PLEASURE BEACH RESORT
(Formerly: Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
United Kingdom (Abbreviation: BPB)
 Park News - (12/15/2024) Blackpool Pleasure Beach has announced that the park’s former Ice Blast tower ride that has been closed this past year will reopen in 2025 as “Launch Pad”. The 210-foot tall S&S Space Shot tower will reopen with all new themeing, along with an all new “pressure cylinder” that will allow the ride to launch riders into the air with much more force.
The ride first opened under the sponsored name, PlayStation: The Ride back in 1997, before adopting the Ice Blast name in 2000 when they Sony sponsorship deal ended.
(7/5/2024) Two roller coasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (errr… wait… it’s now just Pleasure Beach Resort right?) were presented were granted ACE Roller Coaster Landmark status this week with plaques presented for the Big Dipper and Grand National. According to Amanda Thompson, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, “These rides hold a special place in the hearts of our guests, and we’re proud that the importance of their heritage has been recognized. The blend of our modern, industry-leading rides like ICON and Valhalla, with these older, one-of-a-kind rides is an integral part of Pleasure Beach Resort’s identity and something that we believe truly sets us apart.”
Big Dipper was John Miller’s first roller coaster in Britain when it opened 101 years ago in 1923, and the Grand National is one of only two operating Mobius Loop wooden racing coasters left in the world, and opened back in 1935. (Note: Kennywood’s Racer (1927) is the other)
(3/3/2024) Blackpool Pleasure Beach has confirmed that the park will not operate the “Grand Prix” cars attraction this season, as they are in the midst of planning ‘a new attraction’ to replace it.
The official website also lists that Alpine Rallye is currently closed for maintenance at this time as well. The interesting thing is that both of these attraction run below the park’s Avalanche coaster, a Mack Bobsled, which will remain open. But they did mentioned Grand Prix would be replaced by a future attraction, so this makes me wonder about the long term fate of the Avalanche as well.
2024 - Nothing is known at this time...
2025 - Intamin Gyro-Swing - Rumor - (11/3/2024) According to a new video from Chall Chats, Blackpool Pleasure Beach have closed the the Bowl-A-Drome building and may be preparing to remove the structure itself. If this ends up being true, there are also rumors that the site could be used as the home for a planned Intamin Gyro-Swing ride.
Oh, and the video also reconfrms that the park’s Ice Blast tower ride, which was previously rumored to be removed, is also expected to make a return in 2025 after getting an update and parts from S&S that they were not able to finished in time for the 2024 season.
(3/3/2024) While we previously mentioned that this was likely the last season for Ice Blast, the park opened for the season with it closed, along with The Big One unfortunately. According to a tweet from Amanda Thompson, Ice Blast is awaiting parts needed to open it later this season, but nothing was confirmed as to the long term fate of the S&S tower ride.
(2/25/2024) According to the latest rumors, the Ice Blast (S&S Space Shot) tower ride is rumored to be potentially retired later this year. I’m not sure if they have something else in mind to replace it for 2025, or if the tower ride is just getting old or harder to maintain. Given that there are much older S&S tower rides out there running well without issue, I’m thinking that the park may just want to put in something newer or bigger on the site. Backing up the Ice Blast removal rumors are also claims that various land-survey paint markings have been spotted around the ride area as well.
If anyone knows more, please do let us know.
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