Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion

[Benjsh]

Steeplechase is still one of the park's most popular rides though, these things are always subjective remember.

They are and god knows why it's so popular. It's ruddy awful.

The biggest issue with the fans of the PB is being reluctant to let go of the past. Take Nashy for example. It's a monstrous ride experience these days. It need converting or knocking down. It can't be salvaged by minor repairs every few years.

 

[shakey]

They are and god knows why it's so popular. It's ruddy awful.

The biggest issue with the fans of the PB is being reluctant to let go of the past. Take Nashy for example. It's a monstrous ride experience these days. It need converting or knocking down. It can't be salvaged by minor repairs every few years.

And I would say Steeplechase is one of the most fun rides in the UK.

Totaly agree with you on Nash, but @Coaster certainly wouldn't agree.

I think we can all agree that SkyForce was a complete waste of £2.5million though

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[Skyscraper]

And I would say Steeplechase is one of the most fun rides in the UK.

Totaly agree with you on Nash, but @Coaster certainly wouldn't agree.

I think we can all agree that SkyForce was a complete waste of £2.5million though

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I think a Sky Roller rather than a Sky Fly would've been better. At least riders would get nice views anyway.

 

[Fuct]

They are and god knows why it's so popular. It's ruddy awful.

The biggest issue with the fans of the PB is being reluctant to let go of the past. Take Nashy for example. It's a monstrous ride experience these days. It need converting or knocking down. It can't be salvaged by minor repairs every few years.

I wouldn't attribute Nash still being patched up to nostalgic fans though, it's listed so they don't have much of a choice.

 

[shakey]

I wouldn't attribute Nash still being patched up to nostalgic fans though, it's listed so they don't have much of a choice.

You can demolish a listed building. You just have to apply and for that application to be approved.

The park would need a good reason but if they argued that it was not financially viable to maintain the ride then I suspect they would have a good case.

Difficult to say though, because I am not aware of any other listed rides that have subsequently been demolished.

Looks like Nash will be around a while though judging by the work they've been doing. It's not as if they would spend a ton of cash on it then knock it down...... Oh, hang on!!!

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[rob666]

Let's not get all mousey...
again.

 

[Benjsh]

Let's not get all mousey...
again.

Unpopular opinion in these parts but was never a fan myself. It was rough and the corners were brutal.

Too much emotion attached to the PB. I'd rather ride a off the shelf B&M that's been cloned 30 times over the Mouse (before it was put out of its misery) and also Nashy too.

I prefer to be comfortable these days now I'm getting on a bit.

 

[rob666]

I'm proud to say I turn official old git this year...
and didn't hold on once on the mouse in it's last couple of seasons.
I would swap Icon for the Mouse tomorrow, despite it being my retirement coaster.
Emotional attachment???
I hear some people still weep for the Reel.

 

[shakey]

Unpopular opinion in these parts but was never a fan myself. It was rough and the corners were brutal.

Too much emotion attached to the PB. I'd rather ride a off the shelf B&M that's been cloned 30 times over the Mouse.

Moderator - please remove this person from the Blackpool Pleasure Beach thread!!

The mouse rough? - Never.
Brutal yes, but never rough.


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[Matt N]

Out of interest, what’s the difference between brutal and rough in this context? I thought they were pretty interchangeable terms myself…

 

[JAperson]

Out of interest, what’s the difference between brutal and rough in this context? I thought they were pretty interchangeable terms myself…

I imagine the difference is that rough would imply the track wasn't good and didn't ride well while brutal would imply that the transitions were perhaps tight or that the drops were sharp and sudden.

 

[shakey]

Out of interest, what’s the difference between brutal and rough in this context? I thought they were pretty interchangeable terms myself…

I would say rough in coaster terms would be a ride that is unpredictably jolty and/or bumpy. Nash is a prime example of this.

Mouse was neither of those things (in my opinion). Some of the corners were brutal, especially near the end but you knew what was coming. Even a first time rider could see a 90 degree turn approaching and prepare for it.

Rough coasters are unpredictable in terms of their roughness. You never know when or where the next jolt will get you and there is nothing you could do about it.



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[Benjsh]

Moderator - please remove this person from the Blackpool Pleasure Beach thread!!

The mouse rough? - Never.
Brutal yes, but never rough.


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I did say it was unpopular. Hahahaha

But in my defence I dislike all wild mouse style coasters, even the much newer ones.

I just didn't get the hype.

 

[rob666]

Yes, the National is/was rough and brutal, the Mouse was deceptively brutal...looked like a junior family woodie, so caused lots of tears for little kids over the years.

 

[Matt N]

To be honest, I’m similar to @Benjsh in terms of my opinion of wild mouse-style coasters, in general. I don’t especially care for them; I’m not really into the strong laterals, personally.

With that in mind, I’m not sure Wild Mouse would have been my cup of tea had I been able to ride it.

However, I do personally disagree with the notion that the woodies should be torn down in favour of brand new B&Ms (or similar) and that there’s too much emotion surrounding BPB.

If Blackpool was a park that thrived on the basis of its new and current rides in the same vein as Alton Towers or Thorpe Park, I would perhaps agree with the notion more. However, Blackpool isn’t really like that.

While I have only been following Blackpool heavily for 5-10 years, my impression is that they had kind of given up on any sustained attempts to be a “new and current” park by the mid-2000s, if not earlier. Prior to Icon, their last major “new and current” ride was probably Valhalla in 2000 (or perhaps Infusion in 2007), and 4 years on from Icon, there are no strong signs of anything major on the horizon. Now I’m aware that Blackpool’s financial state may have played at least a partial role in this, but to me, Blackpool’s recent investment patterns don’t imply that the park is focused on keeping up with the latest trends and boasting the biggest and best new rides in the same way that the likes of Alton & Thorpe are. Don’t get me wrong, the park is investing in new attractions, but I think they’d want to have something new to boast about far more often if they were focused on keeping up with the two “modern” big thrill parks in Britain.

As such, it appears to me as though nostalgia plays a far more important role in Blackpool’s success than it does at any of the Merlin parks, and they can’t really tap into that without their classic attractions. I could be wrong here, but I get the impression that Blackpool relies far more on repeat custom than Alton & Thorpe due to the fact that it’s in Blackpool. Due to the type of place Blackpool is, people likely go there on holiday every year and do the same things, so Pleasure Beach likely has a lot of people visiting it who are carrying on generations-old family holiday traditions. For instance, I’m thinking that many parents take their kids to Blackpool Pleasure Beach to ride Big Dipper, Grand National et al just as their parents did decades prior, and their parents’ parents did even longer ago and so on. While I’m sure that Alton & Thorpe do have similar visitor groups (although I’m unsure about Thorpe, as the Thorpe of 25 years ago or so was a very different beast to the Thorpe of today…), I get the impression that Blackpool relies considerably more upon them than the “newer” parks, what with their location within a centuries-old holiday resort and the fact that they don’t really invest in new & hip major attractions on an overly regular basis anymore.

 

[Benjsh]

To be honest, I’m similar to @Benjsh in terms of my opinion of wild mouse-style coasters, in general. I don’t especially care for them; I’m not really into the strong laterals, personally.

With that in mind, I’m not sure Wild Mouse would have been my cup of tea had I been able to ride it.

However, I do personally disagree with the notion that the woodies should be torn down in favour of brand new B&Ms (or similar) and that there’s too much emotion surrounding BPB.

If Blackpool was a park that thrived on the basis of its new and current rides in the same vein as Alton Towers or Thorpe Park, I would perhaps agree with the notion more. However, Blackpool isn’t really like that.

While I have only been following Blackpool heavily for 5-10 years, my impression is that they had kind of given up on any sustained attempts to be a “new and current” park by the mid-2000s, if not earlier. Prior to Icon, their last major “new and current” ride was probably Valhalla in 2000 (or perhaps Infusion in 2007), and 4 years on from Icon, there are no strong signs of anything major on the horizon. Now I’m aware that Blackpool’s financial state may have played at least a partial role in this, but to me, Blackpool’s recent investment patterns don’t imply that the park is focused on keeping up with the latest trends and boasting the biggest and best new rides in the same way that the likes of Alton & Thorpe are. Don’t get me wrong, the park is investing in new attractions, but I think they’d want to have something new to boast about far more often if they were focused on keeping up with the two “modern” big thrill parks in Britain.

As such, it appears to me as though nostalgia plays a far more important role in Blackpool’s success than it does at any of the Merlin parks, and they can’t really tap into that without their classic attractions. I could be wrong here, but I get the impression that Blackpool relies far more on repeat custom than Alton & Thorpe due to the fact that it’s in Blackpool. Due to the type of place Blackpool is, people likely go there on holiday every year and do the same things, so Pleasure Beach likely has a lot of people visiting it who are carrying on generations-old family holiday traditions. For instance, I’m thinking that many parents take their kids to Blackpool Pleasure Beach to ride Big Dipper, Grand National et al just as their parents did decades prior, and their parents’ parents did even longer ago and so on. While I’m sure that Alton & Thorpe do have similar visitor groups (although I’m unsure about Thorpe, as the Thorpe of 25 years ago or so was a very different beast to the Thorpe of today…), I get the impression that Blackpool relies considerably more upon them than the “newer” parks, what with their location within a centuries-old holiday resort and the fact that they don’t really invest in new & hip major attractions on an overly regular basis anymore.

I must stress I don't want all woodies torn down. Just ones that make you feel like you're going around the track in a shopping trolley with a wheel missing.

Big Dipper is still okay for me roughness wise for example. I find it fine. However I can't even bare to ride Nashy anymore which is a real shame as it's a great layout. It's just too rough on the thighs.

 

[Stuie]

You can demolish a listed building. You just have to apply and for that application to be approved.

The park would need a good reason but if they argued that it was not financially viable to maintain the ride then I suspect they would have a good case.

Difficult to say though, because I am not aware of any other listed rides that have subsequently been demolished.

Looks like Nash will be around a while though judging by the work they've been doing. It's not as if they would spend a ton of cash on it then knock it down...... Oh, hang on!!!

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I don’t think it would be that easy to get permission to demolish! They would have to have evidence, offer it up to a trust or CIC to fund and repair it, or they’d have to keep it as a structure, if not a ride.

Same with the old Scenic in Margate… even if it ends up standing as a monument to what it once was, I doubt it’s going anywhere.

 

[Coaster]

They are and god knows why it's so popular. It's ruddy awful.

The biggest issue with the fans of the PB is being reluctant to let go of the past. Take Nashy for example. It's a monstrous ride experience these days. It need converting or knocking down. It can't be salvaged by minor repairs every few years.

Yeah, I disagree with everything in this post. Grand National and Steeplechase are brilliant rides, that's why they're popular. As I say, rides are subjective, Icon is pretty dull and awful to me, but most people love it!

 

[Benjsh]

Yeah, I disagree with everything in this post. Grand National and Steeplechase are brilliant rides, that's why they're popular. As I say, rides are subjective, Icon is pretty dull and awful to me, but most people love it!

No problem with a different opinion my friend. Everyone likes different things.

I prefer to come off a coaster and not feel like Mike Tyson has been in the ring with me for 3 minutes.

 

[AstroDan]

I just watched another video showing a two-rider run on Enso.

It just.

Looks.

*insert expletive here*.

There is more spinning in my bed at night after a strong dose of Nytol.