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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2025 Discussion

This is a clever move from the Marketing & PR team. Post the animated video of their new 2026 ride, which would struggle to get national coverage, and then tack on a guaranteed press spinner a few days later to make people clock "oh, they're also getting a new ride for next year?" as a footnote.
 
Danny said:
This is a clever move from the Marketing & PR team. Post the animated video of their new 2026 ride, which would struggle to get national coverage, and then tack on a guaranteed press spinner a few days later to make people clock "oh, they're also getting a new ride for next year?" as a footnote.
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is it though, the picture has gotten national press, and the news of the new ride has also had national press, they probably wouldn't struggle to get their video on the news.

besides is it that good of a thing?

they would be advertising a ride that opens in what 6+ months, no one will remember about the video after a couple days it is why AT didn't share much info and dropped the info for nemesis reborn, toxicator, etc the week of if not the opening day. by the time the ride opens no one will remember that video that well, what generates press is the opening of the ride, press tours, and if any additional info can be dropped (e.g theming, ride heights etc) not repeating the same thing that was said half a year ago.

this balloon stunt has generated some press, although it doesn't attract people to the park (it isn't like you have to write a physical note and submit it on park, you can do it online) it may generate some buzz, but I don't think it will last that long, nor do I think it would attract that many people. (a booth in the park people could take a 20 second video together could have ended much better attracting people to the park)
 
I don't visit often so a few notes from my visit yesterday, rather than a trip report.

Staying in Liverpool for a few days so got the train over and got into the park around 10.40.

Started with a back row Big One ride and thankfully it was less painful than I'd remembered. Had a front row ride later on. It's really crap but kind of fun? I'd love to see it replaced by a modern hyper but that's never gonna happen unless they find £20 mil behind the sofa.

Was really disappointed with an early ride on Icon, the faffiest coaster of all time. It's such a creative layout but it takes the course for too slowly. Had a few more rides later on and it does warm up significantly to be fair. Overall it's kind of like the Blackpool version of Derren Browns Ghost train. A huge investment with minimal return.

Had a few rides on Grand National and it's still my favourite coaster there. Managed to avoid the wheel seats which helps.

I was just about to leave to catch the 17.36 train from Pleasure Beach station and realised Valhalla had unexpectedly opened. Had to part with £12 for a Speedy Pass and managed to squeeze a ride in before a soggy light jog back to the station.

Valhalla does some serious heavy lifting for the parks reputation. Even if a few effects aren't working, it's still a world class ride.

If I lived nearby and had a season pass, I'd enjoy the place a lot more. But coming from afar and forking out over £40 I probably won't be back unless they build a new thrill coaster.

Invictus will be the best ride at the park but I'm not convinced it will pull the crowds in. Seems like it will be more of a thoosie-favourite than something that will attract the masses.
 
flyingguitar said:
is it though, the picture has gotten national press, and the news of the new ride has also had national press, they probably wouldn't struggle to get their video on the news.

besides is it that good of a thing?

they would be advertising a ride that opens in what 6+ months, no one will remember about the video after a couple days it is why AT didn't share much info and dropped the info for nemesis reborn, toxicator, etc the week of if not the opening day. by the time the ride opens no one will remember that video that well, what generates press is the opening of the ride, press tours, and if any additional info can be dropped (e.g theming, ride heights etc) not repeating the same thing that was said half a year ago.

this balloon stunt has generated some press, although it doesn't attract people to the park (it isn't like you have to write a physical note and submit it on park, you can do it online) it may generate some buzz, but I don't think it will last that long, nor do I think it would attract that many people. (a booth in the park people could take a 20 second video together could have ended much better attracting people to the park)
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That's what PR stunts are, though. They're not meant to be long-term ticket-selling machines. They're about putting brands at the forefront of people's minds when making a decision in the couple of days of deployment. In this instance, which park should I visit over the summer? Pleasure Beach have had two pieces of newsworthy content to make them relevant. and keep them in the headlines. Alton have got a feature of JB branding himself a coaster expert and the run of the mill ticketing news? I've seen neither of these on my social feeds despite acting with Towers content more regularly. Even the algorithm isn't displaying these to me - I've had to search for them whereas I've seen the BBC's post about the PB stunt and the local press posting about the new ride.

Yes, ride openings generate press. Yes, press events generate press (naturally). Additional details? Depends on how slow the news day is. But this has also created press. It's actively encouraging people to be involved.

Nobody is going to go out of their way to visit a park for a booth to take a video together. They can do that on those stupid spinning selfie disks in tourist traps.
 
Pleasure Beach needs a new iconic coaster that cab draw people in Big One is iconic but is 31 years old.

I feel a Tilt Coaster would draw people in unlike any other coaster really is a very eye-catching ride
 
Hid said:
Pleasure Beach needs a new iconic coaster that cab draw people in Big One is iconic but is 31 years old.

I feel a Tilt Coaster would draw people in unlike any other coaster really is a very eye-catching ride
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The problem is that they had their opportunity to do this with Icon. Not only did they fail to advertise it properly but it's also a forgettable coaster experience.

Will be many years before they build another coaster unfortunately.
 
RicketyCricket said:
The problem is that they had their opportunity to do this with Icon. Not only did they fail to advertise it properly but it's also a forgettable coaster experience.

Will be many years before they build another coaster unfortunately.
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Problem with Icon opened the same year Wickerman did. And Wickerman and Merlin at the time had really good Marketing for it.

Maybe they could relocate a coaster from a closed park could work they did it with Infusion
 
Icon was designed as a family thrill coaster, They're not going to make a big bang similar to the Big One with a family thrill coaster.
Hid said:
Problem with Icon opened the same year Wickerman did. And Wickerman and Merlin at the time had really good Marketing for it.

Maybe they could relocate a coaster from a closed park could work they did it with Infusion
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Infusion didn't really work for anything besides filling a gap, it's awful. They don't need a new coaster if it's going to be mediocre, they need a new coaster to be the stand out attraction.
 
Katy said:
Icon was designed as a family thrill coaster, They're not going to make a big bang similar to the Big One with a family thrill coaster.


Infusion didn't really work for anything besides filling a gap, it's awful. They don't need a new coaster if it's going to be mediocre, they need a new coaster to be the stand out attraction.
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Icon and Wickerman cover the same thrill level and opened the same year
 
I would also argue that with Icon you couldn't see it from outside the park, a new coaster but (people walking past the park) people won't notice the new coaster, only if they see adverts.

I think if the new disk is very viewable from outside the park it could attract people wanting to do the new ride
 
To relatively little fanfare, the park have announced 'Friday Night VIBES'
18+ only, 7:30pm to 10:30pm on Fridays in August. Free glass of prosecco, pop-up bars and 7 rides touted (PMBO, Icon, Nash, Dipper, Infusion, Rev, Avalanche). The promise of 'Ibiza-inspired VIBES'.

£32, obviously not included or discounted for passholders. Or £50 to include Saturday as well.


First thought I had, good to see they're trying something new. Unfortunately that is the end of the good IMO... £32 for 3 hours is pretty ambitious, surely you couldn't get through the 7 rides let alone enjoy anything else on offer. I do have a suspicion this could bring in the wrong sort of guests, being a Friday night in Blackpool, especially when its obviously got a boozy element, so I trust the security team will be rubbing their hands together.

Can't help but think running events into the evening would be a no-brainer during the illuminations, and probably a far 'safer' bet.
 
I really think if Pleasure Beach wants to be successful they should look at other historic seaside parks and other old school parks. Like Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk or Grona Lund. And maybe take a page from Liseberg and go down their route combining historic rides with modern thrills
 
flyingguitar said:
I would also argue that with Icon you couldn't see it from outside the park, a new coaster but (people walking past the park) people won't notice the new coaster, only if they see adverts.

I think if the new disk is very viewable from outside the park it could attract people wanting to do the new ride
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I am not sure. Maybe a few but not many. Pay one price made it a destination place. Meaning if you are outside the park and close enough to see it, you would be visiting anyway.

If it was pay per ride I would have thought it would pick up much more passing trade, but I cannot see people who just want to ride that, paying park entry fees as they pass.
 
DistortAMG said:
I am not sure. Maybe a few but not many. Pay one price made it a destination place. Meaning if you are outside the park and close enough to see it, you would be visiting anyway.

If it was pay per ride I would have thought it would pick up much more passing trade, but I cannot see people who just want to ride that, paying park entry fees as they pass.
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I think it has more of an impact no POP is a thing, Blackpool is a tourist place, if you were going to sand castle, Ripley's, etc. you may pass by it a few times, and it would probably be hard to not notice the massive new ride.

with PPR you could just walk into BPB for free, there is less need to advertise outside, as people will probably just walk around the park, seeing the new rides, the money is made when they are on the ride, not walking through the gate as well.

I do think one of they key problems are that BPB has been PPR for so long and their whole park was build using the PPR premise.
I think a small hybrid where you pay like £5 to enter and get a ticket (for something like the carousel, flying machines etc) to keep some reasonable security would work much better than currently.
 
flyingguitar said:
I think it has more of an impact no POP is a thing, Blackpool is a tourist place, if you were going to sand castle, Ripley's, etc. you may pass by it a few times, and it would probably be hard to not notice the massive new ride.

with PPR you could just walk into BPB for free, there is less need to advertise outside, as people will probably just walk around the park, seeing the new rides, the money is made when they are on the ride, not walking through the gate as well.

I do think one of they key problems are that BPB has been PPR for so long and their whole park was build using the PPR premise.
I think a small hybrid where you pay like £5 to enter and get a ticket (for something like the carousel, flying machines etc) to keep some reasonable security would work much better than currently.
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But people would be more inclined to pay say a tenner to ride the new attraction if they see it new when walking around the park or outside for that matter. Rather than paying for the whole park entry just to ride that ride. Even more so if they have been to the likes of Sandcastle, which can add up quickly, especially for families. Do you not think? It makes sense to me.
 
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