Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)

Valhalla
Pleasure Beach Resort
StatusOperating
Cost£15,000,000
Opening date14 June 2000
ReplacedFun House
General statistics
TypeLog flume
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerPleasure Beach Resort, Farmer Studios
Lift systemTwo conveyor lift hills
Height80 ft (24 m)
Drop62 ft (19 m)
Length610 m (2,000 ft)
Speed70 km/h (43 mph)
Max vertical angle70°
Capacity2000 riders per hour
DurationApproximately 4 minutes
Boats12 boats. Riders are arranged 2 across in 4 rows for a total of 8 riders per boat.
Restraint styleGrab rails
Height restriction130 cm (4 ft 3 in)

Valhalla is an indoor log flume and dark ride located at Pleasure Beach Resort (better known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach) in Blackpool, England. Opened on 14 June 2000 at a cost of £15 million, it is one of the longest indoor dark rides in the world, with a ride time of over four minutes.[1][2] Valhalla features three drops and uses special effects which simulate fire, water, and snow.[3] It was manufactured by Intamin.

History

The park spent three years planning and developing the replacement of the former Fun House attraction,[4] which was destroyed by a fire in 1991.[5] The ride was announced during a media preview event, where its name was revealed to be Valhalla[4] (which in Norse mythology refers to a promised land in the afterlife for Viking warriors).[6] Regia Anglorum, a Medieval reenactment organization, participated in the event, with members rowing a Viking vessel to shore and reenacting a small sword battle.[4]

Valhalla opened to the public on 14 June 2000.[5] Television personality Jonathan Ross, along with his wife, as well as screenwriter Jane Goldman, were presenters on opening day.[5] Strongman Geoff Capes also appeared dressed as Hägar the Horrible.[7] As a finale for the ride's opening day, the park put on a fireworks display set to music.[4][5]

In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023, Valhalla was named "Best Water Ride In The World" in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.[8][9][10]

In May 2004, a fire which damaged the Grand National roller coaster and the Alice in Wonderland dark ride was extinguished using some of Valhalla's huge water content.[11]

Valhalla was closed towards the end of the 2011 season to undergo its first major refurbishment. The ride reopened on 5 May 2012.

On 20 December 2019, Pleasure Beach Resort announced that Valhalla would remain closed for the duration of the 2020 season, the ride's 20th anniversary year. It was originally due to reopen for the 2021 season, but this was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][13] The ride reopened on 12 April 2023 for "technical rehearsals". Whilst the ride was open, not all effects were present or operational. The ride’s official grand reopening was on 10 May 2023.

The main theme music used for the ride until 2019 was a song called "Song of the Elders", originally composed by Grahame Maclean for the last segment of Rhythmos, the 2000 incarnation of the park's Hot Ice Show. The new soundtrack, introduced in 2023, was created by The Notable Stranger.[14]

Design

Dragon torch with flame effect at ride entrance

Conceived by former park owner Geoffrey Thompson, the ride is based on Valhalla from Norse mythology and features sixteen different scenes. The show, animations, and effects were designed by various ride manufacturers from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Intamin provided the water transit system.

Valhalla uses a variety of physical and environmental effects, including artificial snow, extreme changes in temperature ranging from −20 °C to 40 °C,[15] and several water effects, including a water vortex.[16] Track elements include a turntable that turns boats 180 degrees.

More than 100,000 imperial gallons (450,000 L; 120,000 US gal) of water are recycled per minute, and roughly 35,000 cubic feet (990 m3) of gas is used per hour to provide the flame effects.[3] Valhalla has a theoretical capacity of 2,000 riders per hour, and a full ride experience lasts approximately four minutes, covering nearly half a mile in length.[3] The ride is housed inside a 24 metre (80 ft) building. Its façade is composed of artificial rock and features a large waterfall that dispenses 12,000 gallons of water per minute.

Following the 2001 season, the boats were replaced, and each had a redesigned cannon attached to the front. The padded grabrails in the front row had a slight design change and the back three rows were swapped in favour of curved metal grab rails. The old boats were shipped out to Parque Warner Madrid in Spain to be used on their new Río Bravo log flume ride.

New seats were installed on the boats following the 2007 season, which included padded headrests and updated metal grabrails. A new paint job was completed on the boats in 2012.

Boats enter the ride through a skull's mouth. The original version is depicted here.

Ride experience

Passengers board a boat stylized like a Viking longship. The boat enters the building and veers to the left, passing a Viking statue and two dogs, as a voice narrates the journey. The boat then ascends the first lift hill. As the boat crests the lift hill, it makes a small descent and veers to the right in total darkness. The boat then turns right into faux fire. The boat then turns right again and travels into complete darkness before coming to a stop. The boat turns 160° and moves forward into a small drop where the on-ride photo is taken, and water effects soak riders.

The boat enters the ice room where fake snow is being blown out over frozen Viking warriors as a voice continues the narration. The boat veers to the left in this room and into darkness again. The boat descends a 70° drop into the water. It then travels through a tunnel of water jets and cannons. The boat then turns right and enters the second lift hill. At the top of the hill, the boat veers to the right, where two hammers swoop down and splash water over riders. The boat moves to the left, where more visual and audio effects unfold. A creature above the boat roars, emits smoke, and lights up as the boat descends a double-down drop into a ring of fire, which is extinguished by the splash of the boat. The boat exits the building to the left, where a final water cannon goes off as it returns to the station.

References

  1. ^ "Valhalla". Technifex. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  2. ^ "Valhalla at PBB Official Site". Pleasure Beach Blackpool. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "Valhalla Blackpool Pleasure Beach (UK)". sarner.com. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d "Valhalla Blackpool Pleasure Beach TV Documentary (2000)". YouTube. Euro Theme Park Archive. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Lark, Claire (16 March 2023). "Blackpool Pleasure Beach Valhalla: 14 brilliant retro pictures from when the Viking ride was first opened by Jonathan Ross in 2000". Blackpool Gazette. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. ^ Tetzner, Noah (3 March 2021). "Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors". The History Channel. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  7. ^ Arnold, Ben (15 March 2023). "Blackpool Pleasure Beach to revive favourite ride after £4m refit". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ "The Golden Ticket Awards | Presented by Amusement Today". 7 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Silver Dollar City hosts 21st annual Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Amusement Today. 22 (6.2). September 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ Fire damages famous Blackpool ride - BBC News Online
  12. ^ Jaques, Nicola (13 May 2021). "Blackpool Pleasure Beach give sneak peek of water ride Valhalla's 2022 reimagining". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  13. ^ Gleaves, Sean (20 December 2019). "Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach to 'experience a reimagining during the 2020 season'". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  14. ^ Valhalla Back For 2023, 15 March 2023, retrieved 13 April 2023
  15. ^ Blackpool's ride on the wild side - BBC News Online
  16. ^ "Valhalla Returns for 2023 Season". Visit Blackpool. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valhalla_(Blackpool_Pleasure_Beach)