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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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John said:
It's just discounted wristbands for partner companies and certain enthusiast groups, there are apparently a few other perks that come with it but I'm not sure how you claim them. Details here:

https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/ers-srs-members/
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I think you click on the company name from that list, just done one and it brings up a booking page with different pricing. Interesting that there's "HSBC Advance Members", if that does mean anybody with a HSBC Advance bank account it's the first I've heard of it!
 
Got the first visit of the year in today. Decent day on park for the whole. First time on Icon and loved it more as the day went on. I think it may top Nemesis as my favourite UK coaster.

Was busier than expected guess the staggered starts for schools made a difference. Operations on a whole were fairly poor with Grand National on 1 train a side and Big Dipper on a single train.

I must admit last year was my first BPB trip and of the two big woodies i felt Nash was fun but very painful and Dipper was the better of the 2 however Grand National today was improbed and Dipper was unbearable. I mean i couldn't enjoy it due to the pain and my girlfriend who is considerably more wee than myself experienced her idea of what its like tumbling down the side of a mountain.

Infusion gave me my first taste of what most people see in it. Last year i couldn't see why everyone hated it but today i felt physically abused. Also only on one train.

Big One was off due to wind and although it died off later it was likely too late to open. I must admit Icon ate the queues up admirably in its absence and today also confirmed how much of an unsung hero Revolution is, loved it last year and it is certainly my second favourite on the park.

Also Valhalla is a tiny bit wet. Like I think I'd fancy my chances being thrown from Niagara falls more
 
NickyTheComb said:
Got the first visit of the year in today. Decent day on park for the whole. First time on Icon and loved it more as the day went on. I think it may top Nemesis as my favourite UK coaster.

Was busier than expected guess the staggered starts for schools made a difference. Operations on a whole were fairly poor with Grand National on 1 train a side and Big Dipper on a single train.

I must admit last year was my first BPB trip and of the two big woodies i felt Nash was fun but very painful and Dipper was the better of the 2 however Grand National today was improbed and Dipper was unbearable. I mean i couldn't enjoy it due to the pain and my girlfriend who is considerably more wee than myself experienced her idea of what its like tumbling down the side of a mountain.

Infusion gave me my first taste of what most people see in it. Last year i couldn't see why everyone hated it but today i felt physically abused. Also only on one train.

Big One was off due to wind and although it died off later it was likely too late to open. I must admit Icon ate the queues up admirably in its absence and today also confirmed how much of an unsung hero Revolution is, loved it last year and it is certainly my second favourite on the park.

Also Valhalla is a tiny bit wet. Like I think I'd fancy my chances being thrown from Niagara falls more
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Big Dipper can be a little rough depending on where you sit, but I can't say I've experienced actual pain on it. How did it hurt you? The only seat I really dislike is the very back row, and even then only really for the dive bend facing Big Blue hotel. You feel the seat moving under you and can get a proper shoulder bashing against your fellow rider. I think avoiding the seats with wheels under them gives a smoother ride, that is the middle 2 rows of each car on Dipper and the middle of the 3 rows on a Nash car. I think this applies even more so on Nash, but I do tend to avoid the wheel seats on Dipper more so these days as well. Fave seats on both for me are front row and second row from back.

Regarding one train ops, in my opinion the park should be expecting the first Monday in September to be busy, and thus should be prepared for it with 2 sets of trains on Nash and 2 trains on Dipper. I'm not sure I've ever known schools to start back on that Monday, ours nearly always have a teacher training day or two, then the kids start back Tues or Weds. There'll always be people who visit on that day as a final day out before school begins again. Even more so if Big One is closed, they should be looking to eat up queues wherever possible. Midweek days get quieter from that first Tues/Weds in Sept, and I can accept one train on Dipper on such days as it simply doesn't need two on, but as I've said, a lot of schools are still off on that first Monday, so surely its not that difficult to start the day with 2 trains on it. I don't do many peak time visits but this season I've done a Sunday and a fairly busy school holiday time visit, and neither had 2 sets of trains on Nash, maybe that's reserved for a certain number of guest numbers only, ie very very high ones.

Not a fan of Infusion at all. In fact its the only coaster at BPB that I feel no affection for whatsoever and would happily see replaced. In fact if they tear it down over closed season I would like to help 'dismantle' it
 
You will be pleased to hear dippy that we gave the rides manager (charming young lady) grief for one train operations on the coasters...nothing was running two apart from Icon.
There were maintenance issues after a number of days running at max capacity...allegedly.
The wind did calm, but it was still windy high up.
We kicked the shins of the ride op stationed at the big one gates, but went back after riding sky force and feeling the wind high up, so we went back and gave the bloke on the Big One gates a hug, and said sorry for picking on him.
Shame the naughty person on the East gate wouldn't let me in, not his fault, but it is about time management decided to use the east entrance as they said they would...exclusive entrance for season pass holders...except they close it whenever there is a show in the Arena...so I was late to meet shakey and tremble because gate management is incompetent.
Fifteen minute unnecessary walk on dodgy knees...scrotes.
Lovely visit though...nice one shakey and little tremble.
 
With regards to @NickyTheComb's report above, I am quite surprised to hear that you found Big Dipper unbearably rough. I personally found Nash much worse, and I actually really enjoyed Big Dipper! The ride wasn't too bad at all from a roughness and joltiness point of view, in my eyes, and it was really good fun, in my opinion, with a couple of nice pops of airtime!
 
Arriving in Blackpool this coming Sunday and doing Pleasure Beach on the Monday. Is there anywhere I can/should visit on the Sunday? I'm a Merlin premium pass holder if they have anything else there? Any other things to pop in and see that will be open? Cheers :)
 
BarryZola said:
Arriving in Blackpool this coming Sunday and doing Pleasure Beach on the Monday. Is there anywhere I can/should visit on the Sunday? I'm a Merlin premium pass holder if they have anything else there? Any other things to pop in and see that will be open? Cheers :)
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Blackpool Tower, Circus, Sealife, Madame Tussauds and Dungeons - all Merlin so depends what you are into.
 
AT86 said:
Blackpool Tower, Circus, Sealife, Madame Tussauds and Dungeons - all Merlin so depends what you are into.
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I can recommend all the above and if you get there for opening time, you should also be able to do all the above in the same day.

There is lots to do in Blackpool

Riply's Believe It or Not
Pasaje Del Terror
Blackpool Zoo
The illuminations should be on around about now, worth taking a drive to see them, I usually park up a the Fleetwood end and take a walk to see them up that end. You also can go up the tower when the illuminations are on too.
The pleasure Beach have live shows, check dates as we are now out of season
 
siralgenon said:
Why doesn't The Big One ever run on three trains anymore?
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Long story short, the system is knackered and often shuts the ride for reasons that don't exist, like the detection of trains in blocks that aren't there. Rather than have the system fixed it's easier and cheaper (and helps sell speedy pass) just to lower the rides capacity.
 
Besides, the ride can still hit roughly 1133pph ((1700/3)*2 rounded to 1dp) even on 2 trains!
 
Matt N said:
Besides, the ride can still hit roughly 1133pph ((1700/3)*2 rounded to 1dp) even on 2 trains!
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Key word being "can" in that, the loading and operations seem quite slow so I doubt it hits that anyway... good thing we have Icon
 
Ash84 said:
Long story short, the system is knackered and often shuts the ride for reasons that don't exist, like the detection of trains in blocks that aren't there. Rather than have the system fixed it's easier and cheaper (and helps sell speedy pass) just to lower the rides capacity.
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Add to that it's slipped the brakes before (think it was a rain mac got tangled round the brake fin) so they run it with as many blocks between trains as they can... also you've seen how often it stacks on 2, there's no way they could cope on 3 without having double the staff and no faffing about loading trains - back when it ran 3 trains they didn't allow disabled guests on (as it took too long) and they had to wait for it to drop down to 2 trains.
 
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