Pirate Adventure

Pirate Adventure was Drayton Manor’s large indoor boat ride, which had obviously taken more than a little inspiration from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

Riders would board boats in the nicely themed station, which would then turn a corner before descending a small drop, splashing into the main ride area. Following this, they would pass by various pirate themed scenes including a village being ransacked by the marauding pirate crew, sail through the middle of a full-on sea battle, before ending up in spooky caves full of skeletons and pirate treasures.

The influence of Pirates of the Caribbean was clear – even to the point of copying some of the famous scenes such as the imprisoned pirates attempting to get the dog to fetch them the keys to their prison cell, although the dog was swapped for a goat.

However, Pirate Adventure was well done so didn’t feel totally unjustified using the, erm, “inspiration” (read copying). The theming was of a high standard, although towards the end of the ride’s life it had deteriorated somewhat with broken animatronics and a generally damp atmosphere in the ride building.

Pirate Adventure may not have been quite as polished as its Disney cousin, but for its time it was a phenomenal ride to have at a UK theme park.

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