Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Encyclopedia
Pleasure Beach Blackpool is a family owned amusement park
and resort
situated along the Fylde coast
in Blackpool
, England. It is the most visited amusement park in the United Kingdom, and one of the top twenty most-visited amusement parks in the world with an estimate of 5.5 million visitors in 2007. The park is owned by the Thompson family. In 2003 the park opened the Big Blue Hotel, a four star hotel, making the park part of an official resort. The park operates an additional children's park in the resort called Nickelodeon Land which is a subsidy of Nickelodeon
; it occupies the space of the original children's park which was called Beaver Creek. The main attractions at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool include:
and another in Blackpool, opposite the tram terminus. The Great Yarmouth amusement park consisted simply of a switchback railway and bicycle railway called the Hotchkiss's Patented Railroad. Bean stayed in Great Yarmouth until the end of the century before moving to Blackpool full time.
In 1903, Bean, along with businessman John Outhwaite, purchased 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land known as the "Watson Estate" which was used to expand the amusement park in Blackpool. Bean and Outhwaite aimed to create a park similar to Coney Island in the USA, that would make adults feel like children again and inspire gaiety of a primarily innocent character and used inspiration from a small manually operated fair ground found at London's Earls Court. The first major attraction to open at Pleasure Beach was the "Hiram Maxim Captive Flying Machine" in 1904. The next attraction, a water ride similar to a Mill Chute was opened in 1905 under the name "The River Caves of the World." The same year the name "Blackpool Pleasure Beach" was founded. Outhwaite died in 1911, leaving the initial business to Bean, however the Outhwaite family still had ownership in shares of the park, and would occasionally have input into the park's growth. Over the next few years, the park developed, with frequent large scale investments including the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper
and Dodgems. In the 1920s Bean invested in the "Casino Building" which remains to this day.
In 1923, land was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. In 1929, Bean died suddenly of pneumonia leaving the park to his daughter, Lillian 'Doris' Bean, who had previously married a young businessman, Leonard Thompson, in 1928. Thompson was an Oxford natural sciences graduate who after Bean's death immediately took over the Pleasure Beach business alongside his wife. The park came under full control of the Thompson family after the remaining Outhwaite family sold their share of the park. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and the Casino building to name a few. Emberton continued to design for the Pleasure Beach up to his death in 1956, after which Jack Ratcliffe, who had been involved in the Festival of Britain, was brought in to continue the work. Ratcliffed worked for many years at the park, until the death of Leonard Thompson in 1976. Following Thompson's death, Lillian Doris Thompson was appointed chairman of the business. Their only son, Geoffrey Thompson became the new managing director.
and Frontierland
, Morecambe
and invested into food-and-ride trade at the Pleasure Beach. He saw the opening of the Steeplechase
, Avalanche, Revolution, Big One, Ice Blast: The Ride
) and Valhalla
.
His reputation in Blackpool earned him a highly positive status amongst other businessman in the amusement trade. He was often regarded as the front man to the steady growth of amusement parks globally and he was often involved in promoting tourism. He sat on almost all the relevant agencies, such as the English Tourist Board and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, and was awarded an OBE for this work. In 1986, Pleasure Beach became one of the first companies in the UK to register with the Government Profit Related Pay Unit. Under this scheme the company agreed that, where profits exceeded £1 million, 10 per cent would be distributed among the permanent staff according to their length of service. Geoffrey was often in dispute with Blackpool Council over their decision to allow private traders to use land opposite the Pleasure Beach. He won his appeal to clear the land of all trading attractions and the Pleasure Beach has remained unaffected by the situation. Geoffrey Thompson died at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on 12 June 2004, while attending his daughters wedding.
Amanda Thompson has overseen the transformation of the park to a modern, aesthetically pleasing amusement park. However, her reign has seen the removal of some rides including the Whip, Log Flume, Space Invader 2
, Turtle Chase, Black Hole and Super Bowl. In 2007, she introduced Infusion
(relocated from the now revitalised Pleasureland Southport
) and in 2009 transformed the north end of the park by introducing a new area, Bean Street FY4, which houses numerous catering outlets and bars and the Spectacular Dancing Water Show which was a seven hundred and fifty thousand pound investment.
In 2010 she further developed the north end of the park by re-designing the area which formerly housed the old dodgems ride. The site is now a garden area with numerous water features and fanciful sculptures. The same year, Amanda brought a new dodgems ride to the park (which is now situated under the Revolution attraction.) On May 4, 2011, Nickelodeon Land
will debut replacing the entire Beaver Creek area of the park. Amanda has focused on the historically important aspects of the park, the overall look of the park, the park branding; taking the park from Blackpool Pleasure Beach to Pleasure Beach Blackpool and its current marketing name, Pleasure Beach Resort. Amanda has attempted to monetonise the park all year round by introducing ice skating at the Arena, she also introduced Adventure Golf in 2008, all of which are available to the public when the initial park is closed. Amanda produces the parks show Hot Ice, designed the Big Blue Hotel and the new ticket centre which open on the ground floor of the Casino building in 2009. Along with her brother Nicolas, Amanda brought the Nickelodeon brand to Blackpool in the form of Nickelodeon Land, a re-designing and re-theme of the 6 acre Beaver Creek site, situated on the east side of the park.
During the 2011 season, both the Gold Mine dark ride and Bling closed, with no announced replacement.
is nearby.
The park is currently home to nearly 40 rides and attractions, including twelve roller coasters, of which five are wooden - the Grand National, Big Dipper, Nickelodeon Streak, Wild Mouse and Blue Flyer. The newest roller coaster, 'Infusion' opened in 2007 (having been re-located from the Pleasure Beach's erstwhile sister-park, Pleasureland Southport
, where it was known as TraumaTizer). When it opened in 1994, Pepsi Max Big One was the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster of any park in the world. It was also substantially one of the longest, measuring 5497 feet (1,675.5 m) long. Currently, the ride holds the crown as the tallest in the UK, measuring 213 ft (64.9 m), (235 ft above sea level.) and features a drop of 205 ft (62.5 m). The Pleasure Beach is one of the few parks left in the world to operate a traditional wooden Wild Mouse coaster. The ride was built entirely in house, post-World War II
and is still in complete working order. It was also the first park in Europe to introduce a full inverting steel coaster (Irn-Bru Revolution) and the first to install a Space Shot ride (Tango Ice Blast) which was manufactured by S&S Sports Of Utah. The park went on to launch Valhalla, which was designed by Sarner, a UK based theme park design company. Valhalla is sponsored by the Daily Star and remains prominently the 'biggest and most spectacular dark ride in the world.' At a cost of £15 million it is also the most expensive in-house attraction in the world. Later, the Pleasure Beach opened Bling
, a Zierer Star Shape spin ride of which only two are operated in the world. The latest record is taken by Infusion
which is the world's first suspended looping coaster entirely over water. The park has a wide variety of modern and classic-age rides and operates a separate family-themed section called Nickelodeon Land
, towards the back of the park. This section of the park includes numerous small attractions suitably aimed at younger children and tweens, including a Log Flume-type attraction,two 1099 feet (335 m) long junior wooden coasters and various small carousel-type attractions. The park also has its own costumed mascots which follows on from Disney's theory of character costuming regarding entertainment for younger guests.
The park has numerous food stalls, restaurants and cafés including the 'Italian Job' Italian themed restaurant, and the UK's largest Burger King
chain restaurant, with two levels. It also owns the 'White Tower Restaurant' a tall white building near the front of the park, which became private at the end of 2008.
unique to the day. Unlimited Ride Wristbands allow access to both the main park and to Nickelodeon Land, the children's themed area of the park. Some attractions require a cash payment.
, as well as the South Beach magic show at Planet Rock.
in the Arena, a large skating rink in the centre of the park. The Arena is also open to the public when matinee performances of Hot Ice are not featured.
Other shows at the park for the 2011 season include Beyond Belief, Ken Webster, MJ Timeless & Circus of Horrors, plus Kyran Brackens Ice party.
. The hotel opened in Spring 2003.
A similar incident occurred on the ride in June 2010, when a train's rear wheels derailed, causing the ride to stop near the Big Blue Hotel.
.
The Grand National was repaired and re-opened five months later on 28 October 2004. Not long after, a large restaurant caught fire, the restaurant was almost completely destroyed leaving only the shell of the building. The building was demolished and replaced with the Big One Stage.
On 31 August 2000, 23 people were injured, when two ride vehicles collided due to a failure of the ride's braking system. Of those injured, 21 were taken to the hospital.
or Alton Towers
, who do allow guests to bring food into the park.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
situated along the Fylde coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England. It is the most visited amusement park in the United Kingdom, and one of the top twenty most-visited amusement parks in the world with an estimate of 5.5 million visitors in 2007. The park is owned by the Thompson family. In 2003 the park opened the Big Blue Hotel, a four star hotel, making the park part of an official resort. The park operates an additional children's park in the resort called Nickelodeon Land which is a subsidy of Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (around the world)
Nickelodeon, a network that was originally established as a cable channel in the United States, has expanded to include worldwide versions.-Americas:* Nick - flagship channel...
; it occupies the space of the original children's park which was called Beaver Creek. The main attractions at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool include:
- Big One: The UK's tallest roller coaster with a peak height of 213 ft, built by Arrow Dynamics.
- InfusionInfusion (roller coaster)Infusion is an inverted steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the first inverted coaster to be suspended entirely over water...
: A VekomaVekomaVekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
Suspended Looping Coaster and the world's first constructed entirely over water. - Revolution: Europe's first fully inverting roller coaster, built by Arrow Dynamics.
- Grand NationalGrand National (roller coaster)The Grand National is a wooden roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. It was designed and constructed by Charles Paige in 1935 and is now one of only three surviving Möbius Loop roller coasters in the world and the only one in Eurasia. It is themed and named after the Grand National; with...
: A twin tracked "Mobus Loop" racing wooden roller coaster, opened in 1935 - ValhallaValhalla (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)Valhalla is one of the flagship rides at the theme park Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was opened on 14 June 2000 at a cost of £15 million and from then until this day has remained the longest indoor dark ride in the world...
: A Viking themed water ride on two different levels, designed by Sarner and built by Intamin - Wild Mouse: One of only three remaining wooden Wild Mouse roller coasters in the world.
- Ice BlastIce Blast: The RideTango Ice Blast , is an S&S Power Space Shot ride located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It is named after the drink of the same name.- History :...
: Europe's first Space Shot ride. Uses compressed air to launch riders up a 200 ft steel tower. - Big DipperBig Dipper (Blackpool)Big Dipper is a wooden out and back roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Blackpool, England. The ride was first built in 1923 by John Miller but was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton; adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops...
: A classic wooden coaster, built in 1923 and extended in 1936 - SteeplechaseSteeplechase (Blackpool)The Steeplechase is a three tracked racing roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It was opened in 1977. It was a custom design and made by Arrow Dynamics. The ride was officially opened by Grand National winner Red Rum whose hoof print was also taken and is on display...
: A three tracked steel racing coaster, built by Arrow Dynamics. Only remaining ride of its kind. - Avalanche: A Mack bob sled coaster, the first and only in the UK
- Nickelodeon Streak A wooden coaster. Previously called Rollercoaster it was re-themed and re-painted in 2011.
Early years
Pleasure Beach was founded in 1896 by Alderman William George Bean after he failed in his attempt to become an advertising man on New York's Madison Avenue. He returned to the UK in 1897 and opened two separate amusement parks; one adjacent to Euston Road in Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
and another in Blackpool, opposite the tram terminus. The Great Yarmouth amusement park consisted simply of a switchback railway and bicycle railway called the Hotchkiss's Patented Railroad. Bean stayed in Great Yarmouth until the end of the century before moving to Blackpool full time.
In 1903, Bean, along with businessman John Outhwaite, purchased 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land known as the "Watson Estate" which was used to expand the amusement park in Blackpool. Bean and Outhwaite aimed to create a park similar to Coney Island in the USA, that would make adults feel like children again and inspire gaiety of a primarily innocent character and used inspiration from a small manually operated fair ground found at London's Earls Court. The first major attraction to open at Pleasure Beach was the "Hiram Maxim Captive Flying Machine" in 1904. The next attraction, a water ride similar to a Mill Chute was opened in 1905 under the name "The River Caves of the World." The same year the name "Blackpool Pleasure Beach" was founded. Outhwaite died in 1911, leaving the initial business to Bean, however the Outhwaite family still had ownership in shares of the park, and would occasionally have input into the park's growth. Over the next few years, the park developed, with frequent large scale investments including the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper
Big Dipper (Blackpool)
Big Dipper is a wooden out and back roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Blackpool, England. The ride was first built in 1923 by John Miller but was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton; adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops...
and Dodgems. In the 1920s Bean invested in the "Casino Building" which remains to this day.
In 1923, land was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. In 1929, Bean died suddenly of pneumonia leaving the park to his daughter, Lillian 'Doris' Bean, who had previously married a young businessman, Leonard Thompson, in 1928. Thompson was an Oxford natural sciences graduate who after Bean's death immediately took over the Pleasure Beach business alongside his wife. The park came under full control of the Thompson family after the remaining Outhwaite family sold their share of the park. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and the Casino building to name a few. Emberton continued to design for the Pleasure Beach up to his death in 1956, after which Jack Ratcliffe, who had been involved in the Festival of Britain, was brought in to continue the work. Ratcliffed worked for many years at the park, until the death of Leonard Thompson in 1976. Following Thompson's death, Lillian Doris Thompson was appointed chairman of the business. Their only son, Geoffrey Thompson became the new managing director.
Geoffrey Thompson era
William "Geoffrey" Thompson was born in Manchester in 1936. He had previously administered the New Era Laundries in London before returning to the Pleasure Beach as head of catering at the Casino Building. He married his wife, Barbara Thompson (née Foxcroft) in 1962 and shortly afterwards they had three children, Amanda, Nicholas and Fiona. After Leonard's death, Geoffrey and his mother steadily extended the Pleasure Beach business. After his fathers death, Thompson hired Keith Ingham to make extensive alterations to the Casino building which later became the "Wonderful World" building. Since then the building has reverted back to its original name. Under Thompson's reign, the Pleasure Beach business expanded quite dramatically. He bought two separate amusement parks Pleasureland SouthportPleasureland Southport
New Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment...
and Frontierland
Frontierland, Morecambe
Frontierland Western Theme Park was a theme park at Morecambe, Lancashire, England, situated on Marine Road West, which operated from 1909 to 7 November 1999, with a final year consisting of only travelling rides in 2000...
, Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
and invested into food-and-ride trade at the Pleasure Beach. He saw the opening of the Steeplechase
Steeplechase (Blackpool)
The Steeplechase is a three tracked racing roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It was opened in 1977. It was a custom design and made by Arrow Dynamics. The ride was officially opened by Grand National winner Red Rum whose hoof print was also taken and is on display...
, Avalanche, Revolution, Big One, Ice Blast: The Ride
Ice Blast: The Ride
Tango Ice Blast , is an S&S Power Space Shot ride located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It is named after the drink of the same name.- History :...
) and Valhalla
Valhalla (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)
Valhalla is one of the flagship rides at the theme park Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was opened on 14 June 2000 at a cost of £15 million and from then until this day has remained the longest indoor dark ride in the world...
.
His reputation in Blackpool earned him a highly positive status amongst other businessman in the amusement trade. He was often regarded as the front man to the steady growth of amusement parks globally and he was often involved in promoting tourism. He sat on almost all the relevant agencies, such as the English Tourist Board and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, and was awarded an OBE for this work. In 1986, Pleasure Beach became one of the first companies in the UK to register with the Government Profit Related Pay Unit. Under this scheme the company agreed that, where profits exceeded £1 million, 10 per cent would be distributed among the permanent staff according to their length of service. Geoffrey was often in dispute with Blackpool Council over their decision to allow private traders to use land opposite the Pleasure Beach. He won his appeal to clear the land of all trading attractions and the Pleasure Beach has remained unaffected by the situation. Geoffrey Thompson died at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on 12 June 2004, while attending his daughters wedding.
Amanda Thompson era
After her fathers death and the death of Pleasure Beach Chairman, Mrs L.D Thompson, OBE nine days later, on 23 June 2004, Amanda Thompson took over the whole Pleasure Beach business. Nicholas Thompson became the Deputy Managing Director and Fiona Gilje (nee Thompson), a fundamental architect (she has been praised over her work on both the Big One's station and the Infusion station) became involved with designing areas of the park.Amanda Thompson has overseen the transformation of the park to a modern, aesthetically pleasing amusement park. However, her reign has seen the removal of some rides including the Whip, Log Flume, Space Invader 2
Space Invader 2
Space Invader 2 was an enclosed, sit down roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England.The ride was built in 1984, and was refurbished by KumbaK Coasters and renamed in 2004. The ride closed in September 2008 and was removed in June 2010....
, Turtle Chase, Black Hole and Super Bowl. In 2007, she introduced Infusion
Infusion (roller coaster)
Infusion is an inverted steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the first inverted coaster to be suspended entirely over water...
(relocated from the now revitalised Pleasureland Southport
Pleasureland Southport
New Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment...
) and in 2009 transformed the north end of the park by introducing a new area, Bean Street FY4, which houses numerous catering outlets and bars and the Spectacular Dancing Water Show which was a seven hundred and fifty thousand pound investment.
In 2010 she further developed the north end of the park by re-designing the area which formerly housed the old dodgems ride. The site is now a garden area with numerous water features and fanciful sculptures. The same year, Amanda brought a new dodgems ride to the park (which is now situated under the Revolution attraction.) On May 4, 2011, Nickelodeon Land
Nickelodeon Land
Nickelodeon Land is the current children's park in Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England. It opened on 4 May 2011 and is in the place of Beaver Creek which closed on 5 September 2010 after Amanda Thompson announced that the Pleasure Beach would be working with Nickelodeon to open a new and modern...
will debut replacing the entire Beaver Creek area of the park. Amanda has focused on the historically important aspects of the park, the overall look of the park, the park branding; taking the park from Blackpool Pleasure Beach to Pleasure Beach Blackpool and its current marketing name, Pleasure Beach Resort. Amanda has attempted to monetonise the park all year round by introducing ice skating at the Arena, she also introduced Adventure Golf in 2008, all of which are available to the public when the initial park is closed. Amanda produces the parks show Hot Ice, designed the Big Blue Hotel and the new ticket centre which open on the ground floor of the Casino building in 2009. Along with her brother Nicolas, Amanda brought the Nickelodeon brand to Blackpool in the form of Nickelodeon Land, a re-designing and re-theme of the 6 acre Beaver Creek site, situated on the east side of the park.
During the 2011 season, both the Gold Mine dark ride and Bling closed, with no announced replacement.
Managing directors
| Name | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| John Outhwaite | |
| William G. Bean | |
| Leonard Thompson | |
| Doris Thompson | |
| Geoffrey Thompson | |
| Amanda Thompson | 2004–present |
Current park
Pleasure Beach is situated along the South Shore area of Blackpool along the Fylde coast, adjacent to the promenade, opposite South along Ocean Boulevard and directly above Watson road. The main entrance is to the front of the initial park and approximately 38 metres (124.7 ft) from the Pleasure Beach Casino. The ticket sales is opposite the entrance (below the Noah's Ark attraction) and is adjacent to the Globe Theatre. The main car park is to the left side of the White Tower restaurant, behind Valhalla and to the right of the Grand National station. The additional coach park is to the back of the park adjacent to the trim brake section of the Pepsi Max Big One and in front of Nickelodeon Streak. Some catering and retail kiosks are situated near to the entrance of the park. The entrance plaza is directly behind the Casino building and is themed to correspond with the Noah's Ark ride which site on top of the structure. The park is lined with tall metal gates that connect to the entrance building and the main gift shop, underneath the Noah's Ark ride. The staff entrance is towards the back of the park, behind the Grand National. Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway stationBlackpool Pleasure Beach railway station
Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway station is on the Fylde Coast branch line from Kirkham to Blackpool South, in Lancashire, England. It is across the road from the Blackpool Pleasure Beach complex and provides regular train connections to and from Blackpool and...
is nearby.
The park is currently home to nearly 40 rides and attractions, including twelve roller coasters, of which five are wooden - the Grand National, Big Dipper, Nickelodeon Streak, Wild Mouse and Blue Flyer. The newest roller coaster, 'Infusion' opened in 2007 (having been re-located from the Pleasure Beach's erstwhile sister-park, Pleasureland Southport
Pleasureland Southport
New Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment...
, where it was known as TraumaTizer). When it opened in 1994, Pepsi Max Big One was the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster of any park in the world. It was also substantially one of the longest, measuring 5497 feet (1,675.5 m) long. Currently, the ride holds the crown as the tallest in the UK, measuring 213 ft (64.9 m), (235 ft above sea level.) and features a drop of 205 ft (62.5 m). The Pleasure Beach is one of the few parks left in the world to operate a traditional wooden Wild Mouse coaster. The ride was built entirely in house, post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and is still in complete working order. It was also the first park in Europe to introduce a full inverting steel coaster (Irn-Bru Revolution) and the first to install a Space Shot ride (Tango Ice Blast) which was manufactured by S&S Sports Of Utah. The park went on to launch Valhalla, which was designed by Sarner, a UK based theme park design company. Valhalla is sponsored by the Daily Star and remains prominently the 'biggest and most spectacular dark ride in the world.' At a cost of £15 million it is also the most expensive in-house attraction in the world. Later, the Pleasure Beach opened Bling
Bling (Blackpool)
Bling is a theme park ride located within Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Lancashire, North West England. The "Star Shape" ride was built by German company Zierer in 2004, the second of three to have been built to date...
, a Zierer Star Shape spin ride of which only two are operated in the world. The latest record is taken by Infusion
Infusion (roller coaster)
Infusion is an inverted steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the first inverted coaster to be suspended entirely over water...
which is the world's first suspended looping coaster entirely over water. The park has a wide variety of modern and classic-age rides and operates a separate family-themed section called Nickelodeon Land
Nickelodeon Land
Nickelodeon Land is the current children's park in Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England. It opened on 4 May 2011 and is in the place of Beaver Creek which closed on 5 September 2010 after Amanda Thompson announced that the Pleasure Beach would be working with Nickelodeon to open a new and modern...
, towards the back of the park. This section of the park includes numerous small attractions suitably aimed at younger children and tweens, including a Log Flume-type attraction,two 1099 feet (335 m) long junior wooden coasters and various small carousel-type attractions. The park also has its own costumed mascots which follows on from Disney's theory of character costuming regarding entertainment for younger guests.
The park has numerous food stalls, restaurants and cafés including the 'Italian Job' Italian themed restaurant, and the UK's largest Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
chain restaurant, with two levels. It also owns the 'White Tower Restaurant' a tall white building near the front of the park, which became private at the end of 2008.
Wristbands
Wristbands allow guests to access the various rides that the park has to offer. These wristbands are valid only for one day, and include a printed bar-codeBarcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
unique to the day. Unlimited Ride Wristbands allow access to both the main park and to Nickelodeon Land, the children's themed area of the park. Some attractions require a cash payment.
Pleasure Beach Pass
Guests who do not wish to purchase ride wristbands are required to purchase a Pleasure Beach Pass. The Pleasure Beach Pass allows access to the park and to selected attractions within the park area covering the Spectacular Dancing Water Show, the Chinese Puzzle maze and the Pleasure Beach ExpressPleasure Beach Express
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Express is a gauge railway, built in 1933 as a tourist attraction at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Lancashire.-History:The main station was built in 1933, but was destroyed by fire in 1934...
, as well as the South Beach magic show at Planet Rock.
Platinum Pass
A season pass which allows unlimited access to the park throughout the season. The 2011 price is £189.60.Key
| Colour | Target Audience |
|---|---|
| Thrill ride | |
| Family ride | |
| Children's ride | |
| Nickelodeon Land ride |
Roller coasters
| # | Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avalanche | A bobsled rollercoaster. | |
| 2 | Big Dipper Big Dipper (Blackpool) Big Dipper is a wooden out and back roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Blackpool, England. The ride was first built in 1923 by John Miller but was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton; adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops... |
A traditional wooden rollercoaster and a classic amongst coaster enthusiasts. Extended in 1936. | |
| 3 | Big One | An Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of... hyper coaster with a highest point of 235 ft (71.6 m) above sea level or 213 ft (64.9 m) above the ground. It reaches speeds of up to 84 mph. |
|
| 4 | Grand National Grand National (roller coaster) The Grand National is a wooden roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. It was designed and constructed by Charles Paige in 1935 and is now one of only three surviving Möbius Loop roller coasters in the world and the only one in Eurasia. It is themed and named after the Grand National; with... |
A wooden racing roller coaster Racing roller coaster A racing roller coaster, sometimes referred to as a dual track coaster, consists of one whole track or two separate coasters that travels along parallel or mirrored tracks to simulate a race between the trains. The coaster trains travel along tracks just a few feet apart of one another... . A classic among coaster enthusiasts. |
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| 5 | Infusion Infusion (roller coaster) Infusion is an inverted steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the first inverted coaster to be suspended entirely over water... |
A Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... SLC and the first of its kind in the world to be built over water. (Formerly operated at Pleasureland Pleasureland Southport New Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment... as "Traumatizer" until 2006. |
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| 6 | Revolution | The ride reaches up to speeds of 40 mph and a g force level of 4.0. It was named "Irn Bru Revolution" until 2011 when it reverted to its original name. | |
| 7 | Nickelodeon Streak | A classic wooden coaster found in Nickelodeon Land. From 1933 to 2010 it was known simply as Rollercoaster however in 2011 was renamed Nickelodeon Streak. | |
| 8 | Steeplechase Steeplechase (Blackpool) The Steeplechase is a three tracked racing roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It was opened in 1977. It was a custom design and made by Arrow Dynamics. The ride was officially opened by Grand National winner Red Rum whose hoof print was also taken and is on display... |
A three-tracked racing steel roller coaster Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... and the last of its kind in existence. |
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| 9 | Wild Mouse Wild Mouse (Blackpool) The Wild Mouse is a Wooden roller coaster located at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool. Opened in 1958, it's one of only 3 remaining wooden Wild Mouse coasters left in the world and is held in very high regard as one of the finest and most extreme examples of Wild Mouse... |
One of only three operating wooden wild mouse roller coaster Wild Mouse roller coaster A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces... s in the world. |
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| 10 | Blue Flyer | A children’s wooden coaster composed of bunny hills and a tunnel. Originally known as Zipper Dipper then renamed to Blue Flyer and re-painted in 2011. |
Thrill rides
| # | Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ice Blast Ice Blast: The Ride Tango Ice Blast , is an S&S Power Space Shot ride located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England. It is named after the drink of the same name.- History :... |
An S&S Power S&S Power S&S Worldwide is a company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.-History:S&S Worldwide was founded by Stan Checketts as S&S Sports, Inc. S&S Sports manufactures bungee jumping and trampoline equipment. S&S Sports was sold in 1996... Space Shot Space Shot Space Shot is a type of amusement ride manufactured by S&S Power.The ride is a drop tower type attraction that uses compressed air to rapidly propel riders up the tower then gently lower them with a series of air-cushioned bounces back to the loading platform.The first space shot to be built in the... which stands at 210 ft (64 m) above sea level, although is actually 180 ft (54.9 m) tall. |
Water rides
| # | Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Dora’s World Voyage | A mini boat tub ride, opened June 2011. | |
| 13 | The Rugrats' Lost River | A semi-themed one-hill log chute originally in the park's previous Beaver Creek, now located in Nickelodeon Land. | |
| 14 | River Caves | Classic 'old mill' style dark ride, visiting displays of "around the world". | |
| 15 | Valhalla Valhalla (Pleasure Beach Blackpool) Valhalla is one of the flagship rides at the theme park Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was opened on 14 June 2000 at a cost of £15 million and from then until this day has remained the longest indoor dark ride in the world... |
Viking-themed dark flume ride, laden with special effects. |
Other rides
| # | Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Alice's Wonderland | Children's dark ride Dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.... featuring scenes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures... and Through the Looking-Glass Through the Looking-Glass Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... . The cars are big Cheshire cat Cheshire Cat The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:... s. |
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| 17 | Chinese Puzzle Maze | A traditional maze with interactive features, scenery, and water traps. | |
| 18 | Derby Racer | One of only three in the world, the ride is essentially a large carousel of 56 horses in four rows, the outside row being the fastest. | |
| 19 | Dodgems | Standard dodgems attraction. | |
| 20 | Eddie Stobart Convoy | All trucks are painted in Eddie Stobart Ltd. Eddie Stobart Ltd. Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium... colours including names. |
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| 21 | Flying Machines | The oldest attraction in the park. Original flying experience attraction. | |
| 22 | Gallopers | Ornate traditional English carousel. | |
| 23 | Ghost Train Ghost Train (Pleasure Beach Blackpool) Ghost Train is a dark ride attraction at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, in Blackpool Lancashire, England. It opened in 1930 and was designed by Joseph Emberton. It is notable as being the first real "Ghost Train" in the world, and the first to use the name of Ghost Train. It is one of the few Ghost... |
A dark ride Dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.... . This ghost train was the first in the world and is where the ride name "Ghost Train" originates. It was named and built by Mr Joseph Emberton. |
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| 24 | Grand Prix | Electrical powered auto-mobile ride. Travels down a spiral and under The Avalanche Rollercoaster. | |
| 25 | Impossible | (Previously 1001 Troubles and The Haunted Swing) A mirror maze, followed by displays of optical illusions, and a haunted swing ride. | |
| 26 | Monorail | Standard monorail Monorail A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track... that travels around most of Pleasure Beach Resort. It has two trains, semi covered/open. |
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| 27 | Pleasure Beach Express Pleasure Beach Express Blackpool Pleasure Beach Express is a gauge railway, built in 1933 as a tourist attraction at Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Lancashire.-History:The main station was built in 1933, but was destroyed by fire in 1934... |
A miniature railway featuring Scenery of Wild life in a jungle to Dangerous Dinosaur from the Jurrasic Era also includes interactive effects. | |
| 28 | Tetley Tea Cups Ride | Spinning Tea Cups Ride themed on Tetley, After Beaver Creek closed the ride relocated to underneath the Irn Bru Revolution. | |
| 29 | Alpine Rallye | A children's automobile track ride similar to the Convoy. After the park's Beaver Creek closed the ride was renamed from Thor's Turnpike and relocated. | |
| 30 | Vintage Carousel | A Mini carousel ride. After Beaver Creek closed the ride was relocated to under the Avalanche lift hill, and renamed from Veteran Carousel. | |
Nickelodeon Land
| # | Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Avatar Airbender | 2011 | Opened May 2011. |
| 32 | The Backyardians' Pirate Treasure | 2011 | Opened May 2011. Retheme of the previous 'Bradley Beaver's Pirate Ship Ride' |
| 33 | Bikini Bottom Bus Tour | 2011 | Opened May 2011. |
| 34 | Diego’s Rainforest Rescue | 2011 | Opened May 2011. |
| 35 | Fairy World Taxi Spin | 2011 | Opened May 2011. |
| 36 | Krusty Krab Order Up | 2011 | Opened May 2011. Retheme of the previous 'The Shoot' ride. |
| 37 | SpongeBob's Splash Bash | 2011 | Opened May 2011. |
| 38 | Wonder Pets! Big Circus Bounce | 2011 | Opened May 2011 |
Other attractions
- Pasaje Del TerrorPasaje Del TerrorPasaje Del Terror is an interactive walk-through horror attraction with branches in thirty different cities in Spain, including Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville, Malaga, Salou, Santander, etc. as well as some of the major cities of the world, such as Rome, Lisbon, Blackpool, Buenos Aires,...
- Opened in 1998. Interactive horror attraction within the Casino. - Horror Crypt - Attraction themed around a haunted residence.
- Bowl-a-Drome - Standard PPR Bowling Attraction located near to Been Street FY4.
- Ripley's Believe It Or Not! - A PPR attraction which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims.
- Pleasure Beach Arena - An ice rinkIce rinkAn ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
open all year round. - Arcades and Midway Sideshows
- Spectacular Dancing Water Show - Fountain opened in 2009. Every twenty minutes it performs a dancing water show.
Park awards
- 2007: Best brand for leisure and tourism - North West top 100 brands
- 2007: Best large tourist attraction - North West in bloom
- 2007: Pleasure Beach training team: best practice in tourism training - LETTS awards
- 2007: Fifth best amusement park in the world - Amusement today golden ticket awards
- 2007: Best seaside park award - Amusement today golden ticket awards
- 2007: Best radio commercial - IAAPA Brass ring awards
- 2007: Pleasure beach website - distinguished excellence - IAAPA Brass ring awards
- 2007: Valhalla: 2nd best water ride in the world - Amusement today golden ticket awards
- 2007: Best north west brand for leisure and tourism - Hill Dickinson
- 2007: revitalised brand of the year - Leisure report awards
- 2008: North west brand for leisure and tourism - Hill Dickinson
- 2008: Ripleys believe it or not: Franchise of the year and Guest service award - Ripleys executive board
- 2009: Big Blue Hotel - 5 star award - Loo of the year
- 2009: Forbidden: Best overall production - IAAPA Big E awards
- 2009: Hot Ice: best overall production - IAAPA Big E awards
- 2011: Top Ten Best Theme Parks - Golden Tickets
The Hot Ice Show
Hot Ice is a skating extravaganza show which was created by Stageworks Worldwide Productions, a Blackpool and West End based company owned by Amanda Thompson, the managing director of Pleasure Beach. The show has been running for many years and stars Olympic ice skaters and dancers. The show is performed in an auditoriumAuditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
in the Arena, a large skating rink in the centre of the park. The Arena is also open to the public when matinee performances of Hot Ice are not featured.
Other Shows
The Globe Theatre is currently used to house the 'Big One Talent Show' and the Arena will be used for Hot Ice in July to September 2010. Stageworks worldwide productions also hot a talent show "Star Idol" in July and August at the Horeshoe Theatre, this fantastic family show is free of charge.Other shows at the park for the 2011 season include Beyond Belief, Ken Webster, MJ Timeless & Circus of Horrors, plus Kyran Brackens Ice party.
Food and Drink
- Bean Street FY4 - serves everything from gourmet burgers to jacket potatoes, salads to shakes and orange juice to cappuccinos.
- Big Pizza Kitchen - All-you-can-eat Italian buffet featuring Pizza, Pasta and Salad.
- Burger KingBurger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
- Located at the far end of the park, it lays claim to be the country's largest Burger King. - Coopers - Centrally located licensed restaurant.
- Embertons - Submarine sandwich and soup kiosk.
- The Grill, opened in 2009 - Brasserie style restaurant which sells a range of meals including cooked steaks & gourmet fish and chips.
- Ice Lounge - Serves ice cream, desserts, and hot and cold drinks.
- Magnolia Cafe - A family themed cafe bar serving a selection of halal Southern Fried Chicken dishes.
- Pizza HutPizza HutPizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
- Opened 1986. Located on Ocean Boulevard.
The Big Blue Hotel
The Big Blue Hotel is a four star family hotel, owned by Pleasure Beach Blackpool and is situated within the outskirts of the park adjacent to Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway stationBlackpool Pleasure Beach railway station
Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway station is on the Fylde Coast branch line from Kirkham to Blackpool South, in Lancashire, England. It is across the road from the Blackpool Pleasure Beach complex and provides regular train connections to and from Blackpool and...
. The hotel opened in Spring 2003.
Avalanche
In the summer season 1997, the Avalanche ride was involved in an accident when the first carriages breakage system automatically engaged, causing the following carriages to collide into one another in a rapid stop. 14 people were on the ride at the time, an 11 year old boy suffered bruised ribs. The ride was out of commission for 5 weeks of reparations.Big Dipper
On 11 August 2009, two trains carrying a total of 32 guests collided, resulting in 21 guests requiring treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses, to cuts and bruises.A similar incident occurred on the ride in June 2010, when a train's rear wheels derailed, causing the ride to stop near the Big Blue Hotel.
Fun House
On 16 December 1991, the Fun House attraction (first opened in 1934) was completely destroyed by a fire caused by vandals. Valhalla (opened in 2000) was built in its place.Grand National
On 20 May 2004 the Grand National’s station was destroyed by a fire that also damaged Alice’s Wonderland and Trauma TowersTrauma Towers
Trauma Towers was a themed funhouse and haunted attraction based at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the North of the United Kingdom.Formerly The Haunted Hotel, the attraction was a walk through a themed funhouse, themed as a dark traditionally decorated "haunted" hotel, in which you were to make your...
.
The Grand National was repaired and re-opened five months later on 28 October 2004. Not long after, a large restaurant caught fire, the restaurant was almost completely destroyed leaving only the shell of the building. The building was demolished and replaced with the Big One Stage.
Big One
In July 1994, only a week after the ride's opening, 26 people were injured when the computer system failed to completely stop a train returning to the station. The result of this brake failure was a collision with a waiting train at the ride's station. The injuries were all only minor but the incident was widely publicised by the media. On 14 June 2011 the train stopped, causing minor injuries.On 31 August 2000, 23 people were injured, when two ride vehicles collided due to a failure of the ride's braking system. Of those injured, 21 were taken to the hospital.
Space Invader 2
On 21 July 2000, an 11-year-old boy died after he fell out of the ride vehicle. Reports say that he may have panicked on the dark ride and unfastened his seatbelt. The ride reopened after that but the actual cause for the ride closure is unknown.Valhalla
On 14 July 2010, a 16-year-old boy; William Gelder suffered a broken nose after banging his head on the second drop.Picnic Ban
In May 2011, it was widely reported in the media that the park had banned outside food or drink from being brought into the park, specifically picnics. This was met with criticism from the public. Staff defended the decade-old rule, and commented that it was in place as the "ride-intensive nature" of the park meant that there was little space for families to eat food inside the park. However, this rule is contrary to other English theme parks, such as nearby CamelotCamelot Theme Park
Camelot Theme Park is a resort and theme park located in the English county of Lancashire. It is based on the legend of Camelot. It is located on a site near the village of Charnock Richard, west of Chorley. The site is owned by The Story Group, and operated by Knights Leisure...
or Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
, who do allow guests to bring food into the park.
Club Pleasure Beach
The Pleasure Beach has its own enthusiast club, Club Pleasure Beach. It is run as a non profit organisation and was formed in 1992 by the park as an initiative to sell advance boarding tickets for the Pepsi Max Big One, but has since evolved to become an organisation for Pleasure Beach enthusiasts.Television series
In 1997 the Pleasure Beach featured in a six part BBC documentary, which followed the day to day running of the park. It was mainly focused on the rides and the park managers, Jim Rowland and Keith Allen. The film crews also spoke to Geoffrey Thompson and Amanda Thompson, the director and producer of Stageworks Worldwide Productions (which directs, produces and choreographs the shows within the park.)In popular culture
- The Pepsi Max Big One is featured in the 2001 film The Parole OfficerThe Parole OfficerThe Parole Officer is a 2001 film, directed by John Duigan and was the first feature film to star comedian Steve Coogan. The film follows a mismatched group of former criminals as they assist their probation officer in proving his innocence after a murder accusation.-Plot:Simon Garden is a...
and in one episode of A Touch of FrostA Touch of Frost (TV series)A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 1992 until 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield.... - Pleasure Beach is featured in the promotional segment for the "Little Britain Live" DVD.
- The music video for Simply Red'sSimply RedSimply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
song "FairgroundFairground (Simply Red song)"Fairground" is a 1995 single released by Simply Red from the album Life. The song contains a sample of The Goodmen's "Give It Up".-Video:...
" was also shot here. - ITV show "Soapstars" featured the Pleasure Beach in its made-for-tv drama sequence.
- The InfusionInfusionAn infusion is the outcome of steeping plants with desired chemical compounds or flavors in water or oil.-History:The first recorded use of essential oils was in the 10th or 11th century by the Persian polymath Avicenna, possibly in The Canon of Medicine.-Preparation techniques:An infusion is very...
rollercoaster featured in a 2009 edition of SpecsaversSpecsaversSpecsavers Optical Group Ltd is the biggest optical retailer in the UK and Ireland. It is also the biggest of the four major opticians that control 70% of the British market for spectacles and contact lenses, with Specsavers having a 39% share of the market...
advertising campaign. - Blackpool was originally referenced in the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
television episode "Revelation of the DaleksRevelation of the DaleksRevelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
" but the reference was removed when the series was put on hiatus. Blackpool was to be featured as the setting of the next unmade story "The Nightmare FairThe Nightmare FairThe Nightmare Fair is a story originally written for the 1986 season of Doctor Who, but never filmed. A novelisation based on the script was published in 1989 by Target Books, as the first volume of its Missing Episodes series...
." - Pleasure Beach, Blackpool appears within a scenario of the very successful game Rollercoaster TycoonRollerCoaster TycoonRollerCoaster Tycoon may refer to:*RollerCoaster Tycoon - a series of video games in which a player must manage an amusement park**RollerCoaster Tycoon - the first game, which came out in 1999...
, which features most of the rides within the park that existed at the time of the game's release. - The Laughing man was briefly portrayed as a psychotic French clown in Jamie H Scrutton's: "His Haunted Laughter" short film in 2010. The artist performed in the role of the character.
- The park was included in the hit drama Waterloo RoadWaterloo RoadWaterloo Road may refer to:Places:* Waterloo Road, London, England* Waterloo Road, Hong Kong* Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, England. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.'s Molineux Stadium is located on this road.Film and television:...
. Finn Sharkey (Jack McMullenJack McMullenJack Michael McMullen is an actor from Liverpool. He is best known for his role as Finn Sharkey in Waterloo Road, as well as smaller appearances in Brookside and Grange Hill.- Career :...
), Lauren Andrews (Darcy Isa), Sambuca Kelly (Holly KennyHolly KennyHolly Kenny is a British actress, best known for playing Sambuca Kelly in the BBC1 drama Waterloo Road.- Personal life :...
) and Tom Clarkson (Jason DoneJason DoneJason Done is a British actor.-Background:Jason Done was born and raised in Walkden, City of Salford, United Kingdom. His love for acting began at an early age after watching the Ken Loach film, Kes...
) visit the park. - Professional Wrestler Darren Kenneth Matthews, most commonly known as William Regal began his wrestling career at the park at aged 15.
See also
- Incidents at European parksIncidents at European parksThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise...
- Pleasureland SouthportPleasureland SouthportNew Pleasureland, previously named Pleasureland, is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The original park operated from 1912 to 2006 and was closed by the parent Blackpool Pleasure Beach company due to what they stated was a lack of returns after investment...
- Frontierland, MorecambeFrontierland, MorecambeFrontierland Western Theme Park was a theme park at Morecambe, Lancashire, England, situated on Marine Road West, which operated from 1909 to 7 November 1999, with a final year consisting of only travelling rides in 2000...
- MinirailMinirailThe Minirail was an automated monorail system at Expo 67 in Montreal. The six-mile-long people mover system was composed of two separate loops. A shorter track, which remains in service, takes riders through the LaRonde amusement park...
, a monorail at Expo 67Expo 67The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
that shares track and rolling stock with Blackpool, both acquired from the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition.