Saturday 25 June 2016

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Trip Report

For my 24th Birthday I went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach with my friends. There were 7 of us altogether, even though there should have been 8. Unfortunately my friend Joe became ill on the day and couldn't come. So we had myself, Lucy, Pete, Amy, Becca, Clinton and Shaun. Luckily it was a very sunny day and we could enjoy the weather.
We travelled down in 2 cars, myself, Becca and Lucy were with Pete in the hire car. Whilst Shaun and Amy were in Clinton's car. The latter thought it would be fun to race us down to Blackpool, little did they know that we were having a birthday breakfast in McDonalds while they zoomed down the motorway! I enjoyed a hash brown and a coke zero as my breakfast and the four of us discussed how Florida would feel like this!
When we finally arrived and saw the sheer amount of college kids running riot, we were initially shocked, as it was a Monday (a day we figured would be quiet.) However, the queues were actually really short!
The first ride we braved was Ice Blast! This is one that I used to be terrified of, and from one time when I felt bad that Pete couldn't go on it with anyone, I jumped on it and haven't looked back since! I now actually quite like it, but I still get really nervous before it takes off. Especially when the ride operator shouts "this may be your last birthday" right before pressing the button!
We then moved on to rides everyone enjoys such as The Derby Racer, Alice in Wonderland and the Ghost Train  After we got off the Ghost Train, Lucy's backpack was wide open and the zip has bust. She tried to get Shaun to fix it and he got it to shut slightly. We then headed to my personal favourite: Wallace & Gromit Thrill-o-matic. Before we went on the ride, we got the chance to meet Gromit! It made a fabulous picture and I had to buy it as a keyring.
We went on lots of other rides, including the Nickelodeon Streak, the Avalanche, the River Caves and another of my favourites the Steeplechase. Unfortunately, on the Steeplechase, Lucy's brand new head band flew off, although she didn't notice until she got off the ride. She was gutted! While the brave people decided to go on the Big One, Lucy and I took to the Chinese Puzzle Maze to see if it had dropped into there. What was supposed to be a 5 minute look around, turned into 20 minutes of being utterly lost. It was quite funny! They still hadn't got through the queue so we went back on the Steeplechase to see if we could spot the headband. Literally 30 seconds into the ride I spotted it atop a hill. However, we were sadly informed that she'd have to have it sent back to her due to the electrics of the ride interfering with where it was situated! She decided it wasn't worth the postage fee as she only paid 50p for it! 
On the way home we grabbed a well deserved Burger King, which was utterly delicious! And then set back off home with a very twisty car journey heading down some lanes and with some hide and seek going on. 
It was one amazing birthday!







Sunday 5 June 2016

Underrated Attractions of Hollywood Studios

Today's post is another instalment of Disney World's underrated attractions. This time we visit Hollywood Studios. Of course you all know of the big rides at Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Rollercoaster & Toy Story Midway Manis (which queues can last hours for), but do you know about some not so famous attractions.

1. MuppetVision 3D
MuppetVision 3D is one of my personal favourite attractions at Hollywood Studios. The Muppets have been a tv staple for many years and are very famous. However, this attraction seemes to get overlooked for the thrill rides. They are currently changing Pizza Planet into a Muppet themed restaurant so maybe it will find some more love. But this theatre attraction is hilarious, I can watch it again and again and still laugh! It features all of your favourite Muppet characters and the 3D effects are on point!


2. Walt Disney's One Man's Dream
This attraction is one that I myself overlooked for many years. We happened to stumble into it one day in 2012 and I actually really enjoyed it. It's mostly a walk-through attraction showcasing old Disney merchandise, Disney park concept art, Walt's original office and much more. It is very interesting! Almost like a mini Disney museum! Then at the end there is a show about Walt himself. You definitely should view it at least once, as it really gives you a feel for the man who created the magic!


3. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
I am not a fan of the Indiana Jones movies myself, but I can still appreciate this show. I love stunt shows, I always feel like they give you a behind the scenes look on how movies are made. And the actors in this show are amazing! Even though I have not seen the films, I can still familiarise myself with a few of the classic scenes that are in this show, mainly the rolling boulder. It has you on the edge of your seat the whole way through!


.4. Voyage of the Little Mermaid
I wouldn't necessarily say this show is underrated, as it is usually full when I go and see it. However, with all the thrill rides and famous franchise rides this park has, it does seem to fly under the radar a bit. This is one of my favourite Disney shows. Using blacklight, all of the puppets and actors glow in the show. It is a condensed down version of the movie we all know and love but with a very magical feel to it. I love the gigantic Ursula puppet!