| Vanessa Sims | Lancashire Post Editor |
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reader Entry fees to the Blackpool's Pleasure Beach Resort is a controversial topic for people across Lancashire. No longer can you walk around the park for free and pay to go on your favourite ride. But instead you must pay the full entrance fee of £50 an adult on the day or from £33 depending on when you book online and £40 for a junior on the gate or from £28 depending on online bookings. And these costs are rising in 2025. This seems such a shame for locals, who would love to visit for a stroll and a coffee. As a youngster I spent many a Sunday, with my family walking around the park and taking in the atmosphere. This gave me a real desire to go with my friends as I got older. As I've mentioned before I have three little ones under 4. They are obviously too little to go to the Pleasure Beach but I would love to walk them around and show them what it is all about. Clearly, I am not the only Sandgrown'un to miss this. I wonder if a resident's season pass or one off entry pass could be considered? If they no longer have facilities to pay to go at each ride - the pass could simply allow you access to the park and not the rides. That way locals no longer wanting to go on the rides could enjoy walking around the park with their loved ones who have paid for ride tickets. Afterall, we all have that family member - usually mum - who is happy to wait at the bottom holding the coats. But under the pricing structure of the park now - she would also have to pay £50 -but for what? The Pleasure Beach have probably thought this through much more than I have but it does seem I am not the only person to think the pricing structure is alienating a lot of people. I'd happily pay a token amount to walk around alongside others who had paid full price. These passes would not add waiting times on to the rides as they wouldn't include the rides. Youngsters, like mine, who are too little to go won't know what delights are beyond the gates as I did as a child. But these youngsters are the future customers of the Pleasure Beach. Is the Pleasure Beach missing out on a trick? Let me know what you think at vanessa.sims@lep.co.uk and we'll put the idea of a resident's walking pass to the bosses of the Pleasure Beach. Kind regards Vanessa Sims, Editor Lancashire Post |