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Southport Pleasureland

rob666 said:
They had a travelling Pinfari though...
They erected it, left it to rust without opening for a couple of years, right on the edge of the park next to the road...as dodgy advertising.
Then they took it down again.
Money talks, big unfunded ideas don't get past the planning stage.
Did the advertised new "Discovery" section promised for the zoo area actually open as promised last year?
Lots of bullshit plans that rarely come to fruition.
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They did get it running for a few seasons didn't they? Or is that just RCDB being wonky?
 
Rode it in 2019 and 2022. Can't say I was very impressed with it.

Visited in 2021 and it wasn't open, possible that day it might've opened later but I'd already left the park about 2 hours after it opened. Went to ride The Rocket and as they were doing 50% off wristbands I didn't need to ride too much to get my moneys worth.
 
Forget the coaster farce for a second.....did the steam punk area even open and if so was it a bit naff?
 
rob666 said:
Should they be doing big announcements if they don't have the dosh set up to make them happen?
"Trying and failing" four full years in a row is a bit duff...
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They never made any announcements about the coaster massively publiced, it was simply a planning application, we don't know what stopped them building it or anything.
 
Benjsh said:
Forget the coaster farce for a second.....did the steam punk area even open and if so was it a bit naff?
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Yes it did open. The marketing went completely dark, I'm assuming it'll be advertised for 2024?
They're meant to be retheming the Ghost Train as part of it too apparently.

The rides include;
Enigma - a gyroswing
Ultra - a booster
Paradox Engine - a miami in a shed
Existing Waveswinger, Rocket rollercoaster and Ghost Train

Here's a video showcasing the area. Looks more permanent than the rest of the park which is good

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtAm3zk6HNc
 
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JAperson said:
They never made any announcements about the coaster massively publiced, it was simply a planning application, we don't know what stopped them building it or anything.
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They did.
I followed the matter closely at the time.
It wasn't "simply a planning application", there was a great deal of publicity at the time, on radio, local press, and regional tv.
They had planning permission, the reason that two new coasters haven't been built is that they didn't have the resources, full stop.
I think it might have been better if they fully resourced a new project before getting planning and going public with their big ideas, that is what normally happens isn't it?
 
James Watkins said:
Yes it did open. The marketing went completely dark, I'm assuming it'll be advertised for 2024?
They're meant to be retheming the Ghost Train as part of it too apparently.

The rides include;
Enigma - a gyroswing
Ultra - a booster
Paradox Engine - a miami in a shed
Existing Waveswinger, Rocket rollercoaster and Ghost Train

Here's a video showcasing the area. Looks more permanent than the rest of the park which is good

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtAm3zk6HNc
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Yeah it looks okay I suppose. Not amazing by any modern day standards obviously but as you say compared to the rest of the park it's practically Universal standards. Hahaha

This place once was a really charming park that actually looked really nice. It's true it never had an abundance of great rides back in the day but it was still a solid day out. It's a shame it became a permanent fair ground for years.

Nice to see them trying to bring it back to the good old days again but it's going to take so much more investment to entice me back. They definitely need a really good and unique coaster to bring in some people.
 
Sheffieldthemepark said:
So just came across a post by Norman Wallis on Facebook group “Stand up for Southport” and Norman commented with the following picture. However it looks like Gerstlauer are now making the new coaster :)
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So it's Gerstlauer's take on Zamperla's take on a Gerstlauer Euro Fighter, looks interesting. Is that first element a zero-g stall or is it a double inverting element like on Untamed or the Lagoon roll on Cannibal?
 
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Sheffieldthemepark said:
So just came across a post by Norman Wallis on Facebook group “Stand up for Southport” and Norman commented with the following picture. However it looks like Gerstlauer are now making the new coaster :)
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That looks pretty good. Finally that place is getting some well deserved investment after 17 years 🙌
 
jesterrace989 said:
That looks pretty good. Finally that place is getting some well deserved investment after 17 years 🙌
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Sorry, but I gave up believing in Father Christmas many decades ago.
This is his third "go" at building a big new coaster...not seen a thing built.
Showman talk, at the start of a new season.
Anyone would think he was looking for free advertising...again!
More chance of Knightmare arriving.
 
Looks like they’ve got a new pirate area too - new swinging ship and another log flume by the looks of it !

www.southportpleasureland.com

Pirate Cove | UK Pirate Theme Park Adventure for Families

Visit Pleasureland for pirate rides, slides and fun in Pirate Cove. Unlock 4 theme lands and 30+ family rides.
www.southportpleasureland.com www.southportpleasureland.com
 

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It seems like they have gone back to paid entry this season, a massive mistake in my opinion. Park looked dead when I drove past earlier. Tourists don’t want to pay to spend a full day in the park, they want to walk around, go on a few rides, get something to eat. Making it paid entry cuts off any afternoon visitors as they won‘t pay for a couple of hours. This will be the death of the park, it’s a fairground not a themepark
 
MAC said:
It seems like they have gone back to paid entry this season, a massive mistake in my opinion. Park looked dead when I drove past earlier. Tourists don’t want to pay to spend a full day in the park, they want to walk around, go on a few rides, get something to eat. Making it paid entry cuts off any afternoon visitors as they won‘t pay for a couple of hours. This will be the death of the park, it’s a fairground not a themepark
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They should offer a combo of both paid rides and and all day wristband, that way they cater for both markets
 
Looking at the booking page online it seems that it’s £25 for admission now (£15 for Over 70s, Under 90cm kids go free).

That’s absolutely mental pricing. You’d think that a vitally important part of those kind of seaside amusement parks is getting people to pop in for a bit for free to have a look at the park, maybe go on a few rides, spend money on the stalls, buy some food, etc alongside those that go there to ride all day with a wristband. That just seems insane shutting the park off from casual trade. I bet quite a few families will get a hell of a shock when they turn up only to find that it’s full admission ticket or nothing.
 
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