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Pleasure Beach Bans Food In Park

alexr

Hyper Poster
This has been enforced for a while however the media are covering again
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... iches.html
From The Mail
With families looking to cut costs this summer, a packed lunch is the perfect way to save money on a day trip with the children.
But visitors to one of Britain’s most popular attractions are reacting with outrage at being searched for sandwiches at the gate and told they will have eat them outside or be turned away.
Instead, families who have paid upwards of £80 to visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach are told they can only consume food and drink bought inside the park complex.

If gate staff – branded ‘the sandwich police’ – find any snacks, they are told it will either be stored for the duration of their visit or they must eat it in a ‘designated picnic area’ outside.
The policy contrasts with other major destinations including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor and London Zoo, all of which are happy to let visitors bring their own picnics.

Visitors to the Lancashire resort – which hosted Prince William on a friend’s stag weekend last year – were furious at the policy, which bosses blame on a lack of space.
David Hornby, who travelled up from West London during the Easter holidays, said: ‘On a trip to the Pleasure Beach with three young children, I brought sandwiches for their lunch, to try to keep the cost of the day within reasonable limits.

‘But when my bag was searched at the entrance, I was told our sandwiches were not allowed.
‘In these recession-hit times, when entrance wrist bands cost up to £32 each, are hard-working families on tight budgets really going to be deprived of the right to carry in a low cost lunch for kids?’
Yesterday Jayne Jones, 42, a bookmaker who was visiting Blackpool with her 12-year-old son, Ellis, said: ‘It is wrong. We all got searched when we when in.

‘It cost me £76 today and then I'm expected to pay more for food. And food prices are always more expensive in there than normal.
‘It could put people off.’

Her daughter Natalie, a 22-year-old shop assistant, added: ‘Families come here with picnics to keep the cost down and then are told to leave them at the entrance.
‘It's mean and pathetic. What are they going to do next? Eat the sandwiches in front of the families they've just taken them from?

‘I hope bosses think again.’

While barmaid Gemma Butterworth, 22, said: ‘Stopping people taking food in with them almost forces you to buy it when you are in there, and that's not fair.

‘If you have to buy food too, it makes it a very expensive day out.’
Blackpool Pleasure Beach – which claims to be Britain’s most popular tourist attraction with 6million visitors a year – said the policy had been in place for a number of years.

But it contrasts with Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and London Zoo, all of which allow visitors to bring their own packed lunches.

A spokesman said: ‘Due to the intensity of rides and attractions within the 42 acre site, there is limited space, and so a dedicated picnic area has been created adjacent to the entrance of Pleasure Beach.
‘Allowances are made for guests with special dietary requirements and dedicated picnic areas are also provided for school parties booked in advance.

‘Storage facilities are provided for those who bring outside food to the park.’
A spokeswoman for Merlin theme parks – which operates Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington and Legoland Windsor – said: ‘While more and more people choose to eat in the park restaurants, we have always offered facilities for people to bring and eat their own picnics, and continue to do so.'

Poor Amandas getting Abused on Twitter however she seems to be awsering the questions quite well...

I am going to do a luxury sandwich shop at Pleasure Beach next, as then no one would need to bring their own, we would make them for them

Shes got an idea though to try and help the problem

Her thoughts on the matter

why should there even be a discussion, It is a policy my Great grand father introduced and I am not about to change it.

what would you do with it if you wanted to go on the BIG ONE or Sponge Bobs splash bash.

we provide lovely areas for people to eat and drink as we are not a public open space

Your thoughts on this?
 
Well this kind of stuff is never going to please the GP.

And I bet as soon as this rule came into force, all the food & drink prices rocketed!
 
At Blackpool, I'm not too fussed to be honest. You have a lot options very close by, you're in the town so it's not an issue.

What I don't like is the approach of the security when you are going in. The bag search is really intrusive and your first impression of entering the park is that you're a potential criminal for having a concealed cheese bap in your bag.

Have the signs, and enforce people sitting at table seating their own sandwiches - that's fine. Make it clear it's not allowed and deal with it on an individual basis. It's no different to going into McDonalds with a Burger King and eating it, they don't have to let you do that and can ask you to leave.

I think Amanda is a little removed from real life. For a family, it's often much easier just to drop some food into a bag an eat what you like at your leisure in a park. Snaffling a jam butty in the queue for The Big One for instance.

Whatever though, if it was Alton or Drayton or somewhere I'd be outraged, simply because it's a captive audience. At the Pleasure Beach nipping out is a fair option - it's simply the enforcement I've never liked.
 
True that BPB doesn't have much space. But munching on a tescos sandwich whilst in a queueline hardly takes up space does it?

I don't ever recall seeing that many places to sit down at Blackpool anyway. The only exception being where that pub used to be near the mazes. Not many people having picnics there as I recall.

http://yfrog.com/hs8vnlaj - the picture from BBC News Northwest on the matter the other night. Made me chuckle.
 
I don't think this is a particularly bad idea, provided one thing: THE FOOD IS GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY INSIDE THE PARK. If it's not (which I find is often the case), then Blackpool are being stupid.
 
Amanda said:
I am going to do a luxury sandwich shop at Pleasure Beach next, as then no one would need to bring their own, we would make them for them.

Let them eat cake!

FAB!
 
The Daily Mail is of course the finest journalism we have to offer, and the last bastion for all that's good and holy.

Actually they're a bunch of ****. And it's journalism like this which is too easy to digest because it looks like there's a moral high ground to be taken here. I can guarantee the vast majority of people who visit the park are simply not affected by this.

Like Phil said, the park faces cut-throat competition for food and drink. People have a much greater choice than say somewhere like Alton Towers, because of the proximity of the town and its surrounding amenities. But food and drink establishments are where the park makes a lot of its money from.

Whilst sandwiches aren't top of the list for security checks (weapons and explosives hold that dubious honour), there's an opportunity to enforce the rule.

Whether people like it or not, it's private property. Loads of theme parks have this rule, and it's already been in place at Blackpool for some time. It's a business, and this is a business decision.
 
Ultimately, it is down to greed.

My little Pleasurewood encourage's people to bring their own food by having picnic area's dotted about the park. Hell, they even used to have BBQ's for guests to use at their leisure, until H&S went spazzo on them.

In general, a friendly atmosphere is more likely to gain revisits than a controlling one, where you're not made to feel very welcome at all.
 
I was just thinking, "I'm sure this has been enforced for a while now", then I realised the media obviously had nothing else to cover for a while, to they added this boring article. Oh well, no food? Life goes on!
 
Yeah I mean isn't that kind of standard practice for amusement parks not to allow you to carry in outside food?
To my knowledge that's prohibited at pretty much every park here in the states. Has BPB previously allowed you to do so?
 
madhjsp said:
Yeah I mean isn't that kind of standard practice for amusement parks not to allow you to carry in outside food?
To my knowledge that's prohibited at pretty much every park here in the states. Has BPB previously allowed you to do so?

Actually, standard practice over here wherever you visit tends to allow for "picnics". I can't think of anywhere (outside attraction) that disallows external food.

However, the rule has been in place forever at Blackpool, it's just that they didn't enforce it until they added the entry fee. Then they had the opportunity to stop everyone at the gates and do bag searches. It's under the pretence of security, but I don't believe it.

I've gone through their metal detectors and security in my biker jacket, metal studded belt and steel toe caps. Not a blip (and this is several times, not just the once), yet there are queues of mothers having their handbags searched and buggies and babies dismantled looking for contraband confectionery.

It's ridiculous, I could have walked in with a complete set of butchers knives and nobody would have known, but there wasn't a sausage getting through those gates ;)

Not a problem with the rule, and it's old news. Just a problem with the enforcement method. If it was a pleasant front end person doing it, it would be better, but it's a gruff uniformed security guard and it makes you feel criminal. Have the rule and enforce it, but come on... the PR revolution happened a long time ago and it's time PBB got some ;)
 
Just a quick thought on this,
If you have a packed lunch with you and you have a wheat intolerance, diabetic requirement or any other type of allergy (there are litterally hundreds), when its all packed in your sandwich bags and butty boxes how on earth do you prove to the security goons at the entrance of the park that you have this allergy?

I may start taking my medical records to this place because its only a matter of time before they start charging you more or signing a disclaimer if you have a slight medical problem.

I suffer with IBS, which can be food, stress or out of the blue. Can i take my own sandwiches? Its only my medical records that show this. If i was diabetic would i have to suffer the indignity of pulling out my insulin and syringes in front of other guests to prove my diet was altered because of it?

I'm sick and tired of BPB and Amanda in general, After i've paid my entrance to the park and for my ride admission why should i have to be made to feel like a criminal for munching a sandwich whist milling around the park?

(for the record the missus has had food allergy tests, and is pretty much allergic or intollerant to everything, but understands eating dust is not an option!)
 
fretboardpyro said:
Just a quick thought on this,
If you have a packed lunch with you and you have a wheat intolerance, diabetic requirement or any other type of allergy (there are litterally hundreds), when its all packed in your sandwich bags and butty boxes how on earth do you prove to the security goons at the entrance of the park that you have this allergy?

I may start taking my medical records to this place because its only a matter of time before they start charging you more or signing a disclaimer if you have a slight medical problem.

I suffer with IBS, which can be food, stress or out of the blue. Can i take my own sandwiches? Its only my medical records that show this. If i was diabetic would i have to suffer the indignity of pulling out my insulin and syringes in front of other guests to prove my diet was altered because of it?

I'm sick and tired of BPB and Amanda in general, After i've paid my entrance to the park and for my ride admission why should i have to be made to feel like a criminal for munching a sandwich whist milling around the park?

(for the record the missus has had food allergy tests, and is pretty much allergic or intollerant to everything, but understands eating dust is not an option!)

I, personally think, that if you go with some kind of record, or you tell them on the gate about your dietary requirements, you'd be allowed in with your food, failing that, simply say, "Well, I'm sure the Blackpool Gazette will be pleasantly surprised and willing to put in their paper that a sufferer of a Dietary problem is not allowed their food in" - We did it to a place near us a while back, it worked & we were given free food. BONUS <3

To be fair on Amanda, as I've stated, COUNTLESS times before, it's not ALL down to her, she does have advisers about things like that, I'm sure people think that she sits in a set on River Caves conjuring up ways to piss people off...
 
"Well, I'm sure the Blackpool Gazette will be pleasantly surprised and willing to put in their paper that a sufferer of a Dietary problem is not allowed their food in"

I dont think they care about stuff like that... have you seen the documentary where they told a load of disabled people to go away and come back later to ride PMBO? :lol:
 
Martyn B said:
"Well, I'm sure the Blackpool Gazette will be pleasantly surprised and willing to put in their paper that a sufferer of a Dietary problem is not allowed their food in"

I dont think they care about stuff like that... have you seen the documentary where they told a load of disabled people to go away and come back later to ride PMBO? :lol:

They explained why disabled people could not access the ride at that time.
3 trains were on the track, and any delay could cause real problems. They would have to take a train off which was scheduled for 6pm. (I would'nt fancy being stopped at the mid course brakes.)

The odd sandwich, can, crisps are not normally stopped. A full blown picnic is, and you simply put it in a locker, and eat it in the picnic area. Who wants to drag it around the rides. Bags are not permitted on any ride in the World.
You would be amazed at things people try to take in. Lady with 2 large bottles of spirits - wtf?
Lads with a similar parcel. I think the beach etc is a more approprite place to get sozzled!! Knives etc etc is fairly common.
Security do an excellent job in making PB a safer place for families to enjoy.
btw - steel toecap shoes are not allowed.
 
Darkrider said:
The odd sandwich, can, crisps are not normally stopped.

I've seen it stopped, at the same time
Darkrider said:
btw - steel toecap shoes are not allowed.

I walked through (and have done several times and will do again) with steel toecap shoes. I always wear them as my job requires me (even in casual clothes if I'm working weekends) to go into heavy industry environments. So instead of having lots of shoes, I just wear steel toe caps in all my shoes so I never get caught out.

Without a metal detector, you'd never know they were steel toed. Wit the PBB metal detector, they just never know :p
 
^Exactly what I was thinking.

Load of rubbish. Parks let you take your bags on most small-medium sized coasters, and even some of the larger ones. Disney have got this right by letting you take your bags on EVERYTHING, including coasters with inversions. It speeds things up no end.

I HAD to take my bag with me on this because there was nowhere to put it:

bamogae002tjbg6jgukcbv.jpg


It's an extreme example, but it goes to show that some parks just go way over the top with what you can/can't take on some rides with you. The only coasters that would really present any proper issues are those with strong airtime, very slow inversions, or no floor to actually put the bag on.
 
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