AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @p AD - Press Trip | I had such a great weekend at @pottersresortsfivelakes with @slwilson84. It was an action packed three nights with a full activity and entertainment programme, great food, lovely drinks and beautiful surroundings. 

The staff go above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and they ensure that everyone has the best time possible. I don’t think I stopped smiling all weekend.

The best thing about Potters holidays is that everything is included in the price you pay. Four meals a day, all your drinks - including wine, Prosecco, most spirits and soft drinks - great accommodation and so many activities. 

I’ll write a full review soon but for now here’s a little Reel of our weekend
I always have a lot of questions about accommodati I always have a lot of questions about accommodation when we stay anywhere as a family so I thought I’d share this little tour of our room at @windjammerlanding which was a pretty perfect place to stay.

It’s the ‘Ocean View Two Bedroom’ which was like a little house, with an upstairs and downstairs, built into the hillside. Both rooms had outdoor space and their own shower rooms. Such a great option for a family.
A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. A little photo dump from our holiday in St Lucia. We’ve been back a few days now but still miss the heat, the food, the pool, the constant sounds of wildlife and the lovely people. It was such a great holiday and I’m sure we’ll be back one day.
And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is And just like that, Athena is 12! What a joy it is watching her grow and what a wonderful young woman she is becoming. We could not be more proud. Love you Pickle, have a great birthday.
We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in S We’ve just got back from two glorious weeks in St Lucia staying at @windjammerlanding and it was just the holiday we needed. Two weeks of sunshine and relaxation in what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. 

We can’t wait to go back again in the future. Here’s just a little snippet of our trip.
AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @na AD - Press Tickets | We had such a nice day at @national_motor_museum despite the rain! The children loved the Little Beaulieu play area and we loved exploring the National Motor Museum and Top Gear exhibit before having a ride on the monorail! We went on an old open topped bus, explored the Beaulieu Manor House and loved the gardens. 
Beaulieu is always a great day out - whatever the weather. This summer they have a whole ‘Summer of Fun’ planned, with activities most days - parades, bird shows and hundreds of sculptures within the grounds too. If you’re looking for a day out this summer definitely think about heading to Beaulieu.
AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to t AD - Press Tickets | Tonight we took the kids to their first concert - but it was so much more than just a concert! @abbavoyage is incredible. With CGI ABBA and a live band, it’s like being at an ABBA concert 40 years ago but with modern lighting, effects and sound. ABBA look and sound real, it’s a mind blowing experience.
The set includes all the songs you know and love as well as a few less familiar ones.
You can’t take photos during the show which actually made a refreshing change. A whole arena focused purely on the show and soaking up the moment. It’s definitely something the four of us will always remember.
Now, I’m off to sing Dancing Queen all the way home.
AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdo AD - Press Trip | We had such a great day at @phdockyard today. They have a fantastic Ultimate Explorer ticket that lets you visit all the attractions as many times as you like for 12 months - and after a day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard we can see that you need more than one day to really do everything!

We explored HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Exhibition - which is incredible! We also saw where ships are built and restored and spent time in Action Stations where the kids climbed and did an assault course.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is such a fun, educational day out with something for all ages - we can’t wait to go on their harbour tours next time we visit!
AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To cel AD | WIN!! Would you love to win a holiday? To celebrate #100YearOfARoads National Highways have launched their #ARoadsToSummer competition! It's all about celebrating summer holiday moments, time together, fun in the sun, days out and more.

So why not be in it to win it? To enter, all you have to do is send @nationalhways a DM on here with a photo or video of your favourite holiday moments. You can also comment on their Facebook or Twitter #ARoadsToSummer posts with your holiday photos. I've shared a few of our favourite photos to give you some inspiration.

The best six entries will each win a £500 @nationaltrust holidays voucher! SO what are you waiting for? Dig out your favourite holiday photos or take some new ones to share!

The #ARoadsToSummer competition runs from 24 July to 10 September 2023. Winners will be announced in September 2023.

Good luck!
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Days Out, Days Out and Attractions/Events, Reviews · September 7, 2017

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

Disclosure: We were invited on this break for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

As much as we love going on new days out as a family there is one place that we go back to time and time again – Drayton Manor. It’s LP and Little Man’s favourite place and Thomas Land for them is like nothing else. So when we asked LP what she’d like to do for her Birthday she said go to Drayton Manor, the same thing we did for her birthday last year – and mine the year before! We always love to extend our trips with a stay in a family friendly hotel and this year the Drayton Manor Hotel invited us to try out one of their stay and play packages so we could be right on the Drayton Manor doorstep when it opened!

We live nearly a three hour drive from Drayton Manor but it’s somewhere we really find worth the trip. The Drayton Manor Hotel is right on the edge of the Drayton Manor theme park and has plenty of parking which is included with the hotel stay.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

Our room was a standard family room which had two double beds. The hotel also offer themed Thomas rooms which are an extra cost. The room was really nice and modern with plenty of room for the four of us, a huge TV and a good size bathroom. Rather than a selection of complimentary toiletries the bathroom had a hair and body wash dispenser attached to the wall next to the shower. There was also tea and coffee making facilities in the room.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

The hotel is very much Thomas themed with a toy Thomas carousel in reception and train models everywhere to have photos with. The children loved this and it made their stay so much more exciting knowing that when we leave our room we’ll be greeted by Percy, Emily or Thomas.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

LP and Little Man slept really well but Dave and I didn’t sleep quite as well. Our bed seemed to dip quite a lot in the middle, making us both roll into the centre constantly. Everything else was fine and we got up early to make the most of the day at Drayton Manor.

Breakfast at the Drayton Manor Hotel was lovely with lots of hot options and a good selection of fruit, cereals and pastries. The restaurant was also really nicely laid out so that it was really big but intimate at the same time. A really lovely space to have a meal.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

After breakfast we went straight to Drayton Manor. The park opens at 9:30am but rides don’t open until 10:30am giving you an hour to get in prime position in the queue for your favourite ride, explore the zoo or in our case take photos with all of the trains in Thomas Land!

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

We actually ended up spending the whole day in Thomas Land which LP and Little Man were really happy about. It’s a great area of Drayton Manor with rides dedicated to each of the Thomas and Friends characters and it’s perfect for the whole family.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

The children loved the new James and the Red Balloon ride and went on so many others for the first time – Diesel’s Locomotive Mayhem, Lady’s Carousel, Bertie Bus, Blue Mountain Engines and Toby’s Tram Express.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

They also went on old favourites like Captain’s Sea Adventure, Jeremy Jet’s Flying Academy, Winston’s Whistle-Stop Tours, Harold’s Helicopter Tours and Cranky’s Tower Drop. The rides are all so different and the children are just the right age – and height – for them.

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

They also went in Emily’s Soft Play for the first time which was so busy and run on a session basis. I don’t know how long the sessions are but as we arrived late into a session the children only got about fifteen minutes of play time before we had to leave for the next session to start – something worth thinking about if you’re planning on using the soft play.

We visited Drayton Manor during the school holidays and on one of the hottest days we’d had in a while and the queues for the rides were bearable. We didn’t have to queue for more than about fifteen or twenty minutes for each ride but we did skip the Flynn’s Fire Rescue ride due to the queue length.

Although we didn’t explore more of Drayton Manor this time we had a really fun and full day out. Next time we’ll get on the Thomas, Rosie or Percy trains over to the zoo, explore the dinosaur park and go on some of the bigger rides in the main Drayton Manor park. But our visit shows that Drayton Manor is a great day out – even if you stay in Thomas Land the whole time!

Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel
Stay and Play at the Drayton Manor Hotel

We had such a lovely visit to Drayton Manor this year and staying in the hotel meant we could have a longer day in the park, doing more of what the children love. It’s definitely something we’ll consider next time we head to Drayton Manor as the children are already asking to go back. Drayton Manor is one of our favourite attractions in the UK and I know we have years of Thomas Land enjoyment yet to come.

Here’s a video we made of our day:

In: Days Out, Days Out and Attractions/Events, Reviews

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Comments

  1. Donna Wishart says

    September 8, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    I think 2.5 is probably the minimum age to do enough to warrant the cost 🙂 x

    Reply
  2. Plutonium Sox says

    September 10, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Ah lovely, we went during the Summer too and had a fabulous day. The hotel looks brilliant, I’d love to see what the Thomas themed rooms are like!
    Nat.x

    Reply
  3. Newcastle Family Life says

    September 22, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    This looks amazing, I think I need to book a visit here for my sons birthday next summer as he too is Thomas crazy. The hotel sounds so handy for those of us who live a few hours away x

    Reply

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Hi everyone! I'm Donna. Mummy. Blogger. Social Media Manager. Traveller. Lover of stars, rainbows and gin. Firm believer that tea and cake can fix most things.

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