Icon – Blackpool Pleasure Beach Review

Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s first original ride since the Big One opened in 1994 and the latest roller coaster addition since 2007’s Infusion, Icon opened in May 2018. Manufactured by German roller coaster giants Mack Rides, Icon is the first multi-launch roller coaster in the UK with a height restriction of 1.3m like most coasters in the park (or 1.5m on the back row). With the tagline of “Dare to Ride”, Icon twists and turns through, over and under the other rides in the park 15 times during its impressive, high-speed ride that includes two LSM launches. So let’s get down to the review.

Stats

Icon has a height of 27m (88.5ft) and a track length of 1140m (3750ft) meaning it lasts around 2 minutes 40 seconds. Costing Blackpool Pleasure Beach £16 million, Icon’s first launch reaches 50mph in just 2 seconds with a highest speed of 52.8mph. With 16 seat trains and the ability to run 3 at any time, Icon sports lap bar restraints, similar to Blue Fire at Europa Park, which allow for great airtime when coupled with the rides elements and inversions.

Theming

Talking about theming in terms of Icon is tricky since it is pretty much non-existent. Amanda Thompson (managing director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach) describes the ride as styled rather than themed which I would certainly agree with. The concept for the ride is Japanese inspired with the ride lettering following this look. The landscaping is nice with cherry blossom, a small pebbled water feature and turf under the track but there is very little else other than gold, copper and silver daggers dotted around. The ride logo does contain the Japanese symbol for “Speed” which is a nice touch and nod to the style of the ride.

The soundtrack is much more inspiring and does a great job of setting the scene for the ride. Created by The Notable Stranger, the soundtrack builds throughout the queue line, reaching a climax of anticipation inside the station, then continues to reflect the thrills of the ride as you leave the building after experiencing Icon. This is really effective and does enhance the experience in my opinion.

Ride Experience

Icon can be seen from various areas of the park due to its interactive nature and so the excitement is built while you wander around to get to the entrance of the ride. The track is grey and though not particularly exciting, does give a serious tone to the ride with its stark difference to the likes of the Big One track. When you reach Icon, the entrance gate is pretty nice to look at. It is Japanese-inspired archway that does a good job of catching the eye. The queue line itself is, in truth, short and uninspiring. For a portion of it, you can see the first launch which is an effective way to build the excitement, but the station is not particularly themed from the outside so it is quite dull. That being said, the operations on this ride are usually very slick so the need for an entertaining queue is not really needed as much as rides like Wicker Man at Alton Towers which tends to operate a lot slower. I’ve rode Icon a number of times including in the summer and have never queued more than around 15-20 minutes even when people were lined up past the entrance archway, with Blackpool Pleasure Beach often taking the opportunity to run all 3 trains at max capacity.

The station itself is slick and modern inside, keeping up the Japanese styling and sophistication I think they were trying to achieve with this ride. The best thing about the Icon station is the baggage hold, as strange as that sounds. A far cry from the unsecure cages used around the UK, these containers automatically shut completely while you are riding, using a flipping motion to open up for the last set of riders to grab their things without any chance of them knocking yours as they are securely in their own section. For someone who often takes their glasses off to ride, this makes me feel a lot safer about leaving them, knowing there is no way anyone can even touch them until I get back into the station.

Credit: Theme Parks-EU (https://www.themeparks-eu.com)

Once it is your go to ride, you are loaded into the bays. The operators here may allow you to wait for a certain seat but usually the back row is saved for those with Speedy Passes. The back row have slightly bigger seats, hence the difference in height restriction, meaning that everyone can have a more pleasant and comfortable ride experience in terms of their restraints. The closer to the back you are on Icon, the better. The ride feels so much faster and more intense as you are pulled by the rest of the train, increasing your speed and airtime. It can, however, feel a little bit shaky. The front has its perks too, of course, as it gives you an awesome view of all those interactions which you can miss if you are further back. As well as this, Icon warms up towards the end of the day, running smoother and faster in the afternoon so if that’s something you’d prefer or riding that back row is something you’ve got your heart set on, try later on.

Once you’re seated, you roll forwards to a stop, hear the word “Icon” then are propelled forward by that first launch into a tunnel of mist. The Icon launch is not the most powerful I’ve ever felt but it is definitely the smoothest. Launch coasters can be really jolty but the way that Icon launches feels a lot better in my opinion, if less intense. People have described it as lack-lustre but in truth, it is my favourite launch I’ve ever experienced, feeling like I’m speeding up with the ride rather than just being shot forward with a massive jolt.

This is a long ride, reaching nearly 3 minutes in duration, and that is definitely something I love about it. Though it is not action packed every single second, utilising banked turns and small drops, those bigger elements really pack a punch. The down time, though still incredibly enjoyable, gives you a moment to appreciate what you’ve just experienced before experiencing another without being boring. The second launch comes towards the end of the ride and it is easy to miss. Rather than what you would expect from a launch, it is more just a boost in speed to propel you through a few more elements. It isn’t intense but it does give the ride that added thrill when you think it is coming to an end.

Final Score

Icon is a great new coaster and something unique for Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The ride is an absolute feat of design, managing to create a long, fast, and exciting experience without the luxury of huge amounts of space, actually embracing this idea by creating exhilarating near misses and interactions with the nearby rides. Though the theming is definitely lacking, the quality of the ride really speaks for itself with stunning ride vehicles, innovative design and restraints and an awesome soundtrack to compliment the actual experience itself. Icon deserves its place as one of the best thrill coasters in the UK and gets a 9/10 from me. Dare to ride? You absolutely should.