• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2026 Discussion

Fuct said:
And I think that's an issue. Marketing "worlds tallest" any idiot can do. Marketing a ride that doesn't have a record attached requires more creativity and more creativity = more money.
Click to expand...
I agree with this

John Burton had a picture of himself proudly standing in front of Hyperia on his LinkedIn page, but - with respect - it was a ride that essentially sold itself, and would have perhaps been just as successful if it had been called "236" or something equally generic (similar to the relatively unimaginative "Big One" name at Blackpool)

[The one piece of actual theming - the golden goddess dancers - didn't last long, and were gone soon afterwards]

Toxicator was actually a much better display of imagination, in my opinion, as it was decorating something that was essentially just an old fairground ride (although it borrowed heavily from the nearby Nemesis ride)
 
According to Coaster Dad, Avalanche at Blackpool has valleyed a few times this year? (see first video link below)

It's the one ride that I personally would hate to evacuate, as the train isn't bolted onto the track (and thus I am always paranoid that it might fall out), and there is footage from the 1990s of riders literally walking across the tilted track in order to evacuate (again, I would be paranoid that I might fall out) - see second video link below at the 17:17 mark

Coaster Dad:-

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfNtNni6UhA


1990s evacuation:-

From: https://youtu.be/9C95RhUJCyE?list=PL559F90404F1EFC2C&t=1037
 
Strange but true...
Avalanche "valleys out" quite often, and always has.
Usually on the flat around the new bridge.
That is why it has wheel heaters in the station building before the lift hill.
It gets worse as it needs a repaint.
Friction and paint flakes, simple as that.
The only difference now is it gets spotted regularly by a sad thoosie with a smartphone, whereas previously few people saw it, and fewer actually cared.
Not great news for clickbait headlines though.
 
Last edited:
Secret Weapon said:
It's the one ride that I personally would hate to evacuate, as the train isn't bolted onto the track (and thus I am always paranoid that it might fall out), and there is footage from the 1990s of riders literally walking across the tilted track in order to evacuate (again, I would be paranoid that I might fall out)
Click to expand...
I'd say the opposite: You've got a nice solid surface to walk along, with no gaps in it and very gentle slopes. The track is as wide as a footpath, hardly a balance beam. Yes, the inside of the curves has a low edge, but you have a "railing" of track on the opposite side to grab on to if needed. Gotta be less dangerous than walking along a pavement next to a road filled with cars.
 
The ride was planned, ordered, and built to be a family thrill ride.
Which is precisely what they got.
And it has two lovely shots of airtime after both launches, especially so from the back seat.

It was not tamed down in the planning, at all.
 
Last edited:
Smudgy said:
It’s a terrible shame that Pleasure Beach doesn’t have any modern coasters besides Icon, not even having a modern steel family coaster for the kids is ridiculous given the shaky nature of Blue Flyer and Nick Streak.
Click to expand...
Blue Streak and Nickelodeon Streak are smooth, anyone thinks they are rattly haven't done enough woodies there are some truly brutal ones out their.
 
Dave said:
What airtime?

Saw has more airtime than icon!

Icon is technically a thrill coaster but I have been on family coasters that pack more of a punch.
Click to expand...
I think there’s quite a bit of airtime on Icon. You get a good blast in the top hat, you get a nice bit in the slalom into the second launch (particularly as you drop down into it), you get a nice bit coming out of the Immelmann, and you also get at least one good pop in the second half. And if we count inverted floaty hangtime, you get a nice bit in the roll and the Immelmann!

Admittedly, I don’t think much of it is particularly sustained, but it’s airtime nonetheless, and prior to Hyperia, I would have said it was a strong candidate for the UK’s best airtime coaster!
 
Matt N said:
I think there’s quite a bit of airtime on Icon. You get a good blast in the top hat, you get a nice bit in the slalom into the second launch (particularly as you drop down into it), you get a nice bit coming out of the Immelmann, and you also get at least one good pop in the second half. And if we count inverted floaty hangtime, you get a nice bit in the roll and the Immelmann!

Admittedly, I don’t think much of it is particularly sustained, but it’s airtime nonetheless, and prior to Hyperia, I would have said it was a strong candidate for the UK’s best airtime coaster!
Click to expand...

If we are defining all that as airtime then Wickerman probably beats it as well.

Icon has one good pop of airtime which is just as it drops into the second launch.
 
Smudgy said:
Regardless, I wouldn’t recommend the former for anyone under 10 and the latter 13 if they were riding alone. Of course its different if there’s an adult with them to help them deal with the roughness, but they certainly aren’t rides for kids. Their next investment after the gyroswing should be a family coaster, and after that a family thrill.
Click to expand...
I rode Grand National age 7 :laughing:
 
Coaster said:
I rode Grand National age 7 :laughing:
Click to expand...
I was 8 when I first rode Nemesis

Kids love thrill rides!

It seems to be parents who dislike them

(This isn't exactly the same thing, but I found it funny that old people are allowed to watch 18-rated films but 17 year-olds are not - even though many old people would actually be more horrified and traumatised by them)
 
Last edited:
I remember the days when I could ride the 1.4m coasters before any of my class mates because I was taller than everyone in my year group and quite a lot of people in the year above too.

Now im 40years old and 6ft 5 and sometimes worry if I will even be allowed to ride as im right on the 196cm limit for a lot of coasters out there.
 
Benjsh said:
Now im 40years old and 6ft 5 and sometimes worry if I will even be allowed to ride as im right on the 196cm limit for a lot of coasters out there.
Click to expand...
6'5 is a low high restriction IMO*

In my opinion, it should be closer to 7 feet as there are very few people that large (besides NBA players)

Maybe parks deliberately keep it short so that they can cram as many people in as possible (similar to trains and aeroplanes)

Funnily enough, one of the guys who worked at Alton Towers and created the effects for The Curse at Alton Manor (Peter Cliff) is 6'6 and so he would theoretically be too tall to go on many of his own rides

P.S. I'm impressed if you manage to ride Colossus, as I am shorter than you but yet still find it very tight and uncomfortable

*The Gladiators rode Nemesis and Shockwave when they first opened; Warrior was listed at 6'5, so he must have been on the border of being short enough to ride

Although - as with pro-wrestling - maybe ITV exaggerated the Gladiators' heights and weights
 
Last edited:
The issue with height and size restrictions is that if you make the maximum bigger, the bottom end has to rise in tandem.

Accommodating larger people frequently makes a ride less accommodating for smaller people; look at how Icon’s big seats have a 1.5m minimum height compared to the normal 1.3m, for example.
 
Very tall, had my height checked twice overall...infusion with a new staff member.
I have lost an inch in old age.
All over.
Apart from my waist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top