milst1 Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Last weekend we jetted to Manchester and then got on some trains... Overall it was a very fun trip. Thank you Blackpool Pleasure Beach! The famous Blackpool Tower houses an observation deck and a circus and other attractions. The Boulevard is elaborately lit up at night and it stretches for a couple of miles. The pier's dark ride did kick ass. There's a smaller amusement pier across the boulevard from Pleasure Beach, where this dormant credit lies. Apparently it was dismantled, refurbished, rebuilt, and then put up for sale. It sits SBNO. A bit further along the boulevard we chanced upon this cardiological nightmare. A stroll on Blackpool's promenade led us to some delicious fish n' chips... A decent SLC...not too rough. An Old Mill like those at Rye and Kennywood. The only surviving Derby Racer outside of those at Rye and Cedar Point. Valhalla is a monstrous indoor themed shoot-the-chutes with multiple drops and effects. We got soaked, even with ponchos. There was a decent dark ride with many sets of crash doors. There's also an Arrow Shuttle Loop, one of those old spinning tethered rocket ships, and a 3-track Steeplechase. ...and the moebius racing coaster Grand National. When they're all up at the same time, that's 5 woodie credits, which is pretty great for a single park! Zipper Dipper, the wooden kiddie... Roller Coaster... Sadly, the Big Dipper was down, but the park still has a slew of woodies. Besides the wild mouse, there was... I could be wrong, but as far as I could tell that peg in the middle groove was the only sort of upstop mechanism. Crazy ride! Hello British people! The mouse at Blackpool is a woodie, and it's completely insane. There are no brakes, and you will get hurt! It's amazing! The Mack bobsled was a blast. We got really lucky with the lines and managed multiple re-rides. The Big One is not a bad ride, but the ride in the back was much rougher than our second ride towards the front. It has a violent right turn after the top of the lift and is bone-jarring in the back. It's very similar to the top of Expedition GeForce but doesn't manage to pull it off. Of course, the Blackpool view is much better. The rest of the ride is really a few big turnarounds and rolling hills. Still, a fun and worthwhile credit. First stop was Pepsi Max The Big One. I know, dorky patch jacket. But it's a good conversation starter. These things are so old that they've been pretty severely altered over the years. I know Kennywood's rocking mechanism had problems for years and it was difficult to get parts because the original company had folded. Blackpool has a viewing area underneath and you can see the original rocking mechanism in action. Yay, a real Noah's Ark! Unfortunately it was closed, but thankfully was still rocking back and forth. Blackpool reached it's height in the post-war 1950's but declined thereafter because the textile industry declined, improved roads allowed for day trips instead of overnights, and probably most of all, it became relatively cheap to fly to places like Barcelona instead, where the weather was more reliably sunny and drier than England's northwestern coast. The Ripley's museum was slightly fun. It's pricing reflects Blackpool's currently slow business state. The regular price was 8 pounds, you see the sign for the 5 pound special, and we had a coupon for 3 pounds! Random walk-through on the strip between hotel and park entrance. If you're not aware, Blackpool used to be the ultimate beach resort in England, attracting vacationers from England's northern factory towns, but also rich folk from London. It's rise came after the 19th Century industrial revolution. The reasonably good hotel affiliated with the park. Unfortunately, they didn't open the park gate nearby and you had to hike a bit to the main entrance. There it is! I've wanted to ride on this coaster for 13 years. When I first got into coasters in the mid-1990's, this was the biggest in the world. I haven't exactly heard raves about it over the years, but back in 1996 it was mythical. Someone told us that Paul Simon wrote "Homeward Bound" while stuck at this station, but Wikipedia says otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Cow Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Very nice report! The wild mouse on the pier must have an interesting story. When I went last year, it was being dismantled. I wonder why they would put it back together just to try to sell it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnz Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Great photos - and info! This is a park high on my 'must-do' list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbcoasterfan Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Any pics from atop the tower looking down at the park and the surrounding area? Curious to see what it looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursemelis374 Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Great trip report and love the jacket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milst1 Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Any pics from atop the tower looking down at the park and the surrounding area? Curious to see what it looks like. Alas, while my step-counter on Day 1 reached over 20,000 steps and we walked all the way to the tower and back, it was quite late and the tower was closed, so I didn't get any shots of the actual beach or the entire area. Sorry for that, but I bet they're around on the 'net. And, let me just say "thanks" for the compliments and for reading the report! Hi Melissa! -Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softcrain12 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Good report...The pictures are great..Thanks for sharing the information.Amazing.. Regards Albert _____ Pret immobilier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanjonesbath Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Great pictures and report. We went last September for a couple of days and had a great time. For a park with such a small amount of space, they've really crammed the coasters in. The Crazy Mouse on the pier was still running where we there, but it was almost deserted. We had to go and find a ride op before we could go on it! If anyone wants some pictures from the top of the tower, there are some on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/alanjonesbath . Blackpool Tower is quite far away from the Pleasure Beach, so unless you get a beautifully clear day, photos don't come out too well. The Blackpool Illuminations are so tacky, but it's just part of the Blackpool charm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoksy Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 ...Roller Coaster What an original name. Loved the pics BTW, it is amazing to see so many woodies in one park. There is usually only two or three, with my experiences that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanjonesbath Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 ...Roller Coaster What an original name. In 1933, it probably was quite original! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbcoasterfan Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 If anyone wants some pictures from the top of the tower, there are some on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/alanjonesbath . Blackpool Tower is quite far away from the Pleasure Beach, so unless you get a beautifully clear day, photos don't come out too well. Can't view them unless I'm your facebook friend. Should I friend you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Is that a waffle on top of a cheeseburger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milst1 Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Is that a waffle on top of a cheeseburger? It appears to be. Did you catch the pineapple slices on top of the cheeseburger? Something to wash down with a Dole Whip. Regards, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplepills Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Really nice photos, thanks for posting them! I've been considering going to Blackpool for a looong time now, and just haven't got round to it. One day I'll eventually go there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I did notice the pineapple, but somehow, that wasn't quite as surprising as the waffle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Really nice report. I like the history being mixed in. Has Big Dipper been running since its 'bump'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milst1 Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 Really nice report. I like the history being mixed in. Has Big Dipper been running since its 'bump'. Not that I'm aware of. There was no testing or anything of the sort going on during our visit. Additionally, we weren't big fans of the ops in the park, which we thought might be due to overcautiousness after the Big Dipper accident. One member of a particularly bad crew on the S&S power shot (not bothering to look for pairs or singles when they had a side with two seats open, for example, and the line for the ride was pretty long) saw my jacket and said "You've been to quite a few parks!" It was all I could manage not to say "And I've seen a lot of shitty ops too..." Still, the parks charm and compact goodness overcame our frustrations. -Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DandAyr Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 I did notice the pineapple, but somehow, that wasn't quite as surprising as the waffle! the waffle wont be the one you are used to putting syrup and the like on - this will be a fried potatoe waffle, makes much more sense than the pinapple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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