A Wondereous Weekend in Blackpool #BlackpoolsBack

Living just an hour’s drive from Blackpool means we are in the lucky position of being able to head up there for the day and come back home afterwards but that does also mean that we never manage to fit everything in. Recently the girls and I went to Blackpool for two nights which gave us the opportunity to try and see even more fantastic things.

Friday lunchtime saw us arrive in Blackpool and head straight to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. We love visiting Pleasure Beach and Nickelodeon Land in particular but we also love exploring the rest of Pleasure beach to go on rides such as the Alice in Wonderland ride and our favourite Wallace and Gromit ride. As the girls get older we are able to go on more and more rides and we were really happy to find that Alison was tall enough for the Nickelodeon streak which we went on for the first (and second, third and fourth) time.

Friday night saw us head to Tiger Bills for dinner where we had to choose between Texan or Thai food which was harder than it sounds but the food was delicious and I shared pictures of our dinners on Instagram so I won’t share them again here. Tiger Bills is right next to Blackpool Pleasure Beach so is a great place to head after a full day of rides.

We then headed to our hotel for the weekend. Number One Blackpool was the perfect hotel for us as a family. The room had an ensuite bathroom with a jet bath which the kids loved and a double bed as well as a sofa bed. The hotel was over the road from a park which the girls thought was fantastic.

The next morning we got up and headed up the promenade to visit some of the Merlin Entertainments Blackpool attractions, Madame Tussauds and the Blackpool Sealife Centre. As Merlin Pass Holders we have visited both of these attractions previously and I have written about Madame Tussauds in more detail. The girls loved going back and I could see improvements and new additions to the exhibitions too. At the Sealife Centre, the girls enjoyed doing the Lego Dive hunt where they had to find the missing lego pieces in the tanks. This held their interest and kept them moving around the Sealife centre. Unfortunately, as we were against a time scale we didn’t have time to hang around for the feedings or to play Pirate golf at the end because we had a very important meeting with Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Jacks Bar and Grill for lunch.

After lunch we drove to Blackpool Zoo which is somewhere we love to visit and we have written about a previous trip to the zoo. Our favourite place is the Amazonian house where these cheeky monkeys roam and try to steal food from people. When we went in we happened to be there at the same time as a family who didn’t read the rules and took food in which made the monkeys go crazy and steal all of their smarties which we thought was hilarious.

After the zoo, we headed to Harry Ramsdens for dinner where I got to test my diet against their menu and I was not disappointed with a gorgeous poached cod, mushy peas and a small portion of chips.

The next morning came round far too early as we realised our time in Blackpool was coming to an end. Our Sunday morning adventures saw us head to the Sandcastle Water Theme Park which is the only one out of all the attractions that we have never been to before. I have always heard good things about the Sandcastle but the cost has always put me off but having now been inside I can see how it is worth it especially as you can spend a long time there. Unfortunately, we had a birthday party to go to in the afternoon so after grabbing lunch inside the Sandcastle at the Bongo Bongo Burger Shack we sadly had to head back to Manchester but we had an amazing time in Blackpool and we can’t wait to return for even more fun.

Even with nearly three full days we still didn’t get a chance to visit the Blackpool Tower with the Blackpool Eye and 4D experience, Blackpool Tower Circus, Blackpool Tower Dungeons, Jungle Jims Softplay area or The Blackpool Tower Ballroom. We also didn’t get to visit illuminasia at Winter Gardens or catch a theatre show. We also didn’t go on any of the piers or visit the beach so there is still loads more for us to do in Blackpool and we will have to head back again soon.

For the very best way to get out of your time at Blackpool, it is a good idea to look into a Blackpool Resort Pass which enables you to get entrance to lots of the different attractions at a fraction of the price.

You can find out more about all the fabulous places to visit at Visit Blackpool.