Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

[BigAl]

There's certainly a reason why there's only been 4 installations of the ZacSpin in the past 5 years - and it's certainly not because they're overcome by demand! The uncontrolled spinning is a massive putoff and I certainly wouldn't build one there simply because it's "inexpensive and requires very little space." The throughput, as Zak says, is horrific - 800pph according to the currently existing installations. If there's one thing BPB doesn't need it's another 'coaster' with a dire throughput!

I'd say that 4 installations in 5 years is a pretty good rate of sale. There are some coaster manufacturers out there that would love to be shifting that many coasters full stop let alone just one model.

I think a Zacspin would be perfect for Blackpool. There's nothing like it in the UK, they're very eye catching, it'd be inexpensive, it would meet the space requirements and from what I hear, they're pretty good rides. Yes, the capacity could be better but I don't think it's as much of an issue at a park like Blackpool than at the likes of Alton or Thorpe.

It seems that you've decided you don't like them (even though you've never ridden one?) but that doesn't mean it's not the right coaster for the park. To say that the unpredictable spinning is a massive put-off to parks just isn't true, that's your opinion of the ride based on videos you've seen.

I just wouldn't want a ride like that at the Pleasure Beach, because I'm almost certainly sure it would mean no proper big coaster for many more years. As was mentioned before, it's been 18 years since the last new coaster and 5 since the last coaster. The Pleasure Beach needs a big, expensive thrill coaster right now - and a ZacSpin would unfortunately only act as a disappointing stopgap that would see more stagnation (as more rides would probably have to be removed to accommodate it).

For BPB 800/hour really wouldn't be an issue, in fact it would be the 2nd highest capacity coaster* in the park after PMBO.


*in terms of actual achieved throughput

That's not a plus point. On busy days the Pleasure Beach is too packed and there isn't enough capacity - especially in its current state. It wouldn't be acceptable to add another low capacity ride, a queue eater is needed. May I remind you that the Pleasure Beach and Blackpool attract substantially more visitors per year than Alton Towers - and none of us would accept the installation of an 800pph coaster would we?

I've never had any problems queueing at the Pleasure Beach really (and I always visit on busy days because that's the only time I can usually go), other than one time when we had to queue for the Big One for 50 minutes. And I trust that they wouldn't simply opt for a ZacSpin over a major coaster anyway. With the likes of SW7, Swarm and all the other coasters that Merlin offer, the Pleasure beach can't market a ZacSpin in such a way. However, as a replacement for Bling, along with another major ride (a modern wooden coaster, something like Fahrenheit or your suggestion of a launch coaster), I think they'd be on to a winner. Building two coasters in one year that are both incredible, unique and eye-catching is exactly the sort of thing that the Pleasure Beach needs to be doing. A new dark ride would be brilliant too, actually.

I hear Phantasialand are selling their ZacSpin due to low ridership and lack of awareness amongst the general public... maybe it's going to Lancashire?!

PLEASE!

 

[CGM]

I hear Phantasialand are selling their ZacSpin due to low ridership and lack of awareness amongst the general public... maybe it's going to Lancashire?!

Am I missing something? Phantasialand don't have a Zacspin.

 

[BigAl]

...lack of awareness amongst the general public...

Perhaps?


Anyway, who would like to see a modern wooden coaster at the Pleasure Beach? I worry it could make their other woodies less popular, and we all know how much Mandy loves her axe. :l

 

[Alastair]

...lack of awareness amongst the general public...

Perhaps?


Anyway, who would like to see a modern wooden coaster at the Pleasure Beach? I worry it could make their other woodies less popular, and we all know how much Mandy loves her axe. :l

I'd like to see a huge modern woodie anywhere in the UK. 1996 was a long time ago, and the Intamin prefabs are just too inviting.

 

[Tim]

If you think of the Zacspin as a coaster it is a poor investment but that's not what they really are. Think of them as being like a drop tower; they run on a track but as the track is limited in one direction of movement (in this case turning) they can be seen as a flat ride.

I hear Phantasialand are selling their ZacSpin due to low ridership and lack of awareness amongst the general public... maybe it's going to Lancashire?!

Am I missing something? Phantasialand don't have a Zacspin.

Ignore it. It's a silly in-joke from a group trip a long time ago. no one will ever explain where it came from so you're wasting your time asking.

 

[Alastair]

If you think of the Zacspin as a coaster it is a poor investment but that's not what they really are. Think of them as being like a drop tower; they run on a track but as the track is limited in one direction of movement (in this case turning) they can be seen as a flat ride.

The problem is, it is a coaster; that's how the public will see it and that's how Amanda Thompson would see it. And if it were installed, then I fear we'd have to pay the price of 10 more purgatorial years of kids rides before the next coaster.

 

[Adam James]

I do have photos of two workmen taking a hammer (either for a refurb, or to demolish) the Grand Prix from today, but the annoying SD card won't work. ??? I'll try and get them up tonight.

 

[Ted]

If you think of the Zacspin as a coaster it is a poor investment but that's not what they really are. Think of them as being like a drop tower; they run on a track but as the track is limited in one direction of movement (in this case turning) they can be seen as a flat ride.

The problem is, it is a coaster; that's how the public will see it and that's how Amanda Thompson would see it. And if it were installed, then I fear we'd have to pay the price of 10 more purgatorial years of kids rides before the next coaster.

You're missing something here. Blackpool Pleasure Beach don't just build a coaster every 10 years because they feel like building one every 10 years, the problem is that they can't build one due to the lack of space. Kids rides don't take up a lot, which is one of the reasons why new rides in Nick Land exist. Now that some rides are being removed, we could see something big here!

As for the Zacspin, it sounds like a brilliant idea for Blackpool, small footprint, decent throughput for the park and unique to the UK. The thing you're saying about feeling to build a new coaster every 10 years is ridiculous, BPB haven't a new coaster since 1994 due to the park's space. But with these rides being removed, it sounds like a very interesting future! Realistically speaking if a Zacspin was built, then it would probably be 2 or 3 years until another coaster was built, not 10.

=)

 

[Tim]

If you think of the Zacspin as a coaster it is a poor investment but that's not what they really are. Think of them as being like a drop tower; they run on a track but as the track is limited in one direction of movement (in this case turning) they can be seen as a flat ride.

The problem is, it is a coaster; that's how the public will see it and that's how Amanda Thompson would see it. And if it were installed, then I fear we'd have to pay the price of 10 more purgatorial years of kids rides before the next coaster.

yes it is a coaster but enthusiasts are not the only people to consider a Zacspin less of a coaster than something like Grand National or The Big One. If the ride does not ride like a normal coaster then people will still be demanding one. Now you're right that it could delay the parks next coaster but probably no more than any other thrill ride would.

 

[John]

The main reason for the lack of major investment recently is that in the past 5-10 years BPB has struggled financially. The park has closed a lot of rides in the past few years to try and cut costs, whilst adding relatively little. The few investments made have generally been aimed at improving the park's image, which has made the northern end of the park in particular a much more pleasant place to be.

Nick Land required a lot of outside investment (I believe half of the money came from the council, who realise how much of an asset the park is to the town). It seems to have been hfairly successful, but with rumours of several more rides closing for next season (and monorail apparently closed for good) the park may not have fully recovered yet.

 

[Niques]

I don't think that the park will ever recover. Back in the early 90's it used to be open well in to the late evening and the place was packed out. Despite how successful it seemed, I understand a lot of debt was run up during that period & as such, that's taken it's toll in the last few years.

I just don't think that the Thompson family have the finances required to bring the park back to what it was. It's not just BPB that has suffered due to their debts, look @ Pleasureland also. When you consider how much has been closed in the last few years and compare it to what's been added (with the exception of Nick Land) it really does highlight the huge cash flow issues. Thankfully things are being added again but even most of these are based around IP's, to no doubt help with the funding. I worry about the park, especially with the closure of Camelot, just down the road.

 

[Alastair]

If you think of the Zacspin as a coaster it is a poor investment but that's not what they really are. Think of them as being like a drop tower; they run on a track but as the track is limited in one direction of movement (in this case turning) they can be seen as a flat ride.

The problem is, it is a coaster; that's how the public will see it and that's how Amanda Thompson would see it. And if it were installed, then I fear we'd have to pay the price of 10 more purgatorial years of kids rides before the next coaster.

You're missing something here. Blackpool Pleasure Beach don't just build a coaster every 10 years because they feel like building one every 10 years, the problem is that they can't build one due to the lack of space. Kids rides don't take up a lot, which is one of the reasons why new rides in Nick Land exist. Now that some rides are being removed, we could see something big here!

As for the Zacspin, it sounds like a brilliant idea for Blackpool, small footprint, decent throughput for the park and unique to the UK. The thing you're saying about feeling to build a new coaster every 10 years is ridiculous, BPB haven't a new coaster since 1994 due to the park's space. But with these rides being removed, it sounds like a very interesting future! Realistically speaking if a Zacspin was built, then it would probably be 2 or 3 years until another coaster was built, not 10.

=)

As John said above, their reasons for not building new coasters is purely because they don't have the money. It's nothing to do with the lack of space; they could have built a coaster in several different places without really moving anything, or could have removed a couple of things as they are doing now long ago. I believe in addition to the Nick Land investment, much of the W&G money has come from sources external to the park also.

That's why a ZacSpin would be a waste of money. If they're going to build a new coaster, it needs to be big and it needs to make the absolute most of the investment.

 

[BigAl]

They're like any small park though. Just because they have the space doesn't mean they want or need to us it all in one go. They still need to carefully plan every ride to get the most out of every square meter of land. The Pleasure Beach are still right up there with Gröna Lund in terms of weaving their attractions together.

If money is that bad, how could they afford to blow it on huge coasters or dark rides? The point with rides like the Intamin ZacSpin, Vekoma Stingray and the compact wooden coasters from GCI and GG are that you can do a lot with a little. Insane at Gröna Lund cost them about £4.7 million. That's really not a lot at all in my opinion. It looks crazy and immediately draws your attention. It's everything that the Pleasure Beach needs.

 

[Adam James]

*Photo Heavy Post*

This past week I was also invited to the press preview for BPB's "12 Days of Christmas" event to write an article for Airgates, and was pleasantly surprised by the effort put into this year's Grotto. It would make a great year-round walkthrough on it's own even without the interactive section, or the presents on offer. If you have a family, make sure you visit this year!

Anyways, on with the photos. Santa arrived into Nickelodeon Land on the Blue Flyer.

The artificial snow really put a smile on the little ones' faces.

There's quite a few nice Stageworks sets inside, from their Snow White pantomime.

SpongeBob and Patrick were there to spread the festive spirit.

Afterwards, I did manage to get a few photos of some closed season developments.

Work had started on the Monorail Station (it appeared that like the letters may be coming down)

There wasn't much visible difference externally for the new W&G ride.

Ghost Train cars are prepped for maintenance.

Visible outside the park, there were sledgehammers and saws going at the Grand Prix's helix which were visible from Watson Road. The cars were by Big Dipper's Picsolve booth - however it's not known if this was for refurb or on a permanent basis.

 

[Dar]

I had to laugh at the "ACME" van at the monorail!

I hope Grand Prix does go, but only if it's replaced immediately. It has a massive, slow moving queue that helps distract people from the other rides. Plus, it's been a bit naff since they took the diesel engines out and stopped you from bumping!

 

[Michael]

Be amongst the very first to ride the worlds first Wallace Gromit themed ride - The Thrill-o-Matic here at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

All preview ticket holders are guaranteed to be the first people to be informed of the preview dates to be announced in March.Riders will also receive a certificate to endorse their exclusive riding experience.

A limited number are available so book now to ensure you dont miss out. Available preview dates will be announced to guests using the email address supplied during checkout.


Tickets are £10 each! - https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/book-online/season-pass/wallace+%26+gromit+preview+ride+tickets/1872/

 

[Sam]

Is that £10 for a all-day wristband and W&G preview or just for the latter...? If it doesn't include a wristband, not sure I can be bothered...

 

[Tom]

This will also include a cup of tea, cheese and crackers.

 

[LiamC]

Is that £10 for a all-day wristband and W&G preview or just for the latter...? If it doesn't include a wristband, not sure I can be bothered...

It reads as though it's just for the W&G preview itself. A bit cheap in my opinion :

 

[Adam James]

Most likely the W&G preview ticket will come with a 'Freedom Pass' - the one which allows park entry with a few other attractions such as the PB Express and Maze.