#roallercoaster

Before I get into things I just want to let anyone know reading this that what I write is my own opinion, I respect others’ opions and I ask everyone to do the same.

Also please excuse any spelling or punctuation mistakes, I have dyslexia and sometimes even spell correct can’t help me 🤣😒

I want to start using this space as a way of expressing about how I feel about Theme/Amusement Parks and roller coasters I experience. Me, my partner and our group of friends often visit a few times a year to U.K and European attractions and we have quite a varied list of places and roller coasters and theme parks we have visited already with new ones on the list to go.

But in this blog I will be writing about what I think about the new(ish) ride that opened at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach last year “Icon” A Mack double launch coaster which set Amanda Thompson back  £16,250,000  Which for a small family amusement park is a major investment and shows promise for the future of the park.

I live in London, which means Blackpool is a six to seven hour drive to get there from my house, in fact we can get to Liseberg in Sweden or Phantasialand in Germany quicker then it takes us to get to the Pleasure Beach.

We are not a massive fans of the Pleasure Beach, especially my partner who mainly goes for the social meet up and the awesome Weatherspoons down the road for a drink/shesh! I don’t mind Pleasure Beach, it falls under the category “Its so bad its a laugh” But even I have to admit the park is bit naf 😂

But when they announced they was getting a brand new attraction in the form of a Mark launched coaster I was really looking forward to riding it, after all my current favourite is Helix at Liseberg and the fact we was getting a similar ride in the U.K really got me hyped.

Doubts started to arise though because we already knew that Pleasure Beach dose not look after their coasters well, most all of the rides are run down and back braking rough (Regardless of where you sit 😜)

Even more doubts stared to arise when we first saw a video of the train going around the track, our initial reaction was “that looks so slow” But we remained open minded because it was only testing so it might speed up when it opens (Spoiler alert! It doesn't)

So we was all there at Blackpool for the first day of the season eager to try it out! Our first hiccup was when we was getting our wristbands. I think the staff member knew we was roller coaster fans because once she gave us the wristbands she dished the ultimate shade and said “All the rides are open except Icon...” Me and my partner’s heat sank and thought the horrific drive was a waist of time but luckily after a unnecessary long pause she said “Which opens at 11″ Then we both let out a sigh of relief.

So after all that the ride finally opened and we didn’t seem to wait that long if I remember write. I remember saying the queue line was fairly short for a “major attraction” I can see the line going out of the gates and by the gift shop on busy days myself.

Now, the ride it’s self. I like style of the ride, it looks nice and the station or as we call it “shed” looks good on the inside but the outside it just looks like an industrial facility building with a random/pointless price of structure on the top.

The only thing I would say about the station itself is the music is a bit too load for my taste when you get inside. We couldn't hold a conversation standing next to each over.

Once we boarded and got in our seats was was ready to go! It starts off moving forward and we’re getting ready for the launch and it stops! We looked at each over and forward again, after what seemed a very long time the launch starts, which in my opinion is not needed, it would be much better if it went straight into the launch, now I use the word launch very lightly because it has zero fores and as a “launch” coaster that was already a disappointment. Then it goes over a airtime hill through The Big One which is good and dose give some weightlessness sometimes but not consistency in my experiences.

After that is where the ride gets its “Faff: The Ride” title because it meanders around as if it dose not know where it wan’t to go, the layout makes it seem like the sort of ride I make on Planet Coaster when I have no idea what I’m doing and just clicking to add track and click “auto complete” 👀

The only time it goes upside down is the corkscrew which is again o-k but because the ride is so slow it has no excitement to it. 

The next part is my favourite part of the ride is the double-down segment into the tunnel, when the smoke effect is on it’s even more enjoyable it’s this segment I get the most forces on this ride.

After this is the totally unnecessary second launch, I say its unnecessary because it dose not speed up the train in the slightest, it goes the exact (low) speed as it did before during and after the launch which vexed me, on Helix both launches, especially the second one has a real force where you get pushed back into your seat. Whereas on Icon you can easily sit forward for both which as a “thrill” coaster is a real disappointment. 

After that is the mini top hat section which is.... Meh, its a nice part of the ride but again because Icon has no speed or force to it just feels like the ride has given up on life!

The final element is the S bend segment, again enjoyable to a degree but because its so slow by the second or third one I’m board now and ready to get off! Which after this is exactly what happens the train comes back to the station.

Overview:

 Icon is an enjoyable ride but as it’s marketed as a thrill ride I really expected more after already riding Helix many times before this ride I thought it would be fast, thrilling and full of forces which I am sorry to say Icon is not. In my opinion it is more of a family attraction. If it was advertised as a family ride I could understand why its so slow and dull but as a thrill coaster it is a disappointment. However it dose/will make the offensively long drive to Blackpool kind’a worth it. 

Thank you for reading my review of Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, let me know what you think if Icon, do you like it? Is it a welcome addition to the park? Let me know!

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