Ian-S

Let's hope they continue with Summer nights/Island Beats.

Even so the potential for hours is significantly less. A person who had been working at the park a few years on zero hours could probably look at all the closure weeks and work out how much they stand to lose. Might be off putting for some, ideal for others I guess. 

PARK OPEN:  10am - 10pm RIDES CLOSED:  Avatar Airbender, Crazy Daisy (for the stage).   Firstly, it was fantastic to see BPB so busy, I don't think I have ever seen it so busy in 11 years of visiting and the atmosphere was fantastic. As for the Halloween event, it was good but I came away feeling like BPB could do so much more!  When you see parks that have only just re-opened (Dreamland) or much smaller than BPB (Pleasurewood Hills) putting on two or three full scale scare mazes, BPB's effort at a horror maze really does feel a bit sad.  I actually felt that the Chinese Puzzle Horror Maze was better last year as there were actors and more props, this year we didn't encounter any actors on both of our run-throughs and the props were sparse in comparison to last year (for example no theming on the exit path).   The park entrance area was decorated really well, with an amusing device welcoming people to "Vampire Beach" as well as various other decorations.  Unfortunately past the sculpture gardens there was little sign of Halloween which was a shame, as in the past they have had a large inflatable pumpkin by The Big One on the old Turtle Chase site, spiders on the Ghost Train and more decorations scattered across the park.   The location of the stage was just weird this year, using the Teacups platform was bizarre when they already have a much more impressive stage, but in fairness the decision to open the BBQ was a good one!   Something else I can't understand at all is that some very good, high quality Halloween props were added to the sculpture garden area midweek, but by Vampire Beach they had been taken away!   Finally, on a Halloween event, why was Holiday Rock FM playing normal songs?  There are loads of Halloween songs which should have been played after 4pm IMO, it would have given the park a much better Halloween atmosphere and the decision to play normal songs was odd.     Parkwide, it was good to see that the troll/giant outside the Ghost Train is moving again, now all we need is the ceiling props back - oh, and a capacity improvement!   (But seriously, watching how it "coped" with the high crowds on Saturday was a bit embarrassing!)   It also seems as if some work has gone into making the park as a whole look better at night, as I noticed lots of lighting improvements - especially the Flying Machines which looks fantastic at night now!   Highlights: - Seeing BPB buzzing with atmosphere and absolutely packed out!  (It was very busy all week as well, probably the same crowd levels most days as Vampire Beach before the second wave of guests came in at 4pm).  I think it says a lot about how much Blackpool as a resort has progressed this year, and if Vampire Beach had been on all week then they would have had a huge influx of guests at 4pm every day! Compared to last year's event crowd levels were much higher both in the queues and around the park, in fact the same could be said all week - I haven't seen such high levels of crowds on the paths for at least five years. - All available rides being open all day, it's how it should be but I feel as if they deserve credit for this as other parks seem to use late night opening as an excuse to close certain rides after 5pm. - The park being open until 10pm, please do it more often next year! - Meeting Amanda Thompson!   Lowlights: - It was fantastic to see the park so busy, but I hope money is spent on the right things this winter so that the park is better equipped to cope with crowds next year. - The Chinese Puzzle Horror Maze wasn't as good as last year, and I think BPB could produce much better if they wanted to. - Lack of Halloween theming and music. - Ghost Train's queue.   Ridecount: Big Dipper x4 Valhalla x2 The Big One x2 Wild Mouse x2 Steeplechase x2 Horror Maze x2 Grand National x1 Nickelodeon Streak x1 Revolution x1 Avalanche x1 Skyforce x1 Infusion x1 River Caves x1 Wallace and Gromit x1 TOTAL: 22   Photos!  
 
This was such a clever idea!

 
This picture was taken a few days before Vampire Beach, and strangely enough it was removed before the event - why?!  :? 

 
I actually got a train in shot for once!  

 
Taken whilst on PBE;

   
  My final thoughts were that given the huge success of the event (in terms of guest numbers), it would be great if BPB introduced a proper scare maze next year.  They could still keep the Chinese Puzzle Horror Maze as the family-friendly one, but a scare maze would be fantastic.   More importantly, it should be a week-long event!   Thanks for reading.

Let's hope they continue with Summer nights/Island Beats.

Well god only knows how much money they probably chucked at Derren to get him to work with them.

Merlin are simply too cheap to get an oceaneering ride system.
Spiderman style vehicles are around a hundred thousand a piece.
God knows the price for the track mounted robocoaster system that forbidden journey utilises.
"The concept comes entirely from Derren" ....... Except where we can cut financial corners!!!
Bless em.

Trick or Treat Wood has never gone above 5 minutes (groups of around 10 go through every minute). And Curse is a little more, waited around half an hour today.

With stitches?

You have to allow 3 minutes for the obligatory photo pass picture

Also if this is the park's biggest investment, it would add fact to the rumoured £30,000,000 budget - can't say if it will be worth the money, but my gut instinct tells me the money could be much better spent on a major coaster and several new flats.

New for Frights Nights 2016: Sexual Health Clinic- The Maze

I wish the blonde dentist lady from Containment "intensely touched" me but alas it only happened in my dreams.

Do you mean pikeys or something else?

Only to you.

Personally, I like Air as it is, but too many people do think it is too bland, and it does deserve more theming! I'm hoping that they don't change too much though...

This overselling fast track is getting a joke now... Once again, despite people on here telling me I'm a liar in the past, I saw people around the park pushing fast track for Swarm's "60 minute queue" to find... guess what... no-one in the queue.. Not a soul. Yet the boards are still advertising 60 mins...
 
And Saw's fast track queue last night was actually as long (in time) as the main queue... How do I know? We put it to the test. I had fast track, they joined main queue and I ended up on the car behind them...
 
I think Trading Standards should probably get involved soon. I'm pretty sure businesses aren't allowed to LIE to their customers to milk money out of them, by definition that's extortion. I can understand it if they advertise it as 60 and it turns out to be 40... Fine, that's a miscalculation, but it's pretty damned hard to "miscalculate" no-one for 60 mins... They must walk incredibly slowly through the queue line.

Do you mean pikeys or something else?

Do you mean pikeys or something else?

Even better I'd take the present two trains being run efficiently instead of a 90 minute queue being acceptable on a wet weekend in October.

Queue jumpers. When we were queueing for SAW Alive last night (around 8:15), there were a whole bunch of teenage jerks behind us who would CONSTANTLY (and I do mean constantly) ask us if they can go in front of us! I'm sorry, but that is not on! Ejected from the park? No! People like this lot deserve to be banned from visiting the park altogether.
 
Anyway, do excuse me for ranting. They eventually got fed up with waiting and finally left the queue via the revolving gate that alters the extension queue route. This was my reaction to their departure.

Queue jumpers should be kicked out the park, no exceptions, let them kick up a stick on twitter then have the social team say 'those are the rules if you are unhappy about being ejected, perhaps you shouldn't have queue jumpedn the first place then we wouldn't be having this conversation'.
I can dream right?

Queue jumpers should be kicked out the park, no exceptions, let them kick up a stick on twitter then have the social team say 'those are the rules if you are unhappy about being ejected, perhaps you shouldn't have queue jumpedn the first place then we wouldn't be having this conversation'.
I can dream right?

Nick Clegg....