Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2025 Discussion

[Mark84]

Personally I don’t think they should have brought the non rider pass as could cause more harm than good. All that’s needed is better advertising, consistent pricing and better operations mainly making sure coasters are on 2 trains on busy days so people want to come back. However that said although the usual social media brigade are slating it, for people that do visit that are non riders and have been paying more it is a saving and an option and it removes the it’s £50 to walk round comments. Also for people that are interested in hot ice it’s a great option for them when standard tickets to the matinee are £15. It technically means they can have a day on park for £5( plus £5 to spend). There is never going to be a walk around ticket as those people don’t spend money or if they do probably at places that don’t directly benefit the park - arcades and games stalls etc. As for those saying online it costs nothing to walk round it’s simply not true. The extra admission staff, security, cleaners etc plus extra insurance, medics, additional ground maintenance & rubbish disposal. I think the £25 pass is the best not only it will get but can get. The only change I could see is if they make is £10 credit instead of £5 depending how it goes down. I’m guessing they have done the sums and need a spend of £25 per head for it to feasible. Regardless of the price some will never be happy. It could be £1 and they would still complain it’s not free but I would say 90% of the people commenting on social media wouldn’t visit even if it was free and if they did wouldn’t spend a penny. I’ve seen people saying they can’t afford to take the kids but yet will take them to the Sandcastle or up tower which they don’t get for free either and costs just as much. Overall they have made it an option, it does benefit some and when broke down especially over summer with hot ice and fireworks nights and entertainment you get your monies worth and as long as more people are buying it that wouldn’t have and it’s not just people that would have paid full price anyway it will benefit them. They really need to get a grip with the prices/savings on the website though as the marketing team haven’t got a clue what information is on there and how many errors, incorrect/different prices & saving there are for same thing. They have links all over the site to last years late night riding dates which still hasn’t been updated and there are 3 different times for buying discounted tickets on the day. 6am, 9am & 10am. I believe the correct time is now 6am when they go to full price

 

[rob666]

The instant I read 'Pleasure Beach Pounds', I thought of the Itchy and Scratchy Money joke in The Simpsons and made this:

Hmmm, wonder if Crevettes, as a concession, will be taking pleasure beach pounds?
They still take real pounds, in cash... unlike the rest of the park.

Also, you used to get free entry to the park with the £10 matinee ticket to the ice show, so that ticket price has gone up 100% as well, no improvement, even allowing for the fiver for food.

Park entry was a fiver, then six, then a tenner.
In one jump, £25, so a hundred and fifty percent increase in the charge, but for less access to attractions...remember the free River Caves with paid entry!

The park needs better advertising, operations, twin train running on coasters...I agree, but the entry ticket doesn't actually provide them, so holds little relevance in an argument about such a shafting of non riding customers.

Non riders have been quietly mugged, again.
But the mugs won't return at these ridiculous prices, and Mandy will claim there is little interest in the non riders pass, so will probably pull it again at the end of the season as "unpopular."

 

[Smiley]

@Mark84 Hence my point - sell non-rider tickets only if accompanied by riders. I re-iterate: my grandparents wouldn't be paying £50 to take my son round the park - the result: loss of £30 rider ticket, plus F&B revenue. So @ £10 non-rider ticket they could have £50 - they were never getting £80 and instead end up with £0.

As for the "cost" to the park of non-riders - probably zero by the time you've included F&B. Certainly not £10 or £25.

Brighton Pier now charges £2 entry I think - perfectly reasonable. I'd be thinking twice if it was £5, and wouldn't be thinking at all if it was £10.

 

[rob666]

If the park was in a decent state, with entertainment and a nice view on the train, then ok.
But large parts of the park are not exactly in tip top condition for that level of money.
They also have the cheek of saying Bradley and Bellas learning garden is part of the entry ticket, currently known as a sea of soil with a fountain in the middle.
Top quality soil though, thirty tons spread by hand on a very hot day apparently.

 

[shakey]

Non riders have been quietly mugged, again.
But the mugs won't return at these ridiculous prices, and Mandy will claim there is little interest in the non riders pass, so will probably pull it again at the end of the season as "unpopular."

Exactly that. Its set up to fail so they can claim people don't want it. Confirmation Bias at its worst.

Just like the evening opening they tried a couple of years ago... in the quietest month on the quietest day of the week and at the wrong price.

 

[flyingguitar]

As for those saying online it costs nothing to walk round it’s simply not true. The extra admission staff, security, cleaners etc plus extra insurance, medics, additional ground maintenance & rubbish disposal. I think the £25 pass is the best not only it will get but can get.

I really doubt they would need to go and get more staff due to the increased crowds and if they did well it the profits from non rides would probably be more than enough, assuming the park is paying minimum wage (call it £12) each non rider is essentially paying enough for 2 hours of staff not including extra spending, staff may be getting payed more but if there is enough people to require staff, there will be more than enough money, they could probably lower it.

I’ve seen people saying they can’t afford to take the kids but yet will take them to the Sandcastle or up tower which they don’t get for free either and costs just as much.

Not really, the tower is much much cheaper, you can get into 3 of merlin's attractions for the price of one adult ticket from BPB (both are adult tickets), it is much easier to justify spending a higher cost if you are going to be doing more attractions, I know BPB has more rides, but when it is split up most people are happy to pay £12 for sea life, and so are happy to spend £35 for sea life, black pool tower, etc

you also need to remember not all people will enjoy going to BPB, some may not enjoy rides at all, but the whole family can enjoy sea life easier/




TBH I feel like mandy chose £25 to prove those who wants non ride passes wrong

 

[Ares]

Hey everyone, I finally found time to visit the park today after gauging the forecast last night and it was certainly the right decision - a glorious sunny day in Blackpool with a slight breeze at ground level and some eye watering wind on the big one.

Park Attendance: Very quiet. Honestly saddening in a way to see the park so quiet on a hot sunday in May.

Ride List:
- Icon x11
- Big One x4
- Big Dipper x2
- Nick Streak x2
- Revolution x2
- Launch Pad x2
- Wallace & Gromit x1
- Air Bender x1

Icon:
- 2 Train ops. 1 normal, 1 enso.
- Walk-on for most of midday where I managed to do 6 consecutive rides just walking around and getting straight back on.
- Really enjoy Icon, I get an absolute tonne of ejector on this ride - tested a few spots but I'm unsure whether back car back row on the Enso train (non-enso seats) or back car back row on the standard train was better. I'm average build, dad bod and it launches me out of my seat throughout, really love it for that and the hang time at the back is great. Favourite ride in the park.

Big One:
- 1 train ops as per Sunday standard it seems.
- Back car on every ride, although back car back row on the wheel seat was painful today. Has to be middle row non-wheel seats on the back car.
- Fair bit of wind in the afternoon, but a rough ride today. Was sailing round last May on my last visit in perfect conditions. Today was janky, could lose a tooth on the hand rest in front if you weren't holding on put it that way.
- Very rough ride overall. Seems like the park want to retrack the whole ride according to Coaster Dads YT video walking the big one with Mr Hygate.

Big Dipper:
- Wont bother mentioning the sluggish queue on 1 train, HOWEVER, I'm going to catch some flack for this. Big Dipper felt very slow on the lift hill, the train cars were flexing left and right throughout which I've not noticed to that degree before, and the train was bouncing and skipping round the layout to an extent I've genuinely never seen before. It was by FAR the worst ride I've ever had on Big Dipper. Even compared to this time last year, it felt like it was on its last legs.
- Set to open at 11am and opened after 12pm.

Nick Streak:
- Again I might catch some fast hands for this, but the trains flexing side to side was very prominent on NS, honestly I've not noticed it before but the cars were creaking as they flexed and the lower half of the carriage was shifting from the top particularly entering, during and exiting the station.
- I have not ridden NS in around 10 years, and whilst its obviously an appealing woodie to the younger park attendees, I am seriously worried all of these woodies are going to be SBNO or demolished within a very short time frame unless there are big renovation works.

Side Note: Grand National
- On the topic of woodies, I am beginning to be more convinced that The Grand National may be in its final season. One of these woodies has to go within a few years, and even if its SBNO for a year or two, I can honestly see it facing the chopping block.
- I will argue this until the cows come home, but if I could only save 1 woodie in the park, it would be Grand National. My ride on Big Dipper today was worse than any ride I've ever had on Grand National, despite the amount of flack it gets on here for being rough. Dipper was borderline unrideable today IMO.

Revolution:
- Good fun, hate those bloody stairs. The lack of air gates concerns me with the idiocy of some people I've seen on park recently, particularly the younger riders who are all just glued to TikTok in the queue lines not paying attention.
- Who knows how long its got left, but I honestly greyed out a little on my last ride on it today, I think Icon worn me down.

Launch Pad:
- Don't Believe The Hype. I'm sorry to say it, but its just 'meh'. Ok bit of airtime at the top off the first pump, maybe ask your partners but most people like some sustained action not just one semi-decent pump and done, right?
- Really pleased to have the ride back, even if it isn't back to its original best. If it was at 50% of its original best, id say its at 75% now. Just lacks a bit of oomph.
- Very slow ride ops due to loading from the speedy queue too. 25 mins just from the middle of the ramp, not even the entry gate.

W&G / Air Bender
- I've maybe only done W&G once a long time ago, but did the original mine train back in the day. A very enjoyable ride.
- Decided to try Air Bender today despite me now absolutely hating spinning rides, barely found myself able to enjoy it due to the spinning but definitely a solid junior ride, surprisingly forceful in parts and faster than I expected. Put me on any coaster in the world, but I can't do teacups or a carousel. I tried.

F&B
- Chicken Burrito and Garlic Bread at Coasters. Overpriced sure but its a theme park, sorry amusement park, sorry - a resort. But it was ok, just needed salsa that wasn't basically just water. Saved myself for some chips from a local chippy after exiting the park.

Summary:

- Very enjoyable day on park, mainly due to it being quiet and getting on everything quickly with a tonne of Icon walk ons.
- The Woodies are honestly feeling close to the end now for me, and I say that sincerely and with sadness. That's going to be expensive one way or another. I'd love to see Dipper saved with a full retrack though alongside Grand National. Bin the other two for me, sorry kids.
- Icon I feel is very underrated, a solid ride and nice to have something new and smooth in the park to offset the jank.
- Really missed Grand National being open, has a huge place in my heart from my childhood.
- Launch Pad was ok, but don't queue longer than 20 minutes for it IMO.
- Infusion spent a lot of the afternoon going round empty testing, didn't bother with it after it bruised my shoulders last year.

One final thing. Valhalla opened at 2 which is standard, but the weather was perfect from 12-2, the second it opened it went overcast. Wasn't worthed getting drenched on it with a 35 min wait for half a queue line. Must have been running on less boats.

- Paid £36 for my ticket, got 25 rides in, £1.44 a ride. Immense value for money and I think if they can nail down the pricing for a family of 4, and I do think we need to scrap the higher gate fee nonsense and have flat pricing year round, then I can see attendance rising.
- Worried about profitability though based on how quiet it was on such a lovely May Sunday today.

 

[Ares]

Whilst im here I'm going to have my two cents on the £25 non-rider tickets.

- Completely agree with the confirmation bias narrative that its being set up to fail to prove a point.
- Absolutely overpriced.

In short:
- Just offer free non-rider tickets with ANY ride ticket purchased, child or adult.
- Ensure staff check the photo matches the rider to stop it being abused.

Advertising & Marketing:

I've mentioned this before, but I work in marketing - mostly e-commerce and lead gen, having spent hundreds of millions of pounds in ad spend over the last 7 years across search and social, more so Meta.

The general public need ONE clear message.

That message should be firmly aimed at the target audience - families.

"A family of 4 can enjoy a day out at Blackpool Pleasure Beach for less than £100, and get a FREE non-rider entry with every ticket purchased to take even more family and friends" its that simple. Knock £1 OFF and make it £99 to match that message if need be.

Just bundle 2x £30 adult tickets with 2x £20 kids tickets for a family of 4 bundle and theres 4 extra non-rider tickets included for grandma and grandad and a friend each for the kids if needed or cousins, aunties and uncles, anyone.

My single biggest piece of advice I give to e-commerce brands I work with is "Pretend you're a physical store". You wouldn't believe the idiots I've worked with that ignore £3,000,000 worth of abandoned carts, 1 click away from turning that into revenue. Would you just let 100 customers line up at your tills, then watch 97 walk out due to poor staffing or slow service whatever the issue may be stopping them converting?

I use that example because BPB have this idiotic mindset that they can have this scandolous on the gate pricing system. GET RID OF IT - THE PROMENANDE BYPASSERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN YOUR PRIME CUSTOMERS.

If I had a clothing shop on an industrial park in a warehouse, I wouldnt give two hoots about attracing passers by because there arent any (Think Alton Towers). If poeple are coming to my unit, its because they already know who we are, what we offer and they want to make a purchase in person.

Juxtaposing this, if im billy big retailer in The Trafford Centre, I need a solid window display and localised, in-store offers to compete with other nearby retailers for customer spend. The absolute last thing I would do is charge the in-person customers looking to make an impulsive, perhaps FOMO oriented purchasing decision is to CHARGE THEM MORE and redirect them to an online discount to buy another day. NO, you've just lost a customer and pissed away revenue.

Families come to Blackpool, families want to make memories, and they will spend impulsively on a whim to appease children if there is no price descrepancy and things like non-rider passes come bundled.

Honestly, its like banging my head against a brick wall watching them do this.

Youre not Alton Towers in the middle of nowhere, youre in a high footfall location, that is also often weather dependant - use it to your advantage and charge a consistant flat fee, offer bundles for large families which inherently carry higher secondary spend, and fill your park again. People want to visit a busy park because it looks successful.

When everyone else Zigs, Zag.

Let them have online offers, do the opposite, reward the FOMO in-person customers with on the gate discounts your online audience have no idea about if needed or at the very least have flat pricing year round. They've come to Blackpool anyway, maybe on a whim because the weathers nice that morning, dont punish them or drive them away, invite them in. I dont visit the Trafford Centre to NOT spend money, im there to buy unless yes i know I can window shop and get better offers online. Be the retailer with the exclusive in store offers for those FOMO purchases in person, and not risk losing business online to play out the metaphor.

I fully understand dynamic pricing, but id rather them sell the park out first with volume and then increase when required based on historical data when at capacity.

 

[rob666]

Warm, well forecast Sunday in May.
The park was dead.
£25 paid entry.
Imagine how busy the place would have been with a big advertising campaign...
"£10 entry is back."

But mandy.
People do not want pleasure beach pounds and overpriced entry.
Especially with an empty park that is looking long past its best.