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News release
Ref:
Date
Contact
Tel.
DMTP0808
25/03/2015
Laura Quigley, Sarah Taylor,
Sam Wright or Michelle Ivins
01527 579555
Client:
Drayton Manor Theme Park
Date drafted:
08/04/15
Copy Ref:
DMTP0808
Drafted by:
ST
MI
Date:
27/03/15
Approval sign off:
Director approval:
Client approval:
Date:
Thousands check-in for take-off as Drayton Manor Theme Park launches its latest
addition
Fans of the little blue engine and his friends visited Drayton Manor Theme Park today for
the highly anticipated launch of the £2.5 million expansion to its Thomas Land™ attraction.
It was hats off as the Fat Controller officially unveiled the extension to the attraction and
the crowds in Sodor were delighted when a host of familiar faces, including Percy, James,
Rosie and of course the star of the show, Thomas himself chugged into Knapford Station
to join in the celebrations.
Europe’s only Thomas Land™ has increased in size by 40% and is now home to a host of
exciting new rides as well as the main attraction, Sodor Airport, which is set to be a
soaring success. The airport complex includes balconies that offer ‘jet-setters’ unrivalled
views over Thomas Land™ and beyond within the Thomas & Friends themed event
rooms, coming Summer 2015 and it’s very own Sodor Coffee Shop.
Excited visitors couldn’t wait to climb aboard, fasten their seatbelts and prepare for take-off
as they became the first to experience the three brand new rides – Captain’s Sea
Adventure, Flynn’s Fire & Rescue and Toby’s Tram Express.
Jeremy Jet’s Flying Academy retained its popularity in its new location outside the Sodor
Airport complex and Merrick the Crane, a new addition to the Blue Mountain Engines, was
also a big hit.
The newly improved attraction is now 3,200 square metres bigger, allowing visitors to
move around more freely and rider capacity has surged by 23% to a whopping 5,130
people per hour.
Thomas Land™ captures all the adventures of Thomas & Friends™ and the magical island of
Sodor. In addition to the new rides and café is an impressive fountain of the Fat Controller and
four Victorian fairground games, plus a bandstand for live performances.
Colin Bryan, CEO of Drayton Manor Theme Park, said: “Since its launch in 2008, Thomas
Land™ has been hugely popular, attracting guests young and young at heart from all over
Europe.
“It is due to this popularity that we made the decision to expand the attraction and
accommodate the increasing visitor numbers, which have surged year-on-year. We hope that
this investment will delight visitors, offering even more Thomas & Friends™ themed fun. The
atmosphere here today has been fantastic and we are all really excited about the season
ahead.”
Drayton Manor Theme Park’s 2015 main season runs every day until Sunday 1st November.
Its 65th anniversary Firework Spectacular weekend will take place on the 31st October and 1st
November and the established Drayton’s Magical Christmas event on selected dates from 21st
November until 31st December 2015.
Please note: the park will be closed to the general public on Sunday 13th September and on
selected dates in September and October. Please see www.draytonmanor.co.uk for full dates
and times.
For more information about the park, visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk. For regular updates
and
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Notes to Editor
About Drayton Manor
Drayton Manor Theme Park Ltd, opened to the public in 1950 by the Bryan family, is one
of the UK’s most popular family attractions with over one million visitors a year.
George and Vera Bryan OBE, converted 80 acres of derelict land, which once belonged to
Sir Robert Peel Bart; MP & PM to Queen Victoria and his family, into today’s wonderful
multi award-winning family attraction, combining thrill rides with a conservation zoo plus
catering and conference facilities.
Today, Drayton Manor Theme Park, still family owned and run by second and third
generation family members, covers 286 acres of beautiful woodland and countryside and
features some of the wildest and scariest rides around. Rides include: Roller-Coasters Shock-wave, Ben 10 and G-force. Major rides: Maelstrom, Apocalypse and Storm Force
10, our wettest ride. It is home to the hugely popular Thomas Land™ featuring many
named Thomas & Friends™ character rides for the children and adults alike. Thomas
Land™ at Drayton Manor is the only one of its kind in Europe. The park’s 152 seat 4D
Cinema and over 50 rides and attractions makes for a truly unforgettable day.
A four-star Hotel onsite featuring 150 rooms includes Thomas & Friends™ themed rooms
all sleeping four to six guests, family rooms, executive rooms and presidential suites. It
also features two well stocked bars, two sublime restaurants, a relaxing lounge, large
conference room for functions and exhibitions as well as an idyllic wedding facility for up
to 400 guests.
A popular Grill Inn Steak Restaurant and bar adjacent to the hotel which seats up to 150
guests is open all year round.
www.draytonmanor.co.uk www.draytonmanorhotel.co.uk www.grillinn.co.uk
www.draytonmanorevents.co.uk
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading preschool entertainment companies,
specializing in building powerful brands based on engaging stories. HIT Entertainment’s
world-class portfolio includes Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam®, Bob
the Builder, Barney®, Angelina Ballerina®, Pingu® and Rainbow Magic®.
HIT Entertainment excels at creating and building globally successful brands which
capture the hearts and imaginations of pre-schoolers and their families. This is achieved
through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality
character-based
products
and
experiences
with
best-in-class
partners.
HIT
Entertainment’s lines of business span television and home entertainment production,
content distribution, digital media, publishing, consumer products and live events and
attractions. HIT Entertainment is a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. and has operations in the UK,
US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. For more information visit www.hitentertainment.com
About Thomas & Friends™
Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son 69 years ago and today is
enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine
and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train
and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while
experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas &
Friends makes tracks to great destinations on PBS KIDS®, Sprout® and on Five’s
Milkshake! and Nick Jr in the UK and on CCTV in China. Downloadable episodes are
available through iTunes. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank
Engine™ and his friends, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com.