The opening date for a major new ride at a theme park on the UK coast has been confirmed. It comes after Blackpool Pleasure Beach defended the decision to close five rides ahead of the 2025 season, explaining that they can now reinvest money in the site to make it “bigger and better” for tourists.
The theme park’s new Launch Pad ride, which will stand at 210ft, will open on Wednesday, May 7. Pleasure Beach bosses said the attraction promises to give riders “epic moments of weightlessness, a thrusting G-force, and a stomach-dropping descent.” The Launch Pad will shoot riders 20 storeys skywards and hit speeds of up to 80mph.
CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson OBE, said: “After months of hard work we’re thrilled to now be unveiling Launch Pad to the public. Our team has poured so much creativity, passion and expertise into this bold re-imagining, and I can’t wait for guests to experience it in two weeks’ time.
“From the May 7, anyone brave enough to take to the skies will have the opportunity to launch 210 feet into the air at maximum power. It’s time to get ready for lift off.”
The Launch Ride, which will be a vibrant blue and red in colour, will include a 210ft cylinder with a pressure of 105 PSI. This means that each square inch inside the cylinder will experience a force of 105 pounds.
Karl Murphy, the director of engineering, said: “The higher the pressure, the greater the build-up of kinetic energy. By increasing the PSI we’ve increased the force, and therefore the acceleration of speed is greater, meaning riders will feel a huge difference and shoot to the sky with more power than ever before.”
Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced the closure of Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce earlier this year. However, it also confirmed the opening of the new Launch Pad and the £8.72 Gyro Swing – the biggest and the only one of its kind in the UK – which will open next year.
The average age of the rides that closed was 44 years and data showed they were the least popular rides at the theme park. The attraction is also set to be cheaper this year, with a £25 online advance ticket price for juniors and £30 for adults.
Guests can also arrive later in the day and pay less for an afternoon ticket. Meanwhile, those who prefer family rides to the big coasters can purchase a Nickelodeon Land ticket for £25, which gives them unlimited riding in the area.
