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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion
- Thread starter John
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DiogoJ42
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Metropolitan Line
Cadburys?
Dipper_Dave
TS Member
This is an excellent idea. I've said it before, but I have such great memories of the midnight closing end of season night riding evenings, from memory around 2013-2015. The closing time was then scaled back to 10pm, and from there it became 10pm BUT with fireworks and many rides closing at 9pm. For those not bothered about fireworks, it leaves very few rides available, and because Wild Mouse has gone we are still a ride down in North Park, also Flying Machines could easily be shut early due to wind speed, I realise this isn't the park's fault but again its another ride less in that area. I would expect the novelty of fireworks to wear off at some point really, after several of such events.
Perhaps like Ash says, they could do fireworks at say every other night riding event. I get that to some degree it makes business sense to try and keep people in the park until the bitter end, but I still think that after a long day some people will just leave whenever they're ready to, and also if you weigh up the surely huge cost of a firework display against F&B takings over those last few hours, do you really think they're actually making much profit? I've been to 2 night ridings with fireworks; the first one I enjoyed because it was something new, for the second one we were tired, it was wet, Nash queue was long and slow moving and Mouse was shut, so we watched the display from the comfort of the Big Blue hotel, thus weren't in the park spending money. I really think there should be some night riders without fireworks for those who've been there, done that and simply wish to enjoy the rides in the dark, which surely is the whole point of the event anyway.
Last visit I got a free space opposite Travelodge, I was tickled pink to think that some people paid £15 to be the other side of that wall. Of course there will always be people who are happy to throw money at the park, and the park know this. Yes the car park will be busy this time of year regardless, because of the volume of people around, some of whom just can't be bothered looking for free or cheaper parking or are simply too bone idle to make a 5-10 minute walk, but this is also the first year where I have noticed several cars drive up to the barrier, see the price, turn around and drive away.
Haven't you got some plants to water
The midnight closes were a great idea, that I can't help feeling were set up to fail. Who wants to be out till gone midnight at the start of November, when it's quite likely the Big One and Flyers are going to be shut anyway due to the weather.
To me that kind of event should have taken place the weekend just gone, the park was already reasonable busy, and had a party atmosphere within due to the football. As I said a few days back, we got a beer from Cravettes and watched the display by the Big Dipper, the bar was rammed, people would have been happy to stay till midnight on such a night. Furthermore, the fireworks being launched before its dark detract's massively from the show, so that makes even more sense to sack them off at this time of year and focus on the rides being open late.
Tyke magic ash.
You tell me to water plants, and it starts raining!
Day off! Day off!
Sadly, poorly dog means no playing out.
Fireworks are loved by the average punter, and they keep more people on the park for longer than just a 10pm close.
There is usually one family member who really wants to see them...and then they have got the group.
Fireworks last weekend was for the Scottish school holidays, it is the end of the first week for many.
Agree it is silly when it is still light.
You tell me to water plants, and it starts raining!
Day off! Day off!
Sadly, poorly dog means no playing out.
Fireworks are loved by the average punter, and they keep more people on the park for longer than just a 10pm close.
There is usually one family member who really wants to see them...and then they have got the group.
Fireworks last weekend was for the Scottish school holidays, it is the end of the first week for many.
Agree it is silly when it is still light.
AT86
TS Member
Disney put on fireworks every night to encourage guests to stay later, even they can’t just rely on rides alone to keep people in the parks. I guess the difference is that Disney parks are designed for these shows and so the impact to ride operations is minimal whereas BPB have to shoehorn them in meaning rides have to close.
Whilst that is unfortunate for enthusiasts and some pure ride fans I would imagine without the fireworks the late nights just wouldn’t happen at all as they wouldn’t be financially viable. So in the words of the AT Twitter team, ‘it’s better than nothing’.
Whilst that is unfortunate for enthusiasts and some pure ride fans I would imagine without the fireworks the late nights just wouldn’t happen at all as they wouldn’t be financially viable. So in the words of the AT Twitter team, ‘it’s better than nothing’.
But isn't the primary point of an amusement park the rides, be it day light or dark?
I don't follow your logic as to how it wouldn't be viable when the week before the extended the opening and that was without any fireworks. It's almost as if you are suggesting people are there for the fireworks, the rides are just something to entertain you while you wait for it to turn dark.
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venny
TS Member
The fireworks round out the offering. We constantly complain that the UK has no decent theme park shows, then we complain when a park puts on what I think is a very decent fireworks display?
The fireworks must work for them because they continue to run them. The excitement of the fireworks adds a bit more atmosphere to the park, almost as if the day is building up to something, rather than fizzling out as people leave over the last few hours.
I know fireworks aren’t for everyone, especially when they eat into our precious hours ride time, but surely we can spare an hour for the sake of this more rounded experience. It’s great to see family groups enjoying the display and it’s unlike anything offered anywhere else in this country.
Well played Pleasure Beach for offering later openings and a large scale and good quality fireworks display for free.
The fireworks must work for them because they continue to run them. The excitement of the fireworks adds a bit more atmosphere to the park, almost as if the day is building up to something, rather than fizzling out as people leave over the last few hours.
I know fireworks aren’t for everyone, especially when they eat into our precious hours ride time, but surely we can spare an hour for the sake of this more rounded experience. It’s great to see family groups enjoying the display and it’s unlike anything offered anywhere else in this country.
Well played Pleasure Beach for offering later openings and a large scale and good quality fireworks display for free.
shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
The problem is that the park have spent the last few years drilling it in to people that the park opens at 10am and under the POP system you should come when the park opens to get VFM.
Even on a late opening night the park is usually farely full by lunch time and most of those people will have simply had enough by 8pm if it wasn't for the fireworks.
I have visited in family groups for late night closes the year before the fireworks were added and also since they have been included. On the first occasion the park was emptying by 8pm and we left ourselves before 9pm.
When we did the late close with the fireworks we were still there at 10pm. I had pretty much had enough by 8.30 but the kids wanted to see the fireworks so we stayed.
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Take my advice (not that of the park) and arrive that bit later.
Last Saturday we had 'an experience' booked in at Blackpool zoo for our lad. You arrive an hour before it opens and they take you round a number of animals, they let him into certain enclosure's and let him make the food up, it was really fun and he loves animals. This lasted till about 12.15 and we stayed in the zoo for a few hours after. We got to BPB around 3.30-4pm and still got on pretty much everything without running round like idiots.
I think what riles some people up about the whole thing with the fireworks isn't that an hour of ride time is lost, it's the particular hour that it is that's the problem (the darkest hour) if the hour in question was 10am-11am for example I doubt there would be this fuss being made, but when it's sold as a night rider event and the only coasters running in the dark are the Nash and Streak some people feel it's miss sold.
Why not? It wasn't much darker at 10pm last week lol
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Hi guys. Sorry to bother you all, but I just wanted to ask a random, BPB-related question; I'm headed to BPB in August, and I just wanted to ask if any of you reckon I'll be able to get all 12 of BPB's creds in one day with time to spare for rerides and rides on other things?
P.S. I know there's only 10 RCDB listings for BPB, but the 12 comes from Steeplechase being 3 credits. I do not class Nash as 2, however.
P.S. I know there's only 10 RCDB listings for BPB, but the 12 comes from Steeplechase being 3 credits. I do not class Nash as 2, however.
venny
TS Member
If you’re doing the full day there, it’s most likely you’ll be able to do all credits with time to spare. It’ll depend on what day you go but you can probably expect 30 minute queues unless it’s a special occasion (think air show or fireworks). Arrive at opening and you’ll get a decent head start.
Hit Nick Streak, Steeplechase, Big One, Sky Force and Revolution first. Valhalla gets busier later in the day, although if it’s hot it can be busy earlier on. ICON queues are fairly consistent throughout the day. You may have to wait for Ice Blast and Ghost Train due to throughputs.
Hit Nick Streak, Steeplechase, Big One, Sky Force and Revolution first. Valhalla gets busier later in the day, although if it’s hot it can be busy earlier on. ICON queues are fairly consistent throughout the day. You may have to wait for Ice Blast and Ghost Train due to throughputs.
shakey
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Wild Mouse - Blackpool - :(
Definitely head for Streak early on as that will be a long queue by lunch time, but you can probably get Streak, Blue Flyer, Avalanche, Rev and Steeple all done within an hour or so of entering the park if you are in when the gates open.
I sometimes throw ice blast in first if there is no queue as it is usually one of the first rides to open. From ice blast, head past vallalhalla and up the ramp past ice arena then down the other side into nick land to get to Streak.
I wouldn't be too concerned at getting icon in as that will probably not go beyond 30 minutes, even on a very busy day.
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Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Thanks guys! For a bit of context, we are going on a Tuesday in August. As it's a weekday, I'm hoping it won't be quite as busy as a weekend, despite it being the school holidays! My mum says that there weren't any special events advertised for the day we go, and it's apparently a 10am-7pm operation. I've been told that we will most likely arrive when the park opens and leave when it closes, so I'm quite optimistic that I'll get on everything provided that nothing is closed!
Coaster
TS Member
Nickelodeon Land, Ice Blast, Alice in Wonderland, Derby Racer and Flyers open at 10am, everything else is 10:30 with National and Valhalla opening at 11.
I'd suggest heading to Nick Streak before 10:30, it'll most likely be walk-on and it saves queuing an hour for it later on (due to a one train service). Avalanche can also build a long queue, so I'd recommend going on that as early as possible - same for Steeplechase and Revolution.
The Big One often starts with one train sandbagged, so worth waiting until both trains are fully open before joining the queue. Icon has one of the best throughputs on park, so no need to rush to it first thing.
I'd suggest heading to Nick Streak before 10:30, it'll most likely be walk-on and it saves queuing an hour for it later on (due to a one train service). Avalanche can also build a long queue, so I'd recommend going on that as early as possible - same for Steeplechase and Revolution.
The Big One often starts with one train sandbagged, so worth waiting until both trains are fully open before joining the queue. Icon has one of the best throughputs on park, so no need to rush to it first thing.
Dipper_Dave
TS Member
Probably, yes. But it’s school holidays! Advantage of BPB over say Towers is the speed at which you walk from one ride to the next. Also, Steeplechase isn’t that different from one track to another, if you’re pushed for time & not likely to be visiting again soon, why not ride Steeple once then do some of the other, non coaster rides, which are great too. And remember the tips we gave you however many pages back it was now, and have fun !
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