- News all the latest
- Theme Park explore the park
- Resort tour the resort
- Future looking forward
- History looking back
- Community and meetups
-
ℹ️ Heads up...
This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks. - Thread starter Rob
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
- Favourite Ride
- Magnum XL-200
- Favourite Ride
- Montu
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Icon - 2018 Mack Double Launch Coaster
Skyscraper
TS Member
Me too- Never ridden Helix or any other Mack Launch.A lot of people who ride Icon will have never ridden Helix (probably 95% of them - and me included). In fact most probably won't have even heard of Helix.
venny
TS Member
It’s a decent point that depending on what happens with the entrance area and access around it, it might not be too easy to get a full view of that second half of the ride from outside the queue. A lot of it will be hunkered down in the old lake area and obscured by its own station, Avalanche etc. Perhaps there will be a decent view on the other side by the shop on top of the tunnel.
MakoMania
TS Member
To those saying they haven't been on Helix.... Fix this. Helix is ten times the coaster Icon dreams of being.![]()
Depends if you prefer inversions or transitions
Dave
TS Founding Member
Depends if you prefer inversions or transitions
That’s not really a differentiator, Helix has plenty of transitions and airtime hills (and one particularly fun transition with airtime) and the inversions easily fit within the extra 1000ft it has on Icon. Icon based on the CG POV has a lot of wide sweeping curves which worry me but you can never really tell with POV’s how the thing will ride.
I’m not though going to assume where Icon will fall on the Mack scale of good until I have ridden it.
MakoMania
TS Member
That’s not really a differentiator, Helix has plenty of transitions and airtime hills (and one particularly fun transition with airtime) and the inversions easily fit within the extra 1000ft it has on Icon. Icon based on the CG POV has a lot of wide sweeping curves which worry me but you can never really tell with POV’s how the thing will ride.
I’m not though going to assume where Icon will fall on the Mack scale of good until I have ridden it.
Those aren't my own words, they're the words of the Mack Rides guys at IAAPA. Go argue with them
Both rides are relatively similar on airtime moments (although the strength of airtime remains to be seen) but Icon has so many more non inversion transitions than Helix, it's not even close.
Last edited:
ScottPBE
TS Member
I've been on Helix and was blown away with it, it was so much better than I was expecting and eventually spent most of my second day at Liseberg re-riding Helix. I do think Icon will be better, that may well be because of my connections with the Pleasure Beach, but I do think it'll be better, the near misses and the interaction with existing attractions is a major factor in it for me, I also think where we'll get airtime will be some really good 'near miss' moments, for example the airtime hill that's going to go through the Big One.
We can only wait and see, but I am confident this is going to claim the title for the UK's best coaster.
We can only wait and see, but I am confident this is going to claim the title for the UK's best coaster.
Benzin
TS Member
I've been on Helix and was blown away with it, it was so much better than I was expecting and eventually spent most of my second day at Liseberg re-riding Helix. I do think Icon will be better, that may well be because of my connections with the Pleasure Beach, but I do think it'll be better, the near misses and the interaction with existing attractions is a major factor in it for me, I also think where we'll get airtime will be some really good 'near miss' moments, for example the airtime hill that's going to go through the Big One.
We can only wait and see, but I am confident this is going to claim the title for the UK's best coaster.
You mean like Helix does?
Personally I think this will ride a lot more like Manta at SeaWorld San Diego than Helix, albeit a lot faster than Manta. I thought that ride was a really good fun coaster with some great ejector air / sideways moments and Icon shares the same ground hugging, fast directional changes that Manta has, so should be full of those moments.
I liked Helix, but nowhere near as much as others do
I liked Helix, but nowhere near as much as others do
Had a nice stroll round the park boundary this afternoon, better than working.
You can now see little bits of the track from outside the park...just!
The strange mini gates by Kickin Chicken are one viewing spot, and the ride can be seen from the south gate, but there isn't much track to see yet.
I thought it was going to be a woodie?
You can now see little bits of the track from outside the park...just!
The strange mini gates by Kickin Chicken are one viewing spot, and the ride can be seen from the south gate, but there isn't much track to see yet.
I thought it was going to be a woodie?
Coaster
TS Member
I've never ridden a Mack Mega but just by looking at the layouts for Icon and Helix, they look like very different rides.
The layout for Icon looks like the main focus is quick, snappy transitions with lots of low-to-ground turns, airtime moments and a couple of inversions to add some variety. Helix on the other hand has a much more inversion-focused layout, with other elements (airtime/turns) breaking these up - whereas inversions are not the main objective with Icon.
I don't see why Icon needs to be constantly compared with Helix anyway, they're two completely different coasters.
The layout for Icon looks like the main focus is quick, snappy transitions with lots of low-to-ground turns, airtime moments and a couple of inversions to add some variety. Helix on the other hand has a much more inversion-focused layout, with other elements (airtime/turns) breaking these up - whereas inversions are not the main objective with Icon.
I don't see why Icon needs to be constantly compared with Helix anyway, they're two completely different coasters.
Brad97
TS Member
I'm pretty sure its still a work in progress.The station looks terribly boring, boxy and bland. More like a warehouse than a station.
Disappointingly uninspired - I’m surprised it looks so bland and hope it will have something to embellish it. I’m not really seeing how those embellishments might come about though.