shakey
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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2024 Discussion
Not checked the figures in years shakey, but the two covid years were good, and the hotels, which Yarmouth Beach simply doesn't have, balance the books overall.
I will let others do the research homework, but let's say however the accounts are massaged, it keeps mandy in Evokes.
I will let others do the research homework, but let's say however the accounts are massaged, it keeps mandy in Evokes.
shakey
TS Member
The park made an overall profit of nearly £6.5m for the year ending March 2022 - So that was mainly the 2021 season. The staycation year and government grants would have been the main reason for that.
Apart from that they have only made an annual overall profit on two other occasions since the spring of 2005, and since that time they have averaged a loss of over £3m per year !!!
From the spring of 1987 to the spring of 2004 they made an average profit of just over £400k per year.
Now what major thing happened after 2004 ??????
This doesn't take the hotels into account (as far as I am aware), so as you say , that will probably help to balance the books.
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Cheers shakey, I know you would do the research...slow, boring day at the office then?
Surely we aren't saying that the park have only lost money since they went "Pay One Price" are we?
Wristbands and the like have lost them money, compared to cash and tickets...good grief, whoever would have thought it mate!
And I thought POP was the answer to absolutely everything.
And the place never, ever had a queue of more than twenty minutes, apart from the biggest, newest rides, even on the busiest of days.
And people could select to go on just a few rides for a couple of hours, even with paying a few quid to get in.
Amazing how they managed to run the park in such a way, and still make a profit...must have been all that secondary spend by the non-riders that people talk about.
Funny old world, but progress is progress I suppose.
Surely we aren't saying that the park have only lost money since they went "Pay One Price" are we?
Wristbands and the like have lost them money, compared to cash and tickets...good grief, whoever would have thought it mate!
And I thought POP was the answer to absolutely everything.
And the place never, ever had a queue of more than twenty minutes, apart from the biggest, newest rides, even on the busiest of days.
And people could select to go on just a few rides for a couple of hours, even with paying a few quid to get in.
Amazing how they managed to run the park in such a way, and still make a profit...must have been all that secondary spend by the non-riders that people talk about.
Funny old world, but progress is progress I suppose.
shakey
TS Member
I have my spreadsheet which I update every year when the accounts come out . It amuses me .
Next set due in December. If it's anything other than a loss (for what will be mainly the 2023 season) , I will be very surprised.
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The 2 years after made loses associated with Southport due to money owed being wrote off and closing costs. It made profit once again in 2007 but following a massive loss in 2008 change was needed and the entry pass was introduced in 2009 for the first time ever. This shows 170 less staff were needed from numbers listed and helped reduced staff costs by over £2 million. Despite this and further cost cutting over the years it simply didn’t work as a business model in 11 years and why I believe they haven’t brought it back and never will
Lots of people say but it was rammed in this year or that year and it was but it just shows the secondary spend doesn’t really exist ( or at least not enough vs costs) from free entry or entry pass people and it’s the riders that actually spend money in the park
As for accounts Blackpool pleasure beach limited is just the park but not all income from the park. The accounts are combined in Blackpool pleasure beach holdings ltd which includes Ocean Boulevard 2 ( Big blue hotel) and South shore mutual insurance company ( income from rents and investment properties and land ) plus a few other companies.
Overall very complex accounts but when you consider the shareholder equity is £3 million more than in 2004, plus they have invested millions in the last 20 years on Nickelodeon land , the big blue extension, Wallace, sky force, icon, Valhalla, various ride retracks and other refurbs, plus various other things, for a family business and its size I don’t think they do that bad really. Everywhere has its ups and downs but overall the park is so much better now than it was 20 years ago
The Boulevard hotel is a separate company and is not part of the holding company results. But again another massive investment
Not sure if already mentioned, BPB are now calling Saturday's later close a 'pre-summer party'
Source: https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/events/twilight-thrills
Source: https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/events/twilight-thrills
shakey
TS Member
I could not disagree anymore strongly with that statement !!!!
The park is a shadow of it's former self, it gets worse every year, just looks neglected and is in desperate need of massive investment. And as @rob666 points out, it is currently in a downwards death spiral.
So lets go back 20 years to 2004 and see how things compare
For the sake of simplicity I have not included kids rides as there have been numerous changes to kids rides especially since Beaver Creek changed to Nickelodeon Land.
Rides removed or not operating compared to 2004
WildMouse - Replaced by a rarely open bar area
Space Invader - Replaced by a pizza restaurant
Black Hole - Replaced by nothing
Bling - Replaced by SkyForce
Log Flume - Replaced by a second hand abomination
Monorail - Replaced by nothing
Spin Doctor - Replaced by nothing
Trauma Towers - Replaced by nothing
Tea Cup Ride - Replaced by seats
Alpine Crazy Golf - Replaced by a relocated kids ride from beaver creek
Grand Prix - SBNO - Not reopening
The Whip - Replaced by small crap dodgems
Superbowl Dodgems - Replaced by a water feature
Go Karts (upcharge) - Now part of Icons track
Swamp Buggies (upcharge) - Replaced by plant pots and now part of Icons track
Turtle Chase - Now part of Icons track
Noah's Ark - SBNO - Not reopening
Vikingar (Water Chute) - Replaced by nothing
Haunted Swing (part of Impossible) - SBNO - May never reopen.
Ice Blast - SBNO - Not looking like it will reopen
River Caves - SBNO - Hopefully will reopen at some point but who knows
Rides Added Since 2004
Icon
SkyForce - Replaced Bling
Small Crap Dodgems - Replaced the Whip
Infusion (2nd hand ride relocated from Southport) - Replaced the Log Flume
Avatar Airbender
Gold mine has been re-themed to Wallace and Grommit, causing the loss of the Magnolia Cafe which overlooked the gold mine and river caves.
In 2004 it was free to enter with the option of Pay Per Ride or Pay One Price, and although I cannot find the opening times for 2004 I am pretty sure the park opened for much longer hours back then. Ride operations would have also been a lot better as many people were still using pay per ride (the ride ticket system).
So on what planet is the park better today than in 2004 ?
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Bowser
TS Member
What was this? I have vague childhood memories of being able to see inside the rides?
shakey
TS Member
The entrance (I believe) was where the waffle shop is now (next to the dodgems). You went up some stairs and you could sit on a balcony overlooking the Blue Grotto scene (Stalactite scene), in the river caves. You could also see the Gold mine track which ran through there. That part of the gold mine is now the airplane scene in Wallace and Grommit. The floor of that scene is now the ceiling of the stalactite scene in river caves.
From: https://youtu.be/wYFkintf_eQ
I knew ride removals were bad but you've really put it into context. PB was still in good shape in 2004 and they should have had a steady plan of ride replacements. We're now at at point where several major rides are nearing the end of service life in addition to those that have been removed. The River Caves situation has made things worse as well, it been a staple of PB for decades.
Bowser
TS Member
Ah that’s brilliant, I love things like that! I know there’s something similar still at Europa I saw on a vlog.
Hazy childhood memories of being in there, made it seem magical, sob.
Graham73
TS Member
Here is the bye bye song from back in the 90's. For those who were around back in the day do you remember that at 30mins to the park closing they used to play S Club 7 - Reach, Ace of Base - Always have, Always will and a couple of other songs I can't for the life of me remember, then at 15mins to ride close time the bye bye song came on. At ride close time the tannoy would sound a horn and that's when the turnstiles would close and the floodlights would go out. If you were lucky enough to have just got through the PMBO turnstile then you were in for a treat of enjoying the famous last ride of the night in pitch black.
Many times back in the 90's I would be on PMBO at 12am, 1am and once even 1:45am, back then even midweek in September you could go and watch the evening show of Hot Ice and still get a few rides on the park afterwards. Very different times which sadly seem unlikely to ever return.
From: https://youtu.be/xd7Cpemkn-8?si=tgWMzsvXNAUcNeRQ
Many times back in the 90's I would be on PMBO at 12am, 1am and once even 1:45am, back then even midweek in September you could go and watch the evening show of Hot Ice and still get a few rides on the park afterwards. Very different times which sadly seem unlikely to ever return.
From: https://youtu.be/xd7Cpemkn-8?si=tgWMzsvXNAUcNeRQ
BooMT
TS Member
I don't know exactly which thread to place this in but have seen a few photos this morning (taken from the Merlin Passholders Group on Facebook) of Blackpool Pleasure Beach Pleasure Beach Resort taking the opportunity for a little marketing and a dig at Thorpe by sending a digital sign van around the area with various messages 
:
The second one says 'Beating the Big One's Tallest Rollercoaster Record by 1 Foot? How Petty!' (Almost as petty as us hiring this van).
What do we think? Are we are likely to see them making imminent moves to try and reclaim the record/a new record or put something new unique out there to compete? Is this sign... a sign?
**EDIT - Have literally just spotted your post on the Mandy thread @BarryZola !**
:The second one says 'Beating the Big One's Tallest Rollercoaster Record by 1 Foot? How Petty!' (Almost as petty as us hiring this van).
What do we think? Are we are likely to see them making imminent moves to try and reclaim the record/a new record or put something new unique out there to compete? Is this sign... a sign?
**EDIT - Have literally just spotted your post on the Mandy thread @BarryZola !**
Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
It will be interesting to see if the park actually acknowledges this stunt via their social media accounts as at the moment there is no mention of it. If they have done this then it’s incredibly petty and shows them as being quite small minded. It’s really not a good look.