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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2023 Discussion
Plastic Person
TS Member
I appreciate some of the optimism in here, but 'technical' rehearsals or otherwise, should any ride reopen after years of advertised refurbishment with less working than when it closed?
BPB clearly can't afford to operate a ride on this scale in their current financial situation. They barely managed to do so in greener times. It's an albatross around their neck, whereas it was once a daft but charming piece of jewellery.
BPB clearly can't afford to operate a ride on this scale in their current financial situation. They barely managed to do so in greener times. It's an albatross around their neck, whereas it was once a daft but charming piece of jewellery.
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QTXAdsy
TS Member
Sad to hear Valhalla isn't living up to the hype but then again I'm not totally suprised. Just hope that there is more to be added but then again compared to Alton Manor, the latter seems to have gone off well and would you say Towers 'won' the year of the UK dark ride then? Even though there are some who look on that ride with an unimpressed look though likely better than Valhalla.
Seems nothing seems to please most fans when a UK ride opens or reopens though the issues with Valhalla are totally legit gripes though I've just noticed and I do have a genuine question as had there ever been a opened UK ride post 2010 that has seen universal praise from everyone as there never seems a new ride that everyone likes? Don't say either Wicker Man or Alton Manor as there are those who are not impressed with them and if we're gauging reaction for Icon on here, seems to be treated worse than an infamous British Rail Sandwich, though Valhalla might be looking at the same thing.
Seems nothing seems to please most fans when a UK ride opens or reopens though the issues with Valhalla are totally legit gripes though I've just noticed and I do have a genuine question as had there ever been a opened UK ride post 2010 that has seen universal praise from everyone as there never seems a new ride that everyone likes? Don't say either Wicker Man or Alton Manor as there are those who are not impressed with them and if we're gauging reaction for Icon on here, seems to be treated worse than an infamous British Rail Sandwich, though Valhalla might be looking at the same thing.
Matt N
TS Member
I don’t think UK fans can exactly be blamed for that, though. No ride will ever get truly universal praise. Even for the most revered rides on earth, you will get people who weren’t impressed with them or didn’t like them. Everyone’s opinions will be different and everyone’s tastes will be different; that’s simply the nature of the hobby. I don’t think some negative reviews of certain attractions can be attributed to UK fans being “hard to please”; I think that they simply come from differences of opinion and differences in taste.Seems nothing seems to please most fans when a UK ride opens or reopens though the issues with Valhalla are totally legit gripes though I've just noticed and I do have a genuine question as had there ever been a opened UK ride post 2010 that has seen universal praise from everyone as there never seems a new ride that everyone likes? Don't say either Wicker Man or Alton Manor as there are those who are not impressed with them and if we're gauging reaction for Icon on here, seems to be treated worse than an infamous British Rail Sandwich, though Valhalla might be looking at the same thing.
I’d say both Wicker Man and Alton Manor have been received reasonably well overall. Neither have been without their detractors and neither rides lacks niggles in the eyes of those who do like them, but overall, I’d say that the consensus opinion of both has been pretty positive.
Valhalla, on the other hand, seems to have garnered almost universally ambivalent or negative reviews so far. It is only in the technical rehearsal stages, though, and I’d imagine that the fully open ride will have had plenty of enhancements and be far more revered.
rickstar171
TS Member
Yes. That's what a technical rehearsal is for.I appreciate some of the optimism in here, but 'technical' rehearsals or otherwise, should any ride reopen after years of advertised refurbishment with less working than when it closed?
BPB clearly can't afford to operate a ride on this scale in their current financial situation. They barely managed to do so in greener times. It's an albatross around their neck, whereas it was once a daft but charming piece of jewellery.
Plastic Person
TS Member
Yes. That's what a technical rehearsal is for.
I have been visiting theme parks for thirty years and have enjoyed and occasionally endured various 'technical rehearsals', but none of them have resembled anything as haphazard as the ride experience that @Rick shared earlier in the thread.
But yes, I suppose time will tell.
siralgenon
TS Member
They should have never advertised it opening for technical rehearsals, that's not what you do and certainly don't mark it on social media.
It should open randomly without any prior warning for those who happen to cross by it on the day, for those then to give feedback and the ride close again to be tweaked before it's official opening.
It should open randomly without any prior warning for those who happen to cross by it on the day, for those then to give feedback and the ride close again to be tweaked before it's official opening.
rickstar171
TS Member
Yeah expectations are either too high or people misinterpret it as full re-opening or people go on it before it's ready and get a poor impressionThey should have never advertised it opening for technical rehearsals, that's not what you do and certainly don't mark it on social media.
It should open randomly without any prior warning for those who happen to cross by it on the day, for those then to give feedback and the ride close again to be tweaked before it's official opening.
RicketyCricket
TS Member
Tbf it's clearly not the finished article.
But why offer a first public boat prize for a ride that isn't finished and is open for rehersals?
But why offer a first public boat prize for a ride that isn't finished and is open for rehersals?
rickstar171
TS Member
Trying to make up for failing to open last year? Poor decisions top down based only on instincts or poor communications amongst the project team not tying things togetherTbf it's clearly not the finished article.
But why offer a first public boat prize for a ride that isn't finished and is open for rehersals?
Dipper_Dave
TS Member

The Big One: Passengers rescued from UK's highest rollercoaster
Passengers had to walk down the tracks after The Big One in Blackpool was halted due to strong winds.

“Passengers had to walk down its tracks” ? Well that would have been a lot scarier than what they actually did, which was to walk down some lift hill steps
IDB
TS Member
There’s a distinct lack of quality control throughout the whole park. Like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, from the train travelling through the pathetic menagerie of animals, to an arcade being slowly run down. Yet over on Twitter there’s plenty backslapping Mandy and her team for the great job they are doing.
shakey
TS Member
Just read Scott's review of Valhalla over on the PBE Facebook page.
I know he loves the park so to read such a critical review coming from Scott is very sad indeed. I am not going to copy and paste Scott's review here but to read that the ice room has been replaced by a tribute to the hot ice show is quite frankly a travesty.
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I know he loves the park so to read such a critical review coming from Scott is very sad indeed. I am not going to copy and paste Scott's review here but to read that the ice room has been replaced by a tribute to the hot ice show is quite frankly a travesty.
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Zeock
TS Member
You must be joking?!the ice room has been replaced by a tribute to the hot ice show
shakey
TS Member
That's what the review said. As crazy as that sounds it really wouldn't be a great surprise to be honest.You must be joking?!
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