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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion
- Thread starter rob666
- Start date
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pluk
TS Member
I know we like rides, but I wouldn't say we perv over them!
I do know what you mean though. Wickerman is fun but a fairly terrible and tame version of its type, much like Icon, but seems to get forgiven. I suppose the context is WM is in a park full of thrill so a less thrilling ride compliments, where as Icon is in a park full of average where some proper thrill would be most welcome. It also has no coherent theme or presentation to fall back on.
Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ride To Happiness
The thing is though that if Icon were at Alton or Drayton it would have a quite different layout. Icon is like it is because it was fitted in to an area that meant to it had to weave in and out of other rides. On the one hand the interaction with other rides is great but it also means that the layout was very contained compared to if it had been built on a more spacious open plot.
Personally I think it’s a great ride as a family thrill coaster and if course a multi launcher would have been well received at Drayton as they have nothing like it. I think if it were at Alton though it would fulfill a role certainly and be popular but we might be wanting something a little more thrilling instead.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I’m not sure Icon necessarily would have been perceived any differently had it been built at a different park.
However, I’d argue that initial expectations for Icon back in 2018 may not help its case. If anyone remembers back to Icon’s construction period, this was in the period where the “Mack mega coaster” was many enthusiasts’ dream ride installation, and such a ride was automatically equated with the then very new and very well received Helix at Liseberg.
As such, there was a lot of hype for Icon, and expectations were very, very high. People were expecting it to be comfortably the best coaster in the UK, one of the best coasters in Europe and possibly one of the best coasters in the world. The hype for Icon was absolutely unbelievable, and dare I say the biggest hype train I’ve ever seen for a new UK coaster before or since. People were going on about how this was the coaster that would make the whole world look at the UK in jealousy, this was the coaster that would revolutionise the UK coaster industry forever, this was the coaster that would give the UK a coaster right up there with some of the world’s modern greats in terms of reverence.
And when Icon opened, it’s safe to say that it did not live up to this level of hype. Even as someone who absolutely loves Icon and hasn’t done that many coasters, I can see that it quite clearly didn’t live up to this level of hype in terms of general reverence. And for many people who had high expectations and were less enamoured with Icon than myself, I can imagine that that initial disappointment with it may still linger 5 years on, which could be why it often seems to gain quite negative reception.
P.S. I should note that I accidentally posted this post before I’d finished… it’s finished now!
However, I’d argue that initial expectations for Icon back in 2018 may not help its case. If anyone remembers back to Icon’s construction period, this was in the period where the “Mack mega coaster” was many enthusiasts’ dream ride installation, and such a ride was automatically equated with the then very new and very well received Helix at Liseberg.
As such, there was a lot of hype for Icon, and expectations were very, very high. People were expecting it to be comfortably the best coaster in the UK, one of the best coasters in Europe and possibly one of the best coasters in the world. The hype for Icon was absolutely unbelievable, and dare I say the biggest hype train I’ve ever seen for a new UK coaster before or since. People were going on about how this was the coaster that would make the whole world look at the UK in jealousy, this was the coaster that would revolutionise the UK coaster industry forever, this was the coaster that would give the UK a coaster right up there with some of the world’s modern greats in terms of reverence.
And when Icon opened, it’s safe to say that it did not live up to this level of hype. Even as someone who absolutely loves Icon and hasn’t done that many coasters, I can see that it quite clearly didn’t live up to this level of hype in terms of general reverence. And for many people who had high expectations and were less enamoured with Icon than myself, I can imagine that that initial disappointment with it may still linger 5 years on, which could be why it often seems to gain quite negative reception.
P.S. I should note that I accidentally posted this post before I’d finished… it’s finished now!
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shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
By "people" do you mean the Thompson's
They certainly made some bold claims.
I think we can say at this point that the ride did not deliver the extra footfall the owners were assuming they would get.
Whether that's down to the ride, the marketing or other factors who knows, but I hope the park still has the ambition and finances to build another big coaster within a few years. And one that does get the punters flocking in.
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Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ride To Happiness
But does the park have the space though to build a big coaster without having to make a possibly controversial removal from the park?
I don’t know if too many of us would have been that upset if theory Valhalla and Ice Blast went to free up some space but would the removal of say Rev and/or Avalanche be accepted? Careless off-season overnight accident involving Nash and some gasoline and matches?
Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Removal of the Mouse didn't fundamentally change anything about Icon. If that colours your perception that feels like a weird way of thinking about things ?
Coaster
TS Member
I don't rate Icon differently because of the Mouse, but I don't really like Icon, whereas the Mouse was one of my favourite coasters, so I do view it as a downgrade. All subjective though.
Icon did used to be great at being a queue shifter and visually impressive, but neither of those things are the case now.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
If you don’t mind me asking, what has changed about Icon visually? I admittedly haven’t visited Blackpool since 2019, but is it not the same as it’s ever been in that regard?
tayspru
TS Member
Nearly all of the wood on the Wild Mouse was chipped, the station was grubby and the planting questionable. You’re reaching here with regards criticism of a wildly different coaster proposition.
Plastic Person
TS Member
Are you not debating with the wrong poster here? @rob666 is kindly just providing details of where Icon looks visibly knackered, he's not bringing the rodent into it?
tayspru
TS Member
Ah yes I didn’t see that, nevertheless though there’s a definite undertone of ICON being undervalued due to the removal of the mouse
I was actually gently taking the mickey out of our Coaster...the dusty mirrors and chipped paint were his early criticism of the upkeep of Icon.
A considerable number of thoosies have expressed an opinion that they would have preferred the dead rodent to remain, and Icon not been built, if there was a hypothetical choice.
But there wasn't.
Personally, I still weep for the Reel.
It was, in my humble opinion, better than both.
A considerable number of thoosies have expressed an opinion that they would have preferred the dead rodent to remain, and Icon not been built, if there was a hypothetical choice.
But there wasn't.
Personally, I still weep for the Reel.
It was, in my humble opinion, better than both.
venny
TS Member
A few things to pick up on: -
Icon didn’t fail because it was a bad ride, since it clearly isn’t. I don’t see there to be any larger factor in it not providing the uptick in visits than its marketing failure.
I agree there were big expectations for Icon. I’m not sure I’d characterise them as expectations of a world class coaster (at least from the sensible individuals amongst us). There’s a difference between hoping for the ride to be good and expecting it to be.
There is room for a new coaster without demolishing other rides - see for example, the empty Bowl-a-Drome arcade, the FY4 AstroTurf, The Hub, AstroSwirl arcade etc.
And finally, Icon’s queue is full of rosemary. The lavender died. Predictably.
Icon didn’t fail because it was a bad ride, since it clearly isn’t. I don’t see there to be any larger factor in it not providing the uptick in visits than its marketing failure.
I agree there were big expectations for Icon. I’m not sure I’d characterise them as expectations of a world class coaster (at least from the sensible individuals amongst us). There’s a difference between hoping for the ride to be good and expecting it to be.
There is room for a new coaster without demolishing other rides - see for example, the empty Bowl-a-Drome arcade, the FY4 AstroTurf, The Hub, AstroSwirl arcade etc.
And finally, Icon’s queue is full of rosemary. The lavender died. Predictably.
Sorry, you are speaking with a professional gardener here...I picked and rubbed lavender from the queueline steps just two weeks ago, then smeared the "granny juice" up my arm, and shared the aroma with our shakey.
Very much lavender, without a doubt good sir.
Looks like rosemary, sort of, but lavender without a shadow of doubt.
The cherry trees are struggling, and the Michaelmas daisies close to the station are all but dead.
But the lavender lives on, despite poor pruning.
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