It is half term here in the Midlands and we are lucky enough to have Drayton Manor Park on our doorstep. I used to go here as a child and now as a parent, have previously had fun days out at DMP. We even had our daughters christening reception in the Drayton Manor Hotel, so it is safe to say that we are a little fond of the theme park. 

Once upon a time (and I do mean many many years ago) you could access the zoo without accessing the main theme park but my girls question what was the fun in that?? Fast forward to today, the Drayton Manor Zoo has projects aiming to conserve the biodiversity of the local area and a small proportion of the park entrance ticket, fundraising events and money placed in the wishing well, all go to contribute to the vital conservation work being carried out by their conservation partners.

The teens couldn't wait to get on the "thrill" rides whereas the little one was trying to stretch herself so she would be tall enough to join them but I think she will have to wait for another year (thank goodness). There are over 100 rides and attractions on the and not forgetting the famous "Thomasland" on the site in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Even though she wasn't tall enough for the big rides, we still had lots of fun in Thomasland and despite my stomach churning over the rides that spin round and round, she thought it was hilarious. The runaway Troublesome Trucks was her favourite ride in Thomasland, although I was a fan of Cranky's Tower Drop, which I think is actually more exciting than Apocalypse.

After the excitement of Crankys Tower Drop we were then in search of adrenalin fuelled rides and we finished our day on the Accelerator. It is a ride that has a minimum height of 1m, so we could all go on together and we were lucky enough to have no queue to wait in. (We are told that this is a particularly popular ride and worth queuing for). Needless to say we all LOVED it and if the park hadn't been closing, I suspect we may have gone on again and again! One thing to note is that while we were waiting for the ride to start, one girl put her foot out of the car and lost her shoe. She was consequently taken off the ride as you can't ride without appropriate footwear, so ALWAYS read and take heed of the safety notices!! 

Despite the rain, we had a BRILLIANT day at Drayton Manor Park and here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider going to a theme park in the rain.

1. More rain means less people. Less people means less queuing. Less queues means more times on the rides and attractions and very happy children.

2. Children don't actually care whether it is raining. In fact stick on some wellies and they LOVE jumping in the puddles to add to the fun.

3. It actually costs less money!! If you think that when it is warm and sunny, you need to frequently keep hydrated and there are definitely more requests for ice creams and cooling drinks. We took a drink each in our bag but only stopped once for hot chocolates to shelter from the rain at one point. 

4. You find yourselves exploring inside attractions more readily than you would when the sun is out. We definitely went to more indoor attractions that we would otherwise might have walked past.

5. Rainy Day Guarantee - Drayton Manor won’t let the dreary weather put a dampener on your visit to Drayton Manor Park as we offer a rainy day guarantee for all their guests. So if you visit Drayton Manor Park from 28th March – 3rd June 2018 and experience continuous rain for 2 or more hours between 10am – 5pm, their Rainy Day Guarantee will mean that you can return to the park free of charge either within June or September 2018. 

Remember that it always pays to book tickets in advance as adult tickets are £39 on the day, with children aged 4-11 being £29. A family of four can book in advance for just £80, so definitely worth planning your visit! There are always half term and summer offers too, so don't forget to check out their website to get the best deal.

Now go and enjoy! 

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