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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion
- Thread starter rob666
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ScottishChris
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Legend
I love how everyone's opinions are different. For me, Icon is easily the best coaster in the UK at the moment, so the effort it is taking me to not explode at your statement is massive!
Haha.I'm not sure a full conversion would be possible as the Enso seats require clearance off the back of the train. Even if it was possible - it would half the capacity, and I cant see that being popular.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Icon is one incredibly polarising ride! It’s one you seem to either love or not overly rate; I love it, and I know that there are plenty of others who are also fans of it, but this site seems to be mostly populated with people who don’t overly rate it, I’ve noticed. I know it’s not too popular around here, but for me, I love the airtime, I love the twists, turns, and fast pacing, I love the smoothness of it, and overall, I just find it a terrifically fun and rerideable coaster!
With that being said, I haven’t done Icon in over 4 years and have done quite a bit of new stuff since then. My coaster count was 70 last time I visited Blackpool, whereas it’s now 111, and I’ve ridden numerous new multi-launch coasters and coasters of a similar style since I last did it, including Blue Fire, VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s. I’ve heard some people suggest that Icon is a coaster that people often like less if they’ve done a greater amount of similar rides, so I’ll be interested to see if I still have such a high view of it whenever I eventually back up to Blackpool…
With that being said, I haven’t done Icon in over 4 years and have done quite a bit of new stuff since then. My coaster count was 70 last time I visited Blackpool, whereas it’s now 111, and I’ve ridden numerous new multi-launch coasters and coasters of a similar style since I last did it, including Blue Fire, VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s. I’ve heard some people suggest that Icon is a coaster that people often like less if they’ve done a greater amount of similar rides, so I’ll be interested to see if I still have such a high view of it whenever I eventually back up to Blackpool…
QTXAdsy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Thing is regarding Icon, it seems be more popular with the GP than it does with the enthusiast community as perhaps many of them have never experienced a Mack launch coaster before and would not have anything to compare it with in which it is quite an odd ball of a ride in truth even though I actually like it.
Then again, if we see another UK install a more wild Mack launched coaster with a better layout that puts Icon to shame, which honestly won't be hard to do, then that would be interesting to see how thoughts might change then.
Then again, if we see another UK install a more wild Mack launched coaster with a better layout that puts Icon to shame, which honestly won't be hard to do, then that would be interesting to see how thoughts might change then.
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
I'd agree with that. It is a very forgetful, middling coaster so when you do more stuff it sort of gets pushed down. I currently have it at 105 out of 324, whereas it probably started around #40 when I first rode it with 83 creds
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I more meant in terms of novelty factor boosting how much you actually like the ride. For instance, I've often known people rave about Icon when it's their first new-gen launch coaster, go and ride another new-gen launch coaster and then be a lot more non-plussed when they go and reride Icon afterwards. I've certainly found that to be the case with rides in the past; for instance, I thought Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was the absolute best thing since sliced bread in 2014, and still really liked it in 2016, before I'd ridden any other big coasters with lap bars. But in 2023, when I had ridden a few other big coasters with lap bars and airtime that executed the same trope far better (in my view), HRRR seemed a lot less impressive and absolutely tumbled down my rankings (although it being a lot rougher than I'd remembered also contributed to that). I wonder if the same sort of effect may occur with Icon for some people.
I don't entirely disagree with what you say, however. Indeed, even as someone who'd describe myself as a real Icon lover and still rate it as my favourite UK coaster, I'd say that the ride has slid in my rankings as I've ridden more, perhaps even disproportionately so relative to the increase in my coaster count. And that's despite me not having reridden it in that timeframe. Last time I went to Blackpool, Icon was my #2 out of 70 coasters, while it's now my #8 out of 111 coasters. Don't get me wrong, it's an absolutely phenomenal ride, in my view, and I absolutely love how consistently fun, airtimey, fast-paced, smooth and generally really great the ride is; it's definitely still my top UK coaster and still sits firmly in my 10/10 tier. However, its relative lack of what you might call real standout "wow" elements (in my view) compared to some other rides in the higher echelons of my top 10 does see it slide down a touch. For instance, I'd argue that Mako, my top coaster, has standout "wow" elements in the first drop, first big hill, speed hill and other airtime hills, and I'm also really wowed by its phenomenal sense of speed. VelociCoaster, a similar multi-launch coaster that sits at a phenomenally close #2 spot and could almost take the #1 spot if I'm in the right mood, shares all of Icon's greatest attributes while also packing in a number of those standout "wow" moments that nothing on Icon can quite hold a candle to, such as that obscene second launch, that phenomenal top hat and that absurd mosasaurus roll! It also feels dementedly fast during that second half in a way that Icon never quite matches, from memory, although it being 17mph faster is probably a big help there...
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I do like Icon, it’s a very re-rideable coaster, very smooth and a nice layout. I‘m just not sure I see it as a thrill coaster, I think it’s more of a family coaster. For me it lacks that scare factor, but everyone is different and I understand for many this will be their top coasterI love how everyone's opinions are different. For me, Icon is easily the best coaster in the UK at the moment, so the effort it is taking me to not explode at your statement is massive!
I'm not sure a full conversion would be possible as the Enso seats require clearance off the back of the train. Even if it was possible - it would half the capacity, and I cant see that being popular.
Katy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wildfire (Kolmården)
Regarding Enso, I've done it twice. Once to see what it was like when it was relatively new, and one when I had spent the day drinking cider on the Coasters balcony watching it go past (mostly empty). It's the best way to ride the Icon layout, but very expensive. A full train of them would be nice but then you've cut the capacity in half.
Icon itself, designed as a family coaster - can't remember who it was but I was at an event with a talk from somebody at BPB doing Q&A around it, they specifically wanted a low inversion count so that people wouldn't be put off riding if it were an extreme thrill coaster - i.e. it's a family thrill. It has a few good moments, a bit too much twisting low to the ground in the layout really. Nice to have a modern smooth coaster at BPB, they'd have been better off doing a smaller family coaster in Nickelodeon land and building something really good in Icon's spot.
I think the reason it gained such hype is - look at what other Mack multi launches there were at the time. We all hoped we were getting something like Helix. The park claiming it'd be the "world's best" didn't help much but that's parks marketing for you.
Icon itself, designed as a family coaster - can't remember who it was but I was at an event with a talk from somebody at BPB doing Q&A around it, they specifically wanted a low inversion count so that people wouldn't be put off riding if it were an extreme thrill coaster - i.e. it's a family thrill. It has a few good moments, a bit too much twisting low to the ground in the layout really. Nice to have a modern smooth coaster at BPB, they'd have been better off doing a smaller family coaster in Nickelodeon land and building something really good in Icon's spot.
I think the reason it gained such hype is - look at what other Mack multi launches there were at the time. We all hoped we were getting something like Helix. The park claiming it'd be the "world's best" didn't help much but that's parks marketing for you.
shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
The park, or specifically Amanda and Nick Thompson were trying to promote Icon as a world class extreme thrill machine. Talk of F1 car acceleration and using the best elements from other thrill coasters. Plus the budget and the time it took from the initial markings, all contributed to people expecting something amazing.
I definitely felt underwhelmed when I first rode it. Especially the second half of the ride.
The big one gets a lot of stick from enthusiasts but at least it has speed, height and great views, which are all lacking from Icon.
Icon is, as others have said, a very good family coaster. But unfortunately it was a complete waste of £16m and has almost certainly put the park in a worse position financially after failing to increase visitor numbers.
And the saddest part, it isn't even half as good as the coaster they demolished before Icon opened
It will be interesting to see what direction the park go in from here. Do they still have the budget or the will to build a proper thrill coaster that will actually bring people back to the park ? The best option for me, if they are going to have another stab at a thrill coaster, is to beat the UK height record again. That will sell itself, even if the coaster isn't great.
The park currently feels like it needs a ton of money throwing at it before they even think of investing in a shiny new coaster, so I won't hold my breath for anything major soon. But wouldn't it be great to spot some new markings !
I definitely felt underwhelmed when I first rode it. Especially the second half of the ride.
The big one gets a lot of stick from enthusiasts but at least it has speed, height and great views, which are all lacking from Icon.
Icon is, as others have said, a very good family coaster. But unfortunately it was a complete waste of £16m and has almost certainly put the park in a worse position financially after failing to increase visitor numbers.
And the saddest part, it isn't even half as good as the coaster they demolished before Icon opened
It will be interesting to see what direction the park go in from here. Do they still have the budget or the will to build a proper thrill coaster that will actually bring people back to the park ? The best option for me, if they are going to have another stab at a thrill coaster, is to beat the UK height record again. That will sell itself, even if the coaster isn't great.
The park currently feels like it needs a ton of money throwing at it before they even think of investing in a shiny new coaster, so I won't hold my breath for anything major soon. But wouldn't it be great to spot some new markings !
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
As much as I absolutely love it, I’ll admit that one thing I think Icon should have been is a little bit more attention-grabbing.
People often moan about Merlin’s insistence upon a USP and a “killer image” for every new major ride project, but I’d argue that Icon’s failure proved that there’s something in this idea. Yes, the ride could have been marketed more widely, but it also doesn’t really stand out, both from a visual standpoint and from a nationwide/worldwide interest standpoint.
For all its flaws, Blackpool’s last big coaster success, The Big One, is/was excellent at this. It took the world height record, which was a huge deal for both the park and the country at the time, it is still among the tallest coasters in the UK and Europe nearly 30 years on, and it quite literally stands out within the park and really grabs people’s attention from outside it. You can see it for miles around! With Icon, on the other hand… it didn’t really reinvent the wheel in a tangible way, and you have to squint to be able to see it from outside the park, even when you’re stood on the pathway opposite the park perimeter and can see rides like Big Dipper and Infusion as well as The Big One. I love Icon to bits, but it’s a ride that blends in rather than stands out, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’m not sure it’s what Blackpool needed for their first brand new coaster in 24 years.
If Icon had been installed as a follow-up to another big coaster that had come 3 years or so before, or if it had been installed in a park that regularly installed new thrill coasters, I don’t think it would have mattered so much, but this was Blackpool’s first big new coaster in a very, very long time, and I think when you re-enter the coaster building game after such a long time, it’s essential to grab people’s attention and tell them that you mean business when it comes to thrill coasters, and I’m not really sure that Icon did that for the casual observer.
I’m not saying that Blackpool necessarily needed to go for The Big One Mk2 or anything, but Icon certainly wasn’t a cheap ride, and there are numerous more striking, attention-grabbing coasters that could have been installed for the same or less money and provided a ride experience that’s arguably just as good.
I have to say that I think a park that is handling its first big coaster installation in a while in just the right way is Thorpe Park. Whilst 12 years is not nearly as long as Blackpool’s 24, it’s still been a fair while since Thorpe last built a coaster… but they have gone all in with a really attention-grabbing ride that will tell people that Thorpe Park means business. Say what you will about Project Exodus’ length, but the tallest and fastest coaster in the UK will definitely grab headlines and stand out, and I’d argue that some of the elements and layout design on Project Exodus also look really inspired and unique, and like they could really wow people. While it admittedly remains to be seen how successful Exodus ends up being, that is the kind of attention-grabbing ride I’m talking about, and I don’t think that Icon grabbed attention in the same kind of way.
People often moan about Merlin’s insistence upon a USP and a “killer image” for every new major ride project, but I’d argue that Icon’s failure proved that there’s something in this idea. Yes, the ride could have been marketed more widely, but it also doesn’t really stand out, both from a visual standpoint and from a nationwide/worldwide interest standpoint.
For all its flaws, Blackpool’s last big coaster success, The Big One, is/was excellent at this. It took the world height record, which was a huge deal for both the park and the country at the time, it is still among the tallest coasters in the UK and Europe nearly 30 years on, and it quite literally stands out within the park and really grabs people’s attention from outside it. You can see it for miles around! With Icon, on the other hand… it didn’t really reinvent the wheel in a tangible way, and you have to squint to be able to see it from outside the park, even when you’re stood on the pathway opposite the park perimeter and can see rides like Big Dipper and Infusion as well as The Big One. I love Icon to bits, but it’s a ride that blends in rather than stands out, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’m not sure it’s what Blackpool needed for their first brand new coaster in 24 years.
If Icon had been installed as a follow-up to another big coaster that had come 3 years or so before, or if it had been installed in a park that regularly installed new thrill coasters, I don’t think it would have mattered so much, but this was Blackpool’s first big new coaster in a very, very long time, and I think when you re-enter the coaster building game after such a long time, it’s essential to grab people’s attention and tell them that you mean business when it comes to thrill coasters, and I’m not really sure that Icon did that for the casual observer.
I’m not saying that Blackpool necessarily needed to go for The Big One Mk2 or anything, but Icon certainly wasn’t a cheap ride, and there are numerous more striking, attention-grabbing coasters that could have been installed for the same or less money and provided a ride experience that’s arguably just as good.
I have to say that I think a park that is handling its first big coaster installation in a while in just the right way is Thorpe Park. Whilst 12 years is not nearly as long as Blackpool’s 24, it’s still been a fair while since Thorpe last built a coaster… but they have gone all in with a really attention-grabbing ride that will tell people that Thorpe Park means business. Say what you will about Project Exodus’ length, but the tallest and fastest coaster in the UK will definitely grab headlines and stand out, and I’d argue that some of the elements and layout design on Project Exodus also look really inspired and unique, and like they could really wow people. While it admittedly remains to be seen how successful Exodus ends up being, that is the kind of attention-grabbing ride I’m talking about, and I don’t think that Icon grabbed attention in the same kind of way.
I like Icon, easy and smooth, rare for the Beach.
Shame I wasn't there for the cider, never used that balcony for beer drinking.
I hoped I might get a sneaky free ride on enso by now, I have had the odd promise...
I think I was at that q&a, and Nick himself told me family coaster when I stalked him round the Beach (via the bars) when the rumours were flying.
Shame I wasn't there for the cider, never used that balcony for beer drinking.
I hoped I might get a sneaky free ride on enso by now, I have had the odd promise...
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
I agree, just because it doesn't have inversions doesn't make it family thrill. B&M Hypers don't have inversions but are bona fide thrill coasters.
Amusing one I noticed in the flying machines shop... spares shelf.
Lots and lots of shiny, brand new Mouse wheels, with brand new bearings fitted...fifty quid.
Hmmm.
My "last" mouse wheels, the "new" ones at the time, from the moment of sad closure (for most of us, not shakey ffs), are now clearly a little aged, and have lost their bright sheen completely, despite being kept dry, indoors.
So perhaps the latest stock are not, and have never been, dead rodent wheels at all, and are mere replicas, turned out of two quidsworth of engineers steel on a lathe in two minutes, with a ten bob bearing.
Tidy profit.
Call in the trading standards.
Start a petition someone.
Let the buyer beware...especially on the Beach.
Lots and lots of shiny, brand new Mouse wheels, with brand new bearings fitted...fifty quid.
Hmmm.
My "last" mouse wheels, the "new" ones at the time, from the moment of sad closure (for most of us, not shakey ffs), are now clearly a little aged, and have lost their bright sheen completely, despite being kept dry, indoors.
So perhaps the latest stock are not, and have never been, dead rodent wheels at all, and are mere replicas, turned out of two quidsworth of engineers steel on a lathe in two minutes, with a ten bob bearing.
Tidy profit.
Call in the trading standards.
Start a petition someone.
Let the buyer beware...especially on the Beach.
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