Pleasure Island Family Theme Park

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park

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
Closed	29 October 2016
Operating season	CLOSED
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 was a theme park in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England. It was commonly known as Pleasure Island. The park opened on 27 May 1993 and closed on 29 October 2016. It was originally a subsidiary of Flamingo Land Ltd. Pleasure Island became independent of Flamingo Land in May 2010 and was owned and operated by DewarSavile Enterprises Ltd until closing at the end of the 2016 season. On 21 September 2016, it was announced that Pleasure Island would be closing at the end of its current season and only McCormack's will reopen in 2017.^[1][2][3]The future of the site is unknown.

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 stood 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.^[4][5] 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.^[6] Pleasure Island was 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 was added replacing the 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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:

• Africa – themed around Africa and is the largest area of Pleasure island and holds one white knuckle ride
• Kiddies Kingdom – rides for especially young children
• Morocco – themed around the country of Morocco, with three white knuckle rides: the Alakazam, Hydromax and the Hyper Blaster
• Old England – themed around England, it contains the park entrance, and is the smallest area of Pleasure Island
• Spain – themed around Spain, and nearly as small as Old England, it provides attractions other than rides although it has one ride
• White Knuckle Valley – three white knuckle rides: the Boomerang (a Vekoma Boomerang rollercoaster), the Pendulus and the Terror Rack

Height restrictions

The minimum heights are colour-coded as follows:

-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

Thrill Rides

Family Rides

Kiddie Ride

Water Rides

Former Rides

• Condor – a HUSS Condor Stood on the site of Kiddies Cove, before being sold at auction
• 1001 Nights – replaced by The Galleon
• Dream Boat – stood where the Hydro Max is now
• Big Splash – a unique water ride replaced by The Falls of Fear
• Crazy Loop – a Pinfari Double-Looping Roller Coaster that also previously operated at Flamingo Land under the same name. It is now located in Brean Leisure Park as 'Shockwave'
• 4 Man Bob – a small Schwarzkopf Bobsleigh Roller Coaster which was replaced by 'Crazy Loop'
• Pony Rodeo – a small monorail like rollercoaster themed around riding a horse

Shows

• Masai Warriors Show – introduced during ownership by Flamingo Land as a copy of their ';Bongo Warriors Show' (Africa)
• Bird Show – parrots, barn owls and red legged seriema performing tricks (Spain)
• Sea Lion Show – sea lions performing tricks (Morocco)
• Tommy Tinkaboo Musical Extravaganza (Morocco)
• The Basil Brush Laughter Show (Africa)
• High School Summer – set as the movie 'High School Musical 1 + 2 (Morocco)

Restaurants and eateries

• Food Court (Spain)
• McCormack's Family Bar – a family themed restaurant and bar selling traditional British pub meals (Old England)
• Lakeside – drinks and snack sales
• Tommy's Kiosk and Cafe – drinks and snack sales
• Fatimas Fish & Chips – fish and chip shop.
• Sinbads Ice Cream Parlour – iced cream and drinks sales
• Carousel – snack bar in the Carousel building.

Shops

• Tinkaboo Sweet Shop (Spain)
• Gift Shop (Old England)
• Shrieksville Shop of Horrors (Africa)

Others

• Ali Baba's Arcade – arcade with toilets next to the Gravitron and Spain area (Morocco)
• Kiddies' Cove – children's play area with swings and benches, next to the Seal Show and Century 2000

References

External links

Media related to Pleasure Island Family Theme Park at Wikimedia Commons

• Pleasure Island Official website
• Pleasure Island at Theme Park Junkies
• Pleasure Island at ARDcoasters.com
• Pleasure Island at ThemeParks-UK