They should fetch back free admission for Non riders so families can go together. I have a heart condition so can't go on the rides anymore. Would still love to walk around the Pleasure Beach and would spend my money on food and drinks. Stopped going as soon as they began charging. Lots of happy memories of family times spent there.
There’s always going to be some people who genuinely miss out due to the no rider admission being scrapped but we went last year and what a difference it made.No begging,no local kids trying to hassle you for your wristband if you left early and no parents sat drinking all day whilst kids run riot. Atmosphere was so much more relaxed.
They spoiled the pleasure beach when they made it pay at the gate. Many people used to enjoy just walking around and watching the rides and many would have been tempted to pay for a few rides once in the park. . Proper theme parks such as Alton Towers can get away with pay at the gate because people go there especially to spend the day in the park whilst people visiting Blackpool for the day might want to only spend a couple of hours in the pleasure beach and the rest of the day visiting other attractions on the promenade. Its 50 quid to enter if you pay on the day and theres not many people foolish enough to spend that amount just to go in the park for a couple of hours. Also, the park used to be open late throughout the whole of summer. A lot of people visiting for the day would spend the day around the shops up north and then head south to the pleasure beach for a few hours before home. I think its only open until 5pm throughout the whole of June, even on weekends which is stupid for an industry that relies on making money through the summer months.
@@coaster_dad I'll tell you what, me and you will take over the pleasure beach and knock it into shape. Its like the people who are running it have no idea what they are doing. Either that or they are just so filthy rich that that dont care and are only doing it as a pastime
It's been a long time since I walked around Blackpool pleasure beach but you could just turn up and wander around it like a normal fairground and it was always busy . Who thought it was a good idea to try and turn it into some sort of theme park !
UK has itself to blame. Prices are far too high when compared to abroad. A week in Wales is more than a week in Greece (,with flights and food included !). So UK had a chance with staycations and got greedy - now they are paying the price for that greed.
Hubby and I have always took our holidays in UK 🇬🇧 Always stay in a cottage or bungalow that allows our little chihuahua….but over last year the prices have gone through the roof..I have no problem owners making a profit but when they are just dam greedy it’s disgusting. We were asked to pay £35/£45 per week for our dog!!😡 never paid more than £20.. the price rise is roughly £400 (week) compared to last year!! 😡
New subscriber. I live in Blackpool and haven’t been for over 20 years. They don’t even let people in this town have a cheap day once a year, it’s too expensive,
Season pass for less than £100 in the sale, if you live that close it’s a no brainer. I come from Manchester and it’s worth it’s weight in gold (not to mention the European park perks)
In the 1970s (I don’t know if its still the case) a round of golf at the Old Course at St Andrews (the worlds top golf destination) had a descending price scale based on your age and where you lived. Pupils at certain primary schools in St Andrews damned near got on for free!
Same here not been in about 15 years, I thought the Tower was excellent value, plenty to do and see at a decent price, not sure if that's all gone nowadays as well.
@tonybee5605 along with stopping people from paying for anything with cash. Today, I've been to Blackpool Zoo and paid for entry with cash and everything in there took cash!
I don't think it particularly needs a new ride to attract people -- there are so many there already. They have to look at prices. And ensure that all rides are ready, open & running efficiently. Quite a few were not up to scratch. On-ride filming would help to show what the rides are like. And, definitely, it needs to be open in the evening !!
Yep greed just like the Royal show at Stoneleigh prices up and up every year. If you could afford to get in you couldn't even buy strawberries and cream inside.
I'm from a different world. Free entry, Noah's Ark, The Fun House, The Monorail, Crazy Mouse, The Gold Mine (Wallace & Grommet), The Log Flume, The Minature Railway run by dwarves and real trams outside instead of those boring modern ones.
That’s my Blackpool memories. One of the drivers of the miniature railway picked a flower to give to my sister just before we set off on the train. She still brings that up 50 years later. It is a shame that something so innocent and nice would be look on with suspicion nowadays.
Been many years since I have been to Blackpool I think it was in 2005 I visited Blackpool with my late parents and stayed in a guest house with them even then I could see how run down Blackpool had become dirty and scruffy in many places I could see how it had declined and gone down over the years 😮
They should maybe look at the way Tivoli in Copenhagen charges. A (lower) entrance fee, which at least keeps undesirables out and provides some money for the upkeep of the place, and then a separate pay-per-ride, with the ability to get an all ride pass if wanted. So if you do want to ride all day you end up paying the same in total, but you and your family also have the option to enter fairly cheaply and pick and choose what to do.
I've not gone as a kid either trying to see whats changed if it's worth going I am hearing a lot of my favourite rides are gone but they only added Icon since? As a local there's an offer currently for a limit time i can get a Season Pass for £85 but the question is it worth the tram fare and time? Will i want to go more than once? Blackpool Pleasure is basically closer to Saint Anne's than Blackpool Tower, i mean i think it is
I was in Blackpool for 2 nights, 20 or more years ago. Everything seemed to be designed to rob you blind. I wouldn't set foot in that shithole again if it was the last place left.
Went the coral bar, my mate gave £20 to pay for a pint barman gave him change for a fiver, when he complained the bouncers came over and chucked him out.still thieving bas### then.
My memories of Blackpool Pleasure beach are from 1958 to 1970 when my parents moved us there when I was 11 yrs old so I did all my senior schooling in Blackpool. I have wonderful memories of the pleasure beach during the season. It always opened for Easter and more or less closed down untill the start of the summer breaks. The May bank Holiday was and obviously still is a very quiet time in Blackpool with venues not yet fully open for the season. But now you have to pay to actually go into the pleasure beach before you actually pay fpr going on rides that alone will keep many people out.
Yeah theres a lot of people put off by the entry fee, especially families who may have older relative who don't want to ride. Who will pay £50 to NOT ride!?
@@coaster_dad I am 78 yrs old and it would be nice just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere of people enjoying themselves on rides but I am not prepared to pay an exorbitant fee just to watch.
Very interesting, and excellently presented. I can echo and relate to pretty much all the comments. Planning to join again, but I used to be a member of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, and visited BPB every year with the club. Not been to the park for quite some No of years now. There was no Icon, but the Wild Mouse was still there. I think the idea of free admission was based on the fact that Blackpool had other attractions nearby, so that people might visit in the morning, then go off elsewhere later on. Or vice-versa. I wouldn't pay the prices quoted to spend half a day there. When I rejoin, I will only go again as part of the RCCGB visiting trip, and they always get a good price deal for the members too.
Basically the PB management aren't going to change no matter what people are saying/suggesting to make things better & I firmly believe it will close within the next few years..... And Amanda & co know it!!!
@@MrDirkles thing is it’s the declare bankruptcy and therefore have to be bought out. I reckon Blackpool Council will buy them, they have a vested interest in making sure the pleasure beach doesn’t just disappear forever, however what worries me is who they would get to run the park for them
They made a big mistake in not letting people pay to go in but not go on the rides. You used to be able to pay £6 to go in and walk round and still spend money on food and drinks. This was good for parents with children. Now,two adults and two children all have to pay and it is an expensive day out. It can be £132 just to get in for a family of four.
The price is getting daft to be fair. I keep forgetting because I have the annual pass. And yeah the early closing or most Uk parks these days is just daft!
@David-fj3mn true but people are more likely to decide to do BP last minute because they are in Blackpool. You wouldn’t be walking past towers and just pop in.
My auntie owned a guest house in Blackpool , very near pleasure beach , in fact it was across the road from the lucky star arcade near the south pier , when my cousin and I visited we practically lived on the pleasure beach every summer until our late teens . The pleasure beach stopped being a place to go to when they brought in the park pass , it was much better just going in and paying individually for the rides you wanted to go on £1.20 to go on the big one , and most of the other rides were a £1 or under , and was never the same after the Funhouse burnt down it's got to be 15 years since I have been in the place .
I don't know , the only thing I can say that through the late 80s and the 90s BLACKPOOL was packed , the amount of money that went into the place is unimaginable , and the town has absolutely no idea of how to recapture that. IMO , treating the pleasure beach as a theme park like Alton towers has never worked it was never designed to be that , it needs to be used like a fair ground where everyone can enter there is no charge you have to pay for the things that you do .
I used to take my grand kids to the Pleasure Beach and enjoyed every moment. However, since the entry charges we don't go. We stood outside looking in one day and my granddaughter said "can we go in grandpa" Sorry I said. "why not grandpa". I only have £150 pounds. Great video . Thank you.
I'd describe the whole of Blackpool as a coma patient on a life support machine just waiting for the rest of the family to show up and say their "fairwells" before the doctors pull the plug.
@coaster_dad my wife and I did the horse rides along the promenade but on Saturday they have to put you through the back streets as the promenade is closed to them on Saturday. that was a real eye opener, boarded up shops and windows, very run down areas, it reeks of poverty.
I'm staying in Cumbria the last week of June and was considering a day trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. But now I know it's pay on the gate I won't bother. They've done the same with Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, so I no longer visit that pleasure beach either.
First visited in the 70’s, regularly visited in the 90’s. Had such great memories that I visited again with my wife and kids in 2021. Couldn’t believe how much the park and Blackpool in general had deteriorated and, sadly, I doubt I will ever return again 😢
If you have ever seen the pleasure beach tv documentary series that ran in early 90s ,you would have witnessed a thriving business with record numbers of people attending. It all comes down to management. Mr Thompson was an incredible man , intelligent with much foresight. It needs someone of the same callbre in charge.
17:10 glad your daughter mentioned the rides making her head hurt, I thought it was just me 😅 infusion gave me a banging headache last time I went on it, I wouldn’t do it again!
@@coaster_daddef needs a refurb! To be fair it was only this ride which seemed to bash my head about, didn’t have a problem on the other rides. Sad to see the park seem so empty on a sunny bank holiday. I agree with most others, they need to let in non riders for free so more families can go in together. They would likely spend money at the shops too so surely it would be a gain for the park
It’s apparent that the gate fee has been a major contributor to the fall in park custom. When it was free people would walk around and spend money on the rides of choice and food/drink without being press ganged into paying on entry. I’ve not been in the place for 20 years and I’ve been to Blackpool at least 10 times in that time. It’s like being charged for a walk down the Golden Mile. People walk freely and spend a fortune but as soon as you MAKE them pay they don’t like it. Wise up Pleasure Beach. Security may cost a bit more but you will reap it in ride fees and concessions.
The do need to think about it for sure. I think they may be better with a cheaper non rider pass than completely free again to mitigate some of the security issues and they could make it that you need to be with a full paying rider so that families with older relative could still enjoy the park
Rewatching your pleasure beach videos is getting me really excited for my trip tomorrow mate 😂😁👍. I’m re watching as many videos as I can to try and help with the cash for kids campaign and the vids are great as always matey 😊😁.
I said in a comment last week it's been quiet all season, you actually went on a busier day, even though it's still quiet😂 My mum and dad own holiday flats just off the prom and they're business as usual, and my son works at the Sandcastle and they are busy all the time with the newer admission schedule they brought in during covvid. In general Blackpool is steady, it seems to be the park that is bucking the trend. I think it's a simple fix, if they want to charge high admission, they need more high quality rides. The punters will come back in droves I'm sure if they do.
I've just been to the pleasure beach today. My dad told me about how it used to be different and how you could walk in and just hang out. He ironically told me that while we waited about half an hour to get in. I still enjoyed visiting it, but it definitely feels a lot more dull and dry than it did a few years back. Also, cool video.
My 70s childhood resolved around a trip to the PB being the highlight of the year. The sounds, the smells, the utter excitement. I loved that place and had a shot of every ride, height permitting. My favourite was the rockets, you always thought it was going to fly off! Changed days now with the charging for entry, I remember the first time you had to walk through the entry gate instead of just wandering in, I could sense big changes coming.
They have got rid of all the fav rides and im a lot older now so we are quite happy to just walk around, and maybe go on the secondary rides like Blackpool express and River Boats etc...
Its quite concerning that Pleasure Beach was THAT quiet on the bank holiday.... it will be interesting to see what happens when Universal GB opens up (which is highly likely)...
For sure. On one hand they aren’t even competing. One is a family run amusement park and the other is a multinational theme park. But if the price is similar you know which will win. So BP does need to have a 5-10 year plan to sort this out
Last time I was at the Pleasure Beach was back in the early 2000's. We went for a works evening out. It was free entry and you still had the ticket system for rides. We had fun, but about 9pm everyone started leaving and we were quietly ushered out without any fuss. Unbeknownst to us, they'd had a two car crash on the Big One, just after some of our group had been on. As we set off home, we got loads of calls asking if we were all ok. That was the first we knew about it! It was very busy then. It was always packed in the Eighties. It's just not viable now. My wife can't go on the rides as she's disabled, I don't like them so much, my son won't go on them. We'd have to buy 4 tickets, just to watch my daughter go on the rides.
Yeah it’s no longer set up for the families that could/would visit. Given people may be in Blackpool and make a last minute decision it’s £50 a head on the door. That makes the decision easy…. Walk away 😔
A few things in life genuinely puzzle me... women, England not winning a tournament since 1966 etc etc...but up there is BPB doing away with the £10 walk around pass... bring it back..say £15 and a free cuppa for nan and grandad and it would solve the attendance and atmosphere problem straightaway
The walk in pass was designed to keep the "riff raff and undesirables" out. It seems to have effectively done this and I have absolutely no problem with paying £6 to walk about. It makes me feel safe.
Amanda, Nick. What a wonderful legacy you have and may you be congratulated wholeheartedly for some of the wonderful wonderful work you have implemented. Some don't realise the Grade 2 listing in part etc. No doubt you are bending over backwards to make the park work. Your customers have a great deal to say. Your kin would want you to take heed with all respect. Please do the right thing. Make it work. Supply and demand. That always worked and always will. Wishing you all the best.
Got my fingers crossed for the future. I have a lot of fond memories of this park as a child as do many others in the comments. So I just want to see the park there in another 100 years 🤞
The listed issue is the issue Listed rides that are awful that nobody wants to ride It’s either a theme park resort whatever they call it or a museum Attendance figures suggest it’s the latter
I do feel since they introduced pay to get in the pleasure beach it's really put people off and they keep putting up the price's in this day and age people don't have the money I can understand why theme parks have to charge you to get in but people go to Blackpool to see other things it's sad it looks so dead great video 👍
Yeah I agree. For a long time I didn’t see the point in the non rider pass. But it’s clear Blackpool is very different from other parks. As you say you could be in Blackpool and just decide last minute to visit
I live in Wales and in the late 70s (as a teenager) we’d hire a coach on a regular basis for a work day out to Blackpool. Yes it was a bit expensive then but still affordable for a great and fun day out. I was there a few years ago but it had gone really downhill in general, old fashioned and way too expensive. The onset of cheaper airfares since the 70s make it far more expensive than going to somewhere like a water park in Spain for a break.
The park was very busy on bank holiday Monday. It wasn’t dead. In 2022 bank holiday Monday was £35 and was more quite then 2023 bank holiday while this years was £42. They had more people and made more money. The vidoes of the park being quite need to stop! the constant negativity I’m seeing of the park with park numbers is draining. May half term they smashed it and was it was rammed all week dispite being more expensive then 2022 and more people. I understand we’re all used to seeing the park more busy in the past years but what we need to realise now is despite it being more quite they are still making more money then previous years
I have to disagree on it being busy. Everything was walk on, areas were empty, the two main attractions were no more that 10-15 min waits. It was very quiet. For sure prices have gone up but if the numbers have dropped they won’t be making more money. Their annual reports showed that hospitality is where they’re making money at the moment.
How can you stop people posting videos of the park being empty. If no ones in then no ones in.... I've been there myself and it was dead. No sure which genius came up with the idea stop people from just walking around the park. You lost so much passing revenue by charging people just to walk around.
……..get in a dinghy and float about in the sea and wait to be rescued by the coast guard ,then tell them you are claiming asylum and claim “ you no speaka da inglish” ………..you’ll get free three meals a day ,a free hotel ,free mobile phone with credit and free cash ! …….sorted !
Stopped going pay to walk around taken out classic rides. Very sad I was born in St.Annes spent hours as a young person lost the log flume wild mouse.White knuckle rides now. The place used to be packed and stayed open late.Plus they removed the Chaser lights from the Dippers. Why?
wow! I remember that place was always buzzing. We still visit Blackpool every year for a few days.. they are trying but foreign travel has done the damage. as for the PB it's too expensive now. they even get stroppy with people trying bringing their own food.
It’s quite ironic after you mention the low numbers of visitors that that they’re offering half price admission this weekend £25 entry . Think if the numbers of visitors stays this low then either they’ll have to reduce admission price permanently or allow free entry like it was in the past or close down completely which if it closes down that will help to speed up the decline in visitors to Blackpool by quite a bit as it’s one of the iconic landmarks of Blackpool . Something has to be done lol . What about late evening opening and special reduced evening wristbands ? What about a small fee for people who don’t want to use the rides ? Winter weekends where half the park was open . They need to do something to attract more visitors .
i havent been for quite a few months we bought merlin passes so tend to do those parks. theres a bunch of big areas and attractions permantly closed with no word of whats happening at blackpool its getting run in to the ground it needs real management to theme it better and get it fully operational again.
Blackpool is a rundown, pretty much derelict, disgusting and not worth going to with the exception of the pleasure beach which has been kept clean There is literally nothing there apart from boarded up derelict rundown property. The pleasure beach itself okay most deafly not worth going to as a holiday Destination as the local council has done nothing to the town at all to promote it, or even clean it up when you put that in the mix with the average British weather in that part of the country you’ve got a mixer, a miserable probably raining day out
I drove past earlier this week and it looked totally dead, it wasn’t obvious that anything was working. I remember going there for the first time in the 80’s with my girlfriend and it was packed out. How times have changed.
Blackpool have made so many small mistakes that on their own don't really make much impact, but stacked together really bring the park down. Removal of the non rider pass, not opening until late every day in the summer, ride removals but non replacement. It's a shame because it's a fab park that just needs some love, it just feels like Amanda Thompson doesn't really care for it much anymore. Fingers crossed we see a big turnaround in the next couple of years. Great video by the way, loved your thoughts 👏
Me and my wife (then girlfriend) used to go there a lot, but slowly over years it went down hill - rides not open, breakdowns, everything just feels janky there and then they removed our favourite ride - Wild Mouse - it used to be hilarious how painful this ride was - we loved it, when we stopped in Blackpool last year we not even bothered going, which is quite sad
I used to regulary to alton towers, drayton manor before i was a family man, my eldest is just getting tall enough for some rides. Blackpool however i only went to twice. Once asa teenager on a school trip before the big one existed and when i think we had wristbands this would be in the time of the staff in the bbc documentary. It was packed on a school day in the time just when summer was close. I returned as a young adult during a heavy phase of been coaster mad as i loved all the wooden rides and heritage and history, big one was down all day (this was early 2000s, long trip from birmingham, some kids tried to snatch a friends bag and nearly got violent, place was rammed and i think the entry system was at fault, not sure if it was before they'd enlcosed park but i def recall we had wristbands and yes kids would try to beg you for your wristband and it was full of people looking like they're here to cause trouble. It left a bitter feeling in me and i regret i never made a return trip. I hope it can survive, maybe i need to make a trip before the big one is gone or the park.
Yeah much though lots of people want free entry back I think nowadays that would be a security nightmare. But they could reintroduce the non rider ticket for a lower price and even make it that you can only get one work two full price tickets so that in most cases that would solve the family problem where only one or two want to ride.
about 20 years ago i used to make quite a bit of money sending off those tokens you got in the sun newspaper that gave you 2 free tickets for the pleasure beach and flogging them on ebay. i think you could get 2 pair of tickets per household so 2 sets of mates, parents, my flat and sister all got 2 sets of tickets. the pleasure beach used to be great back then, like you say in your video they need to have tickets where you can just walk around for a tenner instead of paying 40 to go on nothing.
Just been re-watching the old BBC Pleasure Beach documentary, and it's genuinely sad to see how far the place has fallen. To think some days back then there were 85,000 people at any one time on the park and now some days it's measured in the hundreds. Something needs to change.
Its a ahame to see it like this. I used to go a lot when you paid per ride or bought a ticket pass. There's zero atmosphere now. She could sort this out in one weekend by going back to how it was in the 90's.
They can save Blackpool Pleasure Beach easily by ending the gate charges and restoring the individual ride charges instead so people can wander around and pick and choose their rides. A gate charge is basically telling customers that they aren't welcome.
@@coaster_dadyou don't need to spend millions of a great ride, just think outside of the box. How cool would a tower drop be if you corkscrew on the way up then corkscrew on the way down?
Blackpool missed a massive trick when the council didn't actively try to get Disney to build their European park in Blackpool (Disney went to Paris), yes Blackpool was a contender. Walt Disney originally looked at the Pleasure Beach and many other parks when they were looking to build their 1st park in California many years ago. There were many influences that appear to have been taken to Disney and it wasn't a secret that Walt liked the Pleasure Beach. Fast forward 30+ years and Blackpool could have been a mecca for theme parks, as everyone apart from Blackpool council knows, Theme parks help each other in attracting custom. Blackpool was my home town although I left at aged 18 in 1990, the Pleasure Beach used to be really busy but in a good way as it had an atmosphere which was different to other theme parks.
There’s rumours they’ve got a new gyro swing ride coming in. I think that will go in the area where the flying machines and ice blast are now. If it’s true, I think that speaks volumes. Gyro swings give major cheap funfair/ travelling fair vibes.
I’ve done a couple of videos on the topic. If it’s the larger gyro we don’t have anything like that in the UK so I’d love that. What’s not clear still is the fate of ice blast. I suspect it is staying after all. Which would mean the gyro is going elsewhere (unless it’s cancelled of course)
Last time I went the piers were heaving with people and you couldn’t move, also up by the tower it was rammed too. Hardly anyone down the south side apart from the odd few teens I saw coming off the pleasure beach. I’ve never saw the pleasure beach that bad ever. It was dead. The 90s when I used to go up with my parents you couldn’t move in there and the atmosphere was great. 😑🙁
Not been this season but we went last season middle of summer on late night riding day and it was empty. Big one was virtually walk on, shortest queue I've ever been in for Nick Streak. Bear in mind we were stuck in a traffic jam so got in an hour late from 11 until 8.30 we got on 27 rides in total. It was a great day bit yeah you have to worry for the park. I'd like to see them replace Ice Blast with a new tower or some other high intensity flat ride. We'll be at Blackpool later in the season. Taking my daughter on her first trips to Alton Towers and Thorpe Park first.
It’s really inconsistent. I’ve not seen it busy for ages and heard others saying the same. Yet some days like you say it’s rammed 🤷♂️ but it seems those days are few and far between
That’s quite awful that it’s so quiet for a bank holiday with good weather. I’d love to know their internal surveys to see if they know why people aren’t attending, non rider pass needs to come back, reliable ride ops need to improve and excitement about a new ride might help, however the cost of entry when you don’t know if half the rides are open is good enough. I’d be surprised if we didn’t either get an RMC or single rail in the new space.
@@coaster_dad it really doesn’t need a big wheel, the pier has one. If it doesn’t get a big new “first in the uk” type ride then Blackpool is gonna drop off the map for visitors
I went last year and all 6 main coasters were closed due to the wind (Valhalla wasnt open) and I got on 5 rides in an entire day which wasn’t worth the fee. Shame as Drayton manor have gone full family rides only and seems to be getting better and better.
I’m a little confused, do you have to pay per ride? I’m looking to visit pleasure beach but I would rather pay for entry than per ride as it’s very easy to get “ripped off” with individual ride prices
It’s one price entry. So around £35 online in advance and £50 if you pay at the gate. The only additional charge (other than food, merch, photos etc) is that the back two seats on one of the icon train spin and for that it’s £15 a shot. But you can enjoy the rest of the rides and the normal seats on icon for the one off entry fee.
@@coaster_dad thanks for making me aware :) I went to Blackpool about 12 years ago (not to the pleasure beach) and recall it being changed per ride. But yeah it’s good that you can enjoy the most talked about ride with no charge
We went early may on the bank holiday weekend. Was surprised the queues are so short there. Managed to get on all thrill rides and do icon and big one twice. Icon is really good. The very old wooden coasters are too painful. I ll keep my annual pass at alton towers
ive not been for years, simply because i find the ride offering stale, added to that with the admission cost, it just isnt worth going anymore, its quite sad, BPB was a massive part of my childhood, but Amanda has simply run it into the ground.
Yeah I saw another channel post 180 min on the big one 😳 and as you saw in this it was dead for me! Worrying how inconsistent it is. I mean I was there at the weekend so you’d think it would have visitors
DUMP DUMP DUMP I won't be going to sesspool ever again, and to top it all off the 'attractions' don't take cash anymore, also the council ignore you when you write to them. It all comes down to GREED , I'm glad it's empty serves them right.
@@coaster_dad we have been over there a few times and to be honest it’s not as cheap as it used to be but you do have the sun Air bnb you can get a bungalow in august for about £70 per night peak season but flights can be a bit high but still worth it
They should fetch back free admission for Non riders so families can go together. I have a heart condition so can't go on the rides anymore. Would still love to walk around the Pleasure Beach and would spend my money on food and drinks. Stopped going as soon as they began charging. Lots of happy memories of family times spent there.
Yeah that seems to be the general consensus and they’ve kept the scanners so surely they must be considering it?
Love free admissions. Made it special.
There’s always going to be some people who genuinely miss out due to the no rider admission being scrapped but we went last year and what a difference it made.No begging,no local kids trying to hassle you for your wristband if you left early and no parents sat drinking all day whilst kids run riot.
Atmosphere was so much more relaxed.
Free admission but keep the online ticket for rides
Totally agree 👏🏻👏🏻. We went and my wife was pregnant so couldn’t go on any rides yet had to pay for a ticket. They used to charge £6 for non riders.
They spoiled the pleasure beach when they made it pay at the gate. Many people used to enjoy just walking around and watching the rides and many would have been tempted to pay for a few rides once in the park. . Proper theme parks such as Alton Towers can get away with pay at the gate because people go there especially to spend the day in the park whilst people visiting Blackpool for the day might want to only spend a couple of hours in the pleasure beach and the rest of the day visiting other attractions on the promenade. Its 50 quid to enter if you pay on the day and theres not many people foolish enough to spend that amount just to go in the park for a couple of hours. Also, the park used to be open late throughout the whole of summer. A lot of people visiting for the day would spend the day around the shops up north and then head south to the pleasure beach for a few hours before home. I think its only open until 5pm throughout the whole of June, even on weekends which is stupid for an industry that relies on making money through the summer months.
Funny I have a follow up vid coming out tomorrow where I said exactly this!
@@coaster_dad I'll tell you what, me and you will take over the pleasure beach and knock it into shape. Its like the people who are running it have no idea what they are doing. Either that or they are just so filthy rich that that dont care and are only doing it as a pastime
Totally spot on I always said they would kill the pleasure beach when you pay to get in it's cheaper to go to Alton towers
@@coaster_dad I definitely be watching 👍
@@johnmelling9950 very true 👍
It's been a long time since I walked around Blackpool pleasure beach but you could just turn up and wander around it like a normal fairground and it was always busy . Who thought it was a good idea to try and turn it into some sort of theme park !
Yeah it seems so many people miss just soaking up the atmosphere and now because of that there is no atmosphere 😔
Whoever came up with the entry fee idea needs to have a major rethink before it becomes a housing estate !
UK has itself to blame. Prices are far too high when compared to abroad. A week in Wales is more than a week in Greece (,with flights and food included !). So UK had a chance with staycations and got greedy - now they are paying the price for that greed.
It is mental some of the prices!
100% I say fcuk em spend your dollars were your welcome England is a total rip off
...yes....rip-off Britain.
Pleasure beach only has itself to blame
They are charging Alton towers prices for a fairground type attraction
Hubby and I have always took our holidays in UK 🇬🇧 Always stay in a cottage or bungalow that allows our little chihuahua….but over last year the prices have gone through the roof..I have no problem owners making a profit but when they are just dam greedy it’s disgusting. We were asked to pay £35/£45 per week for our dog!!😡 never paid more than £20.. the price rise is roughly £400 (week) compared to last year!! 😡
New subscriber. I live in Blackpool and haven’t been for over 20 years. They don’t even let people in this town have a cheap day once a year, it’s too expensive,
Season pass for less than £100 in the sale, if you live that close it’s a no brainer. I come from Manchester and it’s worth it’s weight in gold (not to mention the European park perks)
@Mikeb1001 yeah I’m up in Edinburgh and even I get my moneys worth (and the other parks as you said)
👍
In the 1970s (I don’t know if its still the case) a round of golf at the Old Course at St Andrews (the worlds top golf destination) had a descending price scale based on your age and where you lived. Pupils at certain primary schools in St Andrews damned near got on for free!
Same here not been in about 15 years, I thought the Tower was excellent value, plenty to do and see at a decent price, not sure if that's all gone nowadays as well.
I was there on Monday too. The queues were so short and the weather was a dream. We ended up leaving at 3:30 as we got everything done!
It was kinda nice kinda worrying huh.
They heard there was a cost of living crisis so they thought they would help, by putting their prices up and introducing admission charges.
Ha ha. Every little helps. Oh wait that’s Tesco 🙈
@tonybee5605 along with stopping people from paying for anything with cash. Today, I've been to Blackpool Zoo and paid for entry with cash and everything in there took cash!
I don't think it particularly needs a new ride to attract people -- there are so many there already. They have to look at prices. And ensure that all rides are ready, open & running efficiently. Quite a few were not up to scratch. On-ride filming would help to show what the rides are like. And, definitely, it needs to be open in the evening !!
Yeah all very valid points.
Yep greed just like the Royal show at Stoneleigh prices up and up every year. If you could afford to get in you couldn't even buy strawberries and cream inside.
I'm from a different world. Free entry, Noah's Ark, The Fun House, The Monorail, Crazy Mouse, The Gold Mine (Wallace & Grommet), The Log Flume, The Minature Railway run by dwarves and real trams outside instead of those boring modern ones.
Aye times have definitely changed
Agree, happy days
Those are my memories too. :-)
That’s my Blackpool memories. One of the drivers of the miniature railway picked a flower to give to my sister just before we set off on the train. She still brings that up 50 years later. It is a shame that something so innocent and nice would be look on with suspicion nowadays.
The gold mine was always my favourite. A great fun ride, ruined.
I think Blackpool has gone really down and grubby over the years.
Unfortunately 😔
At one point it was a great place to go but now it's gone to the dogs!
@@joannesaltfleet2071 I know it's sad , they need to do something, where has all the money went that Blackpool has made over the years ?
Been many years since I have been to Blackpool I think it was in 2005 I visited Blackpool with my late parents and stayed in a guest house with them even then I could see how run down Blackpool had become dirty and scruffy in many places I could see how it had declined and gone down over the years 😮
@@davidGPS95 it's probably been spent on stupid things of no consequence!
They should maybe look at the way Tivoli in Copenhagen charges. A (lower) entrance fee, which at least keeps undesirables out and provides some money for the upkeep of the place, and then a separate pay-per-ride, with the ability to get an all ride pass if wanted. So if you do want to ride all day you end up paying the same in total, but you and your family also have the option to enter fairly cheaply and pick and choose what to do.
Yeah that would work.
Remember as a kid it absolutely rammed packed. Sad times.
Yeah it really is :(
Plus, It was free to enter now. You have to pay even if you're not going on the rides.
Don’t you mean jam packed?Rammed packed isn’t a term
I've not gone as a kid either trying to see whats changed if it's worth going
I am hearing a lot of my favourite rides are gone but they only added Icon since? As a local there's an offer currently for a limit time i can get a Season Pass for £85 but the question is it worth the tram fare and time? Will i want to go more than once?
Blackpool Pleasure is basically closer to Saint Anne's than Blackpool Tower, i mean i think it is
I was in Blackpool for 2 nights, 20 or more years ago. Everything seemed to be designed to rob you blind. I wouldn't set foot in that shithole again if it was the last place left.
🙈
😂
Well said 👏 🤭
Went the coral bar, my mate gave £20 to pay for a pint barman gave him change for a fiver, when he complained the bouncers came over and chucked him out.still thieving bas### then.
Shut up
Such a pleasure to watch you two,your daughter is a credit to you xx
Thank you. She’s convinced she’s the reason the video is doing so well so I’ll let her know 😉
My memories of Blackpool Pleasure beach are from 1958 to 1970 when my parents moved us there when I was 11 yrs old so I did all my senior schooling in Blackpool. I have wonderful memories of the pleasure beach during the season. It always opened for Easter and more or less closed down untill the start of the summer breaks. The May bank Holiday was and obviously still is a very quiet time in Blackpool with venues not yet fully open for the season. But now you have to pay to actually go into the pleasure beach before you actually pay fpr going on rides that alone will keep many people out.
Yeah theres a lot of people put off by the entry fee, especially families who may have older relative who don't want to ride. Who will pay £50 to NOT ride!?
@@coaster_dad I am 78 yrs old and it would be nice just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere of people enjoying themselves on rides but I am not prepared to pay an exorbitant fee just to watch.
@user-jy8mo5fi5q understandable. And sounds like many of your generation also want to do the same 🙂
Very interesting, and excellently presented. I can echo and relate to pretty much all the comments. Planning to join again, but I used to be a member of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, and visited BPB every year with the club. Not been to the park for quite some No of years now. There was no Icon, but the Wild Mouse was still there. I think the idea of free admission was based on the fact that Blackpool had other attractions nearby, so that people might visit in the morning, then go off elsewhere later on. Or vice-versa. I wouldn't pay the prices quoted to spend half a day there. When I rejoin, I will only go again as part of the RCCGB visiting trip, and they always get a good price deal for the members too.
Yeah for sure price is a major issue for many
Basically the PB management aren't going to change no matter what people are saying/suggesting to make things better & I firmly believe it will close within the next few years..... And Amanda & co know it!!!
😔
Unless there’s some sort of company coupe and someone else in the family takes over before it’s too late!🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏
Luxury apartments here we come! Is this the plan?
@@MrDirkles thing is it’s the declare bankruptcy and therefore have to be bought out. I reckon Blackpool Council will buy them, they have a vested interest in making sure the pleasure beach doesn’t just disappear forever, however what worries me is who they would get to run the park for them
@@dougbriglmen716 considering what Blackpool council have done to the town I doubt you'd find anyone worse
They made a big mistake in not letting people pay to go in but not go on the rides. You used to be able to pay £6 to go in and walk round and still spend money on food and drinks. This was good for parents with children. Now,two adults and two children all have to pay and it is an expensive day out. It can be £132 just to get in for a family of four.
Indeed. I hope they reconsider that decision 🤞
It all boils down to the admission charge your charged just to walk round when it was free it was rammed 😤
Aye a lot of people saying the same. If you’re a non rider it’s far too expensive
@@coaster_dad free non rider ticket with your photo. Get the family in so the kids can ride.
I remember Blackpool late 90s couldn't move in there also the front was absolutely eveing aswell
Yep I went to the pleasure beach for a bit of nostalgia when I was last there. It was pay at the gate so I just walked away
😔
£50 on the gate and closing at 5pm and people wonder why it’s dead
The price is getting daft to be fair. I keep forgetting because I have the annual pass. And yeah the early closing or most Uk parks these days is just daft!
Mark, book it online for £37 then, its always more expensive on the day as with anywhere.
@David-fj3mn true but people are more likely to decide to do BP last minute because they are in Blackpool. You wouldn’t be walking past towers and just pop in.
@David-fj3mn1) people do. 2) it’s still dead even at £33
My auntie owned a guest house in Blackpool , very near pleasure beach , in fact it was across the road from the lucky star arcade near the south pier , when my cousin and I visited we practically lived on the pleasure beach every summer until our late teens . The pleasure beach stopped being a place to go to when they brought in the park pass , it was much better just going in and paying individually for the rides you wanted to go on £1.20 to go on the big one , and most of the other rides were a £1 or under , and was never the same after the Funhouse burnt down it's got to be 15 years since I have been in the place .
I’m curious if that would work nowadays. But it doesn’t look like they have any plans to change their pricing any time soon 🤷♂️
I don't know , the only thing I can say that through the late 80s and the 90s BLACKPOOL was packed , the amount of money that went into the place is unimaginable , and the town has absolutely no idea of how to recapture that. IMO , treating the pleasure beach as a theme park like Alton towers has never worked it was never designed to be that , it needs to be used like a fair ground where everyone can enter there is no charge you have to pay for the things that you do .
I used to take my grand kids to the Pleasure Beach and enjoyed every moment. However, since the entry charges we don't go. We stood outside looking in one day and my granddaughter said "can we go in grandpa" Sorry I said. "why not grandpa". I only have £150 pounds. Great video . Thank you.
It’s sad to hear all these stories of people missing out because of the fees 😔
I'd describe the whole of Blackpool as a coma patient on a life support machine just waiting for the rest of the family to show up and say their "fairwells" before the doctors pull the plug.
🙈
@coaster_dad my wife and I did the horse rides along the promenade but on Saturday they have to put you through the back streets as the promenade is closed to them on Saturday.
that was a real eye opener, boarded up shops and windows, very run down areas, it reeks of poverty.
@jamesporter1123 yeah I hear you. I used to visit Blackpool but now I turn up, do the pleasure beach and leave. I choose not to see the town itself 😔
I'm staying in Cumbria the last week of June and was considering a day trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. But now I know it's pay on the gate I won't bother. They've done the same with Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, so I no longer visit that pleasure beach either.
Yeah it’s not ideal. They do need to reevaluate the tickets on offer.
First visited in the 70’s, regularly visited in the 90’s. Had such great memories that I visited again with my wife and kids in 2021. Couldn’t believe how much the park and Blackpool in general had deteriorated and, sadly, I doubt I will ever return again 😢
Yeah it’s changed a hell of a lot over the years. And not necessarily for the better 😔
If you have ever seen the pleasure beach tv documentary series that ran in early 90s ,you would have witnessed a thriving business with record numbers of people attending. It all comes down to management. Mr Thompson was an incredible man , intelligent with much foresight. It needs someone of the same callbre in charge.
I’ve been researching park history for a series I’m working on and I’ve seen those vids. Def a different time!
17:10 glad your daughter mentioned the rides making her head hurt, I thought it was just me 😅 infusion gave me a banging headache last time I went on it, I wouldn’t do it again!
Yeah I very rarely do it for that reason. It needs binned or maybe the newer trains. But as it is it’s not great
@@coaster_daddef needs a refurb! To be fair it was only this ride which seemed to bash my head about, didn’t have a problem on the other rides. Sad to see the park seem so empty on a sunny bank holiday. I agree with most others, they need to let in non riders for free so more families can go in together. They would likely spend money at the shops too so surely it would be a gain for the park
It’s apparent that the gate fee has been a major contributor to the fall in park custom. When it was free people would walk around and spend money on the rides of choice and food/drink without being press ganged into paying on entry. I’ve not been in the place for 20 years and I’ve been to Blackpool at least 10 times in that time. It’s like being charged for a walk down the Golden Mile. People walk freely and spend a fortune but as soon as you MAKE them pay they don’t like it. Wise up Pleasure Beach. Security may cost a bit more but you will reap it in ride fees and concessions.
The do need to think about it for sure. I think they may be better with a cheaper non rider pass than completely free again to mitigate some of the security issues and they could make it that you need to be with a full paying rider so that families with older relative could still enjoy the park
Rewatching your pleasure beach videos is getting me really excited for my trip tomorrow mate 😂😁👍. I’m re watching as many videos as I can to try and help with the cash for kids campaign and the vids are great as always matey 😊😁.
I’m sure you’ll have a blast buddy. Thank you for the support 🙏
@@coaster_dad Thank you mate, I hope so 😊😁. You’re welcome mate, you deserve it. Fantastic bloke and fantastic channel 👍😁.
I said in a comment last week it's been quiet all season, you actually went on a busier day, even though it's still quiet😂 My mum and dad own holiday flats just off the prom and they're business as usual, and my son works at the Sandcastle and they are busy all the time with the newer admission schedule they brought in during covvid. In general Blackpool is steady, it seems to be the park that is bucking the trend. I think it's a simple fix, if they want to charge high admission, they need more high quality rides. The punters will come back in droves I'm sure if they do.
I do hope they sort it out soon, it's really sad to see :(
I've just been to the pleasure beach today. My dad told me about how it used to be different and how you could walk in and just hang out. He ironically told me that while we waited about half an hour to get in. I still enjoyed visiting it, but it definitely feels a lot more dull and dry than it did a few years back. Also, cool video.
Thank you 😀 and yeah it’s changed a fair bit in recent years 😔
It died when they stopped free entry! I used to go in king cotton!
A lot of people agree with you mate 🙂
My 70s childhood resolved around a trip to the PB being the highlight of the year. The sounds, the smells, the utter excitement. I loved that place and had a shot of every ride, height permitting. My favourite was the rockets, you always thought it was going to fly off! Changed days now with the charging for entry, I remember the first time you had to walk through the entry gate instead of just wandering in, I could sense big changes coming.
Yeah it’s very different now for sure!
They have got rid of all the fav rides and im a lot older now so we are quite happy to just walk around, and maybe go on the secondary rides like Blackpool express and River Boats etc...
Yeah they do need to consider bringing the non rider pass back.
Its quite concerning that Pleasure Beach was THAT quiet on the bank holiday.... it will be interesting to see what happens when Universal GB opens up (which is highly likely)...
For sure. On one hand they aren’t even competing. One is a family run amusement park and the other is a multinational theme park. But if the price is similar you know which will win. So BP does need to have a 5-10 year plan to sort this out
The Pleasure Beach won't even be there by the time Universal opens if it carries on like this.
@@stephenduncan3605 that's a scary thought
@@stephenduncan3605 or if it is it won’t be with the Thompson family if they carry on like this.
It really wasn't that quiet on Monday. Waiting 40 minutes on most of the big rides is not a dead park
Blimey im amazed they charge just to get in and walk around!!! No wonder its not busy!!!
Yeah been that way for over 15 years 😔
Omg it’s me behind you at the Wallace and Gromit ride!!! Famous x
Ha ha. 😉
Cheaper to go abroad aswell blackpool and the uk now is so expensive plus its a third workd dump the uk
Price is definitely an issue. For me to do a return flight to London was showing as £500! I’d rather go abroad!
@@coaster_dad this country is a joke price wise we pay the most for everything and get the worst of everything
Last time I was at the Pleasure Beach was back in the early 2000's. We went for a works evening out. It was free entry and you still had the ticket system for rides. We had fun, but about 9pm everyone started leaving and we were quietly ushered out without any fuss. Unbeknownst to us, they'd had a two car crash on the Big One, just after some of our group had been on. As we set off home, we got loads of calls asking if we were all ok. That was the first we knew about it! It was very busy then. It was always packed in the Eighties. It's just not viable now. My wife can't go on the rides as she's disabled, I don't like them so much, my son won't go on them. We'd have to buy 4 tickets, just to watch my daughter go on the rides.
Yeah it’s no longer set up for the families that could/would visit. Given people may be in Blackpool and make a last minute decision it’s £50 a head on the door. That makes the decision easy…. Walk away 😔
A few things in life genuinely puzzle me... women, England not winning a tournament since 1966 etc etc...but up there is BPB doing away with the £10 walk around pass... bring it back..say £15 and a free cuppa for nan and grandad and it would solve the attendance and atmosphere problem straightaway
Aye seems that’s what everyone thinks… apart from BP apparently 🤷♂️
No it wouldn't
£15 is way too high just to walk around, but I agree it MUST be brought back, £6 would be fair.
The walk in pass was designed to keep the "riff raff and undesirables" out. It seems to have effectively done this and I have absolutely no problem with paying £6 to walk about. It makes me feel safe.
@@stevehadfield5963 £6 feels too low. £10-12 and include Pleasure Beach Express and River Caves in it would be a middle option.
BlackPool Pleasure Beach was always an amazing childhood destination, wish it find its stride again
Me too!
I was there and loved the lack of queues 😂
Ha ha. Yeah it’s great as a visitor for sure 😀. It is a bit worrying though 🙈
Amanda, Nick. What a wonderful legacy you have and may you be congratulated wholeheartedly for some of the wonderful wonderful work you have implemented.
Some don't realise the Grade 2 listing in part etc.
No doubt you are bending over backwards to make the park work. Your customers have a great deal to say. Your kin would want you to take heed with all respect. Please do the right thing. Make it work. Supply and demand. That always worked and always will.
Wishing you all the best.
Got my fingers crossed for the future. I have a lot of fond memories of this park as a child as do many others in the comments. So I just want to see the park there in another 100 years 🤞
The listed issue is the issue
Listed rides that are awful that nobody wants to ride
It’s either a theme park resort whatever they call it or a museum
Attendance figures suggest it’s the latter
I do feel since they introduced pay to get in the pleasure beach it's really put people off and they keep putting up the price's in this day and age people don't have the money I can understand why theme parks have to charge you to get in but people go to Blackpool to see other things it's sad it looks so dead great video 👍
Yeah I agree. For a long time I didn’t see the point in the non rider pass. But it’s clear Blackpool is very different from other parks. As you say you could be in Blackpool and just decide last minute to visit
@@coaster_dad spot on the parks going downhill fast 👍
I live in Wales and in the late 70s (as a teenager) we’d hire a coach on a regular basis for a work day out to Blackpool. Yes it was a bit expensive then but still affordable for a great and fun day out. I was there a few years ago but it had gone really downhill in general, old fashioned and way too expensive. The onset of cheaper airfares since the 70s make it far more expensive than going to somewhere like a water park in Spain for a break.
Aye times have definitely changed and it’s not as good value as it once was 😔
Very shocked for a Bank Holiday weekend and it’s Quite There.
Absolutely, not what you'd expect huh
Loved the 'Grommit' hug!
Ha ha. He wouldn’t let me go 😂
Blackpool is just a expensive hell hole like 90% of attractions in the uk
🙈
They usually sort the rides or replaced rides with new ones during the winter months.
Yeah will be curious to see what happens this year with Grand Prix gone
The park was very busy on bank holiday Monday. It wasn’t dead. In 2022 bank holiday Monday was £35 and was more quite then 2023 bank holiday while this years was £42. They had more people and made more money. The vidoes of the park being quite need to stop! the constant negativity I’m seeing of the park with park numbers is draining. May half term they smashed it and was it was rammed all week dispite being more expensive then 2022 and more people. I understand we’re all used to seeing the park more busy in the past years but what we need to realise now is despite it being more quite they are still making more money then previous years
I have to disagree on it being busy. Everything was walk on, areas were empty, the two main attractions were no more that 10-15 min waits. It was very quiet. For sure prices have gone up but if the numbers have dropped they won’t be making more money. Their annual reports showed that hospitality is where they’re making money at the moment.
How can you stop people posting videos of the park being empty. If no ones in then no ones in.... I've been there myself and it was dead. No sure which genius came up with the idea stop people from just walking around the park. You lost so much passing revenue by charging people just to walk around.
''Was more quite then 2023''?? 🤔. What does this mean?
I went last friday it was dead! We loved it straight on every ride over and over again
That’s definitely an advantage. But if it’s like that more often than not it’s a bit worrying for the future.
I can't afford to eat, let alone go anywhere!😢
The cost of living is mental which makes it worse that it’s so expensive to relax and get away from it all 😔
……..get in a dinghy and float about in the sea and wait to be rescued by the coast guard ,then tell them you are claiming asylum and claim “ you no speaka da inglish” ………..you’ll get free three meals a day ,a free hotel ,free mobile phone with credit and free cash ! …….sorted !
Stopped going pay to walk around taken out classic rides. Very sad I was born in St.Annes spent hours as a young person lost the log flume wild mouse.White knuckle rides now. The place used to be packed and stayed open late.Plus they removed the Chaser lights from the Dippers. Why?
It’s quite sad to see 😔
wow! I remember that place was always buzzing. We still visit Blackpool every year for a few days.. they are trying but foreign travel has done the damage. as for the PB it's too expensive now. they even get stroppy with people trying bringing their own food.
It’s changed a lot 😔
Blackpool is a complete dump now,when I got dragged there as a kid it's was always busy and booming but now I only go for the Christmas lights.
😔
It’s quite ironic after you mention the low numbers of visitors that that they’re offering half price admission this weekend £25 entry . Think if the numbers of visitors stays this low then either they’ll have to reduce admission price permanently or allow free entry like it was in the past or close down completely which if it closes down that will help to speed up the decline in visitors to Blackpool by quite a bit as it’s one of the iconic landmarks of Blackpool . Something has to be done lol . What about late evening opening and special reduced evening wristbands ? What about a small fee for people who don’t want to use the rides ? Winter weekends where half the park was open . They need to do something to attract more visitors .
I did see the offer, wonder if they watched the vlog 😂
i havent been for quite a few months we bought merlin passes so tend to do those parks. theres a bunch of big areas and attractions permantly closed with no word of whats happening at blackpool its getting run in to the ground it needs real management to theme it better and get it fully operational again.
I really want to know what this new attraction is. I had hoped they’d say something last night at the final lap event but sadly they did not 😔
Blackpool is a rundown, pretty much derelict, disgusting and not worth going to with the exception of the pleasure beach which has been kept clean
There is literally nothing there apart from boarded up derelict rundown property. The pleasure beach itself okay most deafly not worth going to as a holiday Destination as the local council has done nothing to the town at all to promote it, or even clean it up when you put that in the mix with the average British weather in that part of the country you’ve got a mixer, a miserable probably raining day out
😔
I've been twice in the past two years during the summer. Both time the big one and the river caves were closed all day.
🙈
I got sun burnt waiting for rides end of August. Fast past the good ones and still got caughty waiting i guess thr weather really effects the turn out
Yeah for sure. It seems to go from one extreme to the other in terms of crowds.
Compare the cost of Center Parks in the UK v France. Cheaper on the continent even after travelling costs are factored in!
Yeah it’s scary but true
I went there in 1977 😀, as a kid it was great lol
Ha ha. It’s changed a wee bit since then 😜
Always a thumbs up from me Chris 👍
I drove past earlier this week and it looked totally dead, it wasn’t obvious that anything was working. I remember going there for the first time in the 80’s with my girlfriend and it was packed out. How times have changed.
Indeed they have.
Blackpool have made so many small mistakes that on their own don't really make much impact, but stacked together really bring the park down. Removal of the non rider pass, not opening until late every day in the summer, ride removals but non replacement. It's a shame because it's a fab park that just needs some love, it just feels like Amanda Thompson doesn't really care for it much anymore. Fingers crossed we see a big turnaround in the next couple of years. Great video by the way, loved your thoughts 👏
Thank you. And yeah I agree lots of little things adding up. Keeping my fingers crossed for the future 🤞
She bring all her experience of destroying Southport to black pool it seems
Family of 4 travel to blackpool spend day at theme park, food, drinks, hotel for 1 night total cost 480.00. Cheaper to go Morocco for week 😂
I worked there in the 70's on the Logflume,it was always rammed.... great times....
Sadly not like that these days 😔
That dyed blue water!
Very much enjoying your content and great to see your daughter in this one. Looks like you had a fun day 😀
Thank you. It’s always nice to have some quality family time 😀
Me and my wife (then girlfriend) used to go there a lot, but slowly over years it went down hill - rides not open, breakdowns, everything just feels janky there and then they removed our favourite ride - Wild Mouse - it used to be hilarious how painful this ride was - we loved it, when we stopped in Blackpool last year we not even bothered going, which is quite sad
It is very sad and I’d love to see it make a come back 🤞
I used to regulary to alton towers, drayton manor before i was a family man, my eldest is just getting tall enough for some rides. Blackpool however i only went to twice. Once asa teenager on a school trip before the big one existed and when i think we had wristbands this would be in the time of the staff in the bbc documentary. It was packed on a school day in the time just when summer was close. I returned as a young adult during a heavy phase of been coaster mad as i loved all the wooden rides and heritage and history, big one was down all day (this was early 2000s, long trip from birmingham, some kids tried to snatch a friends bag and nearly got violent, place was rammed and i think the entry system was at fault, not sure if it was before they'd enlcosed park but i def recall we had wristbands and yes kids would try to beg you for your wristband and it was full of people looking like they're here to cause trouble. It left a bitter feeling in me and i regret i never made a return trip. I hope it can survive, maybe i need to make a trip before the big one is gone or the park.
Yeah much though lots of people want free entry back I think nowadays that would be a security nightmare. But they could reintroduce the non rider ticket for a lower price and even make it that you can only get one work two full price tickets so that in most cases that would solve the family problem where only one or two want to ride.
about 20 years ago i used to make quite a bit of money sending off those tokens you got in the sun newspaper that gave you 2 free tickets for the pleasure beach and flogging them on ebay. i think you could get 2 pair of tickets per household so 2 sets of mates, parents, my flat and sister all got 2 sets of tickets. the pleasure beach used to be great back then, like you say in your video they need to have tickets where you can just walk around for a tenner instead of paying 40 to go on nothing.
Indeed they do
I love it when it's like that , no queues , get your monies worth
Just been re-watching the old BBC Pleasure Beach documentary, and it's genuinely sad to see how far the place has fallen. To think some days back then there were 85,000 people at any one time on the park and now some days it's measured in the hundreds. Something needs to change.
Aye, pricing 🤷♂️
It’s absolutely rammed in the summer though i’m sure they’ll make their money back then, it’s a unique fairground with unique rides.
I hope so. 🤞
3:37 tbh, if I got a rollback, I would be literally bricking my pants.
Ha ha. I think most would. But some of us nutters would 😂
Its a ahame to see it like this. I used to go a lot when you paid per ride or bought a ticket pass. There's zero atmosphere now. She could sort this out in one weekend by going back to how it was in the 90's.
Yeah it is sad. I hope things change but who knows 🤞
They can save Blackpool Pleasure Beach easily by ending the gate charges and restoring the individual ride charges instead so people can wander around and pick and choose their rides. A gate charge is basically telling customers that they aren't welcome.
I doubt they’ll go free ever again but they had a cheaper non rider ticket pre covid so why not bring that back?
Hey guys what queue do you go in for enso? I agree it's quite pricy but as I've never been before I wanna try it !
So you enter at the side of big dipper. You go down stairs and round the back.
@@coaster_dadthanks ! Do you know what wind speeds the rides stop operating in as well please and thankyou !
Would love to see a dark ride coaster with strobe lights, revolving spot lights, with the car going forward and then finished the ride backwards
That’s an interesting idea 😀
@@coaster_dadyou don't need to spend millions of a great ride, just think outside of the box. How cool would a tower drop be if you corkscrew on the way up then corkscrew on the way down?
Blackpool missed a massive trick when the council didn't actively try to get Disney to build their European park in Blackpool (Disney went to Paris), yes Blackpool was a contender. Walt Disney originally looked at the Pleasure Beach and many other parks when they were looking to build their 1st park in California many years ago. There were many influences that appear to have been taken to Disney and it wasn't a secret that Walt liked the Pleasure Beach. Fast forward 30+ years and Blackpool could have been a mecca for theme parks, as everyone apart from Blackpool council knows, Theme parks help each other in attracting custom. Blackpool was my home town although I left at aged 18 in 1990, the Pleasure Beach used to be really busy but in a good way as it had an atmosphere which was different to other theme parks.
Yeah it’s weird without an atmosphere these days
used to be free to just walk round pleasure beach if you didnt want to go on rides but people with you did now its like 30 quid just to walk round.
Yup. Many miss those days.
I went a couple of weeks ago on a Friday, virtually no queues- Steeplechase is my favourite ride, have loved it since I was a kid in the 1980’s
It’s a weird one. On a selfish level quiet is great. On a long term future of the park level it’s worrying
There’s rumours they’ve got a new gyro swing ride coming in. I think that will go in the area where the flying machines and ice blast are now. If it’s true, I think that speaks volumes. Gyro swings give major cheap funfair/ travelling fair vibes.
I’ve done a couple of videos on the topic. If it’s the larger gyro we don’t have anything like that in the UK so I’d love that. What’s not clear still is the fate of ice blast. I suspect it is staying after all. Which would mean the gyro is going elsewhere (unless it’s cancelled of course)
Last time I went the piers were heaving with people and you couldn’t move, also up by the tower it was rammed too. Hardly anyone down the south side apart from the odd few teens I saw coming off the pleasure beach. I’ve never saw the pleasure beach that bad ever. It was dead. The 90s when I used to go up with my parents you couldn’t move in there and the atmosphere was great. 😑🙁
Aye. Change days.
Not been this season but we went last season middle of summer on late night riding day and it was empty. Big one was virtually walk on, shortest queue I've ever been in for Nick Streak. Bear in mind we were stuck in a traffic jam so got in an hour late from 11 until 8.30 we got on 27 rides in total.
It was a great day bit yeah you have to worry for the park.
I'd like to see them replace Ice Blast with a new tower or some other high intensity flat ride.
We'll be at Blackpool later in the season. Taking my daughter on her first trips to Alton Towers and Thorpe Park first.
I do hope they do something to get the crowds back. Hope you enjoy Towers and Thorpe 😀
I went last thursday half term and it was very very busy. Was half expecting it to be quiet but it wasnt
It’s really inconsistent. I’ve not seen it busy for ages and heard others saying the same. Yet some days like you say it’s rammed 🤷♂️ but it seems those days are few and far between
@@coaster_dad yeah its odd. We had a great day though but can see the park is in decline. Shame...great vlog by the way
@TheHoost2 thank you
That’s quite awful that it’s so quiet for a bank holiday with good weather. I’d love to know their internal surveys to see if they know why people aren’t attending, non rider pass needs to come back, reliable ride ops need to improve and excitement about a new ride might help, however the cost of entry when you don’t know if half the rides are open is good enough. I’d be surprised if we didn’t either get an RMC or single rail in the new space.
Yup agree with all of that. And I am keen to hear whatever the new ride is. I worry that “new heights” may mean that rumoured big wheel 🙈
@@coaster_dad it really doesn’t need a big wheel, the pier has one. If it doesn’t get a big new “first in the uk” type ride then Blackpool is gonna drop off the map for visitors
@ItsMyLittleTony aye sadly very true mate
I went last year and all 6 main coasters were closed due to the wind (Valhalla wasnt open) and I got on 5 rides in an entire day which wasn’t worth the fee. Shame as Drayton manor have gone full family rides only and seems to be getting better and better.
Ouch
Same in Worthing - because it's no longer "a pleasure" - it's a delapidated neglected "expensive ripoff"
😔
That was a great hug
It sure was.
That’s me in the background when your hugging gromit 😅
Ha ha. Well spotted 😂😂
I’m a little confused, do you have to pay per ride? I’m looking to visit pleasure beach but I would rather pay for entry than per ride as it’s very easy to get “ripped off” with individual ride prices
It’s one price entry. So around £35 online in advance and £50 if you pay at the gate. The only additional charge (other than food, merch, photos etc) is that the back two seats on one of the icon train spin and for that it’s £15 a shot. But you can enjoy the rest of the rides and the normal seats on icon for the one off entry fee.
@@coaster_dad thanks for making me aware :)
I went to Blackpool about 12 years ago (not to the pleasure beach) and recall it being changed per ride.
But yeah it’s good that you can enjoy the most talked about ride with no charge
We went early may on the bank holiday weekend. Was surprised the queues are so short there. Managed to get on all thrill rides and do icon and big one twice. Icon is really good. The very old wooden coasters are too painful. I ll keep my annual pass at alton towers
Yeah it’s both great and worrying when it’s quiet
ive not been for years, simply because i find the ride offering stale, added to that with the admission cost, it just isnt worth going anymore, its quite sad, BPB was a massive part of my childhood, but Amanda has simply run it into the ground.
😔
My daughter went a few days ago on Friday and said there was queues for hours on most rides!
Yeah I saw another channel post 180 min on the big one 😳 and as you saw in this it was dead for me! Worrying how inconsistent it is. I mean I was there at the weekend so you’d think it would have visitors
So you pay to get in and then there’s charges for big rides??
Theres only one upcharge ride and that’s the spinning seats on icon. Everything else is included in the ticket
@@coaster_dad cool thanks
The more you try to grab that cash, the more the cash just slips away
😔
DUMP DUMP DUMP I won't be going to sesspool ever again, and to top it all off the 'attractions' don't take cash anymore, also the council ignore you when you write to them. It all comes down to GREED , I'm glad it's empty serves them right.
🙈
This is why Spain is the place for cheap breaks
Crazy when it’s cheaper to leave the country than stay huh 🤷♂️
@@coaster_dad we have been over there a few times and to be honest it’s not as cheap as it used to be but you do have the sun
Air bnb you can get a bungalow in august for about £70 per night peak season but flights can be a bit high but still worth it