Blackpool Pleasure Beach has won Ride Rater’s Best Park award for 2018, following a year of high-quality investment and operations.
The Lancashire amusement park is named the winner for the third time, following its victories in 2014 and 2015.
The £16 million Icon ride became the first major rollercoaster launch at the park since 2007’s Infusion, and the first original rollercoaster since 1994’s Big One.
The Mack Rides rollercoaster represents a major statement of the Pleasure Beach’s investment intentions, and took on the also-launched Wicker Man at Alton Towers this year.
Once again the park opened fully with all rides from February – something which remains unparalleled in the UK.
One sad note was that the Wild Mouse rollercoaster was removed from the park during the closed season, after operating for almost 50 years.
Pleasure Beach managing director Amanda Thompson described the award as “fantastic news” on Twitter.