Remembering Pirate Adventure | Drayton Manors Classic Dark Ride

In 1990 Drayton Manor Theme Park located in Tamworth, UK opened the largest dark ride in the country, it was known as Pirate Adventure! In this video I'll be remembering this classic dark ride by sharing my favourite memories from the attraction during it's 25 year history at the park. I also take an exclusive look back inside the entrance of the attraction including a detailed look at some of the items that the park are selling in an auction. Along with that I share information about the ride, take a look back at some classic on ride footage and much more as we remember Pirate Adventure.
This video is part of our Remembering Rides series here on Theme Park Worldwide. In this series of videos I'll be talking all about a variety of rides, attractions and theme parks that are no longer with us. I'll also be looking into the history of these attractions along with sharing my favourite memories!
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[@lespion7411]

Was one of my favorite rides at Drayton Manor as a kid, thank you for making a tribute to a under appreciated ride.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you!

[@timpalmer5641]

@@ThemeParkWorldwide my son loved pirate adventure when he was little when he was about 3 years old he went on that thank you for doing this video

[@evilzippy]

Simply loved this ride, genuinely wish this would re open. It was sad how run down it became towards the end...... parks can learn from this, maintenance is cheaper than renovation!!

[@ryandraper9098]

Didn't know this had close, was my favourite ride as a kid. Shows how long since I last went to Drayton Manor too.

[@guyisfun6066]

Yes I no longer go there for how many rides are closed

[@mikekaraoke]

I haven't been in years either, But I knew it was closing!

[@timpalmer5641]

👍

[@gavinhodgkins6643]

It was one of my favourite rides at Drayton Manor, great times and memories.

[@zippypop34]

It was THE best ride at the park when I was younger

[@mocca1393]

I was scared of going on pirate adventure when I was younger but my cousin dragged me on anyway. Me and my dad always made fun of the broken animatronics in it's final years 😆

[@Yelamar1]

I loved pirate adventures but the last 2 years of its life was upsetting

[@Jay_Causer]

Still gutted this ride has gone. Love the soundtrack throughout the ride.

[@Electrickarl1]

It was the best ride in the UK in my opinion, I had season tickets and it was part of our routine to go on and the exit led out by the toilets, having young kids it was useful

[@martinsmith1870]

I remember the pirate adventure well. We used to go to Drayton manor with school from 1989 to 1992. I remember the week before it opened, workmen out the front laying new tarmac. When we went on what was then the jungle cruise, you could see pots of paint outside the main show buildings fire exits. Sad that the ride was neglected. Last time I went was 2006 and I remember thinking how run down it looked. I’m sure they altered the position of some of the animatronics over the years. The woman with the brush hitting the bloke on the head that popped out the barrel, I’m sure he used to be in the water...

[@callumjohnedwards-williams824]

Ahh this was my favourite ride at Drayton Manor! I always find it a shame when theme parks don’t maintain their attractions 💔

[@djmastergroove946]

It certainly had a good run. From 1990 to 2015 that's probably one of the longest running rides at a theme park. I remember going in 92 and 93 it was fantastic, the smell and the eiree pirate music and the smoke. But everything comes to an end one day as it ages and degrades over time. Pirate ☠ adventure will forever be a huge part of my memory as a kid.

[@JJC-my7vu]

RIP PIRATE ADVENTURE

[@cjcadventures]

I have so many memories of this ride going on this with friends and family always loved it

[@BaconConjurer]

I remember going through the dungeon as a kid and being so scared.

[@mikes6866]

I used to love this as a kid! Am I right in remembering a scene with a woman who keeps getting water tipped on her head from the window above, a jump scare of a pirate popping out under one of the bridges that was holding a sword, and some undead pirates right at the end of the ride where their heads would lift up and turn over and land back down on their necks but upside down. There used to be some really creepy and haunting music right before you get off the ride but I can’t find it anywhere these days! Great times! Wish it could come back!!

[@scarlettprice3919]

I used to love this ride! I remember the animatronic in the water that scared me everytime. Such good memories!

[@AliMakaveli]

*I took my daughter for her first trip to Drayton Manor and was looking forward to this ride and was left heartbroken. One of the best rides I've ever been on*

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It’s such a shame

[@Rachael8989]

Great video! I’ve never seen that tv advert before but to see an ad for a UK dark ride is pretty rare! It made me smile so much! I was only lucky enough to ride Pirate Adventure in one trip, in 2011, but I remember being really taken back about how amazing it was in scale and quality, especially for a park in the UK (at that time most of the classics like Professor Burps, Toyland Tours and Wicked Witches Haunt were sadly gone). It was refreshing to see that the park had really invested into it and I don’t remember it being in bad shape even then. Of course you could tell it was there version of ‘pirates of the Caribbean’, but as you say, it was done really well, and not some cheap knock-off. I was really disappointed when I visited a few years later and it was shut, I thought at the time for maintenance but then it never re-opened. It did have a really good run but it is still such a loss to the UK theme park industry. I hope that the building is used for a worthy replacement and not some IP crap. Looking forward to more ‘remembering’ videos in the series. If you did one on Toyland Tours it would make my day as that is still my favourite dark ride outside a Disney park and I miss it so much. Thanks Shaun. ☺️

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks for sharing your memories!

[@ChloeClements34]

British Theme Park Archive is a great source for UK dark rides on You Tube. It has lots to do with our creative industries from the 80's/90's and how that has sadly has been mostly lost to time.

[@kodoku_opia]

Hadn’t watched you in ages, I remember the time I saw you and talked to you at Blackpool last February. Still making great videos.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Welcome back!

[@IsaacBobby]

I love this new series! I never even knew this ride was a thing in Drayton!

[@FoolishMortalLife]

I loved this so much! This, flying sombreros, buffalo coaster and storm force were my favourites growing up. Used to go every summer from 1997 - 2013(ish)

[@helenpickard]

One of my favourite childhood rides. Absolutely loved the drop at the beginning. Great memories of me n my sister n our parents going on this followed by the jungle adventure. I'm looking forward to more memory history videos from you. I remember there used to be a pirate shop at the bottom of the exit area you could go buy pirate hats and eye patches and scary skeletons. I miss this ride so much. I'd have loved my kids to have a go I'm not sure if I got to take my daughter on it before it closed as she would only have been 5.

[@leejames5505]

Was such a good ride was one of my favourite experience when visiting Drayton manor thanks for bringing back fond memories 👍🏼

[@SlopedOtter]

Used to ride this with my late Father as a child, thanks for bringing back great memories

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you for watching!

[@daisyjoannakite]

Breaks my heart. I’m from Tamworth so been on this ride countless of times. It could’ve been so amazing, why they didn’t up keep it I will never know 😑🥺

[@edwardjoynes7961]

Great Video!! Keeps me entertained in the Winter

[@leothompson2777]

I remember going to Disney a couple of years in a row during the very early 90's, this ride was equal to POtC back when it opened. The UK had nothing better. And hasn't really since. Shame they couldn't afford to maintain it properly.

[@mikekaraoke]

The UK had many great Dark Rides in the 80's + 90's, So what you on about Leo

[@leothompson2777]

@@mikekaraoke I don't see your evidence? If you wish to counter what I said, and debate properly, (which wasn't even a debate topic, so fuck off!) YOU need to provide the evidence of how I am wrong. However, all you've brought is poor punctuation and grammar.... So you aren't going to bring any argument that would interest me i'm sure, or that I would want to suffer reading. We done.

[@islamjam6483]

Oh my god this series is going to be so good Shawn, please make sure you continue this :)

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you! Of course I will, this is just the beginning of many different videos to come in this series!

[@mikekaraoke]

@@ThemeParkWorldwide You mean 100's more videos :-)

[@Jonney1]

A very significant part of my childhood. Glad to see this video.

[@Black_Country_Chad]

Thank you Shaun for making this video I love this ride i was there opening day and had many memories with my grandparents we use to go every October with the caravan club and we always went on it also I love the jungle palladium👍

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you for sharing your memories!

[@Oshawottr]

I'm looking forward to watching more videos from this series 😊

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you, many more to come!

[@russellrattys6581]

I took my kids to drayton manor in the few years before pirate adventure closed, and more and more animatronics werent working by the week, bulbs in the lights started not working, eventually they turned off the iconic queueing music, which i loved, and it just wasnt the same ride anymore, you could tell it was starting to become uncared for One of the first things i noticed not working was the pirate that used to spring down from under the bridge with a knife in front of the boats Then little details like the flickering lights that made the buildings look on fire where the woman was pouring buckets of water out a window, they stopped working The pirates head on the hook that used to go up and down whilst saying "i aint got no body" he stopped working, i think towards the end, they even took the chinese junk style boats out from the pool at the bottom of the drop, thwn pretty much the water didnt move anything when the boar splashed down For the life of me, the theme tune which played in the queue area used to be stuck in my head, but i never found out what it was called, now its been so long thats faded away out my mind, only to be replaced by the magical seaquarium music from working at fantasy island, which is slightly annoying, because the pirate adventure's music was a lot better 🤦‍♂️ You might be able to find out what pirate adventures queuing music was, if you can, please tell me 🙏

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks for sharing!

[@I_Crit_My_Pants]

I am so sad to find this out.... It was THE greatest ride in the UK... It was literally one of the few rides where the ride truly felt like it started before you even got into the boat, the queueline was like stepping into another world, it was incredible, I am so so sad, this ride was literally my childhood, words cannot express how depressing it is to find this out... Very sad that I missed the auction Still better than Pirates of the Caribbean btw, even after going to Disney multiple times, this was still better.

[@risteardconchuir4065]

I feel your pain, so many family memories had on this amazing ride, never thought it would close. The feeling of the drop was like nothing else and terrified me as a child. The sounds, smells, atmosphere and theming were unique and awesome.

[@DiRtYLaWs2007]

A fantastic fun ride in it’s day, it will definitely be missed. Drayton Manor is our “local” park and I worry for it’s long-term future. They can’t ride on the success of Thomas Land forever. I’m sure the tragic rapids accident is a factor but it desperately needs new investment soon. This is a really good idea for a series though. I hope you bid on the animatronic goat for obvious reasons!!

[@wizardoflife387]

When you say LOOK AT THAT it's classic love your passion and hard work plus your knowledge about the theme parks.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks!

[@kezzmae]

i used to love this ride.. when i was younger this ride and the haunting were some of the only rides i would go on. i actually miss it a lot.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It was such a classic!

[@ridemadness]

omg... I remember this

[@benwilson2225]

Really good video. Love hearing other peoples theme park memories. Looks like it was a good dark ride!. If you ever fancy talking about Loggers Leap from Thorpe Park that would be good 👍.

[@davemorrissey5471]

and remember...dead men tell no tales! Great pepper's ghost at the end! Loved this ride.

[@bethsweet633]

I used to be scared of this ride when i was little but i grew up to love it cant believe it closed

[@samwhich4338]

Great Video! If memory serves me right - the scene in which the lady hits the pirate with the broom, the pirate used to emerge from the water! The effect didn't work for a season (she was whacking the broom over the water with the sound effect, but no pirate!) So it was moved up to show scene instead It would be so great to see inside the ride system now in the state that it's in. TPWW do you, or anoyone seeing this remember the animatronics show at Drayton Manor called "The Jungle Palladium" Another childhood favourite for me!

[@vickiraxster9818]

I remember it well!

[@flyingveda]

So cool you got to go in after it was closed!

[@attractionshubno1]

Great first video of another new series Shawn 👍🏻

[@explorer-cl9137]

A great and very interessting new video series! Unfortunately I`ve never been to the UK, so I can't tell any personal stories about this ride, but I really like darkrides like this and I'm very looking forward to the new Piraten in Batavia, the German version of a Pirate Darkride. :D Thanks for this video. :)

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

I can't wait for Piraten to open this summer, exciting times ahead!

[@mikekaraoke]

So sad the other one got burned to a crisp due to a fire, I remember when I first went on that Dark Ride in the 80's in the summer of 1987 :-)

[@Earwig999]

Pirate Adventure was a great version of the Disney classic POTC, but they also had their own version of the Jungle Cruise too before Excalibur replaced it.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

They did indeed!

[@uravinalaff]

Do a vlog from the auction! :D

[@MegaBunnee]

Fun fact:Los piratas at bellewaerde in belgium was the sister ride to this one

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It was indeed, now an awesome family coaster stands in its place!

[@mikekaraoke]

@@ThemeParkWorldwide It is indeed -Replaced by Huracan!

[@giannigavel6409]

It had almost the same ride layout as pirate adventure. Pitty these rides are closed really liked them.

[@richarddavis4954]

Nice work Shawn, very entertaining

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you Richard

[@jasonf.6112]

Great video

[@seany84uk]

Good new type of video!! Lets hope something happens in 2021 to the building!

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

I really hope so!

[@eviemh]

Aww I miss pirates adventure... The first time I went on it with my parents I was only 3 and I was crying 😂

[@Danno_88]

Well bugger me. I had no idea this was now closed, well gutted! Was a favourite of mine as a kid back in the 90s. RIP pirate adventure 🏴‍☠️ 😪

[@johnward5580]

I remember that when the ride opened the woman with the broom originally was on the way waters edge hitting the man below the water. Also, the season before it opened we got into the park for free as when we drove up they said that contractors had cut through a cable and only the carosel, train and a couple of others ran. Later in the day articulated generators arrived and most of the rides opened. I will miss Pirate Adventure, which as a kid I loved like the snake train, jungle palladium and para-tower. I am humming the music from the ride now.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It was indeed! Thanks for sharing your memories!

[@AmyLovesGeezer]

This ride was fab spent most of my childhood on it when we visited drayton manor, although in recent visits we had noticed it hadn't been maintained very well and we got stuck while on the ride at the top of the drop for a good 10 minutes panicked me no end but so sad to see it going

[@tomuk2505]

Loved pirates adventure! Being my local park i rode it so many times. My favourite scene was the goat. I was the same i hadn't been to disney so didn't know it was a copied scene. Shame its going was a fantastic ride. Love the vids :)

[@mikekaraoke]

My friend went to Drayton Manor a few times but not to Disney at that time, But he knew about the goat due to a documentary about Disney on TV -There are other ways of find out lol

[@tomuk2505]

@@mikekaraoke i was about 12 when i first went on the ride. So trying to find out if a scene on a ride was a copy of anywhere else would of been the last thing on my mind. But cool story bro needed more dragons though.

[@aaronanson4585]

Child hood memories 👌

[@davidbanford8705]

Loved this dark ride it gave me the ideas for our themed pirate area to our shop, I would of loved to get something from the place that gave me my inspiration, that skeleton looks amazing. But the 700 miles (ish) round trip means its not to be, but thank you for giving those magic inspiration memories back :) we are working on a mermaids cave extinction at the moment, with our very own Ariel :)

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you!

[@anonymoustipster202]

This seems like the UK version of Pirates Of The Caribbean. The closest dark ride in the UK to this you can actually ride today is probably Valhalla.

[@ClickTechUK]

Great video Shaun and a fantastic ride that is sorely missed from the park. One local rumour is that it failed a health and safety inspection thanks to both the quality of the water, and not enough fire exits. Meaning the cost of getting it up to standard was too great. I can see a lot of truth here as I think they'd have done something with the show building by now otherwise.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks for watching!

[@dazzac007]

had so many great memories on that ride as a kid, such a shame that it's gone. You should build your own take of pirate adventure in your new Planet Coaster project! :D

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks for your suggestion!

[@anonymoustipster202]

I wish I went on this. It looks so good 😔

[@rideexpedition]

i dont think i ever did it, i was born in 2005 but dont ever think i actually rode it. one thing i do remember however is excalibur, what a ride

[@helenpickard]

Before excalibur it was jungle adventure. Even better!!

[@GarryWilliams555]

Good series idea. Would love to see one on Bubbleworks or Loggers Leap.

[@CoasterChallYT]

I've got so much memories from Pirates Adventure too. I've loved this ride and still love this ride ever since its closure. What is the future of this ride? Is the ride system that Alton Towers are using for Gangsta Granny a possibility for that building?

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

I don't think there's a plan in place yet, however I'm sure they won't leave an empty indoor show building for too long!

[@CoasterChallYT]

@@ThemeParkWorldwide Absolutely. I think that with Gangsta Granny at Towers (and we all know that is gonna be a massive success), Drayton Manor could absolutely invest in that ride system and tell the story of Pirates Adventure, with an extension to the story, so that it pays homage to the original attraction, but also makes use of that building with an amazing dark ride

[@Timr2]

I remember nearly jumping out the boat, I was that scared!

[@Scottinuk]

These are like little documentaries! These types of video will do well for you, Shawn. I’d also love to see some top 10 lists!

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you!

[@solskjaer1195]

Fantastic ride in its day. Probably the best dark ride in the country for a while too and definitely the highlight of DMP when it was running and everything worked. Must have been expensive to upkeep though for a small to mid sized park. Shame it's no.longer around but had plenty of goes back in the day. The park could really do with some Pirate Adventure now too. I fear they are on the brink.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It'll certainly be an interesting few years for the park!

[@themeparkinformation935]

I really miss this ride, it was so good I loved it, you should do a vid like this on whirlwind from lightwater

[@TDRFORUM]

I remember going with my school back in like 2016 and I managed to get on this ride and it just didnt seem up to the job very weird noises and was a few broken models so i wasnt suprised to see it close but very good dark themed ride non the least

[@KiraDays]

I remember riding this, and then when i came back a few years later i couldnt find it.

[@glennjiilling5188]

My first visit to drayton manor was a couple of years back sadly it was closed then sad it looked really good for its time

[@carmenparker1880]

cool video

[@Mark-ds1ll]

Great your now using mic! Sounds excellent!

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thanks Mark, just one of many upgrades for 2020!

[@Matt-pp6bg]

Pirate Adventure was a classic at DM. Often wandered what happened to it.

[@WinnerWinnerTurkeyDinner]

I asked the person who works in Bryan’s works museum and he said it was because of the buildings fire regulations and the fact that it was falling apart

[@CloudTheAngeloud]

pirate advenutre advert:dont miss out to ride pirate adventure 25 years later: *closes*

[@henbenbob1238]

I always went on this ride

[@craigfoy6604]

like the new series ur doing gonna be good lots on intresting facts

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you!

[@mattball7362]

I loved this ride as a kid. I went not long before it closed and it was so sad to see the state of some effects in the ride :(

[@davidwestmacott7266]

Absolote classic remember going on not long after open was main ride back then then on every year shame it's gone but run its life like most things use to change it most years too I'm sure they changed drop at one point too

[@kazokee]

Wish I had ridden it.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It was wonderful

[@ELTHRILLADVENTURES565]

Same i was only 1 when it closed

[@clevm002]

The witch ride at thorpe Park was a great ride.

[@djmastergroove946]

Thanks for the video, pirate ☠ adventure was one that always stuck in my mind I use to go a couple of time's a year certainly 92 and 93 I was around 10 year's old and I'll always remember the smell and eiree pirate music to this day! Edit: I had no idea they had taken the theme from pirates of the Caribbean? I thought this ride was open year's before the film?

[@jarnartharn]

Loved that ride - went to Drayton Manor a lot as a child. Tried taking my own kids...just not as good any more :(

[@vimes1003]

Despite being an obvious pirates of the Caribbean rip, I believe you can still appreciate the work that went into creating the ride, it was a huge dark ride

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

You can indeed, it was wonderful!

[@expeditioned2821]

That was a brilliant video Shawn. I remember the bridge you went under the most and I loved it. Last year when I went to Drayton I looked through the doors which were closed and I could see that height sign still in place!!!

[@davidthedoctorwhoguy7906]

I went one the pirate adventure in 2008

[@oddsandwindsocks5905]

Looked like an amazing ride, looks a shame that it was not maintained. Love the new section shawn where are you filming these.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you, they are filmed in our new set that's currently work in progress!

[@candy1971]

i took my gran on that ride in the 90's...wasn't supposed to scare her lol...she never forgave me for it.(joking)...sadly my gran is no longer here..not because of the ride!..but happy memories of one of our outings out :) xx

[@Samshomemadecrafts]

Yes Drayton manor

[@I_Crit_My_Pants]

I'm pausing this before you explain why it closed down. Based on my personal experience, I'd say reliability became a huge concern, the thing broke down sadly so frequently later in it's life, half the time you'd walk past the building and it would be closed for maintenance. Not to mention having it breakdown while in the queue before.

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Unfortunately so

[@RERTOxCRAFT]

Woahhhhh I feel young again xD

[@tashapink]

Didnt this have a fire on it at some point? Like 1 part of it? Miss this ride so much n the smell of it weirdly miss that

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

It did indeed

[@maximus1023]

It looks like Piraten in Batavia also from Mack rides in Germany Europapark

[@breakawayfromme]

I used to love the part where it shot water at you, I think it was from the top of a ship Was always one of my favorite rides, still such a shame they couldent upkeep it Ive only rode the pirates ride at paris but I think pirates at Drayton was better

[@thelionsdisplayteam9036]

I love u guys

[@ThemeParkWorldwide]

Thank you!

[@zt3853]

So early again

[@lottieharrison4853]

Has pirates adventure closed that was my childhood ride

[@kezzmae]

it’s been closed for years.

[@mikekaraoke]

@@kezzmae Exactly-I thought it was common knowledge, Not as if it closed a month ago lol So very confused by her post

[@lottieharrison4853]

normally when sometimes it’s been closed it’s always opened later in the day that’s why I said it

[@mikekaraoke]

@@lottieharrison4853 But it closed years ago, So is public knowledge. That is why I am very confused why you asked

[@lottieharrison4853]

mikey p because I don’t really check stuff out like that

[@CoasterShardark]

I remember going mehhhhh at the goat

[@infinite_themeparksvlogs5378]

Woooi

[@zt3853]

Ty_roblox player 43 you are first 👏🏾