This is definitely a consideration for any park entry changes and something highlighted by the 1997 Pleasure Beach documentary.
I think in terms of rowdy teenagers, times have changed, and drinking culture seems to have changed somewhat too. I don't think rowdy behaviour would be so prevalent as long as there is a non-rider walk-around wristband fee and a full-day / half-day rider ticketing system - potentially paired with a tiered ride access system such as; Kids Rides, Family Rides, and Thrill Seekers. This is inclusive for the whole family then, non-riders for grandparents, kids rides for the kids, family rides for mum and thrill seeker dad to generalize.
Just to conclude the security risk element, you don't want non-paying customers in the park, and anyone with ill intent will pay to enter to cause harm regardless if it is predatory or worse behaviour. A paid entry system should also help to keep out any rowdy Hen or Stag parties, stopping them from just wandering on the park as was the issue previously during PPR. People are less likely to cause trouble if they have paid to be there and know they will be thrown out.
It is the best happy medium to enable flexibility of entry time and ridership level to the GP without the need for PPR. I think PPR has had it's day, and there is better value gained from flexible fixed pricing where you gain your profits on purchase regardless of what the customer does within the park after that point.
It would also be much easier to calculate ROI from marketing efforts too by calculating ticket purchases by ride access tiers and by full-day / half-day duration correlated to promotions, and to better identify ridership levels i.e Kids Rides, Family Rides, Thrill Seekers and appetite for duration on park as well as attendance levels throughout the day.
There's also a marketing point around the wristbands being accessible for all age ranges, where older or less economically adapt customers may not have access or the understanding of smartphones and app installs for ride access. There's certainly a positive spin, and the wristband is always something you can retain after a visit for a memory box or scrapbook. I know I have old football ticket stubs, festival wristbands and so forth stored in a box. Anything to put the phones away for a few hours is a win for families too.
As someone in the marketing and advertising industry, my assumption is they do exactly as they're directed from above.
I really feel for anyone working under that direction, and I'm sure it does not allow for much creative freedom. My guess would be everything is ideated and signed off by Amanda or a senior team that understands that any efforts need only appeal to Amanda's taste to get anything greenlit. Either that, or they are just so blind to see that what they are doing isn't effective, or as effective as it could be and that ranges from paid advertising efforts to organic content, events and influencer/enthusiast partnerships.
I say this given her twitter antics and a lack of any public relations interventions showcases that there seems to be a culture of fear of management. This also comes from every sentiment I have picked up on from Youtube comments about people who have, or have known people to work at the park under Amanda's stewardship over the last 2 decades as well as the general sentiment amongst enthusiasts.
The park is absolutely crying out for some PR management, a revitalized and coherent brand identity that offers a concise message to a target demographic it actually understands and wishes to pursue, and for a highly effective digital marketing strategy to be implemented and activated to relay the above information to said target demographic to increase revenue and profitability.
The simple fact is the parks ownership takes the public for idiots, and is happy to sleep with anyone willing to put money in their pockets regardless of if they fit the target demographic or not, to rinse you of all you have and toss you aside ready for the next chump willing to pay £50 on the gate for Theme Park, sorry, Resort, sorry... Seaside Amusement Park access.
The magic has been lost at Blackpool because there's no love in it from management. It is all transactional. It's business sure, and do what you need to do to survive, and sometimes that means making hard decisions that arent popular. But the path the park has gone down is now leading it into a very tight corner between a rock and a hard place with so many rides reaching end of life, ridiculous pricing, an ever declining Blackpool as a town and tourist destination, and a sustained period of economic hardship - the worst of which is yet to come.
The clock is ticking, and I genuinely do not think the park can continue to operate as is by 2030. I think change has to happen within 2-3 years max to save the park's very existance now.
