Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

[Dar]

I think it means Wild Mouse (greater than) King soloman. It's something to do with tapatalk I think?!

If the Wild Mouse is removed, so will the only reason for me to visit the park again. Unless they replace it with some mental Mack, interesting Intamin or bewildering B&M, there is nothing else there that draws me in.

 

[BigAl]

I think it means Wild Mouse (greater than) King soloman. It's something to do with tapatalk I think?!

Makes sense. Blackpool's Mouse was extended in the 60's by the Velare Brothers, although King Solomon's Mine is older than the model at Blackpool. King Solomon's Mine still has its original layout though, which is why Dreamland would probably be more interested in that over Blackpool's Mouse.

 

[Rupert]

King Solomon's Mines is/was still ridiculously fun and terrifying though. I'd love Dreamland to get the Wild Mouse if it is to leave Blackpool but it would be naïve to assume they have the cash and space to get it, or that it would indeed even be offered to them rather than demolished without a thought.

 

[Anonymous]

After watching 999 Whats your emergency based in Blackpool it shows the true side of Blackpool but surely this is really off putting for punters and holiday makers in the long run especially for Pleasure Beach and well Merlin too.

After classing itself by people talking on there as a drug, knife and drunken place It really portrays a way the residences see there home town and its got me thinking could this now actually ruin trade for Blackpool itself after showing somewhat graphic scenes on the show?

 

[Alastair]

After watching 999 Whats your emergency based in Blackpool it shows the true side of Blackpool but surely this is really off putting for punters and holiday makers in the long run especially for Pleasure Beach and well Merlin too.

After classing itself by people talking on there as a drug, knife and drunken place It really portrays a way the residences see there home town and its got me thinking could this now actually ruin trade for Blackpool itself after showing somewhat graphic scenes on the show?

I agree, Blackpool as a town has always had a particular character (not always pleasant) due to the incessant Hen nights/Stag do's; however I feel that lack of investment in BPB, especially in terms of thrill rides that can be properly advertised, is leading people to gradually see it as just another run down establishment with all of its ancient coasters. This is particularly emphasised in the rides that keep being removed and not replaced, and in the state of many of the rides that remain (Ice Blast, Impossible, Infusion etc).

 

[BigAl]

Blackpool's last big coaster that they actually had for themselves rather than take from another park that closed was the Big One. That was nearly 20 years ago! Closing the Wild Mouse definitely isn't the solution to this problem.

They could open something on the big empty plot at the bottom of the Big One's first drop which stretches across to the Big One's station and possibly up between Avalanche and the Big Dipper (that doesn't need to be removed either). In fact, they could probably fit a flat or two on that site as well, not just a big coaster.

 

[Blizzard]

Thing is, as much as we enthisiasts love "Classic" rides & have a keen interest in BPB's history, the general public simply don't. The management of the park have clearly realised that to attract more visitors, they just HAVE to update the park! Many people I know refuse to go there because of its cramped, tacky & old feel. I like that, & i'm sure most of you do to, but the main income for the pleasure beach comes from the general public, simple as!

The GP generaly find the mouse uncomfortable, shabby & some, who we may say are deluded, think that all wooden rides are unsafe! There just isn't room in the market for those kinds of rides any more. Things move on, & we have to accept it.

 

[CGM]

This might sound strange but I honestly don't think there's a space issue at Blackpool. Not only is there loads of empty space around the bridge and the Big One's lift hill, there's plenty of room for rides elsewhere. It's just a matter of how innovative ride manufacturers are prepared to be.

If you take a look at some of the smaller Scandinavian parks such as Grona Lund or Tivoli Gardens, they demonstrate just how many rides can be crammed into a small space by having rides share the same structure or building rides on top of buildings.

Rutschebanan's structure at Tivoli not only suppots the coaster but contains a water ride, a funhouse and about twenty retail outlets all in the footprint of one ride!

 

[Alastair]

This might sound strange but I honestly don't think there's a space issue at Blackpool. Not only is there loads of empty space around the bridge and the Big One's lift hill, there's plenty of room for rides elsewhere. It's just a matter of how innovative ride manufacturers are prepared to be.

If you take a look at some of the smaller Scandinavian parks such as Grona Lund or Tivoli Gardens, they demonstrate just how many rides can be crammed into a small space by having rides share the same structure or building rides on top of buildings.

Rutschebanan's structure at Tivoli not only suppots the coaster but contains a water ride, a funhouse and about twenty retail outlets all in the footprint of one ride!

The difference is, Tivoli is an absolutely classy, beautiful place - it's a genuinely nice place to be despite it's occasional cramped feel. And they have built quality rides that are maintained well. Would you rather a rough, paint-peeling-off, second hand SLC or a vivid, smooth B&M compact with a zero-G in basically the same space? BPB, whilst maintaining it's amusement park status, has to do something to improve it's image - something modern is desperately, desperately needed to do that.

 

[Martin]

It's a sad reflection of our throwaway culture.

 

[CGM]

The difference is, Tivoli is an absolutely classy, beautiful place - it's a genuinely nice place to be despite it's occasional cramped feel. And they have built quality rides that are maintained well. Would you rather a rough, paint-peeling-off, second hand SLC or a vivid, smooth B&M compact with a zero-G in basically the same space? BPB, whilst maintaining it's amusement park status, has to do something to improve it's image - something modern is desperately, desperately needed to do that.

I would love a brand new coaster at Blackpool and I do think it needs something big desperately. However, I don't think it needs to be at the expense of the existing rides. A modern custom coaster that weaves its way through the park flying over, under and through existing attractions would be much more entertaining than one set on a standard rectangular footprint. The Big One achieves this to some extent and I'd like to see a better coaster that takes the idea further.

Currently, Blackpool is not as nice as Tivoli Gardens but I do think it has the potential to be. Its strength is its historic charm and its location. If the management embraced this and worked with it in the way that Tivoli have done, the park could be amazing.

Despite all of its historic rides, I still think of Tivoli as a thoroughly modern park. It manages to find the balance of retaining its historic rides and features whilst installing cutting edge rides and having them fit in perfectly. I think Blackpool could find this balance if they could be bothered.

Currently I think they are going in the wrong direction. They seem to be intent on destroying what they have which is one of the most unique parks in the world and becoming something that resembles a Six Flags park.

 

[BigAl]

I always feel like Blackpool Pleasure Beach should buy a large ZacSpin like the Green Lantern model at Six Flags Magic Mountain / Insane at Gröna Lund.

Blackpool want to do more with their space, so a ball coaster provides a new thrill which is unique to the UK, extremely compact, intense and has a top capacity of 800 riders an hour. The capacity doesn't sound great for a park as big as the Pleasure Beach, but lets not forget that Infusion is stated as having a maximum capacity of 832 riders an hour.

These larger ball coasters only cost around £4,372,900 new (based on $7 million conversion from RCDB). The saving in space and the low cost means they could probably install a new flat ride as well to go along side the new coaster and ease queues and the price of the two would still be half of what Merlin currently pays for their big new coasters at Thorpe and Alton.

A ball coaster could easily sit where the Swamp Buggies are between the Big Dipper, Avalanche and up towards the Big Dipper's station. A new flat should then go where Bling stood so that people have a reason to venture to that part of the park, besides the hideous BK restaurant dump.


Another few years down the line from that then really should be something big. Perhaps a GCI or a Gravity Group wooden coaster at the base of the Big One's lift, up to the back of Infusion and then across towards the Big One's station, and maybe under and around Avalanche.

Either that, or perhaps another Intamin. Something similar to Fahrenheit at Hershey Park. Fahrenheit can get 850 riders an hour, which is still more than Infusion. Make it a little taller and longer, then throw in a mcbr and I'm sure they could kick that 850 up a few hundred riders more. Fahrenheit was approximately £7,556,450 and it gets some pretty great reviews from people who've been on it.


Anyway, those are just a few ideas for some new coasters. Yes, parks can't just focus on them alone, but when Blackpool has gone for nearly 20 years without a coaster made specifically for them, they really do need to do something soon. And Infusion opened in 2007, which is still quite a while to go without even drawing plans for something new.


I'll also throw one last crazy idea out there for the Pleasure Beach; a pier! If and when the Pleasure Beach runs out of space, would it not be possible to build some kind of pier that heads up and over the road from the base of the Big One's first drop and then out across the beach a little? It'd probably be far too expensive to do, but if they were willing to do something as big and as bold as the Bigger One (which would have shot out over the road and across a pier then up over the Irish sea and would have easily cost more than Kingda Ka), maybe the idea isn't as stupid as I think?

I'd love to see something in between 1/3 and maybe half of the size of Galveston Pleasure Pier:

Anyway, ignore me if that idea is too ridiculous!

 

[Adam James]

I think a Zacspin would fit easily into the park's selection of rides, however I can't see one being added unless Revolution is removed, as it has the perfect footprint for such a coaster.

The last idea however is rather absurd - the park have taken out a number of loans/grants in recent years so couldn't afford such an expensive expansion for starters.
Also, you have to bare in mind there are four piers within a four mile radius of the Pleasure Beach which catering for all types of visitors, and also the park has more than enough room for at least one large scale coaster and numerous other flat rides within their current 42 acres.

Should the park get the funds, I could see them wanting to take over operations of the Sandcastle Waterpark from Blackpool Council to add to their 'resort' portfolio. However, that is looking very far in the future due to current finances.

Much more worrying is the potential SBNOing/closure of Wild Mouse - which is not only something that worries enthusiasts and locals, but also some guests I have asked 'What is your opinion of the Wild Mouse?' to independently whilst waiting in queuelines at the park.

 

[TheMan]

For me, I think they need to go all out for a show stopper attraction.

They have a more captive market than any other park, in that they capture a holiday market too - and are essentially the only major sized park (yes, including FL, LW etc) North of Alton Towers!

Around 16 million unique visits each year from figures I have garnered quickly.

Why, with those kinds of local audiences, and especially with more stay-cations than a long time, are they not seizing this opportunity?

NOW is the time to capture a market! Nick land (never been) has no doubt increased visitors, W&G ride next year will help too - no doubt will be marketed well, and they are tasteful IPs in my opinion.

For me though, I'd go all out for a big Mack! Look how much attention Europe wide, Projekt Helix is drawing. Do you reckon Mandy even visits the coaster trade shows?

Perhaps they have a longer term plan I am not aware of - but a blend of classic seaside woodies, state of the art modern coasters, and great IP based attractions - couple that with some decent marketing in an area that has so little big park competition.

How does that fail?

That is a recipe for success, surely? Common sense!

 

[BigAl]

The last idea however is rather absurd - the park have taken out a number of loans/grants in recent years so couldn't afford such an expensive expansion for starters.
Also, you have to bare in mind there are four piers within a four mile radius of the Pleasure Beach which catering for all types of visitors, and also the park has more than enough room for at least one large scale coaster and numerous other flat rides within their current 42 acres.

Like I said, it was just a crazy idea that I thought I'd put out there as it'd be interesting to know whether something on such a grand and insane scale would be possible. I know absolutely nothing about how much it would cost to make a pier, how much it would cost to add rides along it, how difficult it would be to create, how much it would cost to maintain, etc... I don't know much about the Pleasure Beach's operations either.

Tbh, it was more just me seeing the images of Galveston Pier and imagining something like that over here (and I don't mean Clacton Pier)! It would most definitely be something that would happen further down the line (if it could happen at all) though.

 

[TheMan]

Wasn't there talk ages ago of some bonkers launch coaster over the sea/promenade?

Adam you seem to know quite a lot in regards BPP finances. How so? Genuine question. The place is special in many ways to me, it's worrying to think they're that badly off financially?

 

[Adam James]

Wasn't there talk ages ago of some bonkers launch coaster over the sea/promenade?

Adam you seem to know quite a lot in regards BPP finances. How so? Genuine question. The place is special in many ways to me, it's worrying to think they're that badly off financially?

There are quite a few articles floating around documenting loans and business grants which the park have gained for new investments - apparently the park borrowed £5million off Blackpool Council for Nickelodeon Land, and a similar amount (unknown) from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership for the upcoming Wallace & Gromit dark ride.

 

[Danny]

Wasn't there talk ages ago of some bonkers launch coaster over the sea/promenade?

I can never go through an entire month without seeing at least one mentioning of "The Bigger One" :

 

[DiogoJ42]

That's because it's such an insane idea that it would have been epic

 

[TheMan]

Something like that, takes the park into almost uncharted territory world wide.

There is no ride like that, that engages with it's surroundings. That being said, it would probably be closed most of the time due to wind issues.

£5m Nick land, doesn't sound too bad really to completely redo a whole area? The same figures hinted at for the W&G ride though?

I had a bit of an inside source into that early on, but never got any figures or owt - just that it was going to be built, so I have no more ideas now than anyone else unfortunately.

That's a lot of borrowing though - is BPB not profitable at all? It's a bit of an enigma that park.

I just cannot get my head around why it isn't raking it in, if indeed that is the case.

EDIT:

How I view BPB potential:

How I believe Mandy may see BPB: