Family Day Out Review : Blackpool Pleasure Beach*

We recently headed to Blackpool to spend a weekend away with the kids just in time for the Blackpool Illumination Light Switch on.  While we were there, we visited some fantastic places and enjoyed everything Blackpool has to offer. In this post, we are going to share with you some tips, photos and details about Blackpool Pleasure Beach and what we thought of the amusement park and the rides for a family day out.  Keep on reading to find out more about our day and our experiences.

Now if you are booking tickets to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, try to do it in advance as entry tickets to the amusement park is much cheaper, but in the other hand, that would mean that you might end up with terrible weather on the day. When we arrived, it was raining cats and dogs, but that did not dampen our spirit, we were still ready to head out and have a fantastic day. We got up early, had our breakfast and were at the park as soon as it was opened. We found our car park,  Lytham Road Car Park, a family-owned carpark by chance.  It was convenient (about 10 minutes walk away) and cheap (£7.50 for whole day parking).  Once we parked up, it was easy to explore other sites such as Blackpool Tower or Madame Tussauds from Blackpool Pleasure Beach using the tram. We purchased a Family ticket which cost us £13 on the tram which allowed us to use the tram for 24 hours for as many times as we likes. Try to download the Blackpool Transport App on your phone, if you would like quick details on live updates or timetables and to pre-plan your journey.

An important note, do not bother with an umbrella in Blackpool as if it does rain, as it can get really windy! And as you can see in all our photos, we ended up having ‘Blackpool Hair’ so my tip would be to go with the flow and let the wind do what it wants to your hair. There are lots of fantastic places to have a picnic along the beach if you want. The amusement park only allows picnic at allocated spots and not inside.

The Big One

We were really looking forward to getting on The Big One but unfortunately, we did not get the chance due to the high winds even after the rain stopped. We were told that because it rained for more than 2 hours, we were offered free tickets to come back again the next day but unfortunately, we already made plans. Now if you have not heard about The Big One, it was formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One, it is a steel roller coaster located in the amusement park. The ride was designed by Ron Toomer and opened to the public in 1994 as the tallest roller coaster in the world!  Now it held the record until 1996, when Fujiyama opened at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan; The Big One remains the tallest ride in the UK and if you love thrills, this ride is not to be missed!

Thrill Seeking Rides

There are so many other thrill-seeking and adrenaline-fuelled rides at the park such as UK’s first looping coaster, Revolution and UK’s first suspended looping coaster completely over the water called Infusion.  We found that because The Big One was closed, the other rides seemed to have a longer queue.

Nickelodeon Land

What did we think?

Pleasure Beach is a must-see and must experience amusement park if you have kids or if you are single and just love rides. We saw people of all ages there, from little tiny feet to older grandparents and even younger teens.  Now if you have limited time and the weather might turn for the worse, it is worth getting the Speedy Pass (Fast Track) which costs £15 per person.  If you have a whole day to spend there with good weather and don’t mind the wait then don’t worry about it.  We did not have the Speedy Pass hence had to wait around 45 minutes for the busier rides, so wasted a lot of time there. Those with the Speedy Pass did not have to queue and had first priority on rides.  Do take note that if the weather is bad ie rain non-stop for more than 2 hours, you will be given the next day Rain Pass entry into the park (provided you don’t remove the wristbands). Speak to the staff about this to confirm before you leave the venue.

There are plenty of cafes, little stalls selling food and drinks located around the park which is great when you have kids. On top of that there are also different sections like Nickelodeon Land, fun roller coaster rides, shows etc and you can easily spend a whole day there. It is also easy to get to Blackpool Pleasure Beach using the local Tram as the tram stop is just located outside the park.   We would recommend staying overnight so you have two whole days to check the amusement park and remember to download their park map to pre-plan what you want to do before you get there as there is so much to see and do there!

Where did we stay?

We stayed at Travelodge in St Anne, it was just a 10-minute car ride and their family room was perfect for us as it had a double bed and 2 single beds for the kids.  We choose St Anne at we wanted to stay in a quieter area. The hotel was great and cheap as we paid a savers rate of £91.  The hotel only had about 7 parking bays on site, but we parking across the street at the council parking and it was free overnight (you must remember to put a ticket on your car after 9am if you are checking out later). The hotel did not have a hot cooked breakfast but if you book breakfast you would receive a takeaway box with pre-packed cereal, muffin, milk and juice which we can consume easily in our room or take with us when we check out.

FAQ:

• Priority Delivery Service Your Pleasure Beach Passes/Wristbands, maps and everything else you need to gain direct access to the 42-acre attraction can be delivered to your billing address prior to your visit. This service is included for free if you book a visit on a peak day more than 7 days in advance.
• Due to the intensity of rides and attractions within the 42-acre site there is limited space and picnics and food are not permitted beyond the main entrance.A dedicated picnic area with tables and umbrellas is provided adjacent to the entrance of Pleasure Beach on the Adventure Golf site.
• Please note smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in any queue lines for rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach or in the Nickelodeon Land area of the park.
• No Dogs or pets are admitted into the park except for guide dogs on a lead or in a harness. Guide dogs are not permitted on any of the rides and the animal must remain with a member of your party.
• No filming of any kind is allowed on any rides at Blackpool Beach, including the use of Go-Pros and similar devices, or handheld extension poles for cameras and cell phones.
• The use of handheld extension poles for cameras and cell phones such as selfie sticks is not permitted to be used on rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
• They have a limited number of wheelchairs for hire.
• All of their rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach are subject to height restrictions in order to ensure that all of their guests enjoy their visit safely.

What are their Opening Hours?
Mon & Tue – Closed
Wed – Fri 11am until 5pm
Sat – 10am until 6pm
Sun – 10am until 5pm

How much does a Family Ticket Cost?

Ticket or Wristbands are cheaper when purchased online and in advance. Tickets on the door can be quite pricy. Our family ticket with 2 adults and 2 kids cost £84 (pre-booked) or £116 if purchased on the door.  You can purchase your tickets here.

The Ticket Centre opens 30 minutes before the Park opens while rides will open on a staggered basis.   Children aged 2 and under that visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach receive a free Pleasure Beach Pass to enter the park, which includes the Chinese Puzzle Maze, Pleasure Beach Express, River Caves, Bradley & Bella’s Learning Garden and the spectacular Dancing Water Show.

Where is Blackpool Pleasure Beach?

Pleasure Beach is located on the seafront of South Beach, Blackpool and its fantastic promenade and golden sands provide additional picnic spots enjoyed by many.

525 Ocean Blvd
Blackpool
FY4 1EZ

How to get there by Road – take junction 32 off the M6 onto the M55. Follow signs for Blackpool, South Shore (via Blackpool Airport) and then follow the brown tourist signs to Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. SAT NAV: postcode FY4 1EZ

How to get there by Rail – regular train services run to Blackpool North and direct to Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s own mainline station via Preston.

How to get there by Air – Manchester International Airport is 55 minutes away. A direct train to Preston is available from this airport. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is 60 minutes away.

About Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is an amusement park situated along the Fylde coast in Blackpool, Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded in 1896 and has been owned and operated by the Thompson family since its inception. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, and one of the top twenty most visited amusement parks in the world, with a peak estimate of 5.5 million visitors in 2007. In 2014 it was voted as the best theme park in the United Kingdom and the ninth-best park in Europe by the Travelers’ Choice Awards.  The park was the first in Europe to introduce a fully inverting steel coaster, Revolution and is the last remaining park in the world to still operate a Steeplechase roller coaster.

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Photo copyright: Blackpool Pleasure Beach / Yeah Lifestyle

*We were given tickets to visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach.  All opinions are our own.