Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

[Anonymous]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Pleasure Beach are also known for in-twining there rollercoasters with each other and around the park. There is a decent sized space where Bling used to sit and not forgetting that the Tom Sawyer lake has also be drainned and could potentially be a development site.

 

[Tom]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

It seems destined for Wallace & Gromit to me. Perhaps it isn't essential in the construction of the ride, but maybe the money would be used for a bigger-than-normal advertising campaign or something?

It'd have to be some ride to warrant £5m on advertising!

The figure of this loan is currently unknown. The £5m relates to the Nickelodeon land loan two years ago.

 

[Scott]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

PBB *need* a serious, large investment. Nick land was great for the park and I'm sure this Wallace & Gromit IP will do equally well... But they need to do something to bring in the thrill seekers again. I read somewhere recently that profits aren't great at the park, so a large investment will be difficult, but as Dan said, Mandy needs to take the plunge and build something to bring the Pleasure Beach into this era and make it a major player once again...

They have very few restrictions on planning, so I would love to see what they can come up with!

 

[iain]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I don't remember where I read it, but at one time I believe PBB were to build some form of launched coaster from the site out over the sea...

Edit... Found an article relating to it!

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=224827

 

[Alastair]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Sorry, but they need a new coaster as soon as possible. Mandy needs to take the plunge.

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Where does this new coaster get built though? That's the main issue with BPB, the lack of space, and what could they remove to get a half decent thrilling coaster?

There is also a big space behind Infusion next to the drop of the Big One - a space which could extend around and perhaps incorporate the Tom Sawyer bridge area also. There's plenty of room in the park for another coaster, as long as it was cleverly designed, even without removing anything (although I am a big advocate of getting rid of the awful Big Dipper).

 

[Sam]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

 

[Alastair]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

That's the fundamental problem with the Pleasure Beach. It's "heritage" is holding it back - it's almost as though time has stood still for the last 18 years in terms of coasters there (barring Infusion) - because the place is so chock full of ancient woodie's.

At the end of the day, a rollercoaster is a rollercoaster - it has an eventual life span, a time where the cost of maintenance exceeds the benefits of running it. The Big Dipper, in my opinion, has reached that time. It runs on one train a lot of the time, with an awful capacity, the lift hill is terribly slow and the coaster seems to have slowed down in parallel over the years. It takes up an incredible amount of space and this is space that could be used to build a new, reliable, high capacity coaster of any kind - even another woodie - and that in turn would become a new part of the heritage which would hopefully last another 80 years.

Unless you are an advocate of the Pleasure Beach standing still in comparison to its competitors, stifling its development in the cause of fruitlessly retaining some coasters that shouldn't have much more time left anyway, you have to see that one of the woodie's will have to make way for a new coaster.

 

[Tom]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

Given the track record of the owners, that would not be a factor in any decision to remove it.

 

[Adam]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

As historic as it is, all things have to move on and PB have 3 better woodies anyway, while I'd miss Big Dipper if it when I'd welcome it's removal in a couple years as long as it's replacement is a truly amazing rollercoaster.

 

[Aly]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

As much as I would love it to stay, I think it really needs to move in requried to aid expansion and development of the park.

One thing that does concern me is that it could possibly happen sooner rather than later. They have already cleared a massive site next to it. If it was to go as well, then you would have the perfect space for the development of a new major rollercoaster - which the park now really needs to capture the success and momentum this is currently going on due to rescent investments like Nick Land etc.

 

[Niques]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

The Big Dipper seems to get worse every season. It's tired, slow, worn and unreliable. If any coaster was going to go then I imagine it would be the Big Dipper for the reasons I've just stated.

It would cost an arm and a leg to refurbish and, it has one of the worst safety records of any ride on the park. Every time I'm in the queue I hear a member of the GP make reference to at least one of its crashes/derailments.

I sound a little cold hearted about the situation, I don't mean to. I love the Big Dipper, it's such a huge part of my childhood but, the Pleasure Beach as a whole is an even bigger part of my childhood and I want to see it do well. They need to be realistic and start cutting a few of their older attractions to make way for new ones, that will draw back the crowds and excitable atmosphere. The park are trying but ultimately they need something big and thrilling to draw people back in, their last thrill addition was Infusion (the same Infusion that is now worn to the point of bearing red paint marks, from its time as the Traumatizer).

As Aly has said, the removal of the BD would leave a huge space for much needed expansion.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Are there any updates on Wallace and Gromit? I only realised the other day whilst on the River Caves that they put star cloth where the cave part is and remembering there used to be some open air restaurant selling southern fried chicken with a seating area? Does this mean that potentially the ride will interwind with River Caves? Unless Gold Mine did this anyway as unfortunately I never got to ride Gold Mine so I don't know much about the ride.

 

[Michael]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

http://www.pleasurebeachexperience.com/ ... 710#p43196

Updates from Sunday, work is really cracking on now.

 

[djtruefitt]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I wonder why they havnt taken the blue sheeting off the fences yet to advertise the new ride?

 

[Adam James]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Most probably either so the ride being built looks brand new and not replacing anything once it's announced, or the park have a marketing/PR strategy that means the time isn't yet right. :-X

Saying that it could be a mixture of both, but I guess another contributing factor would be that the park will want the limelight to be on the Hot Ice Show for the next couple of weeks too. I don't know for 100%, but the above is my best guess!

 

[Scott]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

There's also the (worrying possibility) that they may not think it will be ready for next season? I doubt it, but it's always possible...

 

[Spike]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

It's not a heritage ride though. Many have tried to get the ride listed, but it's been changed a few times so therefore it's not original. It maybe a 'classic' ride but it's nothing more. It takes up way too much space and if it were removed, the area surrounding the Tom Sawyer bridge, coupled with the area around the back of Infusion and the footprint of the ride, could produce something this country has need for years - a new world class wooden coaster.

The ride used to take a completely different route...

Turning to the left after 2 dips

I for one would not mind if the ride were removed, it's not as old as people think. Only parts of it are.

 

[Fredward]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Sorry, all the woodies at BPB are just awfull get rid of them all I say and replace them with something better.

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[Danny]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

Nash is a great woodie but I really wish they would do something about it! The main ride section is covered in awful weeds and the wood looks as if it's rotting to hell and back.

Nick Streak is ok, and great for the family audience. I'm glad they gave it a new fresh breathe of life in the form of the re paint, although I do wish they'd slap another train on!

Blue Flyer. I love the new station and it's there for the kids.

Dipper however isn't doing anything for me anymore. The only thing I like about it is the iconic spire it performs the turnaround on top of after the taller lift. If they were to demolish Dipper to make room for a much better and much needed thrill machine, I'd be incredibly grateful, but only if they kept the spire

 

[Blizzard]

Re: Pleasure Beach, Blackpool: General Discussion

I'm sorry, but I think getting rid of the Big Dipper would be a conservation and heritage catastrophe. It's not even on the table for me.

It's not a heritage ride though. Many have tried to get the ride listed, but it's been changed a few times so therefore it's not original. It maybe a 'classic' ride but it's nothing more. It takes up way too much space and if it were removed, the area surrounding the Tom Sawyer bridge, coupled with the area around the back of Infusion and the footprint of the ride, could produce something this country has need for years - a new world class wooden coaster.

The ride used to take a completely different route...

Turning to the left after 2 dips

I for one would not mind if the ride were removed, it's not as old as people think. Only parts of it are.

In the firts picture you posted, you can see a double drop. It looks a lot like the archway over the south entrance, so I was thingking maybe it was re-used?