Calls for Blackpool Pleasure Beach to remove entry fee after park reveals 20% drop in attendance

Current prices start at £27 for a junior and £31 for an adult.

Many Blackpool residents remember the days when they could visit the park and pay-per-ride, before introducing an entry fee in 2009.

Yvonne Anderson recalls how she used to enjoy walking round with her children. "[I'd hold] coats & bags whilst they went on rides. Then treat them to lunch, ice-cream, a toy or two, but not any more."

Locals are calling for a return to the old system where visitors could buy a book of tickets with A, B and C class rides and pay for what they wanted.

'£50 for a non-rider is outrageous'

"Having to pay £50 for a non-rider is outrageous," said Kay Whittle. "It was good then you could just walk in and I’d always go buy a hot dog and a waffle. Maybe it’s time the Pleasure Beach need to re-think it’s paying system especially if there making a loss."

£522,000 pre-tax loss

This comes as Blackpool Pleasure Beach reported a £522,000 pre-tax loss in the year to March 2023, citing lower attendance numbers and the 10% rise in the national minimum wage as the reasons.

"Scrap the entry fee and go back to the old school pay per ride," said Dan Hulme. "It’ll increase footfall and fuel temptation spending."

READ MORE: Blackpool Pleasure Beach report loss to Companies House.

Accounts, filed with Companies House, show that turnover fell by £7 million, to £32 million.

This compares to the previous year, when the park reported a pre-tax profit of £8.6 million.

Entry fee stops antisocial behaviour

A spokesperson claimed the ‘current economic climate’ had an ‘adverse effect’ on attendance numbers. They added that its situation was compounded by a 10% rise in the national minimum wage.

Others have said that the entry fee is needed to prevent kids from causing trouble in the park.

"[Before they] charged to walk round, antisocial behaviour was horrendously bad," said Wayne Fishwick. "They really had to do something. Drug users in the loos. Needles left where kids could find [them]." Dale Palmer added: "she only did what all other theme parks do all over UK."