Thomas Land (Drayton Manor)

Thomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Resort in Staffordshire, England, based on the popular long-running children's television series, Thomas & Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name. The construction began while the park was still open in September 2007, and many of the Robinsons Land rides were moved to other areas of the park for the remainder of the season. Many of the rides housed in Robinsons Land except the Veteran Cars (now Sodor's Classic Cars) were sold to Funland in Hayling Island. Thomas Land officially opened to the public on 15 March 2008. An expansion of Thomas Land with additional attractions and private party rooms opened on 8 April 2015.[1]

Thomas Land
Drayton Manor Resort
Coordinates52.6128°N 1.7133°W / 52.6128; -1.7133
Opening date15 March 2008 (2008-03-15)
Staffordshire, England, U.K.
ReplacedRobinsons Land
Ride statistics
Attraction typeThemed area
ThemeThomas & Friends
Rides18
WebsiteOfficial website

Rides

Thomas Land is set in 3 acres (12,000 m2) of parkland and features many themed rides, alongside outdoor and indoor play areas and the "Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition".

# Name Opened Manufacturer Description
1 Bertie Bus 2008 Zamperla A Bertie-themed crazy bus ride. In partnership with Arriva. Formerly known as Crazy Bertie Bus
2 Blue Mountain Engines 2011 Zamperla A junior regetta ride with cars resembling Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel and Peter Sam. The ride was originally located in space where Terence’s Driving School originally stood, but was moved to the Thomas Land Expansion in 2015, where Merrick was added to the middle of the ride until sometime in 2017, when he was moved next to it.
3 Captain's Sea Adventure 2015 Zamperla A watermania ride with Captain-themed vehicles.
4 Cranky's Drop Tower 2008 Zamperla A Cranky themed 8m high sky drop ride.
5 Diesel's Locomotive Mayhem 2008 Zamperla A demolition derby ride featuring 6 themed cars based on Diesel, Mavis, Iron Bert, Salty, Dennis and Rusty. Originally known as Diesel's Locomotion Mayhem
6 Flynn's Fire Rescue 2015 Zamperla A fire brigade ride with Flynn-themed cars. In partnership with West Midlands Fire Service.
7 Harold's Helicopter Tours 2008 Zamperla A Harold-themed samba tower ride, formerly known as Harold's Heli-Tours. It is located within Tidmouth Sheds, where guests can gain photo opportunities with Edward, Henry, Gordon, Toby, and Rosie (repainted red in 2019).
8 James and the Red Balloon 2017 Zamperla A samba balloon ride based on the Thomas & Friends episode of the same name.
9 Jeremy Jet's Flying Academy 2008 Zamperla An aero top jet ride with Jeremy the Jet Plane-themed jets or cars. Relocated to the Thomas Land Expansion in 2015.
10 Lady's Carousel 2008 Zamperla A junior carousel ride with Lady and a train of carriages instead of horses.
11 Rocking Bulstrode 2008 Zamperla Bulstrode-themed rockin' tug ride.
12 Sodor Classic Cars 1958 Supercar A car ride. This is the only ride in the area not themed to Thomas & Friends, and was left over from the Robinsons Land area.
13 Toby's Tram Express 2015 Zamperla A Toby-themed barnyard ride.
14 Troublesome Trucks Runaway Rollercoaster 2008 Gerstlauer A junior roller coaster located in Thomas Land with Troublesome Truck-themed cars. The height limit is 1m with an adult and 1.2m alone.
15 Winston's Whistle-Stop Tours 2013 Zamperla An aerial ride with Winston-themed cars.
16 Thomas and Percy's Submarine Splash 2023 Intamin A 455m long water ride based on the All Engines Go episode of the same name.
17 Thomas and Percy Engine Tours 2008 Metallbau Emmeln A themed train ride. The ride first included Thomas and Percy engines. Rosie was added in 2009 until 22 October 2023.

A CGI face was added to Thomas in 2014, while CGI faces were added to Percy and Rosie in 2015. Rosie was later repainted red in 2019. Rosie was leaving in 22 October 2023

18 Terence's Driving School 2008 SB International A driving school ride with Terence-themed cars. Relocated in 2011 to the Farmer McColl's Farm area near the Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition. In 2023, it was relocated to the Sodor Airport area near the Fat Controller Fountain and Troublesome Trucks Runaway Rollercoaster.
19 Spencer's Outdoor Adventure Play 2008 Unknown An outdoor adventure play area.
20 Emily's Adventure Play 2008 Unknown An indoor soft play area. Formerly known as "Emily's Play Adventure".
21 Discover Thomas & Friends Exhibition 2009 HIT Entertainment An indoor miniature model railway exhibition with the original models from the first to twelfth series of the TV series. Relocated in 2023 in the Thomas Land Shop near Winston's Whistle-Stop Tours.

Train rides
Thomas at Knapford Station

Models of Thomas, Percy and Rosie are used on a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[2] railway that takes visitors through the park. The line features Tidmouth Sheds with stationary facades of other engines, Knapford Station, which serves as the main station and a refreshment stand, Dryaw and Tidmouth Hault. It also has many sidings and sheds along the way, one of which used to feature a "sleeping" model of James, which was moved to where the James and the Red Balloon ride is in 2017, akin to the ride's opening.

See also

References
  1. "Thomas Expansion Announcement". Drayton Manor website. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  2. Tourist and Enthusiast Railways - West Midlands
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