Thrill-seekers slam 'dangerous' Pleasure Beach as Tripadvisor suspend reviews

People visiting Blackpool Pleasure Beach said long queues meant they could get on three or four rides at most despite paying the £35 entrance fee, and they were concerned at the lack of social distancing and mask wearing, and overcrowding in some parts of the park.

One visitor, from Burnley, said he tried to call customer services after attending the Pleasure Beach, had sent emails to complain, but had had no reply.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said: "We went today and the park was dangerously overcrowded, but it seems this has been the case since last weekend judging by other people’s comments on Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Facebook page and other forums.

"Queues for most rides were at least two hours, with the Big One being three hours.

"The rides don’t even open until 10.30am and then close at 6pm, so we are paying £35 to go on four or five rides at best.

"Most guests did not wear masks, even when queuing in tight spaces which was caused by overcrowding, and a lot of rides had self-made-queues because there were no staff around to guide them.

"The one way system that was apparently a Covid procedure at the park was non-existent too.

"I was also told the park would have 10,000 guests but would still open doors for day passes.

"Today was dangerous, by a long stretch. Not only was the park above full capacity with minimal staff, but there were no room for social distancing and the park seems to have forgotten we are still technically in a pandemic."

The man said he tried to post a review on TripAdvisor but it was rejected within the hour.

He added: "I had to go onto TrustPilot to review instead, and I have since seen various comments saying it’s very hard to complain or get refunds."

Another visitor, who travelled from Blackburn said: "I went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and only got on one ride which took two hours to queue for.

"No-one was wearing masks and there were so many people queuing so I couldn't get on any more rides.

"I have just spend £35 on a ticket, it's ridiculous.

"I was unable to leave a review on TripAdvisor as well."

Blackpool Pleasure Beach's TripAdvisor page suspended comments last week, with a statement reading: "Due to a recent event that has attracted media attention and has caused an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience, we have temporarily suspended publishing new reviews for this listing.

"If you’ve had a firsthand experience at this property, please check back soon."

Thrill-seekers left stranded in baking heat as two Pleasure Beach rides break down

Tripadvisor and the Pleasure Beach would not confirm what the incident was but last week two rollercoasters broke down on the same day, while in April riders on the Big One had to be escorted down after the attraction got stuck at the top of the biggest peak.

Comments left on TripAdvisor before the review suspension was put in place said: "Staff with masks round their chins ramming people into queues. Absolutely not a single member of staff cleaning/disinfecting anything.

"I truly think that their ability to keep people safe is negligible and for me it just isn’t value for money."

While another said: "The park was heaving. It was impossible to social distance due to how busy it was, not that it was enforced anyway. Mask wearing was also not enforced."

A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said they had no authority over what TripAdvisor had decided to do regarding reviews and commented: "Prior to re-opening, the team at Blackpool Pleasure Beach carried out a thorough review of all Covid-19 procedures and made a number of changes to ensure the park meets all Government and health authority guidelines.

"Our new eTicket provided a solution to better enable social distancing and reduce contact between team members and guests. It also enables guests to enter the park directly without having to queue in the ticket centre and collect a wristband.

"We have introduced a range of more frequent and enhanced deep cleaning measures across our park, rides and attractions, and have provided hand sanitisation facilities and encourage guests to wash their hands in one of our many facilities around the park.

"Guests are required to wear a face covering in any indoor setting and on many of our rides.

"For the safety and well-being of all our guests and staff, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has a team of security officers patrolling the park at all times.

"We also have a dedicated social distancing department who move around the park reminding guests to make space and encouraging them to follow the guidelines.

"Our teams are equipped with a range of appropriate personal protective equipment to protect our team members and our guests.

"All staff at Blackpool Pleasure Beach are temperature tested daily and take part in regular lateral flow testing.

"To enable social distancing outdoors, we've capped the number of guests allowed on the park each day to give guests a safe and enjoyable day out.

"We have introduced social distancing measures in queue lines around the park and ask guests to observe these guidelines, respecting other guests and follow the advice of our team.

"To help us enable social distancing further, the direction of travel along some of walkways and footpaths has been changed.

"We are fully co-operating with the local health authority and will continue to strictly follow their guidance."