Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2025 Discussion

[James5696]

Maybe I’m just naive but I do believe them when they say they’re in a transitional period. I feel like they’re being a lot more focussed, honest and transparent than they have in the past and I do think we’ll see steady and continuous improvement from this point onwards.

 

[Vaz0202]

24 staff?
Never heard that one before.
I would guess about half of that.
Especially when it only opens for a maximum of three hours a day usually.

I will try and find the source about the staffing levels later today, was a number stuck in the head so it must have been pulled from somewhere.

I imagine there are quite a few people behind the scenes

 

[rob666]

Fun brief visit, Icon walk on and only a one train wait for the Streak.
Absolutely no sign of any new recent timber on the Streak, Blue Flyer or National at all in recent times.
The walk from the Ark, turning right after the turnstiles, is absolutely appalling.
Under the long closed ark, then past the closed National, and closed Launch Pad, and closed Impossible.
Past where Trauma Towers was, where the Mouse used to be...the not very open "Hub", then past the closed River Caves to the left, and the closed Bowladrome to the right.
Up the ramp, and thankfully Crevettes is open, with caring attentive staff and cold beverages, but the Dipper first, oh, one train ops and about half an hours queue, so stuff that.

Nice beer, nice chips, nice conversation with the main gardener, shifting twenty tons of topsoil on the Grand Prix site by hand, but I had done the whole park in an hour and a half, and had enough of the place for the day.

Period of transition, oh, that's alright then.

I pity the actual paying punters.

 

[Bowser]

Opening May 7th!


From: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI00C5uMj46/?igsh=MjlmNTduMjc5d2xs

 

[Matt N]

Out of curiosity, does Blackpool have any lockers?

The park website says they do, but I seem to remember reading something about the lockers having been removed recently (?).

I’m only thinking on the off chance that I ride Valhalla on my upcoming visit. If I do, I’d rather not wreck my phone, wallet and other belongings in the process!

 

[Hid]

Out of curiosity, does Blackpool have any lockers?

The park website says they do, but I seem to remember reading something about the lockers having been removed recently (?).

I’m only thinking on the off chance that I ride Valhalla on my upcoming visit. If I do, I’d rather not wreck my phone, wallet and other belongings in the process!

I don't think they do but could be wrong

 

[Skyscraper]

Out of curiosity, does Blackpool have any lockers?

The park website says they do, but I seem to remember reading something about the lockers having been removed recently (?).

I’m only thinking on the off chance that I ride Valhalla on my upcoming visit. If I do, I’d rather not wreck my phone, wallet and other belongings in the process!

They had some at the park entrance when I visited a couple of years ago, just across from Valhalla. Hopefully they're still there as they were handy when I rode it.

 

[Katy]

I remember seeing something that they were doing with them, maybe it was changing the system that runs them, but previously they have lockers next to the entrance (on the "outside" and "inside" of the actual park) and in the entrance to the toilets opposite Alice.

I doubt they are removing them and not replacing them. Forgot to look when I was last there.

 

[Smiley]

Forgive my "southern-ness" but I think part of the problem (with most UK theme parks) is that the ticket price is too cheap. I can't remember the last time it increased for Merlin, We're talking about riding £10m-£20m rides and want to do so for the price of a bag of chips (northern chips, far too expensive in the south!!)

Being originally from Lancashire, I know what tight bstards we are, but you can't expect world-class rides on a shoestring budget. Living close to both TP and Chessy, I can just about get a cinema ticket and a restaurant pizza (drinks extra!) for the typical entrance price. Tickets should be £50-£60 easily IMHO.

 

[Hid]

Forgive my "southern-ness" but I think part of the problem (with most UK theme parks) is that the ticket price is too cheap. I can't remember the last time it increased for Merlin, We're talking about riding £10m-£20m rides and want to do so for the price of a bag of chips (northern chips, far too expensive in the south!!)

Being originally from Lancashire, I know what tight bstards we are, but you can't expect world-class rides on a shoestring budget. Living close to both TP and Chessy, I can just about get a cinema ticket and a restaurant pizza (drinks extra!) for the typical entrance price. Tickets should be £50-£60 easily IMHO.

Flamingo Land and Paultons are expensive to enter but I say for what they currently offer it is fair the problem with increasing on gate fairs it increases the price drastically for a family of 4 due to the price increase being multiplied by 4

 

[flyingguitar]

Forgive my "southern-ness" but I think part of the problem (with most UK theme parks) is that the ticket price is too cheap. I can't remember the last time it increased for Merlin, We're talking about riding £10m-£20m rides and want to do so for the price of a bag of chips (northern chips, far too expensive in the south!!)

Being originally from Lancashire, I know what tight bstards we are, but you can't expect world-class rides on a shoestring budget. Living close to both TP and Chessy, I can just about get a cinema ticket and a restaurant pizza (drinks extra!) for the typical entrance price. Tickets should be £50-£60 easily IMHO.

the ticket prices (at least for metlin) are carefully considered and calculated, where too high prices will reduce sales and lose profits, but too low prices will lose profits, this graph shows it nicely:

of course they could increase prices for a less crowded more premium experience, but people will go no I aint payin that price, and just leave

IMO BPB's tickets are too high, I think they are loosing a lot of sales from people thinking it is too much (it is a very competetive area) alternatively they could look at non rider pass.

the really big thing though IMO BPB need to look at is improving their apperance, and overall wear on the buildings It may not cost that much but when I went the casino building looked derelect, all the shutters closed, worn down. entering the park you have the SBNO area, where rides are just sitting their gathering dust, then a lot of the buildings are just old and worn down, there are some good ones (Icon, and dipper was good when I went) but a lot of it looks like it needs a good repaint and freshen up.

edit: I also found the area quite confusing where to go, I understand it is from its PPR days (where the park was just open) but I found it not that intuetive to find where I should go / what I should do, for instance, I understand it is quite a compact park but most the entrances of the rides are just a generic blue sign, an ideal enterance should have a clear sign, and a path to lead you towards it being clear (see nemesis, AIR, Oblivion), of course the path isn't really that possible (space problems) but I did get confused about where I was going and how to get there quite a few times.

 

[Matty17p]

the really big thing though IMO BPB need to look at is improving their apperance, and overall wear on the buildings It may not cost that much but when I went the casino building looked derelect, all the shutters closed, worn down. entering the park you have the SBNO area, where rides are just sitting their gathering dust, then a lot of the buildings are just old and worn down, there are some good ones (Icon, and dipper was good when I went) but a lot of it looks like it needs a good repaint and freshen up.

100% the casino building could do with some work to it, I'd say white colours typically are hard to keep presentable, the rust seeping down the side of the building doesn't always looks nice. Main area that needs presenting (better more demolished) is the parks entrance not only is it not practical but it just looks odd like massively out of place, of course us enthusiasts and most of the locals will know that it was part of the Noah's ark ride but someone coming to the park who's never been before will probably just look at it and think what an eye saw, It's unique yeah but odd

​

 

[Smiley]

Thanks for the economics lesson Your graph has no relevance to a theme park, that has largely very high CAPEX and constant OPEX costs that are not related to "product price" (the cost of "production" (i.e. one customer on a ride) is very low or negative if you take into account other revenue streams).

So the standard pricing elasticity model (Marshall I think) isn't appropriate.

 

[flyingguitar]

100% the casino building could do with some work to it, I'd say white colours typically are hard to keep presentable, the rust seeping down the side of the building doesn't always looks nice. Main area that needs presenting (better more demolished) is the parks entrance not only is it not practical but it just looks odd like massively out of place, of course us enthusiasts and most of the locals will know that it was part of the Noah's ark ride but someone coming to the park who's never been before will probably just look at it and think what an eye saw, It's unique yeah but odd

​

yeah, this dose get me thinking, a lot of it dose seem to feel like it was made in like the 40's-60's and just not touched since, appart from some basic up keep.
I recall I went into the casino building (or one near by) as I had to do something (can't really remember why) but it felt like time traveling back, cramped corridors, everyone in suites etc
I don't think everything needs to be demolished, but if they were to look at it from a semi-modern lens (not the BS stuff, just nice looking) with some fun theme park touches I think it would be drastically be improved. some colour added here and there, and modern touches would go a long way into improving it (maybe some de cluttering as well.

Thanks for the economics lesson Your graph has no relevance to a theme park, that has largely very high CAPEX and constant OPEX costs that are not related to "product price" (the cost of "production" (i.e. one customer on a ride) is very low or negative if you take into account other revenue streams).

So the standard pricing elasticity model (Marshall I think) isn't appropriate.

price of production has nothing to do with consumer demand this is basic buisness, the more expensive something is the less people will buy it

theme parks are differnt in the fact they don't have a phisical product but that it is, the pricing model is pretty much the same, you will lose people who want to buy your product because it is too expensive the more expensive you make it.

you could double the price, but then only have a tenth of the number of people in, then you earned one fifth of the amount you normally would have, there are limits but on those days you can charge more to limit the amount of people going (you don't loose profit as you have essentially capped out on your sales) but alton dosn't hit their limits

 

[Smiley]

price of production has nothing to do with consumer demand this is basic buisness, the more expensive something is the less people will buy it

theme parks are differnt in the fact they don't have a phisical product but that it is, the pricing model is pretty much the same, you will lose people who want to buy your product because it is too expensive the more expensive you make it.

you could double the price, but then only have a tenth of the number of people in, then you earned one fifth of the amount you normally would have

??? Tell that to LVMH, whose whole business model is on being expensive and luxury/scarcity (Burberry had a huge problem with this when the chavs bought into it). If you sell a ticket for £40 and make £3 profit, then by doubling the price you make £43 profit (14x) - so having a tenth the number of people is great business. Or is it, as you will lose ancillary and add-on revenue?

What we have seen in recent years are that people are prepared to pay more for better/higher quality. Also people are prepared to pay more for experiences than pay more for product.

 

[rob666]

Price elasticity of supply and demand is a complex subject, and extremely subjective in the leisure industry, especially in hard economic times.
Blackpool is a lower class market, many middle class families will not touch the town with a disinfected bargepole, whatever prices are offered.
Something Ms Thompson forgets a great deal of the time.
What works for Paultons, say, will not happen the same on the scummy areas of the Lancashire coast.

 

[Ash]

Forgive my "southern-ness" but I think part of the problem (with most UK theme parks) is that the ticket price is too cheap. I can't remember the last time it increased for Merlin, We're talking about riding £10m-£20m rides and want to do so for the price of a bag of chips (northern chips, far too expensive in the south!!)

Being originally from Lancashire, I know what tight bstards we are, but you can't expect world-class rides on a shoestring budget. Living close to both TP and Chessy, I can just about get a cinema ticket and a restaurant pizza (drinks extra!) for the typical entrance price. Tickets should be £50-£60 easily IMHO.

I’d much rather UK marks be between £50-70 and offer a better experience.

Considering the cost of sports tickets, cinema tickets, theme parks abroad, it seems really strange.

Far better than the MAP business model.

 

[Matty17p]

I’d much rather UK marks be between £50-70 and offer a better experience.

Considering the cost of sports tickets, cinema tickets, theme parks abroad, it seems really strange.

Far better than the MAP business model.

Great example is Dollywood, park is smart looking with some pretty decent rides, cost $92 to get in the place but you get what you pay for, makes me wonder does anyone think EP is cheap or expensive £44 to get in but as we all know it is a world class park as well as being much bigger then Dollywood

 

[flyingguitar]

??? Tell that to LVMH, whose whole business model is on being expensive and luxury/scarcity (Burberry had a huge problem with this when the chavs bought into it). If you sell a ticket for £40 and make £3 profit, then by doubling the price you make £43 profit (14x) - so having a tenth the number of people is great business. Or is it, as you will lose ancillary and add-on revenue?

What we have seen in recent years are that people are prepared to pay more for better/higher quality. Also people are prepared to pay more for experiences than pay more for product.

you will have less people going at the perfect price the point is although that there is a perfect point, where you maximise your profits but don't lose so many people that it becomes less profitable, lets say at £60 (£23 profit, so ~8 times) but you only get half the original people, it would be far better to price it at £60 than at £80, because the extra money profit per ticket is negetivly affected by the reduced ticket sales.

also you have forgotten to consider, the costs for events is essentially constant no matter the number of people, if it costs £2500 plus £5 per person to run the event, and you have 100 people going at £40 you make £1000, but if you have 10 people at £80 you lose £1,750, at £60 with 50 people you make £250. of course these are made up numbers but it shows how it can be make more to charge less of course there is a point where it is too low, and you don't make a profit but there is that perfect balance of not loosing profit due to it being too cheap, and not loosing to people not going

 

[b2311e]

Out of curiosity, does Blackpool have any lockers?

The park website says they do, but I seem to remember reading something about the lockers having been removed recently (?).

I’m only thinking on the off chance that I ride Valhalla on my upcoming visit. If I do, I’d rather not wreck my phone, wallet and other belongings in the process!

They had new ones installed about a week or two ago. Sorry to disappoint, I'm pretty sure they require the use of an app or something phone-based to open/close now