2017

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

2017

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I don't believe it's just down to the people in head office. Bagatelle is getting yet more good quality investment this year, and it's a very similar park to PWH.

They made a big deal the other year about finally making a profit... so why are they now letting slip back into the dark days?

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Maybe there's no attractions on the market worth buying, maybe they're saving up to fix this Rattlesnake problem. Maybe they have invested in the park this year but not on new rides, the money could have been spend on doing other things we are yet to know about?

Connor M · Serious Squawker

Isn't Bagatelle getting an air race or something?

Clarence · Serious Squawker

Bagatelle is their flagship park and where the head office is based. Obviously they want to make it the best. Remember Looping is owned by an investment company. They're the ones with the purse strings!

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

No attractions on the market? Pleasure Island announced its closure back in September, they had a good few flat rides that would be welcomed at PWH.... but nowt.

All you've got to do is look on a ride sales website to see just how much there is out there. And obviously there's also Loopings other parks where they could switch rides around. With the lack of Rattlesnake now, there is even more need for a proper kids coaster!

This saddens me massively, but I feel we've reached the same situation that we did under CdA.... Loopings have stopped caring and will soon sell the park.

Clarence · Serious Squawker

But that could be a positive thing for someone else to buy it. The owners would need to be based in Britain or have other business or parks in the UK to understand what Pleasurewood Hills really needs. Lopping are only interested in making money with Pleasurewood and not necessarily spending it.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I just hate the uncertainty of a sale... anyone could get it and run it like a fairground again, or even worse, a property developer.

The park just doesn't have much going for it at the moment. It probably now has the best selection of rides it has ever had, but at the moment they need to keep adding new stuff every year to keep people coming back.

Towers can live off the success of the Smiler for years, PWH can't do that with a Waveswinger.

We've been so fortunate that it's been owned by large companies recently, coz if CdA never stepped in, I honesty don't think the park would be there now.

Matt · pleasurewoodplace.com

I notice that the park has updated the ticket prices on their website; It currently only lists prices for pre-booked tickets for a specific dates which are as follows;

Adult: £20 (£16.50 in 2016)
Child: £17 (£14.50 in 2016)
Disabled/Carers: £15 (14.50 in 2016)

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Wow, that's an increase!

Gate prices were £20 last year (rising to £21 in the summer)!

Connor M · Serious Squawker

Property developers? don't even get me started on them...

One local firm, Badger I think it was (don't know for sure though) have been building in Blundeston for years. It's more like a town then a village now. And I think someone wants to build on the prison site. Then, last year people in Lound found out about plans for a developer to practically double the size of the village in a couple of years with housing estates when there has only been a few houses built there in the past decade. And apparently there where no plans to make the infrastructure (roads that require passing points and no new schools to cope with the population). As far as I know they've dumped the plans, but I will be long gone if they do start building...

Anyway. I'd wager that PWH has got to provide a lot of local jobs so it would be a huge loss in that respect. All the more reason to keep it going for that reason.

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Well people need houses and building them provides jobs.. people gotta live and work, and there aren't to many places in lowestoft left which is why Blundeston and surrounding areas are being developed, it's just we don't have the rest of the infrastructure to cope (roads, schools, doctors, jobs, everything else) i dunno what the answer is.
They're now preparing a site for bungalows where i live.

The price hike is bad, tickets go up while park attractions and entertainment goes down.. maybe there using the EU stuff as an excuse. Maybe to squeeze the customer one last time before they sell up.

I remember in 2008 CDA only invested in that Flying school ride, other than that very little was done other than a few repair jobs. But it's possible this year the money is being spent on fixing and painting what they already have.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I'd be happy with no new rides if they said TTT was being and Rattlesnake were both being fixed!

Josh · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Crying shame that it appears nothing will be done this year especially with the lack of Rattlesnake. We can't expect that park to continually invest year on year in a new attraction but since the bizarro introduction of Hyper Drive the choices the park have made have seemed rather odd. Hopefully things will improve soon but it doesn't look promising.

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

despite my annoyance and frustration at the park i'm also kinda optimistic, i do wonder if there's a plan in place.. no spending this year may mean they have more to spent next year and just maybe it all regarding a Rattlesnake fix up, re=location or replacement. No point buying silly little rides this year if they're saving up for something better.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Matthew Holland put some pics on Facebook of PWH in the snow and it looked like some of the Rattlesnake track was laying on the floor... I did comment but he never said anything!

Clarence · Serious Squawker

Survey on the PWH Facebook page.

Tell us what you think! We would love to know about your experiences at Pleasurewood Hills. Fill in our short survey at this link bit.ly/PWHSURVEY and leave your email in the comments box for your chance to win a pair of park tickets.

mrbrightside · Exceptionally Expressive

On the one hand it's sorely disappointing if there's no new rides and no refurbishments this year. That's what gets people through the gates and right now they don't have a lot to advertise...

On the other hand it's positive that the park is still plodding along and clearly it's performance is as expected by Loopings. Part of me wonders if it needs to have another crap year so they sit up, take notice and invest.

Also they seem to have been pushing season passes a lot more aggressively on social media this year. Perhaps hoping to inflate attendance and per head spending that way rather than more individual visitors?

Jamie · Jolly Talkative

How can justify such a price increase when there's no new attractions, and one of four roller coasters is SBNO? They've reduced the offering.

-- Edited by Jamie on Monday 30th of January 2017 06:47:47 PM

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Unfortunately I don't think the Rattlesnake is SBNO... :'(

Connor M · Serious Squawker

Does anyone remember the restraint release system that they used on rattlesnake? As far as I remember it was a metal plate just under the station platform. And, if so, that can't be very safe because people could get their arms very far down out of the train.

Guitar · Woody Wannabe

And lets face it, Enigma is 1 train breakdown away from being SBNO too.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

They've finally spoken out about the Rattlesnake, and I'm disappointed. They've told the press that the parts it require are no longer available.... not true. The track needs replacing, parks all over Europe are doing exactly that. They just don't want to do it.

Also, according to this article, the general manager of the park is called Adam Noble... is he new? I certainly can't remember that name taking over from Alexis...

And apparently later in the year they're going to be revealing future plans for the park.

Matt · pleasurewoodplace.com

Yep, there's a new general manager this season. Liam Holmes was in charge between Alexis and Adam.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Yes that's the guy!

What's happened then? We normally see in the news when there's a new guy I'm charge.

I did think the other day that there seems to be a bit more Facebook activity. Makes sense if Liam has gone, because for whatever reason he wasn't against it...

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Without sounding harsh, does Liam go down as the worst manager the park has had in recent times?

He removed Sky Hooks, Tales of the Coast and Rattlesnake, and added Waveswinger and Hyper Drive.

And obviously removed the station platform and canopy to fit in said Hyper Drivel.

-- Edited by Martyn on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 08:49:04 PM

Matt · pleasurewoodplace.com

I do genuinely think that the decisions are increasingly being made from France. I know it sounds like a bit of an excuse, but I think perhaps Alexis' role was different to the role of the average general manager. We was very much an entrepreneurial "fixer" who was sent in to turn the park around and then move onto a new project once he felt the job was done.

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Well the snake would have been decommissioned whoever was in charge, and it's true they can soon pick up another but they wont, locals have always complained about the noise, and the park hasn't been interested in developing that end of the park for years, even considered closing it altogether as we saw from those blueprints a while ago. It's maybe what they're still planning on doing.. make the park smaller.

Enigma will be next, good job they bought Marble Madness even if it's not anything special.

R.I.P Lady 'Rattlesnake' Bird coaster.

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Descisions the very bulk are down to France as said on many occasions, overall goes to them. They tend to visit a couple of times a year via helicopter.

Many good memories of the snake and I will miss hearing it from mine - the noise was iconic with the area really - I cant see a replacmeent going in anytime soon and with noise and planning I do wonder what could go there ?

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Connor M wrote:
Does anyone remember the restraint release system that they used on rattlesnake? As far as I remember it was a metal plate just under the station platform. And, if so, that can't be very safe because people could get their arms very far down out of the train.

Yes plate under the platform with a manual piece of metal too.. back in the 90s we use to open the bar going round..!

-- Edited by coolskin on Wednesday 1st of February 2017 07:52:57 AM