Thrillseekers left furious after Blackpool Pleasure Beach reopens with two major rides closed

Guests at Blackpool Pleasure Beach were left disappointed after finding several major attractions were closed during this season's opening day.

The park - which recently rebranded to Pleasure Beach Resort - officially opened for the 2024 season on Saturday, making it the first UK theme park to reopen this year.

But thrillseekers said they were left furious after finding out two major attractions, the Big One and Ice Blast, were closed.

The first visitors were aware of the issue was a series of tweets on X by the resort's CEO, which revealed 'The Big One' would not be running.

The great-granddaughter of Blackpool Pleasure Beach's founder Amanda Thompson said she was "so sorry" and that it was "beyond my control".

Engineers spent the closed season testing all the rides, and the UK's tallest rollercoaster had been given special attention after being re-tracked and repainted ahead of the opening.

READ MORE: 7 behind the scenes pictures as Blackpool Pleasure Beach prepared to open.

However, the Pleasure Beach said it had a "sensor malfunction" and the team were working hard to open the ride.

In a further blow, Amanda confirmed 'Ice Blast' would not be operating until later in the season as the resort was still awaiting parts.

Fans of the park questioned why there had not been an official announcement on the closure of the park's signature ride on their website or the Pleasure Beach Resort's social media sites.

One person wrote: "Couldn't this have been communicated in advance". Another added: "Could've told everyone before though. Communicate to people so they know what's going to be open or closed."

But others were understanding about the park's situation.

One person said: "Safety is the park's number one priority. The team must be confident 100% that all rides are safe and ready to open to the public .

"I commend Amanda and her team on making this decision. It's a small price to pay to ensure the safety of the public and its staff."

Another wrote: "Will still be an absolutely fantastic weekend regardless. Cannot wait to be back in the park again."

Pleasure Beach Resort told the Gazette that guests who visited on Saturday were given the opportunity to return the following day free of charge.

A spokeswoman from Pleasure Beach Resort said: "Our teams have been working around the clock to get the park ready for opening.

"We experienced a delay on the Big One ride due to a sensor malfunction. The team is continuing to work hard to open the ride as soon as possible.

"We offered anyone who visited us on Saturday the opportunity to return to the park on Sunday, free of charge."

In exciting news, Amanda confirmed the Grand Prix ride would be closed this year to make way for a new attraction.

The Pleasure Beach says the addition comes following a strategic ride review and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the resort.

What can we expect from the new ride?

While the details remain shrouded in secrecy for now, the theme park said the addition will take guest experience to unprecedented heights. 

Additional information about the attraction and the park's future plans will be released in due course.

The attraction will join the likes of ICON, Big One and Valhalla as some of the biggest attractions at the Lancashire park.