Pleasure Island Family Theme Park

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park

The logo for the 2008 season
Slogan Previous: "Discover the Magic"
"Don't you wish you were here?"
Current: "Find yourself in a world of adventure"
Location Cleethorpes, North-East Lincolnshire, England
Coordinates 53°32′36.26″N 0°00′29.48″W / 53.5434056°N 0.0081889°W / 53.5434056; -0.0081889Coordinates: 53°32′36.26″N 0°00′29.48″W / 53.5434056°N 0.0081889°W / 53.5434056; -0.0081889
Owner DewarSavile Enterprises Limited (Melanie Wood)
General Manager Neil Ireland
Opened 27 May 1993
Operating season March-November
Rides
Total 46/47 attractions
Roller coasters 3
Water rides 2
Website www.pleasure-island.co.uk
Previously owned by Flamingo Land Ltd

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park is a Theme Park in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England. It is commonly known as Pleasure Island. The park opened on 27 May 1993 and was originally a subsidiary of Flamingo Land Ltd. Pleasure Island became independent of Flamingo Land in May 2010 and is now owned and operated by DewarSavile Enterprises Ltd.

Boomerang - Manufactured by Vekoma, this is a steel roller coaster built to the standard Boomerang model.
Alakazam - Manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions, this is a Fly-Away variation of the Enterprise ride.
Pendulus - Manufactured by HUSS, this is the only park model of the Frisbee ride in the UK
Hydro Max - Manufactured by Fabbri Group, this is a standard model Booster ride

History

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park stands on the site of the former Cleethorpes Zoo. Owned and operated by Associated Pleasure Parks, the zoo had such attractions as seals, penguins, raccoons, pelicans, chimpanzees, a whale, African elephant, tiger and an orangutan.[1][2] The zoo subsequently closed in 1977. The site was sold to Pleasureworld, a division of RKF Entertainment, who announced that a new theme park would be built, as a sister park to the Pleasurewood Hills park near Lowestoft and bearing the same name. Construction began on the new theme park in the 1980s.

RKF Entertainment went into receivership during the early 1990s and construction of the park was halted. The site was sold to Robert Gibb, the managing director of Flamingo Land in Malton, North Yorkshire. When the opportunity to purchase the Cleethorpes site became available, Gibb decided to continue with the redevelopment of the site as a theme park, which became today's Pleasure Island. Construction of the park was completed by Gibb in 1992 and Pleasure Island Family Theme Park was opened on 27 May 1993. Robert Gibb's son, Gordon Gibb, later became the chief executive of the company and directly runs Flamingo Land, while his sister Vicky Gibb, and subsequently other sister Melanie Wood (formerly Gibb), took the responsibility for the management of Pleasure Island.

In 2010, Melanie Wood, completed her desire to take ownership of the park, separate from the family company.[3] Pleasure Island is now operated by Dewarsavile Enterprises Ltd, directed by Mrs Wood. This marked the end of Pleasure Island and Flamingo Land's association and the two parks are now independent of each other.

In 2013, the farm and petting zoo including tractor ride is going to be added replacing electric monorail.

It was as a result of the most recent ownership transfer that on 14 April 2010, the Grimsby Telegraph website broke news that the park had closed. Staff had turned up for work and were given letters informing them of termination to their employment. Visitors were turned away at the gate.[4] Later stories suggested that the closure was caused by a breakdown in negotiations about the park's ownership. Previously a sister park of Flamingo Land, negotiations were taking place to separate the two parks, with current managing director of Pleasure Island Melanie Wood taking control of the park.

The speculation about the park's future caused a great deal of concern amongst local businesses, staff and visitors, that the attraction was to close permanently.[5]

Reopening

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park reopened under its new ownership on 1 May 2010 at 10:30 am. The McCormacks Family Bar Reopened 30 April at 7 pm.

Areas

The theme park is split into 6 areas:

Height restrictions

The minimum heights are colour-coded as follows:

Height (Meters) Height (Colour)
1.4 Red
1.3 Purple
1.2 Blue --
1.1 Green
1.0 Yellow
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
Children Only Pink -
Anyone White

-Children below the age of 7 years. --Although 1.2m like green, an adult is required on the ride with someone 1.2m.

Rides

Roller Coasters

Roller Coaster Height Year Description
Boomerang Purple 1993 A standard Vekoma Boomerang taken forward and back through a Vertical Loop and a Cobra Roll.
Mini Mine Train Yellow 1993 A standard 208m Vekoma Junior coaster themed to an African mine train. completes the circuit twice through drops and helixs
GoGator Pink 1993 A mini coaster themed around Dragons.

Thrill Rides

Ride Height Year Description
Alakazam Purple 2002 A HUSS Flyaway variant of Enterprise
Hydromax Purple 2006 A Spin Doctor Ride (Booster). Purchased directly from the manufacturer in Italy.
Hyperblaster Red 2000 A S&S Shot Tower at 90 ft
Obliterator Red 2008 Moved From Flamingo Land formally known as Circulator. An Evolution Model.
Pendulus Red 2003 A HUSS Frisbee Ride themed around a clock
Terror Rack Red 1998 A Faribi version of A HUSS Top spin ride overall lasts longer and is 'up-side-down' longer that other rides like Ripsaw, Alton Towers
Voltar Blue 2015 A Vekoma Double Swinging Inverter Ride relocated from Flamingo Land, it used to be called Sky Flyer

Family Rides

Ride Height Description
Furry Friends and Tractor Ride White A farmyard animals attraction featuring a re-painted monorail ride with tractor themed trains.
Flying Chairs Yellow A traditional Swing ride
Shreiksville 7+
Century 2000 Green
Galleon Blue A classic Pirate Ship ride.
Dodgems Red A classic Bumper Cars attraction.
Whirly Twirly Walzers Yellow A Tilt a Whirl attraction
Paratrooper Yellow Hrubetz Paratrooper attraction
Carousel Yellow A traditional Carousel horse ride.
Astra Slide Yellow
Razzle Dazzle Green
Lake Boats Green A free-roam Pedalo boat ride that's situated in a large lake at the centre of the park.

Kiddie Ride

Ride Height Description
Tommy Tinkaboo Boat Ride Pink Indoors water-boat ride tailored towards young children that takes riders on a tour of the Tommy Tinkaboo candy factory, full of animatronic characters and music.
Frog Hopper Pink A miniature, frog-themed Drop tower ride.
Mini Dodgems Pink A Bumper Cars ride tailored for young children.
Kiddies Cave -
Kiddies Roundabouts White- Yellow

Water Rides

Ride Height Description
Falls of Fear Blue A water slide in which riders ride down in inflatable rafts.
Aquasphere White

Former Rides

Shows

Restaurants and eateries

Shops

Others

References

  1. ↑ Cleethorpes Marineland & Zoo
  2. ↑ Photo of Cleethorpes Zoo, Pelicans c1965 – Francis Frith
  3. ↑ BBC News – Reopening secures Cleethorpes theme park jobs
  4. ↑ Grimsby news, views & business listings from Grimsby's Community | This is Grimsby
  5. ↑ Theme park closed as takeover is negotiated | This is Grimsby

External links

Media related to Pleasure Island Family Theme Park at Wikimedia Commons

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