Matt N
CF Legend
30th April 2025: Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Hi guys. Today was an exciting day; my first park visit of 2025 was finally here! And the park in question that started off my year this year was Blackpool Pleasure Beach, “the world’s most ride intensive amusement park” up in Lancashire! By virtue of the fact I live nearly 200 miles from Blackpool, it’s not a frequent visit for me, so it was an interesting park to start at! Prior to today, I hadn’t been to the park in almost 6 years; to put things into some perspective, my last visit to Blackpool was when I had just finished my GCSEs (I’m now approaching the end of a postgraduate Master’s degree), was prior to the COVID pandemic, and perhaps most strikingly was when pre-revamp Valhalla was still open!
Having travelled up to Blackpool yesterday, I was staying in a Travelodge situated a matter of yards from the park entrance, so I had plenty of breathing room before park opening time. The park didn’t open until 11am this morning, but as per usual when I stay in a hotel room, I peaked very, very early, having woken up before 7am and finished my breakfast before 8am! As such, I actually started my day with a leisurely stroll along Blackpool’s south promenade, taking in both views of the Pleasure Beach (mainly The Big One), as well as some of the interesting art installations along the promenade. I strolled along because yesterday, I noticed an odd light up glittery ball thing further down the seafront, and I wanted to see what it was. Having strolled down, I’m still none the wiser… can any locals enlighten me? I know this is CoasterForce and not ArtForce, but I still thought it was interesting nonetheless:
After my promenade stroll, I made my way toward the Blackpool Pleasure Beach park entrance and awaited opening time. With only 2 men (who appeared to be regulars based on the fact that they appeared to be chatting to all the staff like old friends) in front of me, I made very good time in entering the park, being only the 3rd person to enter:
After entering the park, I initially made my way over to Nickelodeon Streak, but I discovered that it was closed all day, so I instead started my day over on…
Avalanche
Avalanche looked absolutely deserted, so I decided to start my day on there. When I walked up to the station, I saw that I was indeed the only guest in the vicinity, so I ended up being on the first train of the day and having a solo ride to boot! So, how was my first coaster ride of 2025? Well, I was seated on the front row, and I have to say that I thought it was great fun! There’s something I quite like about these bobsled coasters, and I find Avalanche to be really quite a good one. It picks up great speed and flows really nicely throughout, and some of those lower corners pack surprising whip! I almost thought I was feeling slight airtime in some of those corner transitions towards the bottom! Overall, then, I found Avalanche thoroughly enjoyable, and a great way to start the day and indeed the season:
After my ride on Avalanche, I decided to head to another coaster right next to it…
Revolution
Revolution was also absolutely deserted, so I decided to climb up the stairs and give it a ride. As with Avalanche beforehand, I was seemingly the first rider of the day on here and had a solo ride; you can’t beat having two solo first rides of the day in a row! But how was the ride? Well, it was good and I enjoyed it! For something that’s quite short and not overly fast, Revolution packs a punch! The airtime coming off the drops is surprisingly fierce, and the loop itself is forceful! I’ll admit I’m not sure whether I overly like the backward loop on there (it goes to my head a little), but the thrilling forward loop and the forceful pops of ejector certainly made it a fun ride, in my view, and it’s not overly rough or uncomfortable for an older Arrow, either! All in all, then, I thought Revolution was quite good fun, and definitely a ride I enjoyed:
After Revolution, I decided to head for another nearby coaster…
The Big One
The Big One had a trivial wait, so I decided to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, my streak of solo rides had come to an end, but I still only waited a train or two for my ride on The Big One, so I can’t really complain too much! So, how was The Big One! Well, I was seated in row 8, and I have to say that it wasn’t running badly at all! I’ve never historically been a huge fan of The Big One, but it has grown on me somewhat over the years since I’ve first ridden it. While there are much better hyper coasters out there, I have to admit that rushing down that first drop into the first triangle is still a very impressive sequence, packing an awesome sense of speed as the wind rushes into your face! There’s also something I find quite charming about the ride’s sprawling layout that winds its way all around the park, even if it does completely lack airtime (seriously, there’s not an ounce!) or any notable forces for the most part aside from the first drop. I’ll admit that it is a bit rough in places, which detracts a bit from it for me, but today’s ride wasn’t absolutely terrible by any means; it was still perfectly rideable and fun. Overall, my first ride on The Big One was quite enjoyable and it was running reasonably well, even if I’d prefer it a bit smoother and admit it’s my least favourite coaster above 200ft by some margin:
After my ride on The Big One, I decided to head for something a bit more… iconic, and a previous favourite of mine…
Icon
Like The Big One, Icon had a nominal wait, so I decided to give it a go. With the ride being operated pretty well on 2 trains, I was on very quickly; you can never complain about that! But how was the ride? Well, I have to admit that Icon was the coaster at Blackpool that I was most excited, but in equal measure most nervous, about re-riding. When I last came to the park in 2019, I absolutely loved Icon; the ride was right up there in my #2 spot, and my favourite coaster in the UK by some margin. But given that it seems to have evolved into a ride that a lot of people are apathetic towards at best now that the new ride hype has worn off somewhat, I wondered if my love of the ride on previous visits was simply because A) it was brand new and B) I hadn’t really done much else like it (I had done nothing that inverts with lap bars, I hadn’t done that many coasters with notable airtime, and my only other multi launch coaster at the time I first rode it was Cheetah Hunt). Since my last ride, my coaster count has nearly doubled, and I’ve been on the likes of VelociCoaster, Red Force and the original Mack mega coaster Blue Fire, to name just a few “Icon-adjacent” rides I’ve ridden. With that being said, I must admit that my front row ride was every bit as good as I’d previously remembered, if not better! Each to their own, of course, but I personally still remain confused as to why people widely don’t particularly like Icon, and I remain a somewhat outspoken lover of it! I grant you, the ride is not the most mind-blowingly intense in the world, but I just find it so much fun, and it strikes the perfect balance of fun, thrills and rerideability for me! There are some really awesome bits of airtime on there; the top hat really shines through, but I also love the two twisty pops and dives before the second launch, the Immelmann, and a particularly fun drop midway through the second half, to name just a few! I also think the ride packs a nice sense of speed, and the twisty layout mostly keeps things interesting. I ride it feeling like I’m twisting and floating all over the place, and I find it absolutely joyous! It’s also really smooth and rerideable, and overall, I still absolutely adore the thing! It’s not in my #2 spot anymore (VelociCoaster it is not!), and I would say that the ride is not even quite my UK favourite anymore, with Hyperia having taken that particular accolade last year, but even still, I love Icon and will continue to happily defend it against its many critics:
After getting off Icon, I liked the ride so much that I immediately headed back round for a second go while it was on a short queue. I was seated in row 4 that time, and it was phenomenal once again!
After my second ride on Icon, I headed over to another coaster that I hadn’t ridden yet…
Big Dipper
Big Dipper had slightly more of a queue than the other coasters I’d ridden thus far, but I hadn’t ridden it yet today, so I decided to take a spin on there. The ride was only running one train, meaning that the dispatch interval was a sluggish 6 minutes and the not overly long-looking queue took 15-20 minutes, but given that the park had been open for less than an hour at this point and I was already queueing for my 6th ride, I didn’t think I could really complain too much! So, how was the ride? Well, I was seated in the back row… and I think I needed a new spine afterwards! There were some fun bits of airtime, but the ride was probably the roughest I’ve ever known it, and it literally felt as though it was trying to bash me to hell in every single valley! It wasn’t quite as bad as I remember Grand National being on my last go in 2019, but it wasn’t that far off… ouch! Overall, then, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Big Dipper today; I get that it’s an old ride, I’m glad it’s still running, and it does have some fun bits of airtime, but my ride today was pretty rough and once was enough for me:
After Big Dipper, I decided, perhaps against my better judgement, to reacquaint myself with a previously disliked coaster from my first visit…
Infusion
While Infusion was one of my least favourite coasters of all time based on my memory from my first Pleasure Beach visit in 2018, it had a near walk on queue, and I figured that 2018 was 7 years ago and I should give it another chance. Like how my mum tries sausages every so often to confirm whether she still doesn’t like them, I decided to give Infusion another whirl after many years away from it. As mentioned, the queue was short, so I wasn’t wasting much time by riding it even if I hated it again. So, how was it? Well, having ridden more coasters has not improved it, I’m afraid… I was seated in row 7, and it remains absolutely abysmal! While the base SLC layout is good and the ride looks the part, the head banging was absolutely relentless, and my shoulders and ears felt absolutely wrecked by the end! It also didn’t help matters that the passenger sat next to me was repeatedly yelling the phrase “OZZY’S A PAEDO!” in the loudest possible voice as we were negotiating the layout… all in all, then, Infusion remains vile, and one of my least favourite coasters. I find it almost impressive that in a park with so many old woodies and Arrows, the second newest coaster is quite possibly its roughest and least pleasant:
After Infusion, I decided to take a break from the coasters and go for something slightly more relaxing…
Wallace and Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic
Wallace and Gromit was on a very short queue, so I decided to give it a go. As with many of the rides so far, I practically walked on, which I can never complain about! But how was the ride? Well, I like the Wallace and Gromit films, and I have to say that I found the ride really fun and charming! There are some great scenes and animatronics in here, and all in all, I think it’s just a really charming dark ride that puts a smile on your face! I definitely enjoyed my lap on Wallace and Gromit, for sure:
After my ride on Wallace and Gromit, I headed back over to Icon for another lap. I was seated in row 6 this time, and it was phenomenal once again!:
After my reride on Icon, I headed for another reride on The Big One. I was seated in row 7 this time, and while the ride was maybe a tad rougher than earlier on in places, it was still running pretty well and was still enjoyable. Even if The Big One is not the strongest hyper I’ve ridden by a long shot, there’s still something I find inherently likeable about a 200ft+ coaster:
After my reride on The Big One, I headed for two further rerides on Icon. One was in row 6 and one was in the very back row, and both were wonderful once again!
After that, I headed for a Burger King lunch before I decided to try the final operating non-kiddie coaster that I hadn’t yet ridden…
Steeplechase
I hadn’t yet ridden Steeplechase today, and having only done one of the sides in 2018, I still had 2 more of the sides to add to my count, so I decided to take a ride. I ultimately waited around 15 minutes for Steeplechase, which I didn’t think was too bad. But how was the ride? Well, I got the left hand side today, so I gained an additional +1… but I’m afraid I didn’t rate the ride at all and found it pretty vile. It’s not particularly intense or thrilling, but it is extremely uncomfortable; it felt like the predominant thing the ride did was trying to impale my hips with its seat barriers and have Heimlich manoeuvre style braking! I hate to say it, as the ride is unique and the racing element is quite fun, but I really didn’t enjoy Steeplechase and have to admit that it may well rival Infusion as my least favourite coaster in the park, placing it in strong contention for the title of my least favourite coaster of all time. Still, I guess I got a +1 out of it, which is always good:
After my ride on Steeplechase, I took a reride on Revolution, which had only a one train wait or so. I was seated in row 7 this time, and as with earlier, I found it pretty enjoyable; with the great airtime and great forces through the loop, it really does pack a surprising punch!:
I then went for a reride on Avalanche. The queue looked quite short, but ultimately took 30 minutes due to the ride only running one train. I was seated in row 5 this time, and as with earlier, it was really good fun and packed surprising speed and force:
After my reride on Avalanche, I headed north to do something a little bit different that I’d never done before…
Ghost Train
Ghost Train was on a pretty much walk-on queue, so I decided to take a ride on there. With this only being my 3rd ever visit to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, there are still quite a few filler attractions I’ve never ridden, and prior to today, this was one of them! So, how did I like my first ride on this vintage classic? Well, I have to say that it was quite charming! There were some well placed jumpscares and some cool effects (including a working Trommel tunnel!), and I overall thought it was a really nice classic dark ride! They do have somewhat of a penchant for loud siren/klaxon noises on there, though, don’t they?:
After Ghost Train, I had not one, not two, but three back-to-back rides on Icon on a short queue! I was seated in row 5, row 8 and row 7, and all three were once again wonderful; if anything, the ride only got better as the day went on!
I then had another reride on The Big One. I was seated in row 12 this time, and it was once again running reasonably well, albeit a little rough in places. The ride has definitely grown on me since I first rode it!
I then had two wonderful back-to-back rerides on Icon, in rows 6 and 8 respectively, before heading to do another classic dark ride I’d never ridden before…
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland was pretty much walk-on, so I decided to give it a whirl. As with Ghost Train earlier, Alice in Wonderland was a vintage filler ride that I’d never previously done, so I was interested to give it a try. But how was it? Well, I have to say I found the ride really charming and quirky! I don’t know if it’s the animation style, but I found the theming in Alice to almost have a sort of “cartoony acid trip” type feel to it, which was quite charming and probably fits the Alice in Wonderland franchise quite well! On a side note, I also think the Mad Hatter bench outside with the date that changes is quite a nice touch! All in all, then, I found Alice another fun, charming vintage dark ride; it’s vintage rides like this that make Blackpool special:
After Alice, I decided to try another vintage filler ride that I’d never done before…
Flying Machines
Flying Machines had a pretty much walk on queue, so I decided to take a spin on there. With the Flying Machines being the oldest operating ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (if I’m not mistaken?), I thought they’d be a cool one to try, and once again, they were a vintage filler attraction that I hadn’t ridden prior to today. So, how was the ride? Well, I have to say that I thought Flying Machines was yet another very charming piece of vintage in Blackpool’s arsenal! I’m not a huge lover of spinning flat rides, but I found the Flying Machines to spin gently enough that I still found the ride enjoyable, and with the ride being relatively sedate, it was nice to sit back and take in some views of the park! Overall, then, I definitely enjoyed the Flying Machines, and I find it so impressive that the ride has lasted since the early 20th century:
After I got off the Flying Machines, I headed back over to Icon for one final ride. I was seated in row 6, and it was a wonderful way to end my many Icon rides over the course of the day, with the ride having warmed up very nicely!
After that, I headed to deposit most of my belongings into a locker to prepare for my final ride of the day…
Valhalla
With Valhalla being phenomenally wet from my prior experience on it in 2019, I decided to save it until the end of the day so that I could make a quick exit to my hotel to change afterwards. With my waterproof phone bag at the ready, I entered the queue, which thankfully didn’t take very long. It was certainly far shorter than the 2 hours I waited for it in 2019! I was seated next to a very friendly Northern man who tried to take his top off, but was swiftly reprimanded by the operators… nobody’s clothes are safe from Valhalla, it seems! So, how did I find Valhalla? Well… Valhalla is a complicated one for me to review. I really, really want to like it; there are some incredibly impressive effects in there, with the blasts of fire at the end being particularly breathtaking, and I really like a lot of what they’ve done with the revamp. I thought the narrative element with the voices enhanced it, I liked the new music and some of the new effects, and all in all, the whole thing seemed notably more polished immersively speaking than it did in 2019. It has a lot going for it! But as you can probably tell from the fact I said “I really want to like it”, there is a big “but” coming… and that is that I personally find it far, far too wet. I always get the feeling that the ride was designed by a water-crazed sadist, and the sheer wetness makes it harder to enjoy for me. The unpleasant pool of stagnant water at the bottom of the boat remains, and today had a plastic spoon floating in it amongst other residue, and the whole thing just feels like taking the Ice Bucket Challenge repeatedly (does anyone remember that?). For all its great aspects, I’m sorry to say that I’d struggle to think of a more sadistic theme park attraction than Valhalla; the sustained wetness is pretty overbearing for me, personally. With that said, I do think they did a good job on the revamp, so that is something I will applaud them for; I very much liked the enhancements they’ve made:
After my ride on Valhalla, it was past the park closing time, so I retrieved my belongings from the locker and bade Blackpool Pleasure Beach goodbye for the day, heading to my hotel to change before heading to the Velvet Coaster for an evening meal:
So overall, then, I had an absolutely excellent day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach! The weather was gorgeous, and if you’ve lost track, I got on 26 rides in total, which were as follows:
It was great to get back to Blackpool and get back on some favourites, particularly Icon! That ride definitely remains one of my favourite coasters in the UK and a top-tier ride for me, despite so many years having passed and so many new rides having been ridden since I last did it!
I do think Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a really nice park that I wish I could get to more often. One thing I find really cool about it is how you can be on a modern coaster like Icon one minute, and a ride from the early 1900s like the Flying Machines or Big Dipper the next. I also love how so many rides are rammed into such a tight space! It makes for some awesome visuals, and it is also a considerable aid in doing what I was able to accomplish today; you aren’t riding 6 rides in the first hour at Alton Towers even if the place is deserted!
But overall, I had a brilliant day; I hope it isn’t 6 years until I next return to Blackpool!
Thanks for reading; I hope you’ve enjoyed this report! I’m not sure when my next theme park trip will be or where it will be to, but I’m hoping it won’t be too far away; I’m hoping to possibly cram a trip in before my MSc dissertation starts in June!
Hi guys. Today was an exciting day; my first park visit of 2025 was finally here! And the park in question that started off my year this year was Blackpool Pleasure Beach, “the world’s most ride intensive amusement park” up in Lancashire! By virtue of the fact I live nearly 200 miles from Blackpool, it’s not a frequent visit for me, so it was an interesting park to start at! Prior to today, I hadn’t been to the park in almost 6 years; to put things into some perspective, my last visit to Blackpool was when I had just finished my GCSEs (I’m now approaching the end of a postgraduate Master’s degree), was prior to the COVID pandemic, and perhaps most strikingly was when pre-revamp Valhalla was still open!
Having travelled up to Blackpool yesterday, I was staying in a Travelodge situated a matter of yards from the park entrance, so I had plenty of breathing room before park opening time. The park didn’t open until 11am this morning, but as per usual when I stay in a hotel room, I peaked very, very early, having woken up before 7am and finished my breakfast before 8am! As such, I actually started my day with a leisurely stroll along Blackpool’s south promenade, taking in both views of the Pleasure Beach (mainly The Big One), as well as some of the interesting art installations along the promenade. I strolled along because yesterday, I noticed an odd light up glittery ball thing further down the seafront, and I wanted to see what it was. Having strolled down, I’m still none the wiser… can any locals enlighten me? I know this is CoasterForce and not ArtForce, but I still thought it was interesting nonetheless:
After my promenade stroll, I made my way toward the Blackpool Pleasure Beach park entrance and awaited opening time. With only 2 men (who appeared to be regulars based on the fact that they appeared to be chatting to all the staff like old friends) in front of me, I made very good time in entering the park, being only the 3rd person to enter:
After entering the park, I initially made my way over to Nickelodeon Streak, but I discovered that it was closed all day, so I instead started my day over on…
Avalanche
Avalanche looked absolutely deserted, so I decided to start my day on there. When I walked up to the station, I saw that I was indeed the only guest in the vicinity, so I ended up being on the first train of the day and having a solo ride to boot! So, how was my first coaster ride of 2025? Well, I was seated on the front row, and I have to say that I thought it was great fun! There’s something I quite like about these bobsled coasters, and I find Avalanche to be really quite a good one. It picks up great speed and flows really nicely throughout, and some of those lower corners pack surprising whip! I almost thought I was feeling slight airtime in some of those corner transitions towards the bottom! Overall, then, I found Avalanche thoroughly enjoyable, and a great way to start the day and indeed the season:
After my ride on Avalanche, I decided to head to another coaster right next to it…
Revolution
Revolution was also absolutely deserted, so I decided to climb up the stairs and give it a ride. As with Avalanche beforehand, I was seemingly the first rider of the day on here and had a solo ride; you can’t beat having two solo first rides of the day in a row! But how was the ride? Well, it was good and I enjoyed it! For something that’s quite short and not overly fast, Revolution packs a punch! The airtime coming off the drops is surprisingly fierce, and the loop itself is forceful! I’ll admit I’m not sure whether I overly like the backward loop on there (it goes to my head a little), but the thrilling forward loop and the forceful pops of ejector certainly made it a fun ride, in my view, and it’s not overly rough or uncomfortable for an older Arrow, either! All in all, then, I thought Revolution was quite good fun, and definitely a ride I enjoyed:
After Revolution, I decided to head for another nearby coaster…
The Big One
The Big One had a trivial wait, so I decided to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, my streak of solo rides had come to an end, but I still only waited a train or two for my ride on The Big One, so I can’t really complain too much! So, how was The Big One! Well, I was seated in row 8, and I have to say that it wasn’t running badly at all! I’ve never historically been a huge fan of The Big One, but it has grown on me somewhat over the years since I’ve first ridden it. While there are much better hyper coasters out there, I have to admit that rushing down that first drop into the first triangle is still a very impressive sequence, packing an awesome sense of speed as the wind rushes into your face! There’s also something I find quite charming about the ride’s sprawling layout that winds its way all around the park, even if it does completely lack airtime (seriously, there’s not an ounce!) or any notable forces for the most part aside from the first drop. I’ll admit that it is a bit rough in places, which detracts a bit from it for me, but today’s ride wasn’t absolutely terrible by any means; it was still perfectly rideable and fun. Overall, my first ride on The Big One was quite enjoyable and it was running reasonably well, even if I’d prefer it a bit smoother and admit it’s my least favourite coaster above 200ft by some margin:
After my ride on The Big One, I decided to head for something a bit more… iconic, and a previous favourite of mine…
Icon
Like The Big One, Icon had a nominal wait, so I decided to give it a go. With the ride being operated pretty well on 2 trains, I was on very quickly; you can never complain about that! But how was the ride? Well, I have to admit that Icon was the coaster at Blackpool that I was most excited, but in equal measure most nervous, about re-riding. When I last came to the park in 2019, I absolutely loved Icon; the ride was right up there in my #2 spot, and my favourite coaster in the UK by some margin. But given that it seems to have evolved into a ride that a lot of people are apathetic towards at best now that the new ride hype has worn off somewhat, I wondered if my love of the ride on previous visits was simply because A) it was brand new and B) I hadn’t really done much else like it (I had done nothing that inverts with lap bars, I hadn’t done that many coasters with notable airtime, and my only other multi launch coaster at the time I first rode it was Cheetah Hunt). Since my last ride, my coaster count has nearly doubled, and I’ve been on the likes of VelociCoaster, Red Force and the original Mack mega coaster Blue Fire, to name just a few “Icon-adjacent” rides I’ve ridden. With that being said, I must admit that my front row ride was every bit as good as I’d previously remembered, if not better! Each to their own, of course, but I personally still remain confused as to why people widely don’t particularly like Icon, and I remain a somewhat outspoken lover of it! I grant you, the ride is not the most mind-blowingly intense in the world, but I just find it so much fun, and it strikes the perfect balance of fun, thrills and rerideability for me! There are some really awesome bits of airtime on there; the top hat really shines through, but I also love the two twisty pops and dives before the second launch, the Immelmann, and a particularly fun drop midway through the second half, to name just a few! I also think the ride packs a nice sense of speed, and the twisty layout mostly keeps things interesting. I ride it feeling like I’m twisting and floating all over the place, and I find it absolutely joyous! It’s also really smooth and rerideable, and overall, I still absolutely adore the thing! It’s not in my #2 spot anymore (VelociCoaster it is not!), and I would say that the ride is not even quite my UK favourite anymore, with Hyperia having taken that particular accolade last year, but even still, I love Icon and will continue to happily defend it against its many critics:
After getting off Icon, I liked the ride so much that I immediately headed back round for a second go while it was on a short queue. I was seated in row 4 that time, and it was phenomenal once again!
After my second ride on Icon, I headed over to another coaster that I hadn’t ridden yet…
Big Dipper
Big Dipper had slightly more of a queue than the other coasters I’d ridden thus far, but I hadn’t ridden it yet today, so I decided to take a spin on there. The ride was only running one train, meaning that the dispatch interval was a sluggish 6 minutes and the not overly long-looking queue took 15-20 minutes, but given that the park had been open for less than an hour at this point and I was already queueing for my 6th ride, I didn’t think I could really complain too much! So, how was the ride? Well, I was seated in the back row… and I think I needed a new spine afterwards! There were some fun bits of airtime, but the ride was probably the roughest I’ve ever known it, and it literally felt as though it was trying to bash me to hell in every single valley! It wasn’t quite as bad as I remember Grand National being on my last go in 2019, but it wasn’t that far off… ouch! Overall, then, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Big Dipper today; I get that it’s an old ride, I’m glad it’s still running, and it does have some fun bits of airtime, but my ride today was pretty rough and once was enough for me:
After Big Dipper, I decided, perhaps against my better judgement, to reacquaint myself with a previously disliked coaster from my first visit…
Infusion
While Infusion was one of my least favourite coasters of all time based on my memory from my first Pleasure Beach visit in 2018, it had a near walk on queue, and I figured that 2018 was 7 years ago and I should give it another chance. Like how my mum tries sausages every so often to confirm whether she still doesn’t like them, I decided to give Infusion another whirl after many years away from it. As mentioned, the queue was short, so I wasn’t wasting much time by riding it even if I hated it again. So, how was it? Well, having ridden more coasters has not improved it, I’m afraid… I was seated in row 7, and it remains absolutely abysmal! While the base SLC layout is good and the ride looks the part, the head banging was absolutely relentless, and my shoulders and ears felt absolutely wrecked by the end! It also didn’t help matters that the passenger sat next to me was repeatedly yelling the phrase “OZZY’S A PAEDO!” in the loudest possible voice as we were negotiating the layout… all in all, then, Infusion remains vile, and one of my least favourite coasters. I find it almost impressive that in a park with so many old woodies and Arrows, the second newest coaster is quite possibly its roughest and least pleasant:
After Infusion, I decided to take a break from the coasters and go for something slightly more relaxing…
Wallace and Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic
Wallace and Gromit was on a very short queue, so I decided to give it a go. As with many of the rides so far, I practically walked on, which I can never complain about! But how was the ride? Well, I like the Wallace and Gromit films, and I have to say that I found the ride really fun and charming! There are some great scenes and animatronics in here, and all in all, I think it’s just a really charming dark ride that puts a smile on your face! I definitely enjoyed my lap on Wallace and Gromit, for sure:
After my ride on Wallace and Gromit, I headed back over to Icon for another lap. I was seated in row 6 this time, and it was phenomenal once again!:
After my reride on Icon, I headed for another reride on The Big One. I was seated in row 7 this time, and while the ride was maybe a tad rougher than earlier on in places, it was still running pretty well and was still enjoyable. Even if The Big One is not the strongest hyper I’ve ridden by a long shot, there’s still something I find inherently likeable about a 200ft+ coaster:
After my reride on The Big One, I headed for two further rerides on Icon. One was in row 6 and one was in the very back row, and both were wonderful once again!
After that, I headed for a Burger King lunch before I decided to try the final operating non-kiddie coaster that I hadn’t yet ridden…
Steeplechase
I hadn’t yet ridden Steeplechase today, and having only done one of the sides in 2018, I still had 2 more of the sides to add to my count, so I decided to take a ride. I ultimately waited around 15 minutes for Steeplechase, which I didn’t think was too bad. But how was the ride? Well, I got the left hand side today, so I gained an additional +1… but I’m afraid I didn’t rate the ride at all and found it pretty vile. It’s not particularly intense or thrilling, but it is extremely uncomfortable; it felt like the predominant thing the ride did was trying to impale my hips with its seat barriers and have Heimlich manoeuvre style braking! I hate to say it, as the ride is unique and the racing element is quite fun, but I really didn’t enjoy Steeplechase and have to admit that it may well rival Infusion as my least favourite coaster in the park, placing it in strong contention for the title of my least favourite coaster of all time. Still, I guess I got a +1 out of it, which is always good:
After my ride on Steeplechase, I took a reride on Revolution, which had only a one train wait or so. I was seated in row 7 this time, and as with earlier, I found it pretty enjoyable; with the great airtime and great forces through the loop, it really does pack a surprising punch!:
I then went for a reride on Avalanche. The queue looked quite short, but ultimately took 30 minutes due to the ride only running one train. I was seated in row 5 this time, and as with earlier, it was really good fun and packed surprising speed and force:
After my reride on Avalanche, I headed north to do something a little bit different that I’d never done before…
Ghost Train
Ghost Train was on a pretty much walk-on queue, so I decided to take a ride on there. With this only being my 3rd ever visit to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, there are still quite a few filler attractions I’ve never ridden, and prior to today, this was one of them! So, how did I like my first ride on this vintage classic? Well, I have to say that it was quite charming! There were some well placed jumpscares and some cool effects (including a working Trommel tunnel!), and I overall thought it was a really nice classic dark ride! They do have somewhat of a penchant for loud siren/klaxon noises on there, though, don’t they?:
After Ghost Train, I had not one, not two, but three back-to-back rides on Icon on a short queue! I was seated in row 5, row 8 and row 7, and all three were once again wonderful; if anything, the ride only got better as the day went on!
I then had another reride on The Big One. I was seated in row 12 this time, and it was once again running reasonably well, albeit a little rough in places. The ride has definitely grown on me since I first rode it!
I then had two wonderful back-to-back rerides on Icon, in rows 6 and 8 respectively, before heading to do another classic dark ride I’d never ridden before…
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland was pretty much walk-on, so I decided to give it a whirl. As with Ghost Train earlier, Alice in Wonderland was a vintage filler ride that I’d never previously done, so I was interested to give it a try. But how was it? Well, I have to say I found the ride really charming and quirky! I don’t know if it’s the animation style, but I found the theming in Alice to almost have a sort of “cartoony acid trip” type feel to it, which was quite charming and probably fits the Alice in Wonderland franchise quite well! On a side note, I also think the Mad Hatter bench outside with the date that changes is quite a nice touch! All in all, then, I found Alice another fun, charming vintage dark ride; it’s vintage rides like this that make Blackpool special:
After Alice, I decided to try another vintage filler ride that I’d never done before…
Flying Machines
Flying Machines had a pretty much walk on queue, so I decided to take a spin on there. With the Flying Machines being the oldest operating ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (if I’m not mistaken?), I thought they’d be a cool one to try, and once again, they were a vintage filler attraction that I hadn’t ridden prior to today. So, how was the ride? Well, I have to say that I thought Flying Machines was yet another very charming piece of vintage in Blackpool’s arsenal! I’m not a huge lover of spinning flat rides, but I found the Flying Machines to spin gently enough that I still found the ride enjoyable, and with the ride being relatively sedate, it was nice to sit back and take in some views of the park! Overall, then, I definitely enjoyed the Flying Machines, and I find it so impressive that the ride has lasted since the early 20th century:
After I got off the Flying Machines, I headed back over to Icon for one final ride. I was seated in row 6, and it was a wonderful way to end my many Icon rides over the course of the day, with the ride having warmed up very nicely!
After that, I headed to deposit most of my belongings into a locker to prepare for my final ride of the day…
Valhalla
With Valhalla being phenomenally wet from my prior experience on it in 2019, I decided to save it until the end of the day so that I could make a quick exit to my hotel to change afterwards. With my waterproof phone bag at the ready, I entered the queue, which thankfully didn’t take very long. It was certainly far shorter than the 2 hours I waited for it in 2019! I was seated next to a very friendly Northern man who tried to take his top off, but was swiftly reprimanded by the operators… nobody’s clothes are safe from Valhalla, it seems! So, how did I find Valhalla? Well… Valhalla is a complicated one for me to review. I really, really want to like it; there are some incredibly impressive effects in there, with the blasts of fire at the end being particularly breathtaking, and I really like a lot of what they’ve done with the revamp. I thought the narrative element with the voices enhanced it, I liked the new music and some of the new effects, and all in all, the whole thing seemed notably more polished immersively speaking than it did in 2019. It has a lot going for it! But as you can probably tell from the fact I said “I really want to like it”, there is a big “but” coming… and that is that I personally find it far, far too wet. I always get the feeling that the ride was designed by a water-crazed sadist, and the sheer wetness makes it harder to enjoy for me. The unpleasant pool of stagnant water at the bottom of the boat remains, and today had a plastic spoon floating in it amongst other residue, and the whole thing just feels like taking the Ice Bucket Challenge repeatedly (does anyone remember that?). For all its great aspects, I’m sorry to say that I’d struggle to think of a more sadistic theme park attraction than Valhalla; the sustained wetness is pretty overbearing for me, personally. With that said, I do think they did a good job on the revamp, so that is something I will applaud them for; I very much liked the enhancements they’ve made:
After my ride on Valhalla, it was past the park closing time, so I retrieved my belongings from the locker and bade Blackpool Pleasure Beach goodbye for the day, heading to my hotel to change before heading to the Velvet Coaster for an evening meal:
So overall, then, I had an absolutely excellent day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach! The weather was gorgeous, and if you’ve lost track, I got on 26 rides in total, which were as follows:
- Icon x11
- The Big One x3
- Avalanche x2
- Revolution x2
- Big Dipper x1
- Infusion x1
- Wallace and Gromit x1
- Steeplechase x1
- Ghost Train x1
- Alice in Wonderland x1
- Flying Machines x1
- Valhalla x1
It was great to get back to Blackpool and get back on some favourites, particularly Icon! That ride definitely remains one of my favourite coasters in the UK and a top-tier ride for me, despite so many years having passed and so many new rides having been ridden since I last did it!
I do think Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a really nice park that I wish I could get to more often. One thing I find really cool about it is how you can be on a modern coaster like Icon one minute, and a ride from the early 1900s like the Flying Machines or Big Dipper the next. I also love how so many rides are rammed into such a tight space! It makes for some awesome visuals, and it is also a considerable aid in doing what I was able to accomplish today; you aren’t riding 6 rides in the first hour at Alton Towers even if the place is deserted!
But overall, I had a brilliant day; I hope it isn’t 6 years until I next return to Blackpool!
Thanks for reading; I hope you’ve enjoyed this report! I’m not sure when my next theme park trip will be or where it will be to, but I’m hoping it won’t be too far away; I’m hoping to possibly cram a trip in before my MSc dissertation starts in June!
Last edited: