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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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Found a non daily mail link. https://www.msn.com/en-ie/entertain...mpted/ar-BB1e7fDZ?ocid=mailsignout&li=BBr5HCU

Appearing on the 'Life's a Beach' podcast, he said: "We'd get on the bus, the Ryan Hall working men's club, they'd put on a day to Blackpool. This is how my fortunes reversed...20 years later, the people that own Blackpool Pleasure Beach want to sell me Blackpool Pleasure Beach. How mental is that?"

Asked if he was tempted, Robbie said: "I am tempted. It's not ongoing but I think if a conglomerate of showbiz types got together and revamped Blackpool. I think us end of the pier types should get together, storm the place and reinvigorate Blackpool."
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Probably the best footage I have seen of the park from the 1960s, from just before the 12 minute mark (11:54).



Two layer Mouse, great Laughing Man footage and the majestic moving animals around the ark - so brilliant and iconic. Shots from the Cableway and of the Kiddie's Park. Twin Wheels, Jack & Jill, Turtle Chase on North Park and lots of unwatchable footage from the National.

Was hoping for some Speed Boat footage, but alas, only the signage in the background.
 
Rick said:
Probably the best footage I have seen of the park from the 1960s, from just before the 12 minute mark (11:54).



Two layer Mouse, great Laughing Man footage and the majestic moving animals around the ark - so brilliant and iconic. Shots from the Cableway and of the Kiddie's Park. Twin Wheels, Jack & Jill, Turtle Chase on North Park and lots of unwatchable footage from the National.

Was hoping for some Speed Boat footage, but alas, only the signage in the background.
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Nostalgia usually enhances the past but I can't help thinking the ride offering of todays park (even with the Big One, Icon and Valhalla) is not a patch on what was available in the mid to late 20th century.

So many fantastic rides have sadly departed, and I know someone will say that parks can't stand still and must progress and move with the times.

This is true if removed rides were being replaced with something better (or replaced with anything at all !!!), but since the turn of the century much has gone but very little of substance has been added. Icon, Sky Force and a second hand SLC (they already owned) are the only currently operating ride installations since Valhalla in 2000, other than a few replacement kiddie rides in Nickland. (I am not counting W&G as that was a retheme of Gold Mine - and poorer for it too).

In the same time we have lost Log Flume, Space Invader, Cableway, Water Chute, Monorail, Turtle Chase, Whip, Noah's Ark, Bling, Tea Cups, Spin Doctor, Astro Swirl, Trauma Towers, and of course the greatest loss of all - Wild Mouse. The Magnolia Cafe was also a sad loss with its views of River Caves and Gold Mine.

That's a net loss of 11 rides since Valhalla was built (or about a third of the total non kiddie rides). I don't see that as progress at all !
 
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shakey said:
I didn't include pre 2000 stuff but you can certainly add a few more rides to the list from the 80s and 90s that haven't directly been replaced, with the reel very much at the top of that list.
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But Space Invader was replaced by a pizza restaurant & Wild Mouse by an, erm, eating & drinking area (which I’ve never seen open).

I used to go to BPB for the rides until @rob666 turned me into an old fart and introduced me to Madame Crevettes oyster bar. Is it opening day yet?
 
BPB is getting towards a day at Thorpe for me. Both extremely limited capacity so either has to be a quiet day or be there not really bothered about rides as such like a meet. On my last visit there was no Nash and Dipper was suffering queue wise so I was stood between Icon, PMBO and Rev. Rev is the best but hindered by stairs and Icon was flaky and on one train so meant 1 train PMBO, thankfully it was quiet but the park doesn't take much now to make it totally saturated and a pint elsewhere more appealing.
 
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Poisson said:
BPB is getting towards a day at Thorpe for me. Both extremely limited capacity so either has to be a quiet day or be there not really bothered about rides as such like a meet. On my last visit there was no Nash and Dipper was suffering queue wise so I was stood between Icon, PMBO and Rev. Rev is the best but hindered by stairs and Icon was flaky and on one train so meant 1 train PMBO, thankfully it was quiet but the park doesn't take much now to make it totally saturated and a pint elsewhere more appealing.
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I have said this before and I will probably say it again.

In my experience Towers generally has longer wait times for rides compared to Blackpool (plus the extra time wasted walking between ride areas). I am not suggesting that PB have good ride throughput but they just get less footfall than towers.

There are of course occasions when PB simply cannot cope with the numbers, Vampire Beach being a prime example or busy days where the wind affects ride availability, and it can be frustrating when they choose to run rides below capacity, causing queues on days where there simply shouldn't be queues. But overall I have encountered more frustrating wait times at towers over the years.

There is also the Fast Track v Speedypass comparison with PB's speedypass system a much more affordable way to avoid the queues than the rip off that is Fast Track.

It will be interesting to see how this new automated queuing system works at towers. It could improve guest experience a lot on busy days (assuming towers don't charge about £50 per person to use it that is !!!)
 
My point is not related to Towers. It just pertains to BPB and the lack of rides and sometimes poor operations on said rides. Lets take PMBO. They're currently pouring money into the ride, how much would it be to adjust software and hardware to allow 3 fast trains? I'm not a theme park engineer (if anyone fancies hiring me, let me know x ) but I'm sure that a competent company (no, not KumbaK) were allowed at the ride it would help massively because it should have a minimum of 2 trains and 3 on busy days and soak queues.

Then we get to the point mentioned further up the thread, the gutting of the ride offering. Towers gets away with a lot due to the ability to spread people over a wide area whereas BPB does not. Multiple times at BPB I have struggled to decide what to queue for as the queues have increased for the remaining rides. You're at the gaff more than me and from inferring the above there are times where you're there for the craic, not rides. I'm sure being so familiar with the parks you look at queues and cannot be bothered. Nothing in the park is worth more than say half hour (Nash or Rev) worth of queueing.

I'll give you another example: a few years back several of us had a brilliant meet at Chesvegas, sunny weather and pints all round etc. It was brilliant BUT the rides were not doable with massive queues galore. Without the social side and being able to say blow this we're staying on the pints, it would have been terrible, the park was completely saturated. Would I go back? Well I am due to go back, but the first thought it queue avoidance and I want to go in with the Capybaras anyway.

I enjoy a day at BPB but it becomes clearer and clearer they have to be specific off peak days to avoid the park becoming a joke. Yes Towers have queues and a whole host of problems of their own but in the balance I find BPB far worse for it.
 
Spent much time there, in the rain, during the brief period it actually ran on three.
The ride ran no quicker on three than on two, unless the staff were on top form, and everything slowed down for wristbands, very clearly.
Most days the Beach queues are bearable, it is just peak times...school holidays and illumination weekends, that are bad.
Rarely a queue for the bars, and stunning service.
 
Dipper_Dave said:
Can of worms opened. PMBO on 3 trains. Wouldn’t you just be sat on the brake run for ages like you can be on Oblivion?
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You'd spend a lot of time sat on the mid-course, that ride is not designed for a world of baggage faff, Speedy Pass and disabled access.
 
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