coastergraham
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9 rides SBNO at BPB in 2009We at the BPB guide today have been informed from a source within BPB that 9 attractions will be mothballed for next year and contrary to what was thought Superbowl will be staying put for the moment.
The 9 rides are
1 - Noah's ark
2 - Rollercoaster
3 - Space Invader 2
4 - Gold Mine
5 - Trauma Towers
6 - Impossible
7 - Caterpillar ride
8 - Helicopters
9 - Fairy Whip
This has been something that has been mentioned before but this is the first time we have been told the rides that it is most likely to be.
Very worrying times at BPB imo 
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David Ellis
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I agree Graham...very worrying, especially as the list includes a few rare / heritage rides like the Noah's Ark and the Roller Coaster. Gold Mine is a pretty unique ride too, given it's location in that network of rides (river caves etc).
Not good at all.
David.
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Magic
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Crikey, that's quite a substantial list of rides. Indeed some important rides among them. You know things are bad at the Beach when such a large number of rides are mothballed AND Hot Ice is scrapped.
For me Noah's Ark is one of the best rides in the park and will be sorely missed. Looks like I'll be giving the Pleasure Beach a miss next year, along with many more I suspect. Could the Pleasure Beach be going the same way as American Adventure.
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Kirk
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this IMO is the beginning of the end, i love most of those rides and always take time to go and have several rides on them gutted now, thats another theme park on my list to which i won't be visiting any time soon again with Alton Towers
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bluea61
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The rollercoaster rumour has been doing the rounds for a wile but Noahs Ark is a real suprise. Thats always a good fun ride.
Has this been confirmed or still speculation?
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coastergraham
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| bluea61 wrote: | The rollercoaster rumour has been doing the rounds for a wile but Noahs Ark is a real suprise. Thats always a good fun ride.
Has this been confirmed or still speculation? |
]
The person who mentioned this to us is someone from within BPB. Also all 9 rides have been taken off the list of rides that BPB has on its website. That alone makes me believe that this is most likely for real.
As for having Noah's ark closed next year, people have mentioned about this being part of the £5 freedom pass.
Well all mention of that has also gone from the site, ever since BPB announced POP for October I firmly believed that it would be the way the park would go next year.
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bluea61
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Impossible and the Helicopters are still on there.
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coaster-andy
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I will await the new season to see what comes of this before I book my holiday back to Blackpool.
Though the most of the rides are not on there from the list.
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Auntie Murial
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Why close Noahs ark when they have only just spent money giving it a complete refurb?
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Nimmykins
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 But I always go on Gold Mine, Noah's Ark and Rollercoaster.
I used to like going on the Whip and Turtle Chase.
I'm gobsmacked! 
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coastergraham
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| Nimmykins wrote: | But I always go on Gold Mine, Noah's Ark and Rollercoaster.
I used to like going on the Whip and Turtle Chase.
I'm gobsmacked! |
Same here.
With Camelot looking very shaky as well it is worrying times for coaster fans in the north west
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coaster-andy
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| coastergraham wrote: | | With Camelot looking very shaky as well it is worrying times for coaster fans in the north west |
Have Camelot looked shake for years though always the rumors going around it will close.
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frosty
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Have the number of visitors to BPB been falling over the years?
If the financial situation is bad then why change things at all? The cost of staffing and maintenance of some attractions should be wayed against keeping people interested in coming to the park, at least for the busier summer period.
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coastergraham
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Somebody who has seen the published figures for Camelot says that in 2007 when they got Knightmare the park lost over £1 million. That on top of an already in the red balance. A lot of people think that 2009 will be the last year for the park and even then it may not complete a full year.
As for BPB and the amount of visitors, well even bt the parks own admission the numbers are down by about 1.5 million in the space of about 3 years. Next year when the park becomes pay to enter expect the number to come tumbling down. I suspect then we will see what I have believed to be the case for a good few years that Alton Towers has the most visitors in the UK. I imagine BPB will have a similar amount to Thorpe Park.
Likewise I am not sure why the parks management believe that having less rides open will work. I am sure people will vote with there feet, if not next year then following years when they wont bother going back to a park with closed rides.
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streamers
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We were both stunned to hear about BP's problems, but things already started to go downhill when Amanda took over -- later opening times in particular -- so who is going to bother going there for just a measly few hours and hardly anything running ??
It also begs the question -- what's going to happen to the Blackpool Bash if all these rides stay closed ?? It's always a great club event with lots of laughs with all our friends. Will this go the same way ??
Dennis & Sylvia.
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Happy Helen
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I'm sure there will be plenty of other rides to go on.
Shame about the Space Invader as that was a good ride.
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Auntie Murial
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| Happy Helen wrote: | I'm sure there will be plenty of other rides to go on.
Shame about the Space Invader as that was a good ride. |
Queue lines will be longer with less rides available, and at least 3 of these attractions are classics that in my mind should never ever close and thats the roller coaster, gold mine and noahs ark. One of my favorite attractions, trauma towers is closing too, I am starting to wonder if i will ever go to the Pleasure Beach again?
Is Amanda basically driving visitors away?? i surely hope not.
It is funny how you think its a shame about the space invader, I thought oujt of the entire list, this was the only logical closure, hehe.
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stealth fan
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Ah well. If any more rides close down in the next few years or so I will be saving a lot of money, because I won't go any more. It's a 6 hour drive from home.
I'm hoping it never comes to that though, ah well, at least Alton Towers is'nt too far from there.
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ForeverBlue
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In addition to the rides, they have also announced that The Hot Ice show will NOT be staged next year for the first time in decades.
Have renewed our son's season pass, but the way things are looking, it HAS to change hands in order to save it from going the same way as Southport.
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coastergraham
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| ForeverBlue wrote: |
Have renewed our son's season pass, but the way things are looking, it HAS to change hands in order to save it from going the same way as Southport. |
and quickly as well imo as not many people would want to buy a park with quite a lot of rides that no longer have a safety certificate like the SBNO 9 next season.
Be prepared for Forbidden to be cancelled as well as the cast from the show have not been told anything for sure yet.
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frosty
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Although this years bash was my first and only visit to BPB, I really liked it. Ok, as with all things if you go to the same place too often or do the same thing to often it gets less exiting, but I thought BPB was a nice place to visit.
It's a shame that it appears to be taking such a nosedive in a short period of time. Maybe there's some great news coming and we are not privy to it just yet, but that does not look likely.
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Happy Helen
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At this rate it will not be worth going to BPB if there are not going to any rides in action.
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bluea61
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| stealth fan wrote: | | It's a 6 hour drive from home. |
What did you do, walk?!?! 
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stealth fan
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I was doing 70+mph where possible  Plus you know what the M6 can be like
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Magic
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Andy I assume that was a mistype and you were actually doing 70mph not 80mph. I'm sure you wouldn't really break the law and certainly wouldn't admit to doing so on a public forum. 
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stealth fan
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Amount of speed changed. Was'nt meant to be 80 mph.
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reg
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Is it possible that the SBNO rides are the ones that could offer the highest cost saving if closed for a season? In the current financial climate, closing some rides to cut down on operating costs, wages, and upkeep on the rides might be a better idea while they try and weather the storm of the economic downturn.
There are pics on Screamscape at the moment, showing large scale rehab on PMBO, with a LOT of track having been removed, as well as a lot of scaffolding in and around the loop of Revolution, and more scaffolding at various points on the Grand National. Surly the park would not take on such large rehab tasks if they felt there was no future for the park. Any ride that needed extensive maintenance would just as well be closed for the year.
It seems that, with the exception of Roller Coaster, Noah's Ark and maybe Space Invader 2 (which seemed like a certainty to close anyway), that they are trying to keep the 'big hitters' open, and make do without the smaller rides. Hopefully if the likes of Magic Mountain, Alice in Wonderland and River Caves will keep the families with younger children coming to the park.
I agree it's not a good sign for the future that 9 rides are SBNO, but perhaps we should just wait and see what happens.
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nemesis scribe
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| reg wrote: |
I agree it's not a good sign for the future that 9 rides are SBNO, but perhaps we should just wait and see what happens. |
I think Reg has a good point there - its certainly a plausible idea
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Auntie Murial
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Can i just bring my post earlier back to the forefront about Noah's Ark!
They have only just spent alot of money refurbing this attraction yet it is on the standing but not operational list ???
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JamesC
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Re: 9 rides SBNO at BPB in 2009 | coastergraham wrote: | 1 - Noah's ark
2 - Rollercoaster
4 - Gold Mine
6 - Impossible |
If any of these rides go I will be extremely sad! They are classics that should remain at the park forever!
Hopefully it is just closures, and not removals...
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smiler
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The line up for the winter weekends in Febuary and yep none of those rides are on there very sad.
MAJOR RIDES
1) Avalanche
2) Big Dipper
3) Bling
4) Grand National
5) Ice Blast
6) Infusion
7) Irn Bru Revolution
 Pepsi Max Big One
9) Steeplechase
10) Valhalla
11) Wild Mouse
FAMILY RIDES
12) Adventure Golf
13) Alice Ride
14) Beaver Creek the Ride
15) Chinese Puzzle Maze
16) Convoy Ride
17) Derby Racer
1 Flying Machines
19) Gallopers
20) Ghost Train
21) Go Karts
22) Grand Prix
23) Helicopters
24) Impossible
25) Lunar Carousel
26) Magic Mountain
27) Mini Dodgems
2 Mini Scooters
29) Monorail
30) Pirate Ride
31) Pleasure Beach Express
32) River Caves
33) Superbowl Dodgems
34) Swamp Buggies
35) Tetley Tea Cup Ride
36) Thors Turnpike
37) Veteran Carousel
3 Zipper Dipper
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coastergraham
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BPB have announced the freedom pass season ticket, it is to be called the diamond pass.
If you live in the FY and PR postcode areas it is £20 and if you live elsewhere bad luck as you will pay £40.
This gives access to BPB for people not wanting to ride and includes entry to South Beach Magic show, Chinese maze, pleasure beach express, dancing fountains and, err well thats your lot folks.
Also as well BPB have announced a January sale price on season passes for 2009. The price is £125 which is a discount of £64.
All well and good but they have been selling them to mugs for £150 for the last two months!!
At the moment with BPB I despair with the things that seem to happen
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Rogue
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Whats the general entry/ride price for next year Graham?
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coastergraham
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Post deleted as BPB has got narky with us at the BPB guide for displaying prices and opening dates and generally trying to promote the park!!!
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Rogue
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Thats not very straightforward at all and shocked that there is no reduction in the price considering the rides that are closed.
Thanks for that information, it's very useful for anyone planning a break to Blackpool.
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