Thrillseekers flock to Pleasure Beach Resort for opening of re-imagined Launch Pad
Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort has unveiled the transformation of one of its most famous rides, which has been re-imagined for a new generation.
The company has spent the past year completely revamping the 210-foot Launch Pad ride.
Fans travelled from across the UK to be among the first to experience the heart-pounding attraction yesterday (May 7), which shoots riders 20 storeys skywards and reaches speeds of up to 80mph.
It provides a feeling of weightlessness at the top, a thrusting G-force, and a stomach-dropping descent.
Amanda Thompson opens Launch Pad
Pleasure Beach CEO, Amanda Thompson, cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony, saying: “Re-imaginings like this one are fantastic for our industry. Not only do they create a new and incredibly powerful ride experience, they’re sustainable, and they allow us to re-invent beloved attractions for generations to come.
“Investing in new rides is important – and we’re so excited for our new Gyro Swing arriving next year – but when you do something like this, a ride becomes new again.”
Launch Pad received rave reviews from riders. Scott Bickerton, who runs the rollercoaster enthusiast community and YouTube channel Your Experience Guide, said: “This is a great re-imagining. The ride has got back its ‘oomph’, you can really feel the G-force and there’s a great moment of airtime at the top. It’s amazing to have this ride back.”
Shawn Sanbrooke, founder of Theme Park Worldwide, said: “Launch Pad’s re-imagining has turned it from ‘just a ride’ into a themed experience. The smoke, the soundtrack, and the audio really makes it the full package and adds to the anticipation at the bottom. The airtime was definitely there too.”
Launch Pad’s re-imagining is the latest stage in Pleasure Beach Resort’s ‘period of evolution,’ which has seen bosses announce the arrival of a brand new £8.72m Gyro Swing, opening in 2026.
Re-imaginings are a way of preserving rides while ensuring they remain thrilling, competitive, and in line with evolving trends, and are a priority at Pleasure Beach.
‘Europe’s Best Water Ride’ Valhalla received a £4m re-imagining in 2023, and Pleasure Beach announced at its 2025 season launch that the next ride to receive a re-imagining is the fan-favourite River Caves.
New scenes are also being added to the Wallace & Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic ride, to incorporate the new BAFTA-winning film, Vengeance Most Fowl.
Launch Pad’s re-imagining saw it receive a new 210ft cylinder, which has revolutionised the ride experience.
At the time of its installation, Karl Murphy, director of engineering, said: “The higher the pressure, the greater the build-up of kinetic energy. By increasing the PSI we’ve increased the force, and therefore the acceleration of speed is greater, meaning riders will feel a huge difference and shoot to the sky with more power than ever before.”
The majority of the work has been carried out by Pleasure Beach Resort’s in-house team made up of mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, painters and artists. An engineer from S&S, the ride’s manufacturer, also flew over from the US to help oversee the cylinder’s installation.
The newly named Launch Pad first opened in 1997 under the name PlayStation: The Ride, due to its sponsorship with Sony. It was the first tower ride in the UK and was opened by boyband-of-the-moment, Boyzone.
The band, fronted by Ronan Keating, were the first riders alongside 94-year-old Doris Thompson, the late grandmother of current CEO, Amanda Thompson.
The ride was re-named Ice Blast after its sponsorship changed to Tango in 2000, and operated under that name until it was closed for its re-imagining at the end of 2023.
