Blackpool Pleasure Beach a place were I have visited every year for the last 20 years. I love it. It is pretty well placed to get to from the Motorways (M55, M6) and also has a train station accessable from PrestonTrain Station. The park is real value for money with the introduction of wristband, as long as you make the most of them.
PRICE (rating 4/5)
Normally £29 for the day although this price does tend to fluctuate throughout the year. Also a friend of mine got a cheap pair off ebay. £29 each for a family can work out quite expensive but no more than taking the family on a premiership football match that last an hour and a half. If you arrive early and stay all day there is real value for money. You can even talk a stroll up the prom and return later if you wish. Wristbands allow unlimited riding all day long as many times as you wish plus a free seat to the amazing shows such as Hot Ice (ice skating show) and Illusionists etc. If you look at picture seven its an overhead view of the park. I have numbered the rides. 1 is the BIG ONE the big drop. 2 The now deceased LOG FLUME which is actually been concreted in (new pic to arrive soon). 3 Pleasure
Beach Express 4. BIG DIPPER 5. SPIN DOCTOR 6. AVALANCHE 7. ICE BLAST. 8 REVOLUTION See below for a brief write up on each along with many others!
RIDES
Now, there are over 145 rides in the park and I usually would attempt to get on all of them to get value!!. Here is a review of my favorites.
The main ride is The Pepsi Max BIG ONE. Europe's tallest rollercoaster and I been told it is 235ft high with over one mile of twisting and turning at speeds of up to 87mph! I love this ride although it does get cold at the peak in the evenings! The ride itself is now 12 years old and had its first accident erm 12 years ago but these kind of stats add to the whiteness of your knuckles!! See picture 7 for the big one drop!
The ICE BLAST is another white nuckle. It is a tall tower with a square block of seat attached around it. Once on it catapults you 210ft into the air followed by a stomach tickling freefall.
SPIN DOCTOR turns your world upside down at 120ft at a speed of over 60mph. It is basically a large arm which leaves you 120ft in the air while the bottom carriage boards but is really good when it get going.
THE GRAND NATIONAL is a roller coaster made from Wood (well the tracks are), and has two tracks on which two trains race each other. Both tracks are similar, and its a good laugh if your friends mix between the two. The trains leave the station and climb up the lift hill, then in true roller coaster fashion it goes down and up and down and up and round the bend and up and down again. Most of the drops are greeted with signs from the great race such as beechers brook, the chair etc. After lots of ups and downs and rounds, the trains race towards the finishing line, and drop under a bridge (mind your head!), before a short climb to the winning post. The winner is random I think or may go on weight and can be quite competitive between your group! Take at look at pictures 3 and 4 to see shots from the ride.
BIG DIPPER is another wooden roller coaster and is simiialr to the National but only one track. Plenty of ups and downs and rounds and speed and I do believe it is over 80 years old. see pic 1 for the big dipper logo and pic 5 for a view from the ride.
STEEPLECHASE is a different white knuckle ride and has three tracks. The carts are replaced with horses (not real ones!) and again it is a race between three people. The horses set of approch a bend up a hill, down a hill where at the peak is a fench with enough gap to squeeze through. Get competative with your mates and have a wager on this one. Suitable for people over 11 years.
GHOST TRAIN is world famous and apparently has a ghost residing in the ride. Most Haunted TV visited there about three years ago. The ride is quite simple as ghost trains are with lots of spiders and ugly faces (not just the staff). Good fun for all ages.
VALHALLA is a new ride and beware you will get wet! This is a money making ploy to sell you a carrier bag that fits over your body...just and is worth 2p for two pounds! The ride itself is pretty good for anyone over 10.This viking boat sails on a track submerged in water and take you through Hot, cold, wet and gales. Good ride!
AVALANCHE is a bobsleigh like rollercoaster and the carts hold two people. You begin up the lift hill and then once at the top you fly round a series of twists and turns. There is no track once your up the lift hill and the carts rely on gravity to stay on the course! Another great ride and first opened by Eddie The Eagle Edwards in the early 90`s!
GOLD MINE is an indoor roller coaster and is a white knuckle ride for the kids. With some nice goldmining models and information mixed with pitch black speedy drops to scare youngster witless!! Seriously most kids love it and will drag you on it time after time!
.The SPACE INVADOR 2 is similar to the avalanche but is indoors and is not supposed to be bobsleigh! The REVOLUTION which is a simple loop which you firstly go forwards and then backwards. I love it but once is enough! WILD MOUSE is a whiplash giving ride on a tight track and trhreatens to fly off the edge! These are my favorites and I couldnt possibly explain every ride but I will keep updating every time I visit Blackpool.
There is also THE PLEASURE BEACH EXPRESS which is a train ride around the park. Very relaxing and has disabled access!
And for the kids there is BEAVERS CREEK which has lots of mini rides and hosts the mini log flume, which now is the only log flume since the main one closed on 3rd September 2006. Also there are merry go rounds, car rides, mini boats, and even a mini ice blast wow. The kids seem to love it. Its like a mini pleasure beach, as you would expect.
SIDESHOWS
The sideshows are not the best as the rides tend to get all the upgrades. There is the ARABIAN DERBY where you race upto twenty people by rolling balls into holes and moving your camel. the ARCADES do have all the up to date machines especially for the kids. Then there are the usual coconut shys, the impossible ladder (you have to climb a very unsturdy ladder and ring the bell) Darts, Pool, and hook a duck, hook a bag, My main dislike is the fact you have to pay for all this fun on top of your wristband but hey the owner is loaded and he wants to be more loaded.
Overall the park is great and family friendly. There is loads to do and you even have the opportunity to stroll on the prom to break up the day!
Pictures of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
big dipper
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Advantages: Variety of rides, places to eat. Free entrance. Discount prices at certain times. Wheelchair friendly. Disadvantages: Can be queuing for some time. Some rides feel unsafe.
Advantages: Fantastic rides, fairly cheap, clean and tidy, a brilliant day out Disadvantages: Some of the rides a bit uncomfortable, have to pay extra for some things
Oct 6th, 2006
(May 4th, 2007)
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (90%):
helpful by (7%):
