Description: When we visit Blackpool the main attraction for the kids is always the Pleasure Beach. For me there are a lot of rides that I might have enjoyed a few years ago but now no longer have the stomach for but the kids absolutely adore them. I much prefer the more sedate rides but luckily for me there are plenty to choose from at the park.
Entry to the Pleasure Beach isn’t cheap but it does work out better value than a lot of other theme parks out there. The last time we visited I paid £60 for 3 unlimited ride wristbands online which I purchased in advance and it worked out cheaper than buying them on the day. The prices are different depending on what time of year you visit. Opening times vary too depending on when you visit. In summer some days the park is open until 10:00pm while in winter some days it closes at 5:00pm. It is also closed in December and January.
The rides are obviously the main reason for visiting the Pleasure Beach and they have loads of good ones and while it might not be as large as some other theme parks the rides are definitely up there with the best of them.
The big scary rollercoasters are the biggest draw and not surprisingly the most popular with the biggest queues.
The UK’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster is at the Pleasure Beach and is one of the few of the big rollercoasters that I have been brave enough to go on. It is called The Big One and it is most definitely a scary experience. Somehow my children have no such fear of these rides and have been on them all several times. Their favourites are the Ice Blast which shoots off at 80mph up into the air and The Avelanche which is the UK’s only bobsled ride and looks superfast from the ground.
As well as the adrenaline fuelled rollercoasters there is also a selection of more family friendly rides such as the River Caves and the Chinese Maze. These might not offer the thrills of the big rollercoasters but they are still fun to go on and much more suited to smaller children who want all the excitement of the fair but might be a bit young or scared of the rollercoasters.
For smaller children there is also Nickelodean Land which my kids refused to go to on the grounds that they felt they were too old for it but it looked like it would be great fun for the smaller children and is based around characters from Nickelodean television.
When you want a break from going on all the rides there are loads of places where you can get something to eat from stalls selling burgers and chips to famous fast food outlets and sit down restaurants. The quality is not as bad as I expected given that it is a theme park but the prices are on the steep side and it can work out really expensive especially if you are at the park for a long time.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a fantastic day out for kids and adults alike and I would highly recommend it to people especially those with teenagers and older children as they can really make the most of the entry price by going on all the rides that are available. If there is one downside to the theme park it is that the queues for the more popular rides can sometimes be absolutely horrendous especially if you sit during the school holidays. When visiting at these times you can easily queue for 45 minutes per ride for the more popular ones so if I had one piece of advice for anyone thinking of visiting it would be to visit off peak when the park is a little quieter.
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