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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion
- Thread starter rob666
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Dipper_Dave
TS Member
It can do during the Loonymations, yes. Queuing out of door not that unusual. Been loads of times but not much in last 3 years or so. Might be best staying in the park and trying Big Pizza Kitchen (I’ve only had lunch there, so no idea how busy it gets later on) or walking to Velvet Coaster (Wetherspoon), 2 mins walk up the prom. Never wait long for food no matter how busy they are
Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Nice rare item if you haven't already got it. There's a really nice park map in it too. Pretty fair price.
This booklet was commissioned by WGT when he took over from his dad.
This booklet was commissioned by WGT when he took over from his dad.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Story by Steve Palmer Vintage Retro Book Amazing Photos | eBay
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Dipper_Dave
TS Member
Got it, thanks. Also have the cover framed, gift from my brother as we loved the flume
Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ride To Happiness
I had my first visit of the season to Pleasure Beach today. The park was very busy so I didn’t get in as many rides as I’d have hoped but it was a special day for my daughter as she was finally able to ride Icon. You should have seen the look off sheer delight and glue on her face from the moment we launched. As we came in the break run she looked at me and said “That was AWESOME!”. I’m glad she loved it so much after an hour long queue (ouch!) and it’s her new number one coaster. I know we knock out it sometimes for having a second half that’s a little bit duller than it could have been and a launch that feels a little slow but we had an absolute blast on it and for her it was absolutely thrilling.
My ride count today was:
Nickelodeon Steak x 1
Icon x2
The Big One x1
Sky Force x 2
Revolution x1
Infusion x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Blue Flyer x1
Grand National x1
I was a little bit disappointed by how The Big One was running today, obviously it’s had the retrack so I was expecting it to be on the smoother side but it seemed rougher than when I rode it last November. Nash on the other hand was good, I was on the front row and had a very enjoyable ride that gave you just the right amount of physicality you’d expect from an old woodie but nothing unbearable. Ride availability was a bit spotty today with Avalanche, Nash, Revolution, Ice Blast and possibly Steeplechase as well all having periods out.
There’s one thing though that I was wondering. The park closed today at 6pm just as it was getting dark and what really struck me was how all the lights were basically turned off in the park. To me this seems like a really big missed opportunity. It’s illumination season and the promenade is lit in lights well in to the night yet Pleasure Beach yet come 6:15pm the park is in near total darkness whilst the Blackpool Tower looks really nice with its lights and stands out for many miles as a part of the landscape. Are Pleasure Beach missing a trick here and a chance to effectively advertise themselves and stand bold as a part of the local skyline or is there a reason as to why it’s in darkness after closing at this time (ie local regulations preventing it from being illuminated)?
My ride count today was:
Nickelodeon Steak x 1
Icon x2
The Big One x1
Sky Force x 2
Revolution x1
Infusion x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Blue Flyer x1
Grand National x1
I was a little bit disappointed by how The Big One was running today, obviously it’s had the retrack so I was expecting it to be on the smoother side but it seemed rougher than when I rode it last November. Nash on the other hand was good, I was on the front row and had a very enjoyable ride that gave you just the right amount of physicality you’d expect from an old woodie but nothing unbearable. Ride availability was a bit spotty today with Avalanche, Nash, Revolution, Ice Blast and possibly Steeplechase as well all having periods out.
There’s one thing though that I was wondering. The park closed today at 6pm just as it was getting dark and what really struck me was how all the lights were basically turned off in the park. To me this seems like a really big missed opportunity. It’s illumination season and the promenade is lit in lights well in to the night yet Pleasure Beach yet come 6:15pm the park is in near total darkness whilst the Blackpool Tower looks really nice with its lights and stands out for many miles as a part of the landscape. Are Pleasure Beach missing a trick here and a chance to effectively advertise themselves and stand bold as a part of the local skyline or is there a reason as to why it’s in darkness after closing at this time (ie local regulations preventing it from being illuminated)?
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shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
Guessing it's just to save money.
Even though the park havent opened late during October half term for a few years now , it still feels like a missed opportunity to me. But I suppose if it's busy anyway then they probably think why bother.
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Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ride To Happiness
The front of the park by the entrance was indeed still lit but what I was thinking of though is how the actual rides themselves were in darkness and how they could be presented instead. I think it would look pretty good if they had some kind of illumination at the top of ice blast for example or using some lighting to show the profile of the Big One and make it stand out in the night sky.
venny
TS Member
There’s some inconsistency here. Back in everyone’s favourite decade, they would light up the front of the park. In the 2010s they actually turned off many of the lights fairly regularly, even during illuminations. It’s only been the last few years that they’ve switched them back on. And now, apparently, back off.
The light switch seems to neatly follow the park’s financial position.
The light switch seems to neatly follow the park’s financial position.
Dipper_Dave
TS Member
'Team members heard odd noises and one claimed to have been touched on the head' - was it Cloggy the ghost?
It’s ironic that the Ghost Train at Blackpool Pleasure Beach has it’s own resident spirit.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I got to ride The Big One for the first time in a few years on Saturday. I'll start by conceding that I did ever so slightly come out of my seat going in to the MCBR but remained firmly planted for the rest of the ride. Pretty awful ride on it as well; rough, jolty and boring. The highlight was going up the lift hill and seeing Blackpool lit up at night!
This was all made worse by the 90 minute wait. And this long wait was made all the more frustrating by the fact that on one of the two trains in operation, the back two cars were not being loaded at all. This meant that 16 seats on one train were out of action, instead occupied by sandbags. Operations were generally poor, not helped by them having to resecure the sandbags every so often. And the sheer amount of Speedy Pass self-merging with the main queue was far from ideal.
It was good to get back to Pleasure Beach, but I am glad that it did not cost me a penny to get in.
Oh and food at the park is pretty dire, not that we ate on park. A shame that Coasters was open only as a bar due to staffing issues.
This was all made worse by the 90 minute wait. And this long wait was made all the more frustrating by the fact that on one of the two trains in operation, the back two cars were not being loaded at all. This meant that 16 seats on one train were out of action, instead occupied by sandbags. Operations were generally poor, not helped by them having to resecure the sandbags every so often. And the sheer amount of Speedy Pass self-merging with the main queue was far from ideal.
It was good to get back to Pleasure Beach, but I am glad that it did not cost me a penny to get in.
Oh and food at the park is pretty dire, not that we ate on park. A shame that Coasters was open only as a bar due to staffing issues.
RicketyCricket
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
Discount if your name is Mark?Pleasure beach just tweeted this photo.
"Mark your mark on the wall of names"
Shouldn't that be "Make your mark on the wall of names" ?
Absolute plonkers.
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Also, I see the Circus of Horrors show is currently at BPB. Anyone watched it? Saw a condensed version at The Howl and it was very good.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I’ve got to say, I hope it isn’t true. The back was always my personal favourite row on Icon.
Also, I’d be mildly surprised if it was true given that I’ve read various trip reports and reviews where people say that the one Enso row that currently exists quite often goes around empty…
But if Enso really does enhance Icon as much as some make out, then it’s probably a good thing that they’re extending its availability.
dazza4783
TS Member
Sure it goes around empty most of the time now, but that is because it is £15 or £25 to ride. At £5 per ride I think the take up of it would be pretty high, high enough to warrant it being on all 3 trains on busy days. Anyone worrying about the throughput, the operations on ICON are usually very good and it probably gets through queues quicker than any other big coaster in the UK, maybe second only to Nemesis.
Enso is VERY good so hopefully this is the case and more people will actually get to do it. This is what price it should have been from the start. It will go from a once a season go for even the most frequent visitors, to probably a one or even multiple rides per visit.
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