In a surprise announcement on social media this morning, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has posted saying, “Scaffolding ready for our 2 foot extension. Hands up who can’t wait to ride (or walk) our reimagined 237ft Big One Rollercoaster”.
Now, any UK theme park fan will know that Merlin is opening Project Exodus at Thorpe Park in 2024. Project Exodus is set to take the record for the UK’s tallest roller coaster which is currently held by The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Scaffolding ready for our 2 foot extension. Hands up who can’t wait to ride (or walk) our reimagined 237ft Big One Rollercoaster pic.twitter.com/qkFfI4SyYN
— Pleasure Beach (@Pleasure_Beach) September 11, 2023
Now, what you need to know is that Blackpool Pleasure Beach measure their roller coasters from sea level rather than ground level. The Big One stands at 235ft from sea level but 213ft from ground level. Project Exodus has been confirmed to be 236ft from ground level meaning even with the proposed 2ft extension, Project Exodus will still be by far the tallest roller coaster in the UK when it opens at Thorpe Park in 2024.
According to the video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Insanity, the scaffolding surrounding the top of The Big One is likely to be as a result of the maintenance which has been taking place in recent days on the chain lift.
Currently we are unsure if Blackpool Pleasure Beach will actually go ahead with this proposed 2ft extension. It has certainly caused a stir and we will update you with further details as and when they are announced.
Do you think Blackpool Pleasure Beach should extend The Big One for 2024? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
