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2025: General Discussion

The looping group has never really researched into the history of the operations of the park. It was never free to enter.
Where the barriers are now there was staff pay booths I can’t find a picture of the booths but they were on here
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2 members of staff would work in there on busy days and the prices were based off the 1990 guide
Admission into the park and zoo cost:
Adults £2
Children £1
Under 4’s free
Car 40p

So it cost my mum £4.40 back in 1990 to get herself, me and my sister into the park.

Then on top wristbands and tickets cost
Wristbands £4:50 each
Tickets 5 for £1.50 or 20 for £5.

So back in 1990 a family of 4 with entrance, zoo, parking and wristbands cost £24.40 which is worth £70.87 in todays money.

The average weekly wage back then was £80-90
 
Wilko said:
It won't be full anyway, if people are able to book a free ticket, a minority will have booked to give themselves an option of going and won't show up. There's a chance it could be half empty! I agree that spaces should have been reserved for pass-holders, they are more likely to turn up than a few who have provisionally booked a free ticket.
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Drayton appear to be putting a different spin on it, but as predicted, I don't think everyone has turned up who pre-booked! More tickets now available and from the sounds of it, a pretty empty park!
 
Well looks like it hasn't made much difference to a normal day at Drayton as I suspected so nothing lost nothing gained. Its a good blast to the past event
 
It has generated a lot of publicity, so the free promotion will be good as the media has picked up on it. Whether it will be seen as a success, only the Manor can answer that based on takings for rides, food and car parking as well as retail.
 
With the removal and redevelopment of Mexicana at Chessington World Of Adventures,do you think Drayton Manor will purchase any of the Theming for Frontier Falls? The theming from Mexicana is only a few years old and would fit the ascetics of Frontier Falls. Personally I think this could be a possibility as Drayton Manor have dealt with Merlin,the owners of Chessington World Of Adventures,previously. Drayton Manor sold their original Rocking Tug to Alton Towers.
 
WK4 said:
Drayton appear to be putting a different spin on it, but as predicted, I don't think everyone has turned up who pre-booked! More tickets now available and from the sounds of it, a pretty empty park!
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If thats the case then its even worse that some pass holders who wanted to attend yesterday but didnt see the notifications about prebooking (only being told a few weeks ago they didnt have to prebook anymore) couldnt do so in favour of people couldnt be bothered to turn up...
 
There’s more tickets available for today. I think when they originally ordered the tickets they thought great it was free and then they announced it was sold out they decided not to go as it would be a waste of £30 to spend all day queuing nearly a hour each per ride and maybe longer for Gold Rush and the Wave.
 
The Hedgenator said:
With the removal and redevelopment of Mexicana at Chessington World Of Adventures,do you think Drayton Manor will purchase any of the Theming for Frontier Falls? The theming from Mexicana is only a few years old and would fit the ascetics of Frontier Falls. Personally I think this could be a possibility as Drayton Manor have dealt with Merlin,the owners of Chessington World Of Adventures,previously. Drayton Manor sold their original Rocking Tug to Alton Towers.
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I doubt this will happen personally
Merlin have a bit of a love for auctioning things off recently to collectors (I have bidded on a few, but no luck) - including Scorpion Express theming.
 
There is often an issue for anywhere that lists itself as free is that folks don't feel like they have lost anything if they don't attend. Even if there was a payment of £5 per ticket and a voucher for £5 at a kiosk or shop then folks who had booked would have turned up.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
It was so empty that the queues were the quietest I ever seen the park over the school holidays
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The Wristband

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Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained it shows you why free to enter doesn't work for some parks like Drayton Manor and also shows why Pleasure Beach shouldn't go back to that model.

It works more for places like Fantasy Island and Wicksteed even then Wicksteed is struggling. Support your local parks to ensure there future
 
I would say it was the worst event the park ever put on and would have cost them a lot more for staffing as they had a extra member of staff on select attractions asking if u got tickets or wristbands then checking guests height.
Like my son his got high level Autism and gets an easy access wristband which I wear as he wants to rip it off. Anyway we never used it once as that queue was bigger than the main queue.
As I had to work yesterday and do a few things we only got into the park to about 3:45pm then went to the museum as I didn’t read the information and my daughter hadn’t seen the movie. Then we went round the zoo and played on the newly repainted outdoor play area. It’s not even Thomas themed now.
Then the 1st ride of the day was the Train back to Thomas Land. I would have hated to have brought tokens as that was 1 token per journey.
Then we did the rapids which was a 3 token ride and was walk on. The smell pots had been refilled and the misters back on. Also the water jets was back on.
Then we did the Wave swinger and had to just wait for the current cycle to finish. Got on and after the ride finished as the queue wasn’t that bad the op asked if we wanted to stay on and we did.
Then did Troublesome trucks and got on the next train.
Then my daughter wanted a snack so got her 5 donuts and she gave her brother 1 so we sat under the covered area by auger Rush.
Then took my son on Accelerator and again the queue was walk on. Nothing been done to the indoor section yet.
Then we did the Haunting and that was the longest wait for the day (5 mins)
Then did sheriff showdown another walk on and the highest score at the time was 75954 and just before we went the car behind us got 88884 I would have loved how they he did do that with over 3 cars on the circuit.
Then we did Gold Rush and again straight to the front of the queue. They were sending half empty cars round.
Then we finished our day on Jormungandr which again had a smaller queue than fir easy access and we left at 8.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
I would say it was the worst event the park ever put on and would have cost them a lot more for staffing as they had a extra member of staff on select attractions asking if u got tickets or wristbands then checking guests height.
Like my son his got high level Autism and gets an easy access wristband which I wear as he wants to rip it off. Anyway we never used it once as that queue was bigger than the main queue.
As I had to work yesterday and do a few things we only got into the park to about 3:45pm then went to the museum as I didn’t read the information and my daughter hadn’t seen the movie. Then we went round the zoo and played on the newly repainted outdoor play area. It’s not even Thomas themed now.
Then the 1st ride of the day was the Train back to Thomas Land. I would have hated to have brought tokens as that was 1 token per journey.
Then we did the rapids which was a 3 token ride and was walk on. The smell pots had been refilled and the misters back on. Also the water jets was back on.
Then we did the Wave swinger and had to just wait for the current cycle to finish. Got on and after the ride finished as the queue wasn’t that bad the op asked if we wanted to stay on and we did.
Then did Troublesome trucks and got on the next train.
Then my daughter wanted a snack so got her 5 donuts and she gave her brother 1 so we sat under the covered area by auger Rush.
Then took my son on Accelerator and again the queue was walk on. Nothing been done to the indoor section yet.
Then we did the Haunting and that was the longest wait for the day (5 mins)
Then did sheriff showdown another walk on and the highest score at the time was 75954 and just before we went the car behind us got 88884 I would have loved how they he did do that with over 3 cars on the circuit.
Then we did Gold Rush and again straight to the front of the queue. They were sending half empty cars round.
Then we finished our day on Jormungandr which again had a smaller queue than fir easy access and we left at 8.
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At least they tried something new better trying then not doing at all just something not to do again.

I would much rather an announcement of a new project a certain Pirate Attraction is prime for redevelopment and a Castle Boat ride to
 
I spoke to a few guests in the park yesterday and many were annual pass holders. I also asked some members of staff and there was some guests on park who had brought tickets.
I think the problem was calling it a back in the day event. Then you charging £10 each for the 2 main coasters.
It should have been £1 a token and still charge the 5 for the wave and gold Rush.
 
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