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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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@Lordy - because their cost bases are so much lower. Plus, each of the other parks you mentioned are less likely to be day trip destinations. You're probably not going to drive to Barry Island for (what is left of) the park.

Some people will do so, but many will experience the parks as part of a day visit/short holiday and visit the beach and other attractions as part of their visit, therefore you need a more flexible ticketing system including a more attractive pay-per-ride deal.

Your bet is probably true but is likely not the sole reason. I posted my thoughts above.
 
Lordy said:
Why can most other smaller parks do it then? Such as Fantasy Island, Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, Skegness Pleasure Beach, Pleasureland Southport, Adventure Island, Dreamland, Brean, Barry Island and probably more...

My money is on them being too afraid to push the cheaper wristbands in the evening, in fear of people opting for that option instead of a full day wristband.
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Think you answered your own question there. Those other parks are smaller, plus it might dent all day wristband sales.

BPB also operates paid entry, so they aren’t getting the same type of passing trade which these other parks may do and BPB used to prior to the entry fee.

Whilst not everyone loves the entrance fee, the benefits it has brought are now being felt. There’s much less chance of having the environment BPB now offers (clean and pleasant surroundings, family atmosphere) if free entry still existed. Yes you might still see later closes, but you’d also likely be looking at a park which was dirtier, rowdier and with less of the aesthetic improvements that have been made over the last few years. Heck, you could speculate that if this model wasn’t introduced they may not still be operating today.

Who knows, but I think it’s worth considering that it’s not just as easy as opening a bit later because there may be people about. The models far from perfect, but for now it seems to be working and you can see that in the product BPB now offer as compared to some other UK parks.
 
Dipper_Dave said:
I don't fully agree with the theory of fireworks keeping people in the park until the very end. Many people will simply leave the park when they've had enough for the day. Some people are forgetting that pre-fireworks the night riding events were until midnight. A good number of people stayed until the end then, without anything to entice them to other than the fact they were enjoying the rides in the dark.
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I’m not basing this off any refined science but from judging the crowds on the non-fireworks events at 10pm versus now the fireworks are on, it does feel like there’s more people in the park. I know when it got to just before midnight most of the park was dead. Like I say though that’s not based on any figures, just my recollection of the bit of the park I was in at that time.

I agree that if people want to go they will, but there’s a reason that BPB spend money on the fireworks and my logical deduction is that’s because they see the return both in increased attendance and increased F&B sales from keeping people in the park.
 
Very disapponting but not surprised:(
Just more of the bloody same!:mad:

I wouldn’t mind as much if the fireworks didn’t result in most of the rides in south park being shut early.
The best way round it would be if the fireworks where set off an hour after the rides shut at 11pm.

At least that way PB could keep all the rides open until 10pm or in Icon’s case 9pm.
 
Do you think they might move the firing site to accommodate Icon opening later?

My guess is no, but it could happen.
 
venny said:
Do you think they might move the firing site to accommodate Icon opening later? My guess is no, but it could happen.
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If they can find a way, I am sure they will - it would be odd not to do so. As @rob666 said, they used to launch them from the Casino, they have also done it from outside of the park before now, also from the Monorail station next to the Big One drop.
 
They'll probably need to find a different location to launch the fireworks from, can't imagine it will be possible given that Icon is going all around the area that the fireworks were launched from last year and the year before.

It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Surely it's not just where they launch from, but where they land?
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I do wonder if they'll go back to launching them from where the Monorail station used to be, shouldn't be too difficult to close off the walkway, would just mean W&G Thrill-O-Matic would need to be closed earlier than normal.
 
ScottPBE said:
I do wonder if they'll go back to launching them from where the Monorail station used to be, shouldn't be too difficult to close off the walkway, would just mean W&G Thrill-O-Matic would need to be closed earlier than normal.
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Don't parts of rides like Grand Prix, Revolution & Avalanche also run extremely close to that area?
 
I wouldn't be surprised to see the fireworks launch zone be moved to the defunct Monorail station on Ocean Boulevard and the storage area behind Infusion. It seems the most logical place to retain the current viewing spaces from Wallace and Gromit down to Infusion.

But I suppose there are lots of possibilities really, depending on how adventurous they're feeling. Both the Burger King and Space Invader rooftops would strike me as options, and both viewable from current spectator zones.
 
MiserableMonkey said:
I wouldn't be surprised to see the fireworks launch zone be moved to the defunct Monorail station on Ocean Boulevard and the storage area behind Infusion. It seems the most logical place to retain the current viewing spaces from Wallace and Gromit down to Infusion.
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Might work for this year, but that is due to be a car park for the new hotel according to the plans currently awaiting planning approval. Explains why they were auctioning off all the old ride stuff stored there earlier in the year.

Might take more planning/organisation but launching from the beach is possible - for the world fireworks competition in September they launch off the beach next to North (I think) pier.
 
rob666 said:
They did them many years ago from the casino roof...maybe they will put them up there again.
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That would make a hell of a lot more sense IMO as you would't have to shut half the rides in the park.
Or at least I don't think so, PMBO Ice blast and Maybe Flyers but that about it.
 
Katy, didn't do the fireworks championship this year, but previous years have all been done from the pier itself I think.
The tides make a big display from the beach tricky, but I bet the council would let them close off a bit of the prom walkway to do it...there is still the broad footpath on the east of the tramlines for walkers to use before the display kicks off.
Behind Infusion and an early ride close is more likely for 2018 though I think.
 
Considering the fireworks event days are branded as "late night riding", it's a bit irritating that most of the major rides close well before the advertised time due to the fireworks. Hopefully they can find a different location this year as having Icon close early too really wouldn't be ideal.
 
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