• 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.

Rank the Blackpool Pleasure Beach coasters

Matt N

Matt N

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Hi guys. As "the UK's most ride intensive amusement park", Blackpool Pleasure Beach has a lot of coasters compared to most UK parks. Yet surprisingly, we don't appear to have a ranking thread for them. With this in mind, I'd be interested to know; how would you rank Blackpool's coasters? Which one is your favourite?

After taking my first visit to Blackpool since 2019 on Wednesday, I’ve done a bit of housekeeping in the rankings, and I now feel at liberty to express some updated thoughts on Blackpool’s crop of coasters!

My current ranking of Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s roller coasters would be as follows:
  1. Icon - I did wonder if 6 years and quite a few notable new additions to the coaster count might have made me like Icon less than I did in 2019, but if anything, my revisit to Blackpool only renewed my love for it. I think it’s an absolutely phenomenal coaster! Yes, it’s not the most intense of rides, but I find it to strike the perfect balance between fun, thrills and rerideability! There are some brilliant moments of airtime on there; the top hat at the beginning shines, but some other awesome airtime bits on there include the twist and drop into the second launch, the Jr Immelmann and an exceedingly fun little drop halfway through the second half! There are also some lovely moments of floaty hangtime that strike just the right balance without being excessively slow and hangy, with the roll and Jr Immelmann both providing some lovely hangtime! The twisty layout also keeps things really interesting, in my view; when I'm on Icon, it just feels like I'm twisting and floating my way around every part of the layout, and when combined with the smoothness and sublime Mack restraints, it's absolutely joyous, in my view! Overall, then, I think Icon is absolutely phenomenal; while it may not be my overall #2 or UK #1 anymore, it's still a wonderful ride that sits proudly in my 10/10 tier, the lower half of my top 10 and in my UK #2 spot, and it's definitely my favourite on park! Each to their own, but I remain surprised that it's so commonly disliked; I always come off it smiling and laughing! 10/10, #9/135
  2. Avalanche - There's something I quite like about a bobsled coaster, and Avalanche is a very good one! It feels like you're constantly gaining speed, and some of those transitions and corners pack surprising force! Some of the turns towards the bottom of the layout in particular are really whippy; I almost felt as though I was getting airtime in some of them, and they really do pack surprising speed! Strangely, I'd also say that I like it considerably more than Schweizer Bobbahn at Europa Park despite the two rides being the same model; Schweizer Bobbahn was nothing to write home about at all, from memory, whereas Avalanche is really good fun! 7/10, #43/135
  3. The Big One - I wasn't a fan of this at all the first time I rode it back in 2018, but it has grown on me a fair amount with time! I have to admit that it wasn't running badly at all on my recent trip; it was a bit rough in places, and I would have preferred it a bit smoother, but it was nothing too terrible at all, and some of the earlier sections of the layout had decent speed to them! I do admit that the Big One is the weakest coaster over 200ft I've ridden by some margin, with no airtime whatsoever and a lack of any particularly notable forces after the first drop. With that being said, that first drop is still an incredibly impressive sequence; I just love the raw speed you get flying down that first drop and into the first hill! And in general, some of the higher elements do have a nice sense of speed, what with the wind blowing in your face in some of those earlier sections! There's also something I find oddly charming about the Big One's layout that keeps high and traverses its way around various classic BPB attractions; it's sort of what I imagine one of those Jet Coasters in Japan being like! 6/10, #53/135
  4. Nickelodeon Streak - I was unfortunately unable to ride this on my recent revisit, but I seem to remember it being quite a fun woodie on my previous rides; it had some speed and airtime, and it wasn't too rough either! 6/10, #58/135
  5. Revolution - For a coaster that's not overly tall, fast or long, Revolution does pack a punch! The drops have some really surprising ejector airtime, and the loop has some nice forces going in the forwards direction! However, I'll admit that I'm not sure whether I'm such a fan of the backwards loop on this; I find it goes to my head a tad. But all in all, I think the airtime and fun forces in the forward loop still make it a good ride! 6/10, #59/135
  6. Big Dipper - This unfortunately wasn't running very well on my recent visit. There were some fun bits of airtime, but all of the valleys were pretty rough; it made me come off feeling a little in need of a new spine! Big Dipper has a long layout with some fun bits of airtime and good laterals, but the roughness definitely knocks it down a lot for me based on Wednesday's experience. Enjoyment was definitely impeded for me by the way it was bashing my knees against the side of the car in every valley. It's quite charming, though, and with a retrack and/or new trains, I do think it could be quite a fun ride. 4/10, #88/135
  7. Blue Flyer - I haven't ridden this since my first visit to the park in 2018, but I seem to remember it being a fun, if unremarkable, junior wooden coaster. One aspect of it I remember is the lovely smell of garlic bread as you pass through the Big Pizza Kitchen building! 4/10, #94/135
  8. Grand National - I haven't ridden this since 2019. From memory, it has a very decent layout, with some great bits of airtime and really good speed throughout... but is hugely impeded by the fact that it's truly, truly brutal. I don't think I've ever known wooden coaster roughness quite like that of Grand National, as I seem to remember it beating me to a pulp throughout the ride! The trains and restraints also don't help, with the lap bars seeming to dig in a fair amount when you get airtime. To possibly an even greater extent than Big Dipper, I think a retrack and/or new trains would do absolute wonders on Grand National; there's a very decent coaster hidden beneath the beating, I feel, as it has a strong layout! 2/10, #119/135
  9. Infusion - The SLC layout is good and the ride looks the part... but unfortunately, that's about all I can say that's positive about Infusion. My recent ride on it was dominated by the fact that it is utterly, ludicrously rough from start to end; it felt like my head never stopped banging, and with those awful thick OTSRs, it made my ears and shoulders hurt like hell. Overall, I think it's an utterly vile contraption, and easily one of my least favourite coasters I've ever ridden... it's almost impressive how the park's second newest coaster can beat out most of the heritage woodies and Arrows in terms of roughness and discomfort! 1/10, #132/135
  10. Steeplechase (Left & Right) - I hate to say this about such a unique ride... but I didn't enjoy either side of this in the slightest. The rides are incredibly uncomfortable, with Heimlich manoeuvre-style braking and turns that make the seat sides try and painfully impale you in the hips constantly, but they also don't really do much of anything. As rough as it is, Infusion at least tries to give some thrilling output, whereas Steeplechase doesn't really do a lot other than bash you in the hips. These are definitely two of my least favourite coasters ever, and as much as I hate to say it about something so unique, I don't think I'd care if Steeplechase went at this point. 1/10, #133/135 and #134/135
Blackpool has an interesting coaster selection in that Icon is my favourite ride there by quite some margin. Nothing else makes my top 25%, albeit 5 of the coasters make my top 50%. I do think that the park could maybe use another modern thrill coaster to complement Icon, and as said, I think Big Dipper and Grand National would both benefit immeasurably from a retrack and/or new trains.

But I'd be intrigued to know; how would you rank Blackpool Pleasure Beach's roller coasters?
 
1. Wild Mouse

A gaping vortex

2. Icon
3. Revolution
4. Avalanche

A well squeezed out poo in the Velvet Coaster bathroom

5. Big Dipper
6. Nick Streak
7. Grand National
8. Big One

getting punched in the face

9. Steeplechase
10. Infusion
 
Nice to see someone else who gets punched in the face on the Beach after a few coasters.
Not just me then.
And what about a vote for Blue Flyer?
...Just for the smell of garlic bread in the tunnel?
 
Last edited:
1. Icon (front row)
2. Icon (any other row)
3. Grand National (yes really, but not on a wheel seat)
4. Big one (for the first drop alone, the rest is pants)

Into “meh” territory….
5. And 6. Avalanche and Revolution, can’t decide between the two
7. Nick streak
8. Blue flyer
-
-
-
-
-
Down into the depths of misery:

9. Infusion (only narrowly avoids last place because the torture is over more quickly than the final horrendous contraption)
10. Steeplechase (it hurts so much, and it goes on and on and on, and it hasn’t even got one good redeeming feature).

(Not done Big Dipper, it’s been closed on both my visits. Never did the Mouse.)

Grand National, I actually really like and will be sad if it goes.
 
Pre-Icon I found ranking BPB's coasters incredibly easy. It was Mouse & Nash as a clear top 2 then it flowed neatly down from there but with Mouse gone and Nash inconsistent at best I find it a lot more difficult. Oh well, maybe something like this:

1. Icon. I don't even really rate it but it probably is the best coaster there. Far from perfect though and spends a lot of time meandering about doing very little.
2. Nash. Maybe a nostalgia vote in part but I still love the idea of it, even if the experience sometimes falls far short
3. PMBO. I've always bashed it and much of it is rubbish but it's an actual icon and a special ride at night with the illuminations stretching out up the prom.
4. Rev. Best bang-for-your-buck in the park but still loses points for being so short.
5. Dipper. It's OK. Takes too long to get to the top of the lift though
6. Avalanche. One of the better rides of its type, a bit short but the direction change into the uphill section is punchy.
7. Infusion. Mediocre rather than actively bad, I've always liked the layout and it's far from the worst SLC out there.
8. Streak. Just a bit meh really.
9. Steeplechase. A novel concept but doesn't actually do very much. If you lean into the corners and take your weight on your legs you can avoid the unpleasant transitions but it's still pretty cumbersome, particularly on the second half
10. Blue Flyer. Possibly a bit harsh to put it last given it's for kids but there's really not a lot there.
 
1. Wild Mouse - Best coaster ever built. And best coaster ever bulldozed !
2. Big One - Still the best hyper in the UK
3. Avalanche - Its just a fun coaster
4. Big Dipper
5. Nick Streak
6. Steeplechase
7. Grand National - On a non wheel seat
8. Icon
9. Revolution
10. Ghost Train - Yes it is a coaster
11. Blue Flyer
12. Infusion
 
I haven't been on Blue Flyer, Big Dipper or Grand National.
1: Icon
2: Revolution
3: Avalanche
4: Nick Streak
5: Big One
6: Infusion
7: Steeplechase
I don't hate any of BPB's coasters that I have ridden.
 
Wild Mouse would be number 1, but of the current crop:

1, Icon
2. Grand National (still love it)
3. Big Dipper
4. Avalanche
5. Nick Streak
6. Revolution
7. Steeplechase
8. Big One (the first drop saves it)
9. Blue Flyer (not bad, but just a kiddie coaster at the end of the day)
10. Infusion

Apart from some obvious choices, it's hard to rank them because I have similar feelings about most of the coasters there
 
1. Icon
2. Big One
3. Grand National Both Sides
4. Revolution
5. Big Dipper
6. Wild Mouse
7. Nickelodeon Streak
8. Avalanche
9. Blue Flyer
10. Steeplechase All 3 Sides
11. Infusion

I could include Astro Storm (Space Invader II) and Clown Coaster (Circus Clown) both former Pleasure Beach Coaster but I didn't ride them at Pleasure Beach but Brean Leisure Park and Wicksteed Park respectively.
 
1. Grand National - amazingly never had a rough ride on it
2. Blue Flyer - gets huge bonus points as it was the first coaster my son loved
3. Big One - love it
4. Dipper - good fun
5. Icon - slapping it in the middle. Never actually managed to ride it for a couple of reasons - the most glaring being in the depths of the worst hangover anxiety I’ve ever experienced halfway through a 3-day stag
6. Avalanche - decent fun
=6. Nick - also decent fun
8. Revolution
9. Steeplechase - Garbage
10. Infusion - the first ride I ever hated
 
Steve Minor said:
Don't you mean more painful.
Icon has to be one of if not the best coaster in the uk
Click to expand...

While I think infusion has had its day and needs to be replaced, I also wouldn't say that Icon was a particularly great coaster . It is a fantastic family coaster but it wasn't marketed as a family coaster and the £16+ million build cost is a heck of a lot for a family coaster.

There are several coasters past and present in Blackpool alone that are/were better than Icon, and certainly the one it indirectly replaced was far superior.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top