The 210 foot ride will officially open on Wednesday May 7 when it will shoot riders 20 storeys skywards, reaching speeds of up to 80mph.
It promises to give riders “epic moments of weightlessness, a thrusting G-force, and a stomach-dropping descent.”
CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson OBE, said: “After months of hard work we’re thrilled to now be unveiling Launch Pad to the public. Our team has poured so much creativity, passion and expertise into this bold re-imagining, and I can’t wait for guests to experience it in two weeks’ time.
“From the 7th May, anyone brave enough to take to the skies will have the opportunity to launch 210 feet into the air at maximum power. It’s time to get ready for lift off.”
Launch Pad’s re-imagining saw it receive a brand new ride system in the form of a 210 foot cylinder, which will revolutionise the ride experience. The cylinder has a pressure of 105 PSI, which means that each square inch inside the cylinder is experiencing a force of 105 pounds.
At the time of its installation, Karl Murphy, director of engineering explained: “The higher the pressure, the greater the build-up of kinetic energy. By increasing the PSI we’ve increased the force, and therefore the acceleration of speed is greater, meaning riders will feel a huge difference and shoot to the sky with more power than ever before.”
The ride also received a complete aesthetic makeover, changing colour from white to vibrant blue and red, as well as receiving new name, branding, and a space exploration theme.
The majority of the work has been carried out by Pleasure Beach Resort’s in-house team made up of mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, painters and artists, and a project manager, as well as the director of engineering.
An engineer from S&S, the ride’s manufacturer, also flew over from the United States of America to help oversee the cylinder’s installation.
The ride, previously known as Ice Blast and Playstation: The Ride before that, has been closed since the end of the 2023 season while the extensive re-imagining project was delivered.
It is the latest stage in Pleasure Beach Resort’s “period of evolution”, which has seen bosses announce the arrival of a brand new £8.72M Gyro Swing, opening in 2026.
This year, Pleasure Beach has also introduced new ticket options, including tickets that reduce in price throughout the day, discounted two-day passes, and Nickelodeon Land only tickets for £25.
The best value eTickets can be booked in advance online at www.pleasurebeachresort.com.
