The reviews for Pleasurewood Hills on Trip Adviser this season are incredibly inconsistent. There seems to be no middle ground for people, they either love it or hate it! Check out these examples from the past week;
First time to PWH - Amazing - worth every penny! My two girls, 7 and 11 thought it was one of the best days out that they had experienced, and even though my youngest is a bit ride-shy, we found a few rides that she could even go on, Moby Dick, Safari, the horse ride and the merry-go-round.
Pleasurewood Hills has to be congratulated for taking Banksy's Dismaland concept and bringing it to Suffolk.
The management should be applauded for creating a litter-strewn and run-down dystopia for those of us who were unable to get to Somerset last year.
The way in which the team behind PWH manages to present such a poorly-maintained park, stuck in a 1980s time warp, when entry prices are so out of kilter for what you get was, I assume, a clever observation on the commercialisation of leisure. The number of extra charges for rides and activities just makes this even more profound.
The number of shut concessions at the height of summer and the absence of any real queues was, I guess, a telling metaphor for the death of the British holiday as people vote with their feet and go somewhere better.
The actors playing the run-down and uninterested staff did an excellent job, although the helpful cashier at the 'restaurant' rather spoiled it by taking the time to talk with his customers.
The food installation was a particular high point. Visitors queued for an age to order bland pap. This is presumably in homage to the early 1980s when most of us hadn't been exposed to decent food when eating out and therefore didn't expect anything better than a tasteless, dry burger and greasy fries for their slice of 'real Americana'.
The cost for five cardboard burgers, five tasteless portions of chips and some post-mix drinks, £40, is fully in keeping with the theme park's tongue-in-cheek commitment to leave its visitors underwhelmed at each and every turn. I read this as an observation on the way in which mass production distances the consumer from real food, but perhaps the artist charged with developing this installation had a more subtle target in mind.
Sadly, it wasn't entirely an artistic parody of a theme park from a generation ago; the diving show was excellent, delivered with style, enthusiasm and professionalism, and - as a result - really stood out from the rest of the park.
Don't let that put you off, though, PHW, with its weed-infested walkways, uncut grass, unpleasant bathrooms, third-rate activities and general end-of-the-pier malaise, is a perfect place to go if you want to be reminded why some theme parks deserve to die.
Just to be sure, this theme park was meant to be an exercise in post-modern irony, wasn't it?
But that negative review doesn't really sound genuine, it way too colourful and regular people don't write reviews like that.
His tried way to hard to make it as interesting and poetic as possible but failed desperately.
I in fact spoke so something a few days ago he said the really enjoy TTT the way it's currently being use.. lol they were unaware it was broken.
We all know why the park is in the state it's in, it's no coincidence it's been poor for about two years now.
__________________
It's always the cracked ones that let the light in.
Since I started this topic, the reviews on Trip Advisor seem to be more consistently positive.
Whether coincidence or a conscious effort by the team to address the common complaints, it is great to see. Well done to the team, long may the good reviews continue!
