• 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.

Pleasurewood Hills

I can see Pleasurewood getting sold off soon, I don't think Looping group are committed now they have Drayton Manor. I still think the park has potential but it needs an owner with deep pockets and ambition. Cannonball express is still a great coaster.
 
I'd love to see Pleasurewood Hills become an Independently owned and ran park. What they already have there is great, especially their interactive Dark Ride, and I think if they can gain the budget for more investment and with full creative freedom. First thing though, they really need to sort out what's there already instead of new attractions and areas, like How Loopings did with Drayton Manor. I wish this park a bright future!
 
From what I understand the current focus is redoing the old rides. There been some huge props added to the ponies and safari rides this year.

Management have a vision for the park and are trying to revitalise the park.

Unfortunately most of the time people remember the 90s and 00s when the theme park industry was different.

TripAdvisor reviews mean little, the go-karts removal is a big area of complaints yet when they were open and an upcharge to cover fuel costs nobody paid it and was one of the biggest costs.

There's definitely been some investment in the place but it's catchment area is only so much and since Wipeout failed to provide a significant increases in year on year attendance the park seems reluctant to buy another coaster.

That said there's definitely enough room for a Mack Stryker or Zamperla lightning coaster and the back of the park where the go karts used to be.
 
MattyH said:
From what I understand the current focus is redoing the old rides. There been some huge props added to the ponies and safari rides this year.

Management have a vision for the park and are trying to revitalise the park.

Unfortunately most of the time people remember the 90s and 00s when the theme park industry was different.

TripAdvisor reviews mean little, the go-karts removal is a big area of complaints yet when they were open and an upcharge to cover fuel costs nobody paid it and was one of the biggest costs.

There's definitely been some investment in the place but it's catchment area is only so much and since Wipeout failed to provide a significant increases in year on year attendance the park seems reluctant to buy another coaster.

That said there's definitely enough room for a Mack Stryker or Zamperla lightning coaster and the back of the park where the go karts used to be.
Click to expand...
Adding a few props here and there is not enough to get folk into the gates...

The existing ride line up is on its last legs with poor ops and in some cases reduced ride experience and so many areas/units on site have been SBNO for years.

More has been taken away in recent times than added so empty plot after empty plot continues.

Unfortunately on todays modern online world everything is done through whats in our hands ( near enough) and a tik tok video or review is what people see first.

It needs significant investment something I am quite sure they would have done by now ( maybe after drayton have their new coaster in 2024 they will ). Yet I doubt it.

It's location doesn't help at all yet in my view that's its real selling point.
 
I not been since 1998 and not been to that area of the uk since 2010. I was just shocked to see how bad it looked as from Shawn’s vlog’s where they invested money on re-theming rides there been no investment since they took over Drayton Manor.
I also noticed on the website that they only open at weekends in term times and October they only open during the Oct half term week.
C4F79787-07B6-4ECF-9639-8D4D1F9CD248.png
So they must not be making much money and staff must be mainly students as the pay won’t be good if they only open 13 days in May.
 
Yes the opening calendar has been slashed hugely in recent years and at times only actually opened on good Friday too !
 
I visited 2 years ago and it was looking shabby then. Problem is most of the rides are from the 1980s and are showing Thier age. The park itself is I'm a nice spot and they have plenty of space but given where it is you really need a compelling reason to go which there isn't. Strong Camelot VIBES this season.
 
They must really focus on the holiday makers as the reason they only open during the school holidays and weekends. I doubt with the lack of investment many locals buy an annual pass. I was told Drayton and the Safari Park annual pass holders were gonna get a 20% discount in the summer months which is good if you’re holidaying over that way.
 
Last edited:
They could do with having a nose at some of the better SBF Visa offerings if they want to add, or pray some other Loopings park sacks off something good.
 
The park was in a much worse state in 2019.

They've just replaced the hydraulic system on the pirate ship with an electrical system.

That's a fair wad of cash...

I can't see the park going anywhere, it's one of the biggest employers in the area.
 
MattyH said:
The park was in a much worse state in 2019.

They've just replaced the hydraulic system on the pirate ship with an electrical system.

That's a fair wad of cash...

I can't see the park going anywhere, it's one of the biggest employers in the area.
Click to expand...
Yes yet the pirate ship has been knackered for around 20 years so if they didn't do that it would be another empty plot or removed attraction, something that is consistent there unfortunately.
 
Visited once, around 2016. Thought it was crap, will never go back.

Shocked it's still open actually. Within the next 5 years I as this, LWV, Flamingo and Oakwood going.

Real shame, but these places cost a lot to run as it is. This economic crisis simply won't help.
 
Jb85 said:
Visited once, around 2016. Thought it was crap, will never go back.

Shocked it's still open actually. Within the next 5 years I as this, LWV, Flamingo and Oakwood going.

Real shame, but these places cost a lot to run as it is. This economic crisis simply won't help.
Click to expand...

Flamingo Land isn’t going anywhere. The caravan site is massively popular (and that side of things must generate a lot of income) the park seems to have quite a big draw both from the North East and North Yorkshire. The park seems to have picked things up since COVID and they’ve got more rides in action than they did before.
 
Last edited:
Iirc, Flamingo Land just about self sustains as a theme park and makes serious bank off the caravan side. PWH doesn't have this and I highly doubt could afford any new hardware
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top