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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2026 Discussion

Smudgy said:
It’s a terrible shame that Pleasure Beach doesn’t have any modern coasters besides Icon, not even having a modern steel family coaster for the kids is ridiculous given the shaky nature of Blue Flyer and Nick Streak.
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That's a fair point, although Blue Flyer and Nick Streak are the smoothest woodies in the park.
 
Skyscraper said:
Blue Flyer and Nick Streak are the smoothest woodies in the park.
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Regardless, I wouldn’t recommend the former for anyone under 10 and the latter 13 if they were riding alone. Of course its different if there’s an adult with them to help them deal with the roughness, but they certainly aren’t rides for kids. Their next investment after the gyroswing should be a family coaster, and after that a family thrill.
 
Granted, it’s some years since I last rode Blue Flyer, but in terms of pitching, I would argue it’s most definitely a ride for kids, and I don’t remember it being rough in the slightest!

Blue Flyer is pitched at young children to such an extent that it’s one of those coasters that I as an adult would now think twice about riding alone (hence why I’ve only ever done it once).

Nickelodeon Streak is less pitched at young children, but even still, I would argue it’s not too rough for a child to ride (I don’t remember it being too rough by woodie standards, at least, even back in 2019 when I last rode it).
 
Matt N said:
Blue Flyer is pitched at young children to such an extent that it’s one of those coasters that I as an adult would now think twice about riding alone (hence why I’ve only ever done it once).
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Heck, you can't even fit two adults in the same row on Blue Flyer! 😂
It is most definitely a kiddie coaster.
 
I would profoundly disagree that Icon is a family coaster in the same vein as Nickelodeon Streak and Blue Flyer. It has a 1.3m height restriction and two launches, it inverts and it has a fair amount of airtime; I think it qualifies as a thrill coaster.

I also think a better example of a steel family coaster than Steeplechase is Avalanche. That ride is great fun, and has a very good family coaster layout and low height restriction!

Each to their own, but I find Steeplechase to be Blackpool’s worst coaster(s). It does very little other than being uncomfortable!

A new steel family coaster might be a nice fit for Blackpool, though.
 
I will probably get criticised for saying this, but - if it was up to me - I would scrap all of the wooden rollercoasters at Blackpool (but perhaps keep one for nostalgia* - e.g. the Big Dipper)

The wooden rollercoasters are only there because it was the only type available at the time that they were built

I am almost certain that if modern B&M style steel coasters had been available in the 1930s then Blackpool would have built these instead

I remember Amanda Thompson saying that her grandmother told her to scrap any rides that she felt it necessary to do, and not to cling on to old rides for nostalgia

I am glad in hindsight that Alton Towers didn't begin building rollercoasters until steel technology was available in the 1980s, or else they also might have been stuck with a bunch of old woodies! (Although AT has a lot more space than Blackpool and so they could have built newer rides alongside more easily)

(*This isn't exactly the same thing, but I remember TNA wrestling having too many old guys under contract circa 2009, and they were advised to only keep one of them as you don't need an entire posse for nostalgia)
 
TNA are not a bastion of things to follow.

BPB's woodies are decent coasters, there's no need to remove them unless there's no more space left and considering they have open spaces, plus Infusion that needs demolishing, I doubt that's soon.
 
Poisson said:
TNA are not a bastion of things to follow.

BPB's woodies are decent coasters, there's no need to remove them unless there's no more space left and considering they have open spaces, plus Infusion that needs demolishing, I doubt that's soon.
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Vekoma tilt over the water
?
Being serious they should just build a super marketable tilt coaster with a shortish layout spend a fortune on marketing and the jobs done.
 
JAperson said:
Vekoma tilt over the water
?
Being serious they should just build a super marketable tilt coaster with a shortish layout spend a fortune on marketing and the jobs done.
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In hindsight, Oblivion was a masterclass of marketing, as it showed that even an extremely short layout can still be successful if marketed correctly

I suppose the Thunder Looper and The Revolution were somewhat similar
 
shakey said:
Icon IS a modern steel family coaster !
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Icon is a multi-launch multi-inversion coaster which until the opening of Hyperia had the UK’s best airtime. It is a thrill coaster by all accounts.

rob666 said:
as is Steeplechase
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Steeplechase is England’s second oldest steel coaster/s, it is incredibly janky, it cannot be considered a modern coaster nor am I certain I would be comfortable taking children on there.
 
I think Icon is a 'tamed' thrill ride

I say this because I think the original plan was for it to be more intense and/or feature more inversions, but it was unfortunately toned down in order to appeal to a wider demographic

I'm not sure if The Big One was the same (if it was up to me, it would have featured at least one inversion)
 
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