Coaster
TS Member
Blackpool Pleasure Beach was in fantastic form all week. Having a season pass proved to be a good move as I was in and out of the park all week. Also, I'm hoping to return later in the year.
It's still my favourite park by a mile, nothing else in the UK even comes close!
The blend of old and new rides and coasters works really well, and I much prefer the old woodies (aside from Valhalla and The Big One). Wild Mouse was on good form (aside from an annoying trim brake), and the others were good most of the time. Grand National was running really well towards the end of the day, but lacked some of it's pacing in the morning. I still prefer it to Megafobia, as when it's running well it's an absolute demon of a coaster!
Big Dipper and the Nickelodeon Streak were also much enjoyed.
Valhalla wasn't at it's absolute best but it's still my favourite ride, and is leagues ahead of any other ride in my opinion. Me and my brother also did a "no poncho" challenge towards the end of one of the days, which resulted in much hilarity!
Operations in the park had improved hugely on last year's effort. The Big One had incredible dispatch times on two trains - one had been sent before the other one had even reached the final tunnel/brake run. This is fantastic and much better than any operations you see in other UK parks - especially considering that a lot of the time there was no queue and they were still shifting the trains at this speed. The only day it was on one train was when it was too windy for it to run two, and even then they added a second train once the wind had died down.
Avalanche was also on two trains every day, with similarly fantastic dispatch times.
Big Dipper was on two trains when it was necessary, and again the train was being sent way before the other one got back. This caused long queues to be shifted in less than 10 minutes. Grand National was on four trains on Saturday 12th April as the park was really busy, but the stupid Kumbak system in the station doesn't allow them to dispatch the trains until the other two are back in the station
Aesthetically the park is the best I've ever seen it, despite having so many old attractions it has a clean, fresh image and is genuinely a 'pleasure' to be in! The appearance of the park puts a lot of other parks to shame.
Now, onto the ridecounts!
Saturday 5th April:
The Big One x5
Valhalla x2
Wild Mouse x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
Ghost Train x2
Grand National x1
Big Dipper x1
Avalanche x1
Revoluton x1
Steeplechase x1
Ice Blast x1
Avatar Airbender x1
TOTAL: 20
Sunday 6th April:
Wild Mouse x7
Grand National x6
The Big One x5
Valhalla x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Big Dipper x1
Steeplechase x1
Infusion x1
Blue Flyer x1
River Caves x1
Ghost Train x1
Alice in Wonderland x1
TOTAL: 30
Monday 7th April:
The morning was spent in the Sandcastle Waterpark which is realy good, but it's only worth it if you get there before it opens as the first 30 minutes is usually really quiet. It's a bit pricey, but it does have a lot of really good waterslides and the customer service is fantastic.
Slide-Count:
Sidewinder x8
Aztec Falls x3
Master Blaster x2
Montazooma x2
Duelling Dragons x2
Treetops Water Chutes x2
Thunder Falls x1
TOTAL: 20
The afternoon was spent in the Pleasure Beach. They closed an hour early because the park was absolutely dead and the weather was vile, but they did give anyone who had paid for a wristband (literally about 20 people...) a free "rainy day return."
Ridecount:
Valhalla x4 (No amount of rain or wind will put me off going on this!)
Grand National x4
Steeplechase x2
The Big One x1 (They managed to open it despite the wind being crazy!)
Big Dipper x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
Ghost Train x1
Spongebob's Splash Bash x1
Grand Prix x1
Impossible x1
TOTAL: 20
We took a break from Blackpool on Tuesday to visit Hawes and the dales in Yorkshire.
(Pictures at bottom of TR)
Wednesday 9th April:
Big Dipper x4
The Big One x3
Wild Mouse x3
Grand National x3
Wallace and Gromit x3
Valhalla x2
Avalanche x1
Revolution x1
Steeplechase x1
Flying Machines x1
TOTAL: 22
Thursday 10th April:
We only spent the morning at BPB as we went to Blackpool Tower in the afternoon.
The Big One x7
Wild Mouse x1
Grand National x1
Big Dipper x1
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
TOTAL: 13
Friday 11th April:
The Big One x8
Valhalla x5 (Twice without any form of waterproof!)
Wild Mouse x3
Grand National x2
Nickelodeon Streak x2
Avalanche x2
Infusion x2
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
Rugrats Lost River x1
Dodgems x1
TOTAL: 29
Saturday 12th April:
The park was busy today, and the wind was high meaning that it was causing the PMBO trouble. We did however manage one ride on it due to being there at the right time. The atmosphere at the park is amazing when it's busy.
The park was open until 8pm but we had to leave at 5pm to get home.
Valhalla x5
Big Dipper x3
Grand National x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
The Big One x1
Wild Mouse x1
Derby Racer x1
TOTAL: 15
OVERALL RIDE COUNT:
The Big One x30
Valhalla x22
Grand National x19
Wild Mouse x17
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x12
Big Dipper x11
Revolution x5
Steeplechase x5
Nickelodeon Streak x4
Avalanche x4
River Caves x4
Ghost Train x4
Infusion x3
Ice Blast x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Blue Flyer x1
Spongebob's Splash Bash x1
Grand Prix x1
Alice x1
Flying Machines x1
Derby Racer x1
Rugrats Lost River x1
Dodgems x1
Impossible x1
OVERALL TOTAL: 149
(Or if you count Sandcastle then 169)
Pictures!
Enter Valhalla!
Wet is an understatement!
Let's go somewhere where there's cheese!
Revolution looks much nicer since it had it's paint job;
Possibly the most intense coaster on the planet!
The world's original Ghost Train;
We had a break from Blackpool on Tuesday to visit Yorkshire;
Hardraw Force
Finally, a shot of the park from the top of Blackpool Tower;
Thanks for reading/looking, comments are welcome!
It's still my favourite park by a mile, nothing else in the UK even comes close!
The blend of old and new rides and coasters works really well, and I much prefer the old woodies (aside from Valhalla and The Big One). Wild Mouse was on good form (aside from an annoying trim brake), and the others were good most of the time. Grand National was running really well towards the end of the day, but lacked some of it's pacing in the morning. I still prefer it to Megafobia, as when it's running well it's an absolute demon of a coaster!
Big Dipper and the Nickelodeon Streak were also much enjoyed.
Valhalla wasn't at it's absolute best but it's still my favourite ride, and is leagues ahead of any other ride in my opinion. Me and my brother also did a "no poncho" challenge towards the end of one of the days, which resulted in much hilarity!
Operations in the park had improved hugely on last year's effort. The Big One had incredible dispatch times on two trains - one had been sent before the other one had even reached the final tunnel/brake run. This is fantastic and much better than any operations you see in other UK parks - especially considering that a lot of the time there was no queue and they were still shifting the trains at this speed. The only day it was on one train was when it was too windy for it to run two, and even then they added a second train once the wind had died down.
Avalanche was also on two trains every day, with similarly fantastic dispatch times.
Big Dipper was on two trains when it was necessary, and again the train was being sent way before the other one got back. This caused long queues to be shifted in less than 10 minutes. Grand National was on four trains on Saturday 12th April as the park was really busy, but the stupid Kumbak system in the station doesn't allow them to dispatch the trains until the other two are back in the station
Aesthetically the park is the best I've ever seen it, despite having so many old attractions it has a clean, fresh image and is genuinely a 'pleasure' to be in! The appearance of the park puts a lot of other parks to shame.
Now, onto the ridecounts!
Saturday 5th April:
The Big One x5
Valhalla x2
Wild Mouse x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
Ghost Train x2
Grand National x1
Big Dipper x1
Avalanche x1
Revoluton x1
Steeplechase x1
Ice Blast x1
Avatar Airbender x1
TOTAL: 20
Sunday 6th April:
Wild Mouse x7
Grand National x6
The Big One x5
Valhalla x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Big Dipper x1
Steeplechase x1
Infusion x1
Blue Flyer x1
River Caves x1
Ghost Train x1
Alice in Wonderland x1
TOTAL: 30
Monday 7th April:
The morning was spent in the Sandcastle Waterpark which is realy good, but it's only worth it if you get there before it opens as the first 30 minutes is usually really quiet. It's a bit pricey, but it does have a lot of really good waterslides and the customer service is fantastic.
Slide-Count:
Sidewinder x8
Aztec Falls x3
Master Blaster x2
Montazooma x2
Duelling Dragons x2
Treetops Water Chutes x2
Thunder Falls x1
TOTAL: 20
The afternoon was spent in the Pleasure Beach. They closed an hour early because the park was absolutely dead and the weather was vile, but they did give anyone who had paid for a wristband (literally about 20 people...) a free "rainy day return."
Ridecount:
Valhalla x4 (No amount of rain or wind will put me off going on this!)
Grand National x4
Steeplechase x2
The Big One x1 (They managed to open it despite the wind being crazy!)
Big Dipper x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
Ghost Train x1
Spongebob's Splash Bash x1
Grand Prix x1
Impossible x1
TOTAL: 20
We took a break from Blackpool on Tuesday to visit Hawes and the dales in Yorkshire.
(Pictures at bottom of TR)
Wednesday 9th April:
Big Dipper x4
The Big One x3
Wild Mouse x3
Grand National x3
Wallace and Gromit x3
Valhalla x2
Avalanche x1
Revolution x1
Steeplechase x1
Flying Machines x1
TOTAL: 22
Thursday 10th April:
We only spent the morning at BPB as we went to Blackpool Tower in the afternoon.
The Big One x7
Wild Mouse x1
Grand National x1
Big Dipper x1
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
TOTAL: 13
Friday 11th April:
The Big One x8
Valhalla x5 (Twice without any form of waterproof!)
Wild Mouse x3
Grand National x2
Nickelodeon Streak x2
Avalanche x2
Infusion x2
Revolution x1
Wallace and Gromit x1
River Caves x1
Rugrats Lost River x1
Dodgems x1
TOTAL: 29
Saturday 12th April:
The park was busy today, and the wind was high meaning that it was causing the PMBO trouble. We did however manage one ride on it due to being there at the right time. The atmosphere at the park is amazing when it's busy.
The park was open until 8pm but we had to leave at 5pm to get home.
Valhalla x5
Big Dipper x3
Grand National x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
The Big One x1
Wild Mouse x1
Derby Racer x1
TOTAL: 15
OVERALL RIDE COUNT:
The Big One x30
Valhalla x22
Grand National x19
Wild Mouse x17
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x12
Big Dipper x11
Revolution x5
Steeplechase x5
Nickelodeon Streak x4
Avalanche x4
River Caves x4
Ghost Train x4
Infusion x3
Ice Blast x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Blue Flyer x1
Spongebob's Splash Bash x1
Grand Prix x1
Alice x1
Flying Machines x1
Derby Racer x1
Rugrats Lost River x1
Dodgems x1
Impossible x1
OVERALL TOTAL: 149
(Or if you count Sandcastle then 169)
Pictures!
Enter Valhalla!
Wet is an understatement!
Let's go somewhere where there's cheese!
Revolution looks much nicer since it had it's paint job;
Possibly the most intense coaster on the planet!
The world's original Ghost Train;
We had a break from Blackpool on Tuesday to visit Yorkshire;
Hardraw Force
Finally, a shot of the park from the top of Blackpool Tower;
Thanks for reading/looking, comments are welcome!
