Blackpool Pleasure Beach - October/November 2014 | Photo Trip Report
Entry posted by Coaster
3102 views
Wow, what a fantastic week! We spent 8 consecutive days in Blackpool Pleasure Beach, arriving at just after 10am and staying until park close every day. This equates to a total of 76 hours spent in the park! In fact, the only break we had from the park was one morning to visit the Tower and watch the Circus.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach was nearly faultless all week, it was being run the best I have ever seen it with all coasters on maximum capacity every day (aside from Nash on two one day and Steeple having a bit of trouble with the yellow lane at some points). One thing that I always find amazing about the park is the sheer range of ages of the rides. There really is nothing that can match seeing 100 year old rides run next to newer rides, it's just brilliant!
The park is maintaining it's clean image and I saw loads of cleaners around the park getting rid of any little bit of rubbish, it was brilliant to see them making an effort and I can't fault them at all with this, especially when you see rubbish strewn everywhere at many other parks. 
The coasters were running brilliantly, obviously they have their off times but by the evening they were going like the clappers! The Grand National in the rain at gone 8pm is one of the most insane experiences possible on a coaster! :twisted:
Valhalla is in a much better state than it was at Easter in terms of effects (and it was good then), although some of the effects broke halfway through the week and were not fixed (or didn't stay fixed for long). However, the ride itself seems to be struggling as it was breaking down quite a lot - although I cannot fault the park's efforts at all as they had it back open again within 15 - 20 minutes every time. A plus point is that I got five breakdowns whilst on the ride so got to see most of it with the lights on which was fab! (Not for the staff though I bet!) No evacuation though 
However, on one particular day a certain water effect that usually misses the boat decided not to switch off, but more on that further down.
It is still my favourite ride and I am yet to come across anything else like it.
Leaving the park has never been easy, but it was more difficult for me than it ever has been in the past, possibly because it is the first time I have gone to Blackpool more than once in a year however we have ordered 2015 season passes - in our opinion it is unbeatable as the quality of rides, history & charm and ever improving operations of the park makes it the UK's number one.
Highlights:
- Park was looking great, very clean and fresh. Also a really great atmosphere!
- Dark rides are looking great, it is clear that a lot of time has gone into maintaining them. Ghost Train has seen a lot of paint since April, River Caves looks really good and Wallace and Gromit was still all working (aside from one effect) and I noticed new smell effects in the bread scene.
- Getting back on Valhalla
- Getting back on all the coasters.
- Capacity the best I have ever seen it.
- BPB at night time.
- Trevor on the PMBO has got to be the best staff member I have ever come across - so into his job and recognised us every time we went into the station, also joking about my brother's Smiler hoodie. 
- Seeing Valhalla with the lights on
- The Big One nearly stopping midway around the course due to the ridiculous winds it was battling with. Seriously, it was great fun and the first time I have been scared on a coaster for a very long time.
- Valhalla's waterfall in the skull mouth not switching off and drenching everyone! (This was NOT a highlight at the time!) It was leaving huge puddles in the bottom of every boat yet I had to tell the staff as they hadn't realised. My feet were nearly a foot deep in water!
- A night ride on PMBO in torrential rain at gone 10:30pm, plus seeing the faces of the staff who had joined us afterwards!
Lowlights:
- Leaving!
(There were a tiny number of annoyances but they were vastly outweighed by the positives, and unless being picky I can't really find anything to moan about!)
RIDECOUNTS:
We may have done a few more rides than this as I usually forget a few when I'm adding them up.
Saturday 25th October 2014
Valhalla x3
The Big One x2
Big Dipper x2
Infusion x2
Wild Mouse x1
Grand National x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Avalanche x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
TOTAL: 14
Sunday 26th October 2014
(PMBO was closed from lunchtime onwards due to high winds, sadly we didn't go on it in the morning but to be honest I didn't miss it as I knew I would have a week to ride it).
Valhalla x9
Grand National x7
Wild Mouse x6
Big Dipper x3
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Revolution x1
Avalanche x1
Steeplechase x1
Infusion x1
Ice Blast x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
Ghost Train x1
River Caves x1
TOTAL: 35
Monday 27th October 2014
(We were only in the park for the afternoon as we went to the Tower and Circus in the morning.
The Big One x2
Horror Maze x2
Valhalla x1
Grand National x1
Revolution x1
Ice Blast x1
Blue Flyer x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
TOTAL: 10
Tuesday 28th September 2014
The Big One x8
Valhalla x3
Ghost Train x3
Wild Mouse x2
Grand National x2
Big Dipper x2
River Caves x2
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Avalanche x1
Steeplechase x1
Infusion x1
Alice in Wonderland x1
TOTAL: 27
Wednesday 29th September 2014
(Park was packed, great to see it so busy! Also, they were coping really well with crowds).
Valhalla x3
Grand National x3
Revolution x3
The Big One x2
Wild Mouse x1
Big Dipper x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Avalanche x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
Ghost Train x1
River Caves x1
Pleasure Beach Express x1 (Had never been on this before!)
Horror Maze x1
Impossible x1
TOTAL: 21
Thursday 30th October 2014
(Another busy day)
Valhalla x3
The Big One x3
Infusion x2
Wild Mouse x1
Grand National x1
Big Dipper x1
Avalanche x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
Ghost Train x1
Pleasure Beach Express x1
Horror Maze x1
TOTAL: 16
Friday 31st October 2014 - VAMPIRE BEACH
The Big One x5
Valhalla x3
Grand National x3
Horror Maze x3 (Scaring people in this was fun!)
Big Dipper x2
Wallace and Gromit x2
Wild Mouse x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Revolution x1
Steeplechase x1
Avatar Airbender x1
Ghost Train x1
River Caves x1
TOTAL: 23
Saturday 1st November 2014
Valhalla x6 (Some of these were hilarious! Two were no poncho or waterproof as we were already soaked from the Skull mouth!)
The Big One x4
Grand National x3
Wild Mouse x2
Big Dipper x1
Nickelodeon Streak x1
Avalanche x1
Revolution x1
Blue Flyer x1
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x1
River Caves x1
TOTAL: 21
Overall Ride Count:
Valhalla x31
The Big One x26
Grand National x21
Wild Mouse x14
Big Dipper x12
Wallace and Gromit's Thrill O' Matic x8
Ghost Train x7
Horror Maze x7 (Usually just before joining the PMBO queue)
Nickelodeon Streak x6
Revolution x6
Avalanche x6
Infusion x6
River Caves x6
Steeplechase x3
Ice Blast x2
Avatar Airbender x2
Blue Flyer x2
Pleasure Beach Express x2
Alice in Wonderland x1
Impossible x1
OVERALL TOTAL: 169
Photos (all taken by me).
Valhalla;
You WILL get soaked!
91 years old and still standing proud;
Headchopper!
The Big One - still my favourite coaster.
Where else can you find a 20 year old coaster and a 91 year old coaster running side by side?
All lit up!
Wild Mouse, one of the most intense coasters around;
Grand National, yet another brilliant coaster;
Nickelodeon Streak, in my opinion the best family coaster in the country.
Imagine living in those houses!
Avalanche;
Revolution packs a huge punch considering how innocent it looks;
Some general park shots:
Strange orbs in this picture...
Took it again without orbs but I prefer the angle of the first one.
Easy question but does anyone know where you can find this in the park?
Exciting times!
VAMPIRE BEACH:
BPB seems to be one of the only parks that still bothers with parkwide theming;
Bring back Trauma! And Noah's Ark!
Horror Maze;
I must admit this one did make me laugh, possibly because it had moved every time we went through the maze!
I'm sure these two were in the Ghost Train years ago;
(These pictures were taken in the day, the maze was better in the dark and with actors).
You cannot beat Blackpool Pleasure Beach at night!
Thanks for reading/looking, comments welcome. 
3 Comments
Recommended Comments