Iconic English attraction to open ‘tallest of its kind' ride in the UK
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A MUCH-LOVED family attraction has unveiled plans for a brand-new £8.7million ride set to open in 2026.
Blackpool's Pleasure Beach Resort is set to build a 138-foot swing which will allow riders to fly parallel to the coast.
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Blackpool's Pleasure Beach Resort will open a new 138-foot swing ride next year
Credit: Pleasure Beach Resort
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The ride is set to cost £8.7million to build
Credit: Pleasure Beach Resort
The ride will be named Aviktas and will be the 'tallest of its kind' in the UK, according to the park.
The new addition will also change how the seaside resort's famous coastline will look, towering above the rest of the park.
The ride will feature a giant spinning pendulum that will swing 120 degrees and seat 40 riders at a time.
Riders' legs will dangle giving them the feeling of flying.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort said: "This ride will be colossal, daunting, exhilarating and an incredible addition to the town."
There are other swinging pendulum rides in the UK already, but Blackpool's will tower higher.
For example, at Drayton Manor, the Maelstrom ride reaches around 74 feet - 64 feet shorter than Blackpool's ride will be.
The ride was previously referred to as 'Project 2026' until the attraction finally released the ride's official name back in May.
Amanda added: "This is the first small tease of what we have planned; there's plenty more teasers on the way!"
The ride will be located on the former site of Bowl-A-Drome and will open in 2026.
Inside the 'world-first' Wallce & Gromit theme park ride
The attraction is also set to become the first theme park to ever broadcast from space.
Members of the public are being invited to submit messages they want to be seen from space using a specially designed screen high above the planet.
The mission will be attempted in celebration of the attraction's re-imagined space-themed ride, Launch Pad, which opened earlier this year.
Some visitors will be invited to Pleasure Beach to film them delivering their message whilst riding Launch Pad.
And on August 11, there will be a 'mission control booth' stationed by the Launch Pad ride where guests can record their messages to space in person.
Use these tips on your next theme park trip
NEXT time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out. Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens. Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest. Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues. Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies. If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
Blackpool was also named the top place in the world to take bored kids this summer.
Plus, the UK's best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks, B&Bs and pubs from just £22 a night.
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The attraction is also planning on sending messages into space
Credit: Pleasure Beach Resort
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