Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Future Predictions
- Thread starter James F
- Start date
MackMan
Mega Poster
I disgaree with this. Magnum XL at Cedar Point really showcased to me what the Big One does wrong. Even if it was glass smooth, i would still find it meh.
My main complaint with the coaster isn't even roughness tbh, it is the layout being a snooze-fest after the first drop.
I would not even say the ride showcases speed, the first half is basically the coaster taking drawn-out elements high off the ground at a slow pace. This would be fine if the airtime hills were not shallow and it actually had airtime, but you just kind of gently glide around these overly drawn out elements. The ride has quite a few airtime moments that just completely fall flat on its head. The second half (post MCBR) certainly has more speed, but it really is not anything to write home about by itself.
The ride to me feels like a scaled up family coaster, i find a ride like Euro-Mir or even Eurosat more intense than Big One, and they are both less than half the size and are considered family friendly coasters. Wild Mouse when it was around made Big One feel so mild. Big One in ways reminds me of Titan/Goliath. It really showcases how you can be very tall and fast and still be meh. Anyway that is just my take, for me i believe the ride's transitions are just way too drawn out to be enjoyable (besides an amazing first drop).
Anyway my predictions for the park:
So honestly i find predicting Pleasure Beach difficult, the park has a huge space problem, so with new coasters like with Icon they are going to have to get creative. I think the next coaster will be a replacement, and i believe Revolution would be the next coaster to go (not for a awhile though). If it did go, maybe a S&S freespin? Or anywhere they could squeeze the tiny coaster. I think they are under-rated rides, would be very easy to market to the UK public, cheap, and easy to slot in. Another good option for another plot of land would be a raptor. They tend to be cheap, great for parks with no space, and would be a popular ride and easy to market. I think those last two coasters would be a lot easier for marketing, which seemed to be problematic for Icon.
Kw6sTheater
Hyper Poster
I've always been interested in Blackpool Pleasure Beach, as I'm fascinated by hyper-compact parks, such as the aforementioned Pleasure Beach, Grona Lund, Indiana Beach and Galaxyland (seriously, it's much more compact than you might think if you haven't been there). I took a look on Google Earth to scout out any relatively large spaces within the park for a new coaster that wouldn't involve removing or interacting with a lot of rides.
I couldn't upload the photos to CoasterFORCE directly, so I put them in an Imgur album:
I found a decent amount of space in and around Wild Mouse's former location; the only things occupying it currently are a building (circled in red) and what looks like backstage parking (circled in purple). As for what coaster could fit here, I really agree with @Matt N on adding a modern GCI or Gravity Group wooden coaster - I think it'd really illustrate to the British public how far wooden coasters have come over the past 100 years, and if it had overbanked turns, an inversion, steel support structure or even just some modern elements, it would be easily distinguishable from one of the classics. In theory, the coaster could break the height and speed records with a steeper lift hill than normal, but as the space is very compact, I'm not sure if it'd be able to break the length record as well. However, since I haven't been to the Pleasure Beach, I have to ask: what's inside that building? And do you think Blackpool Pleasure Beach would be willing to move or remove either the building or the backstage parking to make room for a coaster?
The only other large amount of space inside the park that came to mind after looking around on Google Earth was Steeplechase's footprint; although it interacts with a lot of other rides, it's twice as large as the Wild Mouse location, and could fit a sizable coaster even if it didn't interact with Big Dipper, Nickelodeon Streak or Big One at all. I think a Vekoma Bermuda Blitz would be a great fit in this location.
I couldn't upload the photos to CoasterFORCE directly, so I put them in an Imgur album:
I found a decent amount of space in and around Wild Mouse's former location; the only things occupying it currently are a building (circled in red) and what looks like backstage parking (circled in purple). As for what coaster could fit here, I really agree with @Matt N on adding a modern GCI or Gravity Group wooden coaster - I think it'd really illustrate to the British public how far wooden coasters have come over the past 100 years, and if it had overbanked turns, an inversion, steel support structure or even just some modern elements, it would be easily distinguishable from one of the classics. In theory, the coaster could break the height and speed records with a steeper lift hill than normal, but as the space is very compact, I'm not sure if it'd be able to break the length record as well. However, since I haven't been to the Pleasure Beach, I have to ask: what's inside that building? And do you think Blackpool Pleasure Beach would be willing to move or remove either the building or the backstage parking to make room for a coaster?
The only other large amount of space inside the park that came to mind after looking around on Google Earth was Steeplechase's footprint; although it interacts with a lot of other rides, it's twice as large as the Wild Mouse location, and could fit a sizable coaster even if it didn't interact with Big Dipper, Nickelodeon Streak or Big One at all. I think a Vekoma Bermuda Blitz would be a great fit in this location.
Munchy Road Hippopotamus
Mega Poster
Is anything inside the Space Invader II building?
Intamin Forever
Mega Poster
Inside sources at Blackpool Pleasure Beach said that The Ride To Happiness was actually designed for them to fit in this place however after the bad reflux of Icon the park couldn't afford to do another £15 million + ride 3 years after in 2021
Ethan
Strata Poster
Nope, sorry. Not buying it.
Intamin Forever
Mega Poster
Ask Mack Rides then
Ethan
Strata Poster
Well I'm sure you'll be kind enough to share Roland's mobile number with the rest of us then?
Intamin Forever
Mega Poster
private information
Intamin Forever
Mega Poster
just email them and they will tell you what i have said
Ethan
Strata Poster
It's fine don't worry, I have Roland Mack on snapchat and he personally messaged me to tell me it's not true
Matt N
CF Legend
I’ve heard that rumour too, and it would definitely make sense given that the footprint of Ride to Happiness is kind of long and thin, and looks like it would fit that space. Ride to Happiness also has some very weird supports that look as though they might have been made to go over paths and such. There’s certainly a precedent for parks buying rides originally intended for other parks; for example, I know Sky Scream at Holiday Park was originally intended for a park in China, and I’ve heard rumblings that Rita at Alton Towers was originally intended for a different park.
But I suppose @Ethan has heard straight from the horse’s mouth that it’s not true, so I guess that puts that one to bed…
Whether it was Ride to Happiness or not, there are definitely strong rumours that a second Mack coaster was originally intended to follow Icon in 2020/2021, but it was cancelled following Icon’s sulack of success.
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CSLKennyNI
Giga Poster
RtH funky supports fit around the lake and rides it crosses. Its custom to that area. And without some serious demolition and modifications wouldn't fit in BPB as it is. Insane to think otherwise. Maybe they considered an Xtreme Spinner but that doesn't mean it was RtH.
Unrelated note I hear Helix was built for Oakwood. However they cancelled; and the track and supports just happened to perfectly fit in Liseberg.
Unrelated note I hear Helix was built for Oakwood. However they cancelled; and the track and supports just happened to perfectly fit in Liseberg.
MackMan
Mega Poster
I honestly believe those rumours are just that.. Rumours.
I guess you have to remember this park is owned by a family, not some huge chain.
Honestly i am surprised they built Icon, i think another coaster so soon is completely ridiculous and that is me putting it gently.
When it comes to GCI's being suggested for this park, i honestly believe it would be redundant. Building similar stuff to the Towers just doesn't make sense in my opinion. Blackpool works well as its so different to Alton Towers, so why build something that is going to very similar. I don't think the park would build a new woodie, but if they did. A Gravity Group would be the way forward in my opinion, as they could pull a Mine Blower (inversion), or a Switchback (shuttle) which would make the coaster eye catching to the public, and make the GP less inclined to say "oh yeah its the same as the one as Alton Towers".
I guess you have to remember this park is owned by a family, not some huge chain.
Honestly i am surprised they built Icon, i think another coaster so soon is completely ridiculous and that is me putting it gently.
When it comes to GCI's being suggested for this park, i honestly believe it would be redundant. Building similar stuff to the Towers just doesn't make sense in my opinion. Blackpool works well as its so different to Alton Towers, so why build something that is going to very similar. I don't think the park would build a new woodie, but if they did. A Gravity Group would be the way forward in my opinion, as they could pull a Mine Blower (inversion), or a Switchback (shuttle) which would make the coaster eye catching to the public, and make the GP less inclined to say "oh yeah its the same as the one as Alton Towers".
A ride operator, a janitor, or the guy in the gift shop? Anyway, that story is obviously total horse manure.
As for what BPB is getting next ... I have a sneaking suspicion that BPB waited 11 years between Infusion and Icon for a reason. Building a new coaster is expensive, BPB had to save for many years (or spend a long time applying for loans) to fund it, and the venture didn't pay off as well as hoped. It may very well be 11 years until the next coaster comes along too.
In general, it seems like the amusement industry isn't following the old RCT logic of "if you build great rides, a lot of people will come and give you lots of money" as much as we might have hoped for. Rides are getting more expensive, hiring staff is getting more expensive, and guest spending doesn't appear to keep up with those costs. More activities are competing for people's spare time than before, and amusement parks seem to be unable to sustain the spending rate they had at the turn of the millennium. How many amusement parks have closed in the UK over the recent couple of decades, again? RCDB suggests 24 since 2003 (while 9 opened in the same period), while ones like Oakwood, Lightwater Valley and M&D's teetering dangerously on the edge. How many parks are left that regularly invest in new attractions, at a rate that would allow them to retain their overall number of rides when the current ones retire due to age? Not even Thorpe or Alton are meeting that criterium.
If I'm being pessimistic, I'd say that BPB's next major coaster may be the one to replace The Big One when it reaches an age too old to justify the costs of keeping it running. Give it a decade and a half, maybe a bit more. Retracking it so often must cost a fortune, so its demise may have a positive influence on the park's operating budget. At any rate, the park is so strapped for space that I think something will have to be removed before something new can be put in.
Then again, the park has several coasters older than The Big One, which may go a bit earlier. Revolution is old, but has a footprint that'd be hard to use for something else. Paths run directly underneath it, ruling out almost every other possible use for the area. Taking out Steeplechase would free up a lot of land, but that land appears to be the corner of the park with the strictest noise requirements. Avalanche may be another likely candidate, but using the land for something better would require the removal of all the rides underneath it. Or maybe Infusion can go first? There's nothing else in its footprint.
Anyway, I'd give it a decade or more before BPB builds a thrill coaster again.
Dar
Hyper Poster
Unless you include a ride down the M55
I'd love to see a decent modern dark ride in place of the bowl-a-drome "arcade" (the building under the purple area @Kw6sTheater highlighted), something like Symbolica but spread over two levels for space!
Kw6sTheater
Hyper Poster
I also heard something along these lines, but I wrote it off immediately, as sounds too far fetched to actually have happened. It would've been way too similar to ICON, with the only difference being a few extra inversions and spinning cars, so it would have barely any marketability that ICON didn't already. Plus, the Ride to Happiness' layout was clearly designed for Plopsaland de Panne, and doesn't look like it was made to be easily cloneable whatsoever (as opposed to layouts like Goliath at Six Flags Great America, Jersey Devil, Phoenix at Deno's Wonder Wheel, etc.).