Blackpool Pleasure Beach, situated along Blackpool’s south shore, is one of the most popular and visited UK amusement parks. The Thompson family own and manage the park and in 2003 opened a four star hotel there and the park then became part of a holiday resort. The park is next to the promenade and across from the South Pier. Current major attractions at Blackpool Pleasure Beach include three Wild Mouse roller coasters, a twin tracked roller coaster opened in 1935 and known as the Grand National, Im Bru Revolution, the first inverting roller coaster in Europe, the tallest roller coaster in the UK Pepsi Max Big One built by Arrow Dynamics and Valhalla, the most expensive dark ride in the world.
The gates of Blackpool Pleasure Beach were officially opened on 12th February 2011, the start of a number of special weekends that will run up to the 2nd and 3rd of April at a £10 discount on the normal price of a visitor’s wristband. The number of rides will be reduced on these weekends due to the construction of the expected Nickelodeon Land that the owners first announced in 2010.
Nickelodeon Land is a six acre site that will have a huge new restaurant, a Nickelodeon store and plenty of Nickelodeon characters. The new site will have lots of family attractions and a total of 14 new rides that will bear the Nickelodeon brand. New rides include the Rug rats Lost River a water ride where guests can enjoy a ride that takes them into a mystic jungle and ends with a splash finale. Avatar Airbender takes riders on spins through the air on a giant rotating disk, while Dora’s World Voyage, aimed at younger children, is an outdoor ride that takes them on a boat with Dora the Explorer through a French Harbour and a glittering Russian Palace among other things.
