning even more for the celebrations which stretch across the summer from a diamond egg hunt, to firework extravaganzas which is on the first weekend of each month. Drayton Manor's newly opened anniversary museum, located in the Falls Theatre, is free for guests until the end of the summer season. Inside are rare artifacts, vintage memorabilia, and iconic moments from the park's incredible history, which celebrate Drayton Manor through the decades. Victoria Lynn, managing director at Drayton Manor Resort, said: 'Our 75 th anniversary celebrations are in full swing, and as part of that, we want to give families the chance to discover Drayton Manor for less." "We've been named the UK's best value attraction for the last three years running, so it's really important to us to put this weekend on and let people know that everyone is welcome at Drayton Manor. DRAYTON MANOR IS HIT FOR THRILL-SEEKERS OF ALL AGES 4 She continued: 'Whether you choose to join us at the park with a picnic or browse the rides, arcade, museum, and zoo for free, or go for it with a full wristband, there's plenty of fun to be had at Drayton Manor throughout the weekend and beyond. 'Throughout the year, we'll continue the celebrations with monthly Fireworks Extravaganzas, live music, and a huge variety of fantastic themed family entertainment every month, so there's plenty for guests to enjoy whenever they visit.' All guests are required to book a free ticket online in advance to manage entry and capacity. Walk-up entry is not guaranteed. Tickets to reserve your spot will go live on 21 April at 9AM. Wristbands are priced at £30 per person if bought in advance, or £35 per person if bought on the day. Drayton Manor hosts around 1.5 million visitors each year and is the fourth-largest amusement park in the UK by land area at 280 acres. The on-site zoo is home to more than 500 animals, including Red pandas, Eurasian lynx, Sumatran tigers and a variety of monkeys and gibbons. Before becoming a theme park, the land belonged to the Peel family. Drayton Manor mansion was built in 1835 but had been reduced to ruins by 1926, with only the clock tower surviving at the park entrance. After this, it was turned into a training venue for The British Army during World War II but in 1950, was turned into an amusement park. The largest ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park is The Wave, a large coaster with a top speed of 52 mph. Previously, Apocalypse was Drayton Manor's tallest ride, and its huge tower was visible for miles which closed in 2022. Plus, the UK's best value attractions revealed – with lesser-known theme park and most popular castle crowned the winners. And plans have been put forward to open a new adventure park with water attraction near an English village. 4
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Huge UK theme park announces FREE admission - but there's a catch
When the first day of April chimed in, one of Britain's biggest theme parks announced its plans to remove admission back- pedalled hours later when midday struck. Drayton Manor Resort in Staffordshire sparked criticism for the April Fool's Day prank, which saw it suggesting it would scrap entry fees to mark its 75th anniversary in 2025. A few hours after the initial announcement, the park appeared to have confirmed the news was an April Fool's joke - but drew anger from some who had recently forked out for an annual season ticket. Taking to Drayton Manor's Facebook page, one person described the joke as 'poor form.' The misfiring move then got even more confusing when the park added a cryptic '...or is it?' after confessing the free entry had all been in jest. Happily, there's cheering news on the horizon; the park has confirmed that this weekend - April 24th and 25th - entry really will cost nothing for theme alas, that doesn't mean the rides are free. The park says for the two days in question, it will return to its original token pricing system from the 1950s - allowing free entry but with pay-as-you-go ride admission. Visitors to the park and zoo can purchase tokens or an unlimited wristband (for £30) that gives access to the park's thrills and spills. Drayton Manor serves up more than 50 rides and attractions, including pre-school favourite Thomas Land - and a zoo that's home to over 500 animals. Those seeking more high-octane rides plump for Thor, a whirling 'Disk'O Coaster' or Wild West coaster Accelorator. For those simply interested in finding out more about the history of the park, which is set over 180 acres, there's free entertainment on offer and a chance to visit the park's newly opened 75th anniversary museum. The museum reflects on the theme parks heritage via rare artifacts and vintage memorabilia. Victoria Lynn, MD of the park, which has been voted 'Britain's best value park' at the UK Theme Park Awards for the last three years, said: 'Our 75th anniversary celebrations are in full swing, and as part of that, we want to give families the chance to discover Drayton Manor for less. 'Whether you choose to join us at the park with a picnic or browse the rides, arcade, museum, and zoo for free, or go for it with a full wristband, there's plenty of fun to be had at Drayton Manor throughout the weekend and beyond.' In the park, tokens can be bought in batches of five or ten in advance of visiting or around the park on the 24th and 25th April. The biggest rides at the attraction will require five tokens, with smaller ones costing just one token per person. The April Fool's joked that was dubbed 'poor form' by some; the park claimed to be offering entry for nothing, before backtracking - and then adding confusion with a cryptic '...Or is it?' note about their seasonal joke Free entry tickets must be booked online in advance, says the park. This year sees the park celebrate its 75th anniversary, with a packed calendar of events celebrating fun through the decades, monthly fireworks extravaganzas, Easter egg hunts and Thomas the Tank Engine's 80th birthday party. Drayton Manor also made the top three for best value for money attraction earlier this year, with a day's entrance priced at £24.90 - which equates to £4.15 an hour. The Manor is based in 180 acres of land and gets 1.5mn visitors each year, making it a popular UK spot.
Metro
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Joyful' UK theme park is scrapping admission fees — how to get free tickets
Theme parks have long been a go-to choice for a family day out. But they're not exactly cheap. Even if you manage to get a discount on tickets, once you factor in travel, food, and overpriced teddies from the gift shop, a family of four is looking at spending well over £100. However, one popular UK resort is transporting its guests back to the good old days — when you could pass through its barriers for absolutely nothing. Drayton Manor is reviving its 1950s pricing model by scrapping its entry fees. Guests can enjoy free entry on April 24 and 25 — but it won't be a totally free day out, instead, park-goers will use pay-as-you-go tokens to access park rides. The Staffordshire-based theme park boasts over 50 rides and attractions, a 15-acre zoo with more than 500 animals, and an immersive Thomas the Tank Engine-themed land for the little ones. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. During the two-day deal, each ride can be enjoyed for just one to five tokens. These are available to purchase in packs of five and 10 online or from various points around the park. For those who want to avoid counting their tokens, wristbands are also available for unlimited access to rides. These are priced at £30 per person if purchased online in advance or £35 per person when bought on the day at the park. The free entrance is in honour of Drayton Manor's 75th anniversary. Tickets to the theme park would usually start from £27.50 when booked online. All guests are required to book a free ticket online before their visit and walk-up entry is not guaranteed. The free tickets will go on sale 9am on Tuesday 22 April. Victoria Lynn, managing director at Drayton Manor Resort, said: 'Our 75th-anniversary celebrations are in full swing, and as part of that, we want to give families the chance to discover Drayton Manor for less. 'Whether you choose to join us at the park with a picnic or browse the rides, arcade, museum and zoo for free, or go for it with a full wristband, there's plenty of fun to be had at Drayton Manor throughout the weekend and beyond.' Drayton Manor will continue its celebrations throughout the year with 'monthly Fireworks Extravaganzas', live music and a variety of family-themed entertainment. More Trending The theme park, which was awarded the UK's best value theme park in 2023, boasts plenty of attractions. From thrill rides, such as 'The Wave' to River Rapids and children's rides – there's plenty to explore. It also offers a four-star hotel on site, with family rooms, executive rooms, and presidential available to book. You can also find Viking or Thomas & Friends-themed rooms. And, the park is a big hit with visitors. One TripAdvisor reviewer, who went to the park with their three grandchildren, called it a 'thrilling day out', adding: 'Big variety of rides for all ages. We hardly queued at all… Staff are friendly and very hardworking… Definitely would recommend.' Another guest said Drayton Manor was a 'fabulous place': 'Highly recommend. Great selection of rides and all round happy atmosphere.' And a third said their family had an 'overall amazing and joyful experience.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Having three kids is a status symbol – unless you look like me MORE: My kids eat their Easter chocolate at once – I'm not a bad parent MORE: I made the difficult decision to cut contact with my dying dad
