Enjoyed by all, aged 3, 6, 21 and 31! (Blackpool Illuminations)

Member Name: leanne8686

Product:	Blackpool Illuminations
Date:	11/10/08 (431 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun for all, Miles of sparkly lights!

Disadvantages: Blackpool itself is a bit questionable....

Me and my family always try and go see the Illuminations every year, this year we visited last Thursday night, the 2nd October.

I have 2 nephews, Ethan is 6 and Rowan is nearly 4. Neither of them were due to be in school the day after as it was closed because the heating had broken! So me and my big brother took this opportunity to take them to Blackpool for the evening.

I don't really like the rest of Blackpool (sorry if that offends anyone) it's a bit overhyped! The Pleasure Beach is ok and not bad value but its definitely worth going to Blackpool simply for the Illuminations.


~~Blackpool Illuminations~~

The Illuminations run late in the year, every year for a couple of months. This year they are lit from the 29th August until the 2nd November.

"Blackpool Illuminations see this seaside city of fun still buzzing with excitement and laughter long after other resorts have gone into winter hibernation" I loved this quote taken from the official Illuminations website as it just embodies what they are about!

For anyone who doesn't know the Illuminations are lots and lots of lights along the seafront road in Blackpool.
Every year they have slightly different themes and change some of the lights to fit in with this. At the minute there are 'Showgirls' 'McDonalds' 'Under the Sea' and many more themes!

Along the seafront there are around 500 light displays attached to the lampposts at the side of the road as well as strings of lights linking all the lampposts together.
As well as these lights, Blackpool tower is also lit up at this time of year and the lights flicker from the top to the bottom and look gorgeous!
The trams which you can catch along the seafront are also lit up at Illumination time, we saw a Fisherman's Friend Tram lit up like a boat which Ethan loved!

The illuminations run along the golden mile so there are lots of little shops along the way. These range from selling sex toys to souvenirs so pick carefully if you're with children (and your big brother as in my case...)

There are lots of Fish n Chip restaurants open late along the way and amusement arcades to break up the journey if it's cold; most of the amusements serve tea and coffee too for around 15p, so great for warming up!

There are also annoying people selling flashing toys/wands/bunny ears all the way along the sea-front, they try and get your kids attention so then you can't say no! We ended up with a flashing Light saber for Ethan and a Fairy magic wand for Rowan (he's a bit confused I guess...)

My one gripe from this visit is the shops selling Rock are now calling it a 'bar of rock' what happened to a 'stick of rock??' This really outraged me; madness!


~~How to view the Illuminations~~

You can walk drive or tram it through the Illuminations. I've never been on the tram but have walked and driven through.
If I wasn't with little kids I'd have walked further but this time we parked in the central car park (there are loads of car-parks) and only walked for about half an hour. It was really cold and rainy and little legs tire easily, me and my brother then gave the boys a piggyback ride back to the car and drove through the Illuminations from start to finish.

If you visit at Half-term or the weekend the traffic is terrible along the seafront and almost at a stand still; it can take up to an hour to drive the couple of miles at these busy times!
The day we chose was quite quiet so we drove through easily, slow enough to get some photos and for everyone to see what they wanted to though.

If you decided to walk start to finish I think it would take around an hour and a half if you're enjoying the stroll.


~~Illuminating facts~~

* There are 10km of lights along the seafront at Blackpool.

* Over one million bulbs are used to create this spectacle.

* The Blackpool Illuminations consist of almost every kind of light display you can imagine: lasers, neon, light bulbs, fibre optics, searchlights and floodlights.

* In 2005 there were more than 500 scenic designs and features.




So a good evening out for the whole family, I don't always go with kids but still have a great time.


http://www.blackpool-illuminations.net/

Summary: A timeless seaside attraction