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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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Matt N said:
I can’t say I’ve ever been to the Velvet Coaster myself, but if the food at other Wetherspoons restaurants is anything to go by, then I can imagine it makes for a very nice meal!
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Well it's not the quality of the food as such, it's the fact it's a massive pub next to a theme park, and despite the prices being the most expensive of any Spoons I've been to (including central London branches), it's still much more reasonable than what is offered inside the park. Anyway, after the recent scandals there might be the odd boycott. :p
 
I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I could have sworn someone once told me that Pleasure Beach’s security measures are in place mainly to find packed lunches, as opposed to the reasons you’d typically expect park security to be in place for. I would be very surprised if it were true, but if the park is tight on cash, then they may be using it as a means to survive.
 
Matt N said:
I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I could have sworn someone once told me that Pleasure Beach’s security measures are in place mainly to find packed lunches, as opposed to the reasons you’d typically expect park security to be in place for. I would be very surprised if it were true, but if the park is tight on cash, then they may be using it as a means to survive.
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That sounds like bitter enthusiast/mumsnet chuntering! I think it's more likely they put the scanners in to discourage some of the less savoury patrons they used to get loads of and now they won't remove them so it doesn't seem like they don't take security seriously.

The velvet coaster is going to be another great example of people complaining about how awful the company is and how they should be closed down, while they're walking in the front doors, similar to Towers!
 
Dar said:
That sounds like bitter enthusiast/mumsnet chuntering! I think it's more likely they put the scanners in to discourage some of the less savoury patrons they used to get loads of and now they won't remove them so it doesn't seem like they don't take security seriously.

The velvet coaster is going to be another great example of people complaining about how awful the company is and how they should be closed down, while they're walking in the front doors, similar to Towers!
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Ah right; thanks @Dar! I wasn’t sure if that explanation sounded like something Blackpool would do; your explanation seems more plausible!
 
If Pleasure Beach is able to open this year I'll be spending my money on the park itself, or any locally owned establishments ahead of any wetherspoons.
 
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I miss the beards and facial hair of the ride ops.
Big B** thought he had it won on the Big One...then Catweazle turned up.
I miss stroking the beards.

Names changed to protect the innocent.
I have promised so many pints in Crevettes now I might have to have another self employment grant.
 
Good thing they went with the more premium Big Blue option with the restaurant and bar. Means the hotel is viable all year round, if it was just motel rooms it would probably be shut from November til February like a lot of the B and Bs in the area.
 
John_P said:
Good thing they went with the more premium Big Blue option with the restaurant and bar. Means the hotel is viable all year round, if it was just motel rooms it would probably be shut from November til February like a lot of the B and Bs in the area.
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Travelodge are open year round at the other end of the park, although given some of the rates I've seen it must not be particularly profitable.

But yeah. Big Blue is a great hotel, I've never had a bad stay there (although I find their newish parking charge pretty outrageous, this sadly seems to be what a lot of hotels in Blackpool are doing).
 
The big thing I noticed over the last 20 years with Blackpool B&B’s is that cause there’s so many of them most still only charge around £50 a night with breakfast. How much roughly are both the pleasure beaches hotels to stay a night?
 
ukridesinfo has been on fire with the POVs lately, because he today uploaded POVs of Valhalla, and these are particularly remarkable because they are some of the few where I’ve seen the Ring of Fire in operation:

I wonder whether some of these effects might be restored in the refurbishment, whenever it comes?
 
Matt N said:
ukridesinfo has been on fire with the POVs lately, because he today uploaded POVs of Valhalla, and these are particularly remarkable because they are some of the few where I’ve seen the Ring of Fire in operation:

I wonder whether some of these effects might be restored in the refurbishment, whenever it comes?
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Whilst that would be good, I don't think they can afford to run all effects currently.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
Whilst that would be good, I don't think they can afford to run all effects currently.
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Maybe they might replace them with more cost-effective and reliable alternatives that provide the same spectacle, especially with the park being more hard up post-COVID?
 
Matt N said:
Maybe they might replace them with more cost-effective and reliable alternatives that provide the same spectacle, especially with the park being more hard up post-COVID?
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Whilst I don't know the special effects industry very well, I think you are right because a lot has changed in 20 years notably cheap screens. Might we see more screens on Valhalla?
 
I think it's fair to say if the park were building Valhalla in 2021 (leaving aside the fact that they wouldn't...) It would be a very different ride.

Almost everything about Valhalla is a very late 90s/Y2K approach (as you would expect...)
 
In what way do you mean that the ride was a late 90s/early 2000s approach @Rick? The theme seems timeless, and there are many water rides now that employ similar types of effects to Valhalla (admittedly, perhaps not all in the same ride).

I must say, Valhalla from a visual & technical standpoint is impressive; when I rode for the first time last year, some of the effects were quite impressive, and I think the level of wetness is almost quite impressive! In its prime, I can imagine the ride was something to behold! However, I must admit that I’m not sure I actually enjoyed the ride that much, as I think I find the amount of wetness almost too much. Or at least, I didn’t overly enjoy the means by which it chose to exert most of its wetness. The reason I say this is because Popeye at IOA, as an example, is probably not much drier than Valhalla, if at all, but I enjoyed that far more simply because I think it gets you wet in a more enjoyable way, if you get what I mean? On Popeye, the ride happens at such a pace that it’s immense fun, and just feels like an absolute riot, and all of the water effects are quite brief and add to the enjoyment. Whereas with Valhalla, I find that it’s almost a bit of an endurance test, with things like that slow water vortex and the drowning on the lift hills from the water that’s accumulated in the boat, combined with the things like the boat bashing that aren’t hugely comfortable. I can’t quite explain why, but I found the wetness and overall experience of Popeye considerably more enjoyable than that of Valhalla, and for that reason, Popeye is one of my all-time favourite water rides, while Valhalla is nowhere near my favourite water rides. In fact, controversial opinion time; I don’t even think it’s my all-time favourite UK water ride. I can understand why most like Valhalla a lot, but I don’t think it’s for me, personally; definitely one that I have a lower opinion of than the status quo.
 
Matt N said:
In what way do you mean that the ride was a late 90s/early 2000s approach @Rick? The theme seems timeless, and there are many water rides now that employ similar types of effects to Valhalla (admittedly, perhaps not all in the same ride).

I must say, Valhalla from a visual & technical standpoint is impressive; when I rode for the first time last year, some of the effects were quite impressive, and I think the level of wetness is almost quite impressive! In its prime, I can imagine the ride was something to behold! However, I must admit that I’m not sure I actually enjoyed the ride that much, as I think I find the amount of wetness almost too much. Or at least, I didn’t overly enjoy the means by which it chose to exert most of its wetness. The reason I say this is because Popeye at IOA, as an example, is probably not much drier than Valhalla, if at all, but I enjoyed that far more simply because I think it gets you wet in a more enjoyable way, if you get what I mean? On Popeye, the ride happens at such a pace that it’s immense fun, and just feels like an absolute riot, and all of the water effects are quite brief and add to the enjoyment. Whereas with Valhalla, I find that it’s almost a bit of an endurance test, with things like that slow water vortex and the drowning on the lift hills from the water that’s accumulated in the boat, combined with the things like the boat bashing that aren’t hugely comfortable. I can’t quite explain why, but I found the wetness and overall experience of Popeye considerably more enjoyable than that of Valhalla, and for that reason, Popeye is one of my all-time favourite water rides, while Valhalla is nowhere near my favourite water rides. In fact, controversial opinion time; I don’t even think it’s my all-time favourite UK water ride. I can understand why most like Valhalla a lot, but I don’t think it’s for me, personally; definitely one that I have a lower opinion of than the status quo.
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I think (?) Rick was suggesting that if Valhalla were to be built now it wouldn't have had so much money thrown at it and opposed to anything being wrong with the theme. If it were to be built now I doubt there would be hardly any real fire effects of any, (maybe just on the exterior), they would have made use of special effects instead such as light and smoke, the ice room would just be themed to an arctic atmosphere as opposed to actually being -5, it might have had some aircon at the most, and most of the effects in the ride such as the huge hammers would have been made out of polystyrene with a light water spray to create the effect of crushing the boat as opposed to two ton objects being launched full pelt into a tub of water.

If that isn't what @Rick meant then that's just my opinion anyway, but I think if it was to be built now it would have been special effects recreating physical effects, as opposed to in the 90s where it was all real.
 
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