Blackpool Pleasure Beach rumours are doing the rounds as is usually the case when the UK theme parks close their doors until the new year season but these rumours are very concerning as it looks as though four major rides could leave Blackpool Pleasure Beach within the next 5 years.
Let’s go through each ride that has come as part of these rumours all with small snippets of information to suggest that these rumours may have a bit more weight to them than originally envisioned.
I’ll go through the selection of rides below and give my own thoughts on what I feel will happen to them in the next 2-3 years.
Please note these are only rumours with absolutely no confirmation from the park
Ice Blast – RETHEME
Opening in 1997 this S&S shot tower is approaching its end of service life having thrilled guests at the park for 26 years.
Not as powerful as it used to be this incredible flat ride is certainly showing its age but it’s one of the first rides you see before you enter the park and losing this particular ride would be a huge loss for the park.
The reason that this particular rumour has come about is because ground markings have been spotted around the ride and ground testing has also been taking place around the ride which indicates that a removal or refurb / retheme is imminent at some point in time.
With ground markings around the ride this very second I’d speculate that this site was earmarked as an area for the new gyroswing to go but with how much pivoting has been on done on this particular ride its future is much more certain.
If the ride is indeed replaced it would make sense for it to be re-themed and enhanced to fit in with the Viking area as was the original plan for the replacement Gyro.
If this isn’t an option then Ice Blast will stay and be re-themed / refurbished entirely. The decision really could go either way but considering Pleasure Beach wouldn’t want a flat leaving the park and with certain financial obstacles preventing any major reinvestment. I’m going to say retheme or refurbishment with this one.
Grand Prix – REMOVED
Operating in 1960 Grand Prix has slowly faded away from the park with increased downtime with every passing season.
This year the ride has been down all season (to my knowledge) and doesn’t look to be being worked on to bring it back for the 2024 season so as it stands Grand Prix looks to be SBNO until we see otherwise at the park.
The 2023 season has seen Grand Prix SBNO and we feel that it’s had its day, with it taking up such a huge footprint within the park there’s a lot of space there for a future development, especially with the next ride potentially up for a swift exit.
There are also rumours that the manufacturers in touch with Pleasure Beach want to extend the ride around the park more and with the removal of the arcade next to Planet Rock on the cards there’s room for the coaster to go into this area or this area could be earmarked for a new flat ride that Pleasure Beach are considering to purchase that may or may not be going where Ice Blast is (dependent on its final decision on its future).
Vekoma and Intamin are frontrunners in the initial rumour stage to manufacture the Grand Prix replacement and it’s all but confirmed that it’s going.
Avalanche – REMOVED (Eventually)
Avalanche is a ride that has been reduced in terms of how many trains have been operating on it during any given opening day.
It seems as though the cost of maintaining the ride and its trains is becoming more of an issue as this ride has been operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 1988.
If this ride was to also leave the park along with Grand Prix there is a huge space there for development in the future.
I feel as though the park are in a position where they cannot afford to refurb the ride to its former glory but at the same time with that vast amount of space, I can’t see the park being able to afford a big replacement either.
With a re-track no doubt out of the question, I’d say that Avalanche will be operated until its last legs and then it’ll be removed from the park.
Sky Force – REMOVED
The Sky Force rumour has been doing the rounds all season and after a recent interview with Amanda Thompson there was a big emphasis on hospitality and the parks hotels.
Currently, the Boulevard Hotel has a tiny entrance/car park and if Sky Force was to leave the park one can only speculate that it would be because of a hotel expansion to make more room around what is a very cramped entrance to a truly beautiful hotel.
Sky Force is certainly a case of when it will be removed not if with numerous interviews certainly hinting that it’s likely to be removed in favour of a hotel expansion.
With four major rides potentially on the chopping block within the next 5 years it’s a worrying time for Pleasure Beach if all four came to fruition but whatever happens, this is just speculation at the end of the day with sprinkles of evidence to support it.
Avalanche could continue to run for the foreseeable just on one train so out of the four this one is maybe the least likely but the other three sadly, look very likely to be removed from the resort.
Check out a video from our good friends over at Your Experience Guide who spoke about all of the rumours discussed in this very article.
Which rides would you like to see leave Blackpool Pleasure Beach?
