Blackpool 25th to 28th September 2018

[RoyJess]

Tuesday 25th September 2018


Sealife & Shark Dive

This was the start to our short break. The sealife is well presented with great themeing and a good variety of marine life. This centre really puts my local one to shame.

We really whisk around it very quickly as I had a shark swim experience booked. It was great seeing the sharks and other fish and turtle close up. It was a tiring experience as you had to use your muscles to hold yourself under the water. I'm very please that I did it.

Blackpool Tower Circus

Next up was the Blackpool tower circus. Great show as usual, the clowns are funny, and the ring fills up with water for the finally.

Blackpool Illuminations

I love Blackpool this time of the year, the illuminations are worth seeing. I walk from one end to the other. The far end has the larger animation lights. It's also great seeing the big illumination trams run up and down the promenade. These were in the shape of a ship and the other one was in the shape of a steam train.

Wednesday 26th & Thursday 27th

This is the view from our hotel room, they start preparing the rides from 6am or later as soon as the sun rises to give better light.

6ft is the difference between paying £16 for parking your car or parking for free, the red sports car is mine

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

As mentioned elsewhere, had a brilliant time over these two days. Plenty of ride time. Icon was a brilliant addition, loving the older rides too. Valhalla special effects can be a hit or miss, but still a great ride. Missing the mouse ride though.

I also manage to squeeze in just after the pleasure beach closed the Pasaje Del Terror, which is very much like doing a scarefest maze, but themed to the Horror movies. And I also manage to quickly do the Ripley's believe it or not, which is very interesting.

Friday 28th

Madam Tussauds

We visited Madam Tussauds, I did feel like there seems to be less wax works on display each year, being replaced electronic gimmicky attractions. Still worth a visit.

Blackpool Tower

This was next on our list, spent about an hour to the top and back down again. We braved the glass floor looking down 400ft.

The Big One

I also took the opportunity to walk up the big one. I got to meet some of the top staff that gave us some facts and interesting information about the Big one.

It was the worlds tallest fasted roller coaster when it first open, but only retained the titled for 10 weeks before it lost it to a rival coaster somewhere in the USA.

A section of the Big one is painted daily before the park opens. It has 5 layers of different special paints and once they completed painting it, which takes many months, they then start all over again.

They were also disheartened with the removal of the mouse, they really wanted to keep it going, but it had really came to the end of it's life. It failed the H&S requirements.

I really enjoyed the walk up the Big one, we walked up 50 feet at a time before we stop for 5 minutes to allow us to take photos. then we moved up the next 50 feet before we stopped again and so on.

Work being done on the old monorail station/new hotel

I was awarded a keepsake medal

Fireworks

Our trip was finished off with a Firework display which was set off on the beach opposite the Tower.

Overall, its been a great fun pack few days, Jess and loved every minute.

 

[Rojo]

It looks like you have both had an excellent time there. It's good to see you have your enthusiasm back and you're looking well

I've always fancied one of the marine dives but not sure I could do a coaster walk, so kudos for that!

 

[Matt N]

Great report, Roy! Seems like you and Jess had a lovely trip; the lift hill walk on the Big One looks amazing!

 

[RoyJess]

Thanks for your comments (I've just edited a couple of words in the original post due to poor grammar).

It looks like you have both had an excellent time there. It's good to see you have your enthusiasm back and you're looking well

I've always fancied one of the marine dives but not sure I could do a coaster walk, so kudos for that!

Thanks, this is my first major rides since my health scare. Unless you want to class me riding the snails at Gt Yarmouth Joyland a couple of weeks ago

It takes about 2 hours to walk the full illuminations each way. I tend to park up upon arriving in Blackpool and walk everywhere for the duration of our stay. Saves faffing around finding parking and you can take just along to drive along the seafront when the illuminations are on due to the traffic.

From the pleasure beach to the Tower is only 30 min walk
From the pleasure beach to the far end of the illumination is 1 and a half hours walk.

Great report, Roy! Seems like you and Jess had a lovely trip; the lift hill walk on the Big One looks amazing!

Thanks, the lift hill walk was amazing, all they need now is a zip wire for the descent

I tried to keep my report short and sweet, if you would like to see more photos, I've plenty more which I can post. Just let me know.

 

[IanSR]

When we were there we bought a tram pass for the week and just hopped on and off, do they still do that?

 

[RoyJess]

I've not been on the trams in years due to accommodating Jess' wheelchair. I should imagine that you can still get a pass.

 

[rob666]

I think the trams are level entry now, hence the raised platforms.
The full tramway walk takes about three and a half hours...done early one Sunday morn after a screaming row with the Mrs.
Fish and chips at Fleetwood Ferry is fantastic.
Then there us the thrill of the Knott End ferry.

 

[RoyJess]

Unfortunately despite the level access, having Jess sat in a wheelchair inside a moving vehicle is not ideal due to her complex condition. We follow a very strict care plan, hence why we don't use a wheelchair accessible vehicle, there is a lot of bounce in wheelchairs when sat in a moving vehicle, can be very uncomfortable for the wheelchair user.

 

[RoyJess]