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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2021 Discussion

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Rick said:
This video is wonderful, with some rare views, including the AutoWorld tent and the Swinging Gyms (@rob666). Also the Log Flume and various snippets of South Park. Core part of the video is a PoV of the National, sans restraints.



Hard not to be nostalgic for simpler times, really.
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Nash looks like an enjoyable ride without restraints. You could actually come out of your seat rather than being pinned to it. Such a shame that health and safety won't allow it to happen theses days.
 
paulturner1974 said:
Help wanted please... saw a picture years ago of Valhalla's front wall that had a peice of coaster ( think it was a bit of pepsi max ) that made up some of the framework anyony know where to find this ?? We went at the weekend and was telling my daughter all about it and said i would try to find the pic but cant seem to find it anywhere !! cheers in advance !
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Here you go...

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They used old pieces of the Big One left over from her many re tracking works carried out over the years. Correct me if I am wrong, but the pieces used were left over from the re tracking of the turnaround. These were all removed when the façade of Valhalla was totally re built a few years ago. The large stainless metal piece sticking out is the trough for the reverse turntable. You can just make out the start of the backwards drop too.

You can see in the following photo, the terrible state the track had got into when it was removed, around 2012 I believe?

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Then as you can see below, a proper galvanised steel framework was put in place during the refurbishment, to support the new façade, in leu of the old ride track pieces. I suspect the Big one pieces were used to save costs..as the facade would have come later into the construction and costs did spiral on the ride with all of the cutting edge technology (for the time) that was in use.

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I’m looking at a possible trip to BPB on either Thursday this week (sneaky solo trip), or a trip with the family on Sunday…. Could you all help me out with what you’d expect the queue levels to be like on both days please?
 
MonkeyNut said:
I’m looking at a possible trip to BPB on either Thursday this week (sneaky solo trip), or a trip with the family on Sunday…. Could you all help me out with what you’d expect the queue levels to be like on both days please?
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We went on Monday (11th) and all rides were just about walk on. Only queue was for Icon mid afternoon but that was only about 10 mins tops
 
We were thinking of a trip this Saturday but £44 for day tickets and £38 for under 11's is insanity. They won't survive much longer with prices like this.
 
Agreed. I am no longer interested in the product at the price being charged. Hopefully supply and demand catches up with them.
 
D4n said:
Agreed. I am no longer interested in the product at the price being charged. Hopefully supply and demand catches up with them.
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I just don't think a seaside park with lets be honest not too many modern top class attractions (if any) can justify those prices. Valhalla, despite it not being in great shape, isn't even open either which only makes it worse.
 
Was quite busy on my flying visit this afternoon, front/back/back on Icon, Dodgems and a pint in just over an hour.
Even (nameless) staff say the current pricing for winter weekends is crazy.
Tartan army was present, had to fight for a table on the balcony.
Think the prices will drop next year with the loss of staycationers, but busy today for a Friday, Icon running really well on 2 trains, my back seat sharer was on his fifteenth ride by lunchtime!
 
rob666 said:
Was quite busy on my flying visit this afternoon, front/back/back on Icon, Dodgems and a pint in just over an hour.
Even (nameless) staff say the current pricing for winter weekends is crazy.
Tartan army was present, had to fight for a table on the balcony.
Think the prices will drop next year with the loss of staycationers, but busy today for a Friday, Icon running really well on 2 trains, my back seat sharer was on his fifteenth ride by lunchtime!
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Definitely does feel like they have tried to take advantage of the staycationers with the prices which I sort of understand. However I think a lot of people, like my family, will have been put off. If you hadn't been before then maybe you'd pay it however having grown up 40 mins away and been hundreds of times there really isn't any incentive for us to pay £126 for 3 people.

I hope next year is priced more reasonably as I do miss visiting and also want to get back on Valahalla.
 
Crazy prices at the moment, £45 is roughly our season pass renewal last year end, only £90 this year, yet £45 on a weekday?
Edit...prices change daily now, drops to £37 next Monday, then higher by midweek, real fluid pricing.
 
rob666 said:
Crazy prices at the moment, £45 is roughly our season pass renewal last year end, only £90 this year, yet £45 on a weekday?
Edit...prices change daily now, drops to £37 next Monday, then higher by midweek, real fluid pricing.
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Yeah but sadly we are limited to weekends / holiday periods now as our Son is 7 and in school and has missed more than enough time there too due to covid.

Really does pay to go off peak if you can.
 
That should be the new Beach advertising slogan...
"Really does pay to go off peak if you can."
Anything more than a few thousand and they struggle to cope.
I think the weekend openings up to Christmas will be dead if they don't do a price cut soon.
 
Have they cleared up what is open on the Winter Weekends? South, North, everything (surely not)?

The marketing email yesterday read "Come and join us as we start Winter Weekends with a bang! Winter Weekends will provide a fun-filled day out for thrillseekers and little ones alike every Saturday and Sunday from 6th November - 12th December"

If it's the 'classic' WW line up + Icon, those prices aren't going to get them good attendances ... although worth noting WW never did.
 
Everything, allegedly.
Lights still on, Christmas shopping , late autumn staycationers etc.
National was closed for "..........." all day Friday.
 
Coaster said:
Grand National is closed for the remainder of 2021 for planned maintenance.

I don’t like the look of this, the last time a coaster closed towards the end of a season for “maintenance” it was torn down during the winter without warning.

https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/planned-maintenance/
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Or alternatively, they could be giving it some TLC, such as a nice retrack to make it a bit smoother to ride while also maintaining the charm of the current attraction? Or maybe a part just needs replacing?

I wouldn’t jump to any hasty conclusions just yet, especially given that the combo of COVID and Brexit could possibly have stifled the quick arrival of any necessary parts or anything.

Admittedly, I do remember a rumour being posted earlier in the year that 2021 would be Nash’s last year, but I’m unsure if now is the time to be saying our goodbyes to it; “maintenance” could mean anything.

I very much hope it doesn’t go, though; as much as I’m not especially fond of Nash at all, I think it has a lot of potential if they were to give it a retrack to make it a bit smoother, as the layout is excellent, in my opinion! It’s also incredibly unique, and it would arguably be too much of a historical item to want to lose.

I’m sure Blackpool cares enough about its history to do whatever they can to keep Grand National running. As much as people might cite Wild Mouse, I heard it said by Amanda Thompson in a news article that she was “in tears” removing it, and that the park considered numerous other options before tearing it down.
 
Matt N said:
Or alternatively, they could be giving it some TLC, such as a nice retrack to make it a bit smoother to ride while also maintaining the charm of the current attraction? Or maybe a part just needs replacing?

I wouldn’t jump to any hasty conclusions just yet, especially given that the combo of COVID and Brexit could possibly have stifled the quick arrival of any necessary parts or anything.
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I just don't trust them unfortunately, the Wild Mouse was listed as being closed for maintenance towards the end of 2017, and it was unceremoniously torn down.
 
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