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Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England Weather: Mostly cloudy, lower 60s Crowds: Light With our big, annual international trip taking us to London to visit friends and enjoy just over a week of English culture, there was a chance to hit two of the most famous amusement parks in the world, let alone on the British Isles. A previous trip to the UK some several years ago found me with less time and a tighter budget limiting my travel options, so I had to make do with a visit to Thorpe Park. Just on the outskirts of London, it was a much more manageable option at the time. But even then I knew I had missed out, and looked forward to the day I’d finally be able to get to these two parks further up north. In an effort to save some money, the trip would be at the end of October. Summer airfare finally drops around that time, and I was easily able to save a few hundred dollars on tickets. This also gave us the advantage of visiting the parks in their low season, only a week or so before they close up entirely until spring. I’ve heard of queuing as being something of a national pastime in England, but it was something we were definitely hoping to avoid. Besides, no one goes to England for the weather anyway, right? We’d be in the country almost a week and a half, and the plan was pretty simple: stay with our friends on the east side of town, do the usual sightseeing while around, and make a weekend trip to hit the parks on consecutive days. They’re not exactly next to each other, but with some logistical magic it would work out well with only minor headaches along the way. As far as doing the usual tourist stuff around London, there were definitely things we wanted to do and see. We’ve both been a few times each, but there was still plenty new, and plenty to revisit. Besides, with our friends being residents for over a year and change, we were able to cash in on plenty of their advice and recommendations. The only real preparation I had to do for our little getaway involved some pretty basic logistics: how we would get to the parks, where we would stay, etc. Fortunately the national rail system in the UK is quite solid, as reliable as it is vast. That meant I’d be replicating my study abroad and my backpacking days traveling about on trains, if only for a weekend. We obviously wanted to get as much park time as we could, but this late in the season that isn’t always an option. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is down to weekend operation, and with Alton Towers finishing their popular Halloween events on Sunday the 31st, it meant we’d be headed there the next day, Monday, for their final week of the season. Booking trains online was a simple matter, and not all that expensive. We made a point to travel on off-peak trains, so the fares were reasonable. The plan was to head from London Euston Friday evening, get into Blackpool (with a connection) that night, stay over, hit the park on Sunday, skip out a bit before closing, catch a series of trains to Uttoxeter (a small but nearby town to Alton Towers), hit AT on Monday, and with the 4pm closing, it was to be simple to make it to London before it got too late. Airfare booked, trains planned, I just had to pick a couple hotels and print out a couple of maps. We flew out of San Francisco Wednesday afternoon, and after a quick layover at the unbelievably adorned airport in Vancouver, it was a pretty manageable 9 hour shot over to Heathrow. We arrived Thursday morning weary but excited, and started touring right away. Friday was another busy day, taking in more museums, more tea, and more English breakfast. Saturday morning was spent exploring the neighborhoods near our friends in the east suburbs, and before long it was time to pack our weekend bags and make the trip up north. We took a crowded tube ride to Euston, and we were soon on our Virgin Train with service to Glasgow. After a 2 hour ride, a quick change at Preston had us on Northern Rail for the last 30 minutes. I hesitate to call it a train because it was just one sad little car, chugging along at what seemed like a snail’s pace after the first high speed leg. Our stop was Blackpool Pleasure Beach itself; actually still a good bit south of Blackpool proper, and supposedly a ways from what the British might call the dodgy part of town. There was no question Blackpool had a bit of a reputation: sleazy, run down, tacky at best really. Some compare it to Coney Island, others to Atlantic City, pick your example but the image was clear. I wasn’t anticipating anything downright unsafe, but my expectations were definitely on the lower side. What I was expecting was a ton of coasters packed into a park, all underneath the towering headliner - and we saw it as soon as we pulled into the station. The Pepsi Max Big One is undoubtedly the main draw here, and this thing towers over everything else in the park. It and the entire park were aglow, and the seaside promenade that followed the shore was itself lit up for Illuminations. This is an annual local event where miles of lights are strung up for motorists and pedestrians to marvel at, in a pretty plain attempt to help entice tourists who over the decades have headed elsewhere. It was about half a mile south to our hotel, the Carousel, along the main drag. Inns and bed & breakfasts abound in the area, and I had found a Trip Advisor-approved place for a decent rate, booked in advance of course. We easily checked in, relaxed with our first TV-watching of the trip, and soon called it a night. The pounding music of the hotel’s bar directly below us was no match for our sleeping pills and ear plugs. Day 1 - Blackpool Pleasure Beach With the park opening at 9:30am, and an extra hour thanks to the English ending their daylight savings time a week ahead of the US, we had no trouble getting a full night’s sleep. We were packed and headed down for breakfast at 8:30am. If there’s one thing the British know how to do, it’s breakfast - eggs, toast, beans, sausage, bacon all with the traditional tea and milk. We took advantage of the buffet and were out the door with about 30 minutes until the park officially opened. Despite having our bags with us, we climbed onto the promenade and took in the early morning views of the Irish Sea. We had been having some terrific luck with the weather so far, and being able to see the sun was a promising sign, even if it wouldn’t be getting very high in the sky. We had noted the previous night that this was the furthest north we’d both traveled, coincidentally just a year after our most southern spot on a visit to Melbourne, Australia. We walked along the outside of the park, and having pre-purchased admission (£25 online, saving a cool £5 each - about $16 between the two of us) we headed right to the main entrance. It was only slightly a pain that this was at the far northwest corner of the park, and our hotel and the train station we would need to head to later were on the southern side. Fortunately there was plenty to see even from the outside, and as the Big One roared overhead during testing, we were getting excited. It was a simple matter to pick up the wristbands from the all-but-deserted ticket center. After inquiring about storage for our luggage (we’d be heading right from the park to the train), we were pointed to the tollbooth for the nearby parking area. It was a little odd, but it was just around the corner, and at only £1 a bag, it was a bargain to not be weighed down the entire day. Ready to start enjoying the visit, we entered the gates, passed through metal detectors and were easily one of the first few people in the park. I had essentially no advance knowledge on the layout of the place, and while it seems like a random mishmash of rides (and is, to some extent), there really were only a few main midways, and thankfully no dead-ends or any confusing path layouts. Studying the map while walking, our first stop would of course be the Big One, all the way back at the southeast corner of the park. We passed by Grand National, the Wild Mouse, Big Dipper, and Infusion, and were already impressed with how efficiently space is used, and we hadn’t even gone on a ride yet. There would be a bit of a delay to do so, actually. Getting to the entrance to the Big One, we saw just a couple groups ahead of us. The only downside was that there was a sign indicating that it would be opening until 10:30am, almost an hour away. I’m not quite sure why a park would delay ride operation for so long after even the official opening, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. It wasn’t even as though we could head elsewhere and come back; besides a few shops opening up, there wasn’t a whole lot of activity and seemingly not a single ride running. Of course we toughed it out, and after 45 minutes and countless test runs, things finally opened up. Now, my expectations were not especially high. There is no doubt the famed Pepsi Max Big One is an icon of the coaster world. Built in 1994 and at 209 feet tall, it notably held the world record for tallest coaster in the world (and others, if you were to believe the park’s overzealous record claims, e.g., measuring height from sea level, not the ride’s actual base). As a gem of Arrow Dynamics during the peak of their heyday, it was an early central figure in the coaster arms race that started in the late 1980s. In fact, it’s rumored that executives went to Cedar Point in 1989 to ride the then-new Magnum XL-200 and instantly decided they wanted something just like it, only bigger - ensuring the spotlight would be theirs. Arrow Dynamics delivered, sort of. While Magnum is situated on a peninsula, the Big One is boxed in with too little land for the sprawling out-and-back layout Magnum boasts. Instead, by the time a drop and rise are made, you’ve already traveled from one side of the place to another. Don’t get me wrong, the park isn’t small by any means, but it certainly doesn’t have the acreage they have in Sandusky. What results is a huge hypercoaster with no series of hills, and in the end, no real airtime. Add that to the reportedly poor aging (I blame the crummy English weather) and it was pessimism all around. Regardless, it was exciting to finally get to experience a coaster landmark for myself, and I wasn’t too concerned if the ride wasn’t any good. Up into the station, we headed towards the back and were on the first train of the day. The trains appeared as though they had seen serious action over the years, and I tightened the seatbelt after eyeing the tired-looking lap bar. Quickly out of the station we rapidly claimed the lift as we were treated to one of the most stunning coaster views I’d ever seen. The first drop is breathtaking, but not entirely in a good way. Perhaps suspicious of computer design and physics, the engineers seem to almost have overbanked the ridiculously step drop. The experience later in the front ended up being jarring and even unnatural, but back here, it was downright harrowing. The violent lashing from side to side lasted probably only 2 or 3 seconds, but it will leave you shell-shocked and wondering what the hell just happened - and you’re still only halfway down to the ground. Fortunately it does level out and the last 100 vertical feet at much more tolerable, if not entirely smooth. From the peak speed at the bottom it’s back up into the sky, and into an uninspired U-turn that again, is oddly banked - to the point where riders on the left side will suddenly be aware how exposed they are, and how high up as well. The rest of the course takes place lower and lower to the ground, and never really lets up with the pace or the intensity. There are moments of nice G’s and even some lightness over the top of hills, but mostly it’s a wild dash over, under, and through rides as it eventually glides back down to the ground and finds the brakes. I wanted to reserve judgment until after a couple more rides, but it was all we could do not to try to assess the damage after our unknowing first experience. Of course the place was still dead, so it was a simple call to loop back around and see if we could figure things out a bit better with a re-ride. We aimed for the front this time around, and while the first drop had slightly less bite, the rest of the ride was just as overwhelming. With the marquee attraction taken care of twice over, the only other ride we thought might have a wait to reckon with was Infusion. Sadly it was merely a new Vekoma SLC, though with the park’s requisite befuddling placement. Billed erroneously as a water coaster, I assume in reference to it being placed over water, we here happy to see two trains running. After a one train wait, we were off. Not much to report here. Its roughness is about run of the mill for the design, plenty rougher and plenty smoother SLCs out there by my assessment, ending up exactly in the middle of my now nine ridden, which may be a few too many if you ask me. One ride was enough, and on our way out of the extended exit we made it back to the main midway and queued up for the Big Dipper. This thing is beyond classic - built in 1923 and featuring absolutely ancient 4-seat cars. The lift takes riders up into and around the ride’s own marquee and entrance, and then sets off on a surprisingly smooth and exhilarating hilly out and back run. There were some nice moments, a bit of airtime, and as expected, simply stunning interaction with other rides along the way. There wasn’t a single moment where you weren’t dodging, diving under, or zipping along next to another coaster or attraction. I didn’t expect this one, an absolute gem. We’d keep the classic theme going hard all day, but definitely with the next few attractions. First Revolution, an old but impressively well-preserved Arrow shuttle loop. I’d been on one ages ago at then Riverside (now SF New England), but that’s been defunct for about a decade now and I was plainly questioning how this one possibly could have survived. I don’t know how they did it, but after climbing the stairs we were treated to a decently smooth and equally disorienting ride. I can’t say this version of the venerable shuttle loop can hold a candle to Schwarzkopf in my mind, but now that I finally got to ride one in good condition, I was more than a little impressed. It may be hard to believe, but the next ride was even rarer. Steeplechase is the only (so far as I can tell) remaining coaster of its type in the world. Of course a modern version of the classic Steeplechase of old (i.e., yore) found at Coney Island almost 100 years ago now, even the brief resurgence of this ridiculous style went by the wayside as Knott’s Berry Farm ripped out it’s installation about 2 decades ago. But somehow, the Pleasure Beach still has theirs running, and I was psyched to get a ride on what could only be described as a lawsuit waiting to happen. Riders sit atop horses, no different than your average carousel steed, except instead of the circling and repeatedly bobbing up-and-down, you have to hold on for dear life and follow a coaster track with hills, dips, and curves. There’s nothing really high speed about it, but it is just you on the horse with a measly seatbelt and a lap bar that’s really more of a backrest than anything that provides much security. The ride is actually made up of 3 parallel tracks, but even with only 2 sides running, we were able to race. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the scenery as we glided across a small area of the park if I hadn’t been so busy clinging to the horse. The only bad news is the physical action of the ride isn’t all that enjoyable. The transitions are a bit jarring, everything done with a good jostle, much like riding a real horse, even though it’s been a while since I did that last. But really, you don’t get on this thing for thrills. The novelty of the experience is unbeatable, and it’s really quite exhilarating how exposed you feel as you attempt to stay alive. Around to the east side of the park, there was a kiddie coaster to hit, and not just for the credit. Zipper Dipper was a rare (notice a theme here?) Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters installation. The company still exists today, even as PTC, but the Coasters has been replaced with Company, as they focus their business on supplying rolling stock for wooden coasters all around the world. Of course the ride itself wasn’t much to speak of outside its history. The hand brake in the station was sight, and the small trains had us take our own rows. We rode with an enthusiastic parent and child and were treated to the rare triple-circuit. With a nice enough layout and an interesting tunnel cut into the old Space Invaders ride building, it was perfectly pleasant to get multiple rides, but we weren’t about to get back on after our spree. Having been rebuffed at Avalanche earlier, we made the quick walk over and saw a small crowd forming as it was about to open up. We were quickly into one of the most heavily themed stations in the park (though as a true traditional amusement park, that’s not really saying all that much), where the Bavarian themed screamed of Alpengeist. But instead of the B&M mega-inverted, we’d have to settle for a Mack bobsled. Another rarity for sure, though it’s similar to the ride of the same name at Kings Dominion, if noticeably shorter. We optimistically climbed into a car together and didn’t exactly have the most comfortable ride, but it was pleasant enough. Seeing the increasing crowds as still quite tolerable, we continued along the east side of the park and took a break from coasters with the Monorail. Not a Disney-esque mode of transportation, even to the pathetic level of Disneyland’s installation, the single station merely provided a 15-minute round trip for getting up close and personal with all corners of the park. It was nice to take a load off, and the views were terrific from the hilariously old-school style train - it was more like a people mover than a monorail. Just across the way after exiting is the Mine Train. Think more Knott’s than Disney, as this powered dark ride is about as traditional as this experience gets. Inside is a stunningly vast and shockingly long circuit down into the depths of a series of mines, past all sorts of caverns, equipment, and haggard-looking miners. I must say, it may have lacked the modest thrill and coaster-ness of Big Thunder, but it more than matched it in terms of detail and themeing. The scope of it was quite impressive, and the fly-by through a nearby restaurant was a pleasant surprise, and one of many tricks even Disney is famous for. Wanting to take care of all the coasters before a late lunch (the full English breakfast really stays with you), we crossed the park and queued up for the infamous Wild Mouse. You know you’re in for the real deal when you’re on a custom model built in-house, and is technically a wooden coaster. The reputation this has is as bone-jarring as any multi-looper you could come across. It certainly lived up to the hype, and that left us completely rattled throughout its entire course. It’s a bad sign when you’re climbing the lift and you find your head barely clearing some of the track above you. The ride is a series of violent turns and drops with little resemblance to the modern "jerky, but in a fun way" versions of this attraction. Unlike most of the other coasters, any charm here is pretty much bashed out of you as you pray for the ride to end. In another disappointment, we unfortunately found this also to be the case only a little further down at the landmark Grand National. This racing coaster has all the makings of a true favorite: operation that actually results in racing, a unique double dip first drop, and all the usual great placement and interaction throughout its course. But the letdown is that the ride offered was just unpleasant. The turns were rattling, the bottoms of drops were jarring, and it offered almost nothing in the way of thrill. This is pretty much the only coaster at the park where I walked away having felt cheated. Maybe it was my fault for not doing my homework, but to see a national treasure disappoint so completely wasn’t what we expected. With Space Invaders all but dismantled, and Roller Coaster down for its transformation and inclusion as part of a new Nickelodeon area, we had completed the circuit - all nine coasters. But the great thing about this place, as we saw earlier with the Mine Train, is there is so much more to do and see. Just outside the exit (which we hadn’t noticed was in the opposite station from where we boarded, thanks to the rare mobius track design) our curiosity got the best of us as we entered a walkthrough attraction vaguely named Impossible. Inside was a mirror maze, and exhibits of the perceptually weird. Nothing you wouldn’t cover in an introductory Psychology class, but cool nonetheless. The finale was a Haunted Swing ride, a custom-built trick room where a slight rocking of the swing combined with the synchronized rotating of the room itself disorients, if not mystifies. On our way to lunch was Ghost Train, a dark ride right out of Rollercoaster Tycoon with all the cheese and camp you could hope for from this throwback - a classic all the way, not to be missed. We thought we’d continue with another dark ride, but the Alice in Wonderland attraction was temporarily down, so it instead became time for lunch. Not turning down a chance to cash in on some unhealthy amusement park eats, we headed next door to Southern Fried Chicken. It would be a pretty generic order of chicken strips and fries for us both (complete with a mysterious "New York" barbecue sauce), but the setting was great as we found it to be the very restaurant we’d glided by on the Mine Train. It was only when sitting down to eat did Megan point out that there was a second ride in there as well, a boat ride we’d seen an entrance for towards the other side of the park, meandering not 20 feet below the Mine Ride. After the meal, Alice in Wonderland was up and running. I wouldn’t say the ride is exactly like the beloved Disneyland version, but it’s really, really similar. Of course there are the same characters, and it even features the same sort of outside descent from its second story. In defense of the Pleasure Beach, Disney doesn’t own the rights to this fairy tale per se, though the ride experience and even a couple character designs come right out of the movie. Most of it, however, is unique, and it’s a bit different since it focuses more closely on the original Lewis Carol tale - including even Humpty Dumpty and the Jabberwocky. Again, the scenes are jam-packed with characters, and the whole thing is as elaborate as anything Disney does. This was another pleasant surprise. Finally having worked our way back to the north end of the park, there stood Valhalla, a monster of a façade, again with subtle Disney features - this time the same window view into the ride, even at a point where it changes direction, a la Maelstrom at Epcot. There was no way Megan would be riding, and even I was a bit hesitant. There is no question this ride is a super-headliner for the park, but the cold weather and the long evening ahead of us didn’t made the prospect of getting drenched all that appealing. I was able to think it over while enjoying another old-timey ride, the Derby Racer. With Cedar Point and Rye Playland, this installation came as my third, but I still remarked how impressive it was to see one of these in operation. The ride was great as we spun around to pop music played on the classic Wurlitzer pipe organ. Buying some more time, we caught the S&S space shot model, Ice Blast. Nothing unique to speak of with the ride here, but the views were amazing, giving great incentive to ride even if you’ve been on these things hundreds of times over. It was now or never, and I talked myself into giving Valhalla a ride with the old standby, "I came all this way." I was relieved to see modest ponchos being sold for a mere £1.50, but still went through the usual procedure of removing socks, valuables, and even my sweater. It wasn’t freezing, but the more dry clothes I could come back to, the better. This wasn’t exactly Splash Mountain, and it certainly wasn’t Anaheim. Honestly, almost all the intimidation was about the impending dousing, and the usual "You will get wet, you MAY get SOAKED" provided fair warning as I slipped on my thin poncho. Of course exiting riders were the first sign that things were going to get dicey, but the real warning was the water pump being used in the station to remove 3-inch deep pools of water from the floor of the boat. So much for lowering the water output of the ride in cooler season. There was no wait to be found, and I sat next to a lady concerned with my preparations, as she asked if I had been on the ride before. I said I hadn’t but that I was expecting the worst. This did not make her feel any better, and her husband and son in the row ahead were equally as unsuccessful in easing her fears. Right out of the station you’re met with a torrential waterfall that is mercifully turned off at the last possible second, in the classic, "we’re cruel, but we’re not that cruel" fake-out. In the end, they may as well have left it on. Now I would only be in for the one ride, so I tried to take in as much as I could, but it’s hard not to spend your focus fighting with a poncho in an attempt to stay dry. What I did notice was completely over the top; some impressive mechanical characters, including the vicious multi-headed dog (Cerberus, perhaps?) at the base of the first lift. The initial dark ride scenes were downright reminiscent of the aforementioned Maelstrom, replete with a backwards traveling section of its own, but where that ride skews towards nice scenery and mild thrills, Valhalla is all about pummeling your senses and drenching you in the drops. Multiple extend drops do their job, but an especially pitiless tunnel of water is the main culprit, which was unfortunately timed immediately after a drop which blew the poncho hood off my head, resulting in a good pummeling leaving most of my safeguard for naught. There were rooms of fire, impressive use of mist, a bewildering ice room, which, with the dampening endured to that point in the ride, makes you feel right around absolute zero. The scenes were impressive, but hard to take in with an eyes always looking for the next tidal wave. I’m not sure there was much of a story to begin with, but the daunting ride eventually comes to an end, and leaves riders assessing the damage. I was a bit disappointed to come away with wet shoes and a wet undershirt, but no question was it worth the experience. If I had easier access to a change of clothes I would have been more able to attend to the ride itself, but I came away impressed regardless, and I’m sure that’s what they were going for in the end. We had a couple hours before we needed to make our exit, but we still had a few things we wanted to do. Heading to the west side of the park we finally got on the Cave Boats we’d been seeing all day, and I was happy to be on a water ride where the water stays in the trough. The slow-moving dark ride was a journey through exotic locales around the world and through time - imperial China, ancient Egypt, and a South American rainforest among the more recognizable settings. Nothing especially remarkable, nice enough scenes and a welcome change of pace for sure. Looking for another break, we took on a couple British traditions, Megan with some afternoon tea, and me with a nice, cool pint. After the quick rest, we decided on making a final looping, hitting a few more highlights we’d missed and getting any desired re-rides. The only re-ride Megan desired was on Big Dipper, so we gladly waited a few minutes (down to one train operation) for another spin. I was looking for a spin on a rather impressive flat ride next to Big One, a Zierer Star Shape confusingly called Bling. Six rows of 5 seats radiate from a central hub, which rotates vertically 360 degrees much like a looping starship. In the end, because the seats are free to rotate on their own, you rarely end of inverting, and most of the action ends up being sort of an angled, sideways dive. Still completely disorienting given the 3 degrees of motion, but more weird than overwhelming. Its bark was, by far, bigger than its bite. I wanted a farewell ride on the Big One, so I queued up on my own, happy to see just a station wait, but a little surprised to see it down to running one train. This ended up being the longest wait of the day, a manageable 15 minutes or so that eventually found me looking for a bit of shelter somewhere in the middle of the train. Shelter was not to be found as even here the ride seems to tear across the park with reckless abandon. Having spotted another throwback attraction earlier, we gave the hedge maze a visit. I think we just happened to guess correctly, but after only one dead end we found our way quickly to the pavilion in the center. Here we were treated to a nice view of the maze and Steeplechase circling above it. This park is all about being up close and personal. Thrill ride-ed out, we made our way to the Pleasure Beach Express (accidentally through the exit, for what it’s worth) for our last ride of the day. It was approaching 5pm and we wanted to round up our gear, grab some dinner to go, and catch our 6:30pm train with plenty of time to spare. But first, we took a final tour of the park on the train, and had some great views overhead thanks to the again rare (I know, I know, but the park is ridiculous) uncovered, open-air cars. This was a great way to end the day, every view in every direction was full of rides stacked on top of rides as coaster trains whizzed by us in all directions. I cannot understate how remarkable the intricate placement of these shoehorned rides are, you really need to see it to believe it. Back through the ride exit, we were ready to call it a day. We found a good deal on some tasteful souvenir t-shirts, thankfully only £15 for the pair. Out through the exit, we met up with our bags, and took the scenic route back out along the promenade on the west side of the park, and came across a passable to-go Chinese food stand, part of a sit-down restaurant at least. We took our meals with us and made our way to the train station where we had arrived not even 24 hours before. It was a quick wait for our shuttle back to Preston, where we caught a Virgin train (for barely 45 minutes) and changed again at Crewe, which put us on a Midlands train to Uttoxoter, our final destination for the evening. Again we’d have a bit of a walk to our lodging, though the setting could not have been more different. We traded in showy and ostentatious for sleepy and charming. We had a quick accidental detour through the town itself, but it was in the right general direction, and it was just about a mile in total to the Premier Inn. I don’t think there would have been a cab available to us even if we had wanted one. We checked in, and decided on the cheaper continental breakfast since it wasn’t included. Even before you get to the park, you’ll notice one of the first key differences between the parks: proximity. Alton Towers isn’t close. To anything. I picked this hotel because it was one of the few places in the area that was both reasonably close to a train station and close to the park. With the park running only from 10am-4pm for our visit, time was obviously of the essence, so we wouldn’t be fiddling around with buses. I was eager to book a cab, though the best the front desk could do was provide me with a list of local services. It’s a good thing I had been provided with a mobile phone by our friends in London, especially since the room somehow had no phone in it. Nevermind a wake up call, I’d be relying on the mobile for that as well. Back to Trip Reports
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