Thrillography Goes to Blackpool Pleasure Beach: My Smashing ACE UK Tour Trip Report - Part V

…….

… do you guys know where we're going?

OH MY GOD WE'RE IN BLACKPOOL! I CAN'T EVEN!

That's right! After a lovely (but soggy) morning at Alton Towers, we hightailed it to Blackpool Pleasure Beach (where the weather is literally flawless). 

We had a reception with ice cold Pimms before our guided tour of the park. I got to meet the Mayor of Blackpool! 

Oh my God I'm so excited I could pee. 

The ACErs gathered at the south entrance of Blackpool Pleasure Beach to begin a guided tour of the park that culminates with ERT on one of their star attractions, Grand National!

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is everything at once. It's sensory overload. 

Woohoo! We're in!

The park is dripping with wonderful, notable things.

I'm already in love with this place.

Twenty-year dream #2 of the trip. 

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M TOUCHING THE FAMOUS PEPSI CAN TUNNEL IS THIS REAL LIFE?

*________________*

My heart is going to explode. 

The nice thing about getting a park tour first thing is being able to pacify my overwhelming need to take pictures of absolutely everything. 

If you like Arrow Dynamics, you'll like Blackpool. 

Also if you like Nickelodeon, you'll like Blackpool. 

I was skeptical about all this at first, but they did right by this area! The rides are all extremely detailed and cute. :}

Nickelodeon Streak is getting some work done, but it'll be ready for us later!

Every view is a great view at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Everywhere you look there's something worth seeing.

This is the center of Blackpool Pleasure Beach. We're stopping to make sure everyone in the group is caught up!

Let's take a moment to appreciate the incredible bridgework that makes Blackpool's Revolution possible. 

I rather like the logo. :}

I love Arrow Shuttle Loops. Blackpool jumped through some major hoops to build this one, so hopefully that means they'll keep it forever. :}

All three of these coasters look nice, but one is actually garbage. Care to take a wild guess as to which one? 

Every corner you turn in Blackpool Pleasure Beach will leave you awestruck. 

This Old Mill ride is older than the state of Oklahoma.

And this Wild Mouse is more badass than any wild mouse in the world.

There's only been one wooden mouse built with a big-ass first drop and a fan turn, and you're looking at it. 

But first things first! Grand National ERT!

I am so beyond excited for this later.

I imagine (Pepsi Max) Big One felt obtrusive when it opened, but as a first time visitor I'm mesmerized by its presence. 

See this rocket ride? It too is older than Oklahoma!!

And we'll get to ride it tomorrow!

For now I'm just biding my time until Grand National.

Almost time to ride!

If this isn't critical acclaim, I don't know what is. 

Wolf and Sven are SO READY!

WOOOOOO ACE TAKEOVER OF GRAND NATIONAL!

WOOOOOO ACE PARTY!!! :D 

Hi guys! :}

Grand National has great airtime and great pacing, and the Möbius loop aspect is glorious. We were so fortunate to get ERT because of course EVERYONE was high-fiving the other train mid-ride. :}

Once everyone got their rides on Grand National, it was time for dinner!

This is the view from the Paradise Room, a special events space where we'll have two catered meals at the park. 

The Paradise Room in all its glory!

After dinner, ACErs were treated to complementary VIP seating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach's award winning "Hot Ice" figure skating show, but a large portion of attendees skipped the show in favor of getting more rides in!

As lovely as the ice show probably was, there was absolutely no contest for me. Look at these coasters! Look at this weather! How could I not skip the show?

The next order of business is one of the park's lower-capacity coasters, Avalanche!

Better ride it now while crowds are light. :}

Wait…where have I seen this before?

Oh. :}

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has Laffing Sal; Blackpool has Laughing Man!

Avalanche is awesome because it's a bobsled coaster and it floats over rides and it's a MACK and it's here at Blackpool. What more reasons do you need? :}

The inside of the station is a Swiss chalet, naturally.

Ooooh look!  A real life bobsled!

Here's my partner in crime for the night, Joe! :}

I can't wait anymore! We must ride the Big One!

Like Nemesis, I have wanted to ride this since I was four.

Front seat for the first ride! MUCH EXCITE! :D

This is a strange and wonderful coaster. It has one of the wildest first drops in the world followed by a sequence best described as a giant Arrow Mine Train. I love every second of this ride. 

To save space, Big One's transfer track is actually a giant elevator above the loading area. Those clever Brits. :}

At this point I'm basically trembling because I love this park so much.

Here's the part on Big One where everyone sitting on the right side of the train thinks they might actually die. The train jerks out from underneath you on the quarter turn and then overcorrects when leveling out, launching you into the lap bar. It's madness, I tell you. Crazy, brilliant madness.  

Can you even? Because I can't even. 

I think it's time for Big Dipper.

This ride is an art deco fantasy and it's giving me life.

Coaster #600! :D

This is the be-all, end-all classic traditional wooden coaster. Tons of quirks, tracks like a dream, great airtime, classic trains. It's got it all.

And you'd be hard pressed to find better exit platform views than these right here. :}

This park makes me so happy. AND THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE!

Thank you Joe for taking my picture in front of my #600!

Alright, let's get this out of the way.

Part of running a park means making tough decisions. Economic turmoil had lead to the demise of sister park Southport Pleasure Beach (and therefore the demise of their beautiful classic wooden coaster and amazing traditional funhouse), so to create a new attraction in the wake of increasing money struggles, Blackpool Pleasure Beach jazzed up Southport's Vekoma SLC and gave it a prime location where their (amazing and beautiful) 1960s Arrow log flume once was. 

It was a hard sell for enthusiasts and log flume fans, but the locals ate it up. Like I said before, at least it looks nice. 

Of course, who can really nitpick when you're in such an amazing park? :}

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has had a long history of tough decisions. This is a huge park with no place to grow, so sacrifices must be made. Fortunately the park is (clearly) a preservation-oriented kind of place, so really only the modern-ish rides here are ever in danger of redevelopment. 

Hopefully they won't ever junk Avalanche. Mack bobsleds are just so cool. :}

Amazingly, the only ride that Blackpool had to retire in order to build Pepsi Max was their aging observation tower.

A small price to pay for a ride like this. :}

Fans of Kennywood know the design qualities of John Miller's wooden coasters well. As perfect as Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, and Racer are, I think this right here is Miller's greatest living achievement. 

:}

Wild Mouse time! It was everything I was hoping it would be. More aggressive than just about any wooden coaster I've ridden, but the squishy seating arrangement (usually) keeps riders from getting hurt. The drops are so sudden that the mouse seems to just plummet from beneath you, and the turns are so sharp that surely your mouse would be the one to snap off the rails and come crashing into the midway. 

Another ride on Grand National is a must as well!

The architectural quality in this park is unparalleled. 

Yes, the rockets are on top of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Gift Shop! :}

Ok guys.

This right here is a big deal. This is a ride called Valhalla.

But I can't tell you about it until tomorrow! ;}

We're also going to take a ride on the incredible Derby Racer tomorrow!

And this darling Alice In Wonderland dark ride! 

Nickelodeon Streak is all done with maintenance and is ready for tomorrow's ERT!

There's not one, but two amazing log flume credits waiting for us tomorrow!

Hey, look! Nick Streak is open!

Now we're scaling the staircase up to Revolution! Now's the best time of day to get photos, so what better place to photograph than up high? :}

Ah yes. This will do nicely. 

The building in the foreground is "Gallopers," the park's carousel, which opened in 1919. :}

I love how these rides are powered by a little car attached to a flywheel that just pushes it over the edge. 

This is really just an appetizer. Our full day tomorrow is going to be AMAZING.

REVOLUTION POV EXCITEMENT WITH JOE!

There him is. :}

I love the backwards airtime in the front seat of these rides. It tossed you out of your seat on the second drop and then nails you with heavy Gs on the loop! What a rush. :}

Our next order of business after Revolution? Steeplechase!

Steeplechase is amazing. It's way scarier than I imagined because you really feel like you might get tossed off by your horse. Joe kept me safe. lol

There's certainly a lot of action going on in this corner of Blackpool!

In this picture there's five roller coasters and a hedge maze! :D

We did two rides on Steeplechase (the yellow side closes early) before finishing the evening on Big One a few more times. What an amazing day! 

BAM! Blackpool Day 2. Chomping at the bit at the South gate once again. :}

Time for ERT on one of the cutest little coasters ever! It's Blue Flyer!

This is how we do. #RideWithACE

Nickelodeon Streak is ready for action too!!

Both of these obnoxiously-colored coasters are incredibly smooth and so much fun! 

The coaster that was once inside this asteroid-shaped building (Space Invader II) is now a pizza restaurant, sadly. However, the Zierer "4-Man Bob" (basically a giant Flitzer) still lives on at Brean Leisure Park as Astro Storm. :}

Both Nick woodies have snazzy fiberglass touches on their trains, but inside they're still classic PTCs. :}

Time for wooden coaster credit #5 of Blackpool Pleasure Beach! 

It'll be time for more rides on Big One as soon as they're done inspecting the track. :}

Hi everyone!

Just look at all of these beautiful ACErs!

lmfao. These people give me life.

Yes, this has been four pictures of the same train. How could I not post all four? So many lovely faces!

I skipped the Spongebob-themed Mack Twist n' Splash, but it sure is cute, isn't it? :}

A recent casualty of development is the loss of the monorail, which was built as a transportation ride but ran for several years just as a round trip before being retired in 2012. I think Blackpool should go the Six Flags Magic Mountain route and build a giant multi-launch coaster threaded around where the monorail once ran. :}

The sleeping giant still needs a little time before it can wake up. :}

Let's get our third Steeplechase credit!

This ride just amazes me. It is SO fun and SO dangerous. Riding tandem is extra wild, especially in the back. Race with caution. :}

Frankly this is also one of the better rides to watch during an ERT. It's priceless. 

I'm so glad Arrow Development had the crazy idea to build a steel interpretation of the classic Steeplechase wooden coasters. The only other Arrow single-rail coaster, Knott's Berry Farm's "Wacky Soapbox Derby Racers," had been retrofitted from its original bicycle vehicle design, probably for safety reasons. Staying seated on this ride is no joke! 

150ft up!

Considering these rides were designed to run two-passengar cars, I wonder if the Knott's Derby Racers started to suffer from stress fractures. You could ride six at a time log flume-style on those!

Almost done with lift hill inspection!

A slight issue with Steeplechase is capacity. With all three sides running during ERT, the wait was 20-30 minutes. I can't imagine what the wait would've been when it was new. 

Waiting in line isn't a problem when you have good company. :}

And honestly, photographing this ride can't be beat. This is one photogenic ride.

"… and Tarryn is in the lead with Pat just behind and Janna steadily bringing up the rear! It's still anyone's race!" 

CubKev and his thoroughbred are ready to roll!

This planter is a recycled car from the park's 1980's Gold Mine dark ride, which was replaced by a Wallace and Gromit ride in 2013. 

New for 2015 is the Royal Air Force Red Arrow Skyforce ride! It's a Gerstlauer Skyfly and it's awesome. With hand-controlled wings, you perform barrel rolls as the pendulum swings in a circle! The Mall of America has one of these, and it's a must ride! Hopefully we'll see more built!

Steeplechase time for Mat and John!

"…and Lucky Day takes the lead!"

So many Steeplechase shenanigans occurred on this day.

It's showtime for the Big One!

Mat got a cute picture with Diego, and I got a picture of the cute photographer. ;}

Nickelodeon time!

As a huge Rugrats fan, I loved the log flume. It has shades of Kings Island's little log flume, back when it too had a Nickelodeon theme.

Also they have a kiddie drop tower inside the Krusty Krab. What's not to love?

Hey fellas! What's up?

Blackpool's Ghost Train! The original! That's what's up!

Here's the view when the car pops out of one of its little doors. :}

Inspired by the American "Pretzel" dark rides of the 1920s, Blackpool built their own version and called it "Ghost Train"– a moniker that has lived on in infamy ever since!

Ghost Trains's famous drop and incline (complete with anti-rollbacks!) found itself duplicated on countless future dark rides for generations.

(As always, Thrillography would like to remind its readers to ALWAYS obey loose article policies and to ALWAYS practice safe snaps when filming on rides!)  :}

What time is it? It's mouse time!

(aslo I have no clue what this girl is doing)

I just love Blackpool Pleasure Beach's little details. Most parks are content with bare space, but when Blackpool sees bare space, they see opportunity! Why have an open area beneath the mouse when you can have an elaborate fountain arrangement beneath the mouse??

It was a struggle for me to put my camera down at any point during our time in Blackpool. There was always something worth photographing.

Martin knows exactly what he's in for. 

Riding tandem can be done (as pictured earlier), but it's only recommended that one tall person and one short person (or a child) ride together. Two people of the same height riding Wild Mouse together is asking for trouble. You might just get a pop in the jaw or a bonk on the nose! 

Hello Big Dipper! I see you!

Before seat belts were installed, riders had to pair up for safety reasons. This might be the only time that a ride experience has ever been improved by a seatbelt!

The mice were custom builds for the park, but like other wooden mice (all of which are in either Australia or Indonesia), the cars are fastened to the track with a mushroom-shaped peg that's held in place by a set of interior rails on the ride's track. Pretty neat stuff. :}

Some of the craziest airtime in the world can be found right here on this mouse. Picture the mouse vanishing from beneath you for about twenty feet and then miraculously reappearing just in time to catch you!

Traditional fish and chips for lunch! After this it's time for VALHALLA! 

Here it is in all it's glory, taken after our ride because electronics are not allowed out in line. Valhalla is so wet that rogue water can sneak up and splash your camera or phone while you're waiting!

Let's talk about Valhalla for a sec.

This ride is the greatest log flume AND the greatest dark ride I have ever ridden. It is so over-the-top that only Disney and Universal's wildest and most elaborate rides can hold a candle to it. Built by Intamin in 2000, Valhalla is the only ride in the park that cost more than the Big One to build (£15M compared to £12M), cycles 120,000 gallons of water per minute, and uses a third of the park's power supply.

The ride experience includes (but is not limited to) coming face-to-face with undead vikings, two-headed hell hounds, tremendous civil unrest, temperatures ranging from -4ºF to 104ºF (amid the frozen arctic and the fiery pits of Hell, respectively), and even Satan himself. Oh, and there's lots of fire. LOTS AND LOTS OF FIRE. It's more of a fire ride than a water ride, to be honest. 

Valhalla is the best ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, arguably the best ride in the UK., absolutely one of the best rides in Europe, and certainly one of the better achievements of the theme park industry as a whole. It's that good. Also, congrats to Blackpool and Valhalla for winning Best Water Ride at the 2015 Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards! 

It's also quite wet, as you can see. :}

"Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machines" (yes, that's really what they're called) is a great way to dry off after Valhalla soaks you to the bone!

Built in 1905, the Flying Machines are the oldest amusement park ride in Europe and are the oldest circular swing ride of any kind in the world. This is a real deal museum exhibit piece of machinery here, and we're riding it! :D

This might even be the oldest known mechanical flat ride in the world. Is that not the coolest thing ever?

Over here is the park's North Entrance. The Paradise Room is in the direct center, and ticket booths are on the right. In the foreground is the Noah's Ark walk-thru, which retired operation in 2008 but is being preserved by the park. Beneath it are the turnstiles for entry to the park.

Alice! 

Grand National's famous tunnel/bridge thing. :}

It took us a minute to figure out if the seagulls were part of the sculpture or not.

Derby Racer time! Gotta love the disco ball horse!

"Smile, Michael!"

Like Steeplechase, Derby Racer is all about trying not to fall off your horse. These horses are a lot easier to handle, however. :}

My first Derby Racer was Cedar Downs at Cedar Point. In 2013, I rode the Derby Racer at Rye Playland. Now that I've ridden Blackpool's, I've got all three Derby Racer credits!

This one is probably the prettiest of the three, serving up an art deco dream not unlike Big Dipper's station. However, Cedar Point's is the only Derby Racer now in which the horses move forward and backward, as well as up and down.

Nevertheless, Derby Racer is still a great ride! And the carousel organ plays Queen and Beatles classics! Can this park get any better?

Yeah it can totally get better.

It's time for the Cheshire Cat to take us on an exciting adventure to Wonderland

Only a few years after Arrow Development finished the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disneyland, they came over here and built a completely unique version for Blackpool that's more closely based on the books. :}

Like Steeplechase, Avalanche, Wild Mouse, Alice's Cheshire Cat cars found their way into the original Roller Coaster Tycoon to help recreate Blackpool Pleasure Beach. :}

I've now visited all three original official Roller Coaster Tycoon recreated parks: Heide-Park, Alton Towers, and Blackpool! #lifeachievement

Our chariot awaits! Looks like we'll be sharing our curious adventure with the Mad Hatter himself. :}

Down the rabbit hole!!

Blackpool's Alice is just as cute and amazing as Disney's. That in and of itself is quite a feat.

Like Disneyland's Alice, Blackpool's Alice has two levels of winding catwalks. :}

^_^

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! We can't forget about River Caves!

Built in 1905, River Caves is the second-oldest example of an Old Mill ride behind Kennywood's. :}

Inside are scenes of various world wonders!

Some of the scenes are quite large! I had no idea the ride was this large!

This ride is a real gem among gems. Heck, we've been riding gems all day, and yet here we are just now riding this adorable classic! 

And then there's Blackpool's incredible Grand Prix! Easily the longest antique car ride I've ever ridden.

And I love that they're hot rods. Lower capacity than old-timer cars, but so colorful! :}

If it isn't the longest, it's got to at least be the most scenic ride of its kind.

The ride is bookended with a trip through a massive two-lane helix that brings the cars from the upper-level midway to ground level. :}

I almost skipped Grand Prix for time reasons, but I'm SO glad I didn't. I love these rides so much, and this one is awesome!

Hello fellow racers! 

Thank you Todd for driving so that I don't have to steer and take pictures at the same time. :}

Yeah we're actually still going down the helix. This is a looooong ride!

At the center of the helix is a fountain, of course. 

Down the main parkway!

Grand Prix is one of many rides over which Avalanche hovers. :}

Hello bobsleders! 

One mushroom will make you grow larger; the other, smaller. :}

Despite all of the structures and rides, some places of Blackpool Pleasure Beach are full of plants. :}

Making our return! The bridge to the left is probably my favorite spot at the park; you're just right in the middle of it all. :}

Hello again, bobbers. :}

I think it's time for more Big Dipper!

Time to bring our roadster home. :}

Walking into the station takes my breath away each time. :}

Also, can we talk about how amazing these trains are? Look at the way they take this corner!

._.

How about a little .gif action? Big Dipper on approach to the station!

Thanks to the ride operator for letting me hang back after my ride and get this shot! :}

I really, really don't want to leave this park.

Can I just stay here forever and take pictures?

OH MY GOD THERE'S A TINY GRAND PRIX I CAN'T EVEN AND THIS LITTLE KID I JUST CAN'T.

What lovely flowers Revolution has. :}

Ooh! I should ride again and get more pictures from the station. :}

The views from Revolution's staircase know no bounds. :}

"Hello coasters!"

(this is how our bus driver greeted us every day) :}

Can I have one of these town homes plz? Thx

I have, like, twenty favorite rides here. This park arguably has the best collection of rides in the world.

This is like real life Roller Coaster Tycoon and I'm living for it right now.

Hello Pepsi Maxers!

Breaking the format again. #worthit

These here are two of my favorite pictures I've ever taken. The top half of one picture and the bottom half of another have stitched together to create one. :}

The Red Arrows may be new, but they fit in just right with Blackpool's quirky collection of rides. And what a magnificent theme!

NOW ENTERING GIANT PEPSI CAN #1

The way Blackpool's woodies glide is just wonderful. The drops are pretty aggressive, but on the peaks they just soar. 

Hello again, bobbers! :}

None of these people have any idea they're being photographed. Huehuehuehueheheh

#LivingLifeToTheMax

I love the sound of an Arrow lift hill. I love that it's constantly amplified around the park.

It's the little things.

:}

Quick! One last ride on Big one!

Gah I can't believe I have to leave this place.

I love you Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Thank you for being such awesome hosts! Coaster Con levels of awesomeness on an international trip!

Oh aren't they just so clever. :}

That's a wrap! 

Thank you Blackpool Pleasure Beach for being everything I'd dreamed of. This is truly one of the world's greatest amusement parks! 

Tomorrow we're in for a rude awakening. After three days at Britain's most amazing parks, we'll be checking out a park that's………….umm…………..well…………you'll see for yourself. 

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