Wallace & Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic

Who doesn’t love Wallace & Gromit? The comic creations of Nick Park come alive at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with a thrilling ride which, whilst aimed perhaps at slightly younger riders, still manages to serve up a ‘right cracking’ experience.

The old Gold Mine ride of 1971 had pretty much run its course and the park decided to replace it with a brand new attraction, Thrill-O-Matic opening for business in 2013. The ride cost a total of £5.25 million to construct and the design was decided upon between Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Aardman Animations, the creators of the Wallace & Gromit brand.

The cars themselves are designed on Wallace’s slippers and passengers are taken on a ride which throws them straight into the world of our favourite cheese-loving and wrong-trouser-wearing characters. The ride itself features audio and scenes from Wallace & Gromit movies A Close Shave, The Wrong Trousers, A Grand Day Out, A Matter of Loaf and Death and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. All great fun to be completely honest.

The ride shares the same layout as the Gold Mine ride of 1971 with riders experiencing shallow drops and many different sound effects throughout. The ride comes to an end in the gift shop where younger (and perhaps not so young) visitors will be attracted by the selection of Wallace & Gromit merchandise.

Our Thrill Verdict

In all honesty this isn’t the most thrilling of rides but it is thoroughly enjoyable. This ride lasts around four minutes and there is much to see and hear along the way, however it is very much aimed at the younger visitor.

That said, it is an extremely enjoyable experience and we would certainly recommend taking a trip into the world of Wallace & Gromit, especially so if you are a fan of the characters. Our Thrill Rating here is only 3 I’m afraid but let’s face it, we’re not on this ride for thrills, this is a different sort of experience and one which we’re sure you’ll love.