Drayton Manor's Magical Christmas - review

We're usually much later with our annual visit to Santa, squeezing it in the week before Christmas when present lists are finally finalised.

However, this year our family was invited to kick off the festive season early, with a visit to Drayton Manor Theme Park's Magical Christmas for a special preview.

It may still be November, but we're now well and truly full of the festive spirit after spending a delightful day with Santa and his reindeer, making presents for meerkats and being covered in 'snow'.

There was even ice-skating on the indoor Slide & Glide, which delighted eight-year-old Zoe.

Although the larger park rides were closed, there was still enough to entertain children of all ages as well as the 'big kids'.

A highlight for us, with older children, was the Ben 10 Ultimate Mission Rollercoaster.

With hardly any queues, it had plenty of use by the four of us.

After that, and lunch, the more leisurely pace of the traditional Carousel was appreciated and we were treated to a fantastic 4D cinema experience with the Polar Express, a 15-minute adventure shown throughout the day.

Taking a walk around the zoo, the children were thrilled to see the meerkats and lemurs enjoying the 'presents' they had made for them at a mini workshop when we arrived.

It was lovely to step inside the warmth of the reptile house where many people remarked that the animals appeared much more active than usual – maybe they were all excited by the special visitors from the North Pole. Santa's reindeer have pride of place at the entrance of the zoo, with their pen decorated with giant baubles.

They looked like they were getting plenty of rest before their big job pulling the sleigh on Christmas Eve.

Drayton Manor visitors can see Santa at The Castle of Dreams and we eagerly arrived at our time slot to be greeted by two cheerful elves. Inside the castle, the decorations were beautiful and seeing Santa was just as magical as we had hoped.

George, 11, was lost for words as Santa told him to stop arguing with his sister, while Zoe couldn't stop grinning. With four weeks to go until Christmas, there could be another advantage to visiting Santa so early – if they both keep their promise to be good.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the rides in Thomas Land, with favourites including the Troublesome Trucks Runaway Rollercoaster and Bertie Bus.

This part of the park has undergone a £2.5 million expansion and there is a new two-storey Sodor Airport complex with VIP suites available for private hire.

Thomas Land became a real winter wonderland with flurries of 'snow' throughout the day courtesy of a special machine and there were balcony shows where you could meet the characters. There was also plenty of festive music being played and, as it began to get dark, the Christmas lights created the perfect atmosphere.

Plenty of pictures were taken by the giant Christmas tree and the day was rounded off with a parade and a dazzling fireworks display.

For us it was a great way to experience the theme park at a time of year we would not normally think of going.

And we will be sure to return for the new season in 2017, as each child who visits Santa receives a golden ticket for a free visit. The park, near Tamworth, has a selection of packages available for the Christmas period for its four-star hotel.

Ticket prices for Drayton's Magical Christmas including Santa start at £22 per adult and £17 for children and over 60s.

Children aged 2-3 cost £12 and under twos are free. There is free entry to both serving and non-serving members of the armed forces.

Drayton's Magical Christmas is open tomorrow, Sunday and Monday and from December 2-5, 9-12, 15-23 and 27-31.

Visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk