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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Icon - 2018 Mack Double Launch Coaster

ringo said:
Of course post Smiler Merlin would never run this sort of PR these days but it does remind me of The Swarm PR that the ride was that dangerous test dummies were coming back with loss of limbs (of course dummies were damaged pre ride and it was just marketing guff)

Did BPB run a test like that with dummies?
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As far as I know, it was only these dummies that were used.

https://towersstreet.com/talk/threa...ouble-launch-coaster.3691/page-96#post-222094

They are effectively torsos, with giant Finish powerball dishwasher tablets for heads (other tablets are available). So whilst they wouldn't have had their fingernails bruised on Icon, they are perfect riders for BPB - immaculately well behaved, no loose items in their pockets, no arm waving, none of them are so rotund that they have to swap seats, and they don't stand waiting for front row seats whilst updating enthusiast sites. That said, they don't spend any money in the park either :D
 
Holy shit LOL
<< starts looking at flight costs to local airfields to get there and experience finger tickling before someone tells The Daily Fail and they launch a campaign to have the ride shut...
 
Coaster said:
Well it'll surely have to be demolished if they apply the same logic to it as Mouse!!

Make me a bit angry actually, we lose one of the best rides in the world because it apparrently "isn't fit for purpose" and "has no clearance so is a danger" and then they proceed to build a brand new coaster without clearance?! And throw old bits of Mouse under it as decoration!

Not good.
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Something tells me you are never going to get over the removel of the Wild Mouse! ;)

Going to have to try and get the back left seat next time I ride Icon though! :p It's not ideal but hardly a massive problem, you can give your hand a good whack on a support on RMT at Towers if sitting in any left seat.

:)
 
Apologies for my complete ignorance on Icon... is there a risk another train could run through the section of track that you can touch? Or is it within the same block as the train you're on?
 
Alsty said:
Apologies for my complete ignorance on Icon... is there a risk another train could run through the section of track that you can touch? Or is it within the same block as the train you're on?
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It's within the same block, so no risk of that happening! There certainly would not be enough clearance for two trains!

:)
 
Rob said:
Something tells me you are never going to get over the removel of the Wild Mouse! ;)

Going to have to try and get the back left seat next time I ride Icon though! :p It's not ideal but hardly a massive problem, you can give your hand a good whack on a support on RMT at Towers if sitting in any left seat.

:)
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Not sure what gave you that impression! :tearsofjoy:

It's one thing to happen on an older ride, but on a brand new Mack multi-launch it's a bit surprising IMO.
 
The clearance of PMBO on Nick Streak's support after the blocks is pretty narrow when sitting on the left. Always think I'm going to loose an arm.
 
Rob said:
you can give your hand a good whack on a support on RMT at Towers if sitting in any left seat.

:)
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Make sure the Daily Mail don't find this post, or there might be a petition to get RMT closed down! ;)
 
Matt N said:
Make sure the Daily Mail don't find this post, or there might be a petition to get RMT closed down! ;)
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Pretty sure if sitting on the right hand side you have a fair chance of amputating your arm if you lean out the train as you enter the station the way the concrete for the station platform has been cured.
 
Managed to get to BPB on Saturday, rode Icon and it's a wonderful coaster.

Got nine rides on it. Operations very good, just a couple of moment of downtime due to clearing up some vomit.

Its very smooth, and a decent length too. Love the immelman in particular. Its very close to being my favourite UK coaster. Very close indeed.

Great addition to the park.
 
Nice flying visit today. To celebrate the World Cup I managed a ‘perfect hat trick’ on Icon: middle of train, back row & front row. Absolutely love the front row. Really really smooth, at times it feels like the only sound you hear is the wind rushing past your ears. Back is fun but a bit rattly.

Really good two train ops on Icon today, can’t fault the ride staff. Lots of calls to keep moving down the platform & filling rows, and even a quick single rider request to fill the empty front row seat next to me. A guy jumped at the chance, abandoned his mates and rushed on just in time.

I must say the trains are brilliant, the freedom to move your arms and legs about and have not be boxed in by train sides is ace.

Park getting busier now with students & school trips, the buggers had food vouchers too, hence a bit of a wait at FY4 Gourmet Burger Kitchen. That queue is deceptive, like the Grand Prix one. What looks like only a few people waiting is actually a 20 minute wait by the time you get your food. That chilli jam is sweet though. Felt sorry for the staff who could barely hear orders whilst the fountain show was on. They’ll be queuing to the door at BK before you know it. I like a BK but I’ll never queue to a door for one!

Seemed busy but everyone spreads out well around the park and Icon queue moved along very nicely
 
MakoMania said:
Weren't Icon's safety envelopes supposed to have been checked by an external third party before it started testing?
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I thought every roller coaster was. Clearly I am wrong :p
Dipper_Dave said:
Nice flying visit today. To celebrate the World Cup I managed a ‘perfect hat trick’ on Icon: middle of train, back row & front row. Absolutely love the front row. Really really smooth, at times it feels like the only sound you hear is the wind rushing past your ears. Back is fun but a bit rattly.

Really good two train ops on Icon today, can’t fault the ride staff. Lots of calls to keep moving down the platform & filling rows, and even a quick single rider request to fill the empty front row seat next to me. A guy jumped at the chance, abandoned his mates and rushed on just in time.

I must say the trains are brilliant, the freedom to move your arms and legs about and have not be boxed in by train sides is ace.

Park getting busier now with students & school trips, the buggers had food vouchers too, hence a bit of a wait at FY4 Gourmet Burger Kitchen. That queue is deceptive, like the Grand Prix one. What looks like only a few people waiting is actually a 20 minute wait by the time you get your food. That chilli jam is sweet though. Felt sorry for the staff who could barely hear orders whilst the fountain show was on. They’ll be queuing to the door at BK before you know it. I like a BK but I’ll never queue to a door for one!

Seemed busy but everyone spreads out well around the park and Icon queue moved along very nicely
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Glad you had a good time. I can't fault the staff at all, everyone was really friendly at both Blackpool and the Towers. That's good that visitor numbers are picking up now as well :)
 
speedy said:
I thought every roller coaster was. Clearly I am wrong :p

Glad you had a good time. I can't fault the staff at all, everyone was really friendly at both Blackpool and the Towers. That's good that visitor numbers are picking up now as well :)
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It's good that visitor numbers are picking up, but I'd suggest this is the case every year at this point in the season.

The hard fact is, or rather appears to be, that Icon hasn't increased attendances or made the park any busier on the usually quieter periods. Something's not right.
 
Coaster said:
It's good that visitor numbers are picking up, but I'd suggest this is the case every year at this point in the season.

The hard fact is, or rather appears to be, that Icon hasn't increased attendances or made the park any busier on the usually quieter periods. Something's not right.
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I don't have access to the numbers, it's clear that numbers are 'up' but I guess at this stage we don't know by how much. Could be quite significant.

It's important to note that guest numbers aren't necessarily the only metric that determines the level of a park's success, especially as we see a shift to the resort model.
 
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