Valhalla (Pleasure Beach Resort)

Valhalla is an indoor log flume water ride located at Pleasure Beach Resort in Lancashire, England. Opened on 14 June 2000 at a cost of £15 million, it is one of the longest indoor dark rides in the world, with a ride time of over four minutes. Valhalla features three drops and uses special effects which simulate fire, water, and snow.

Valhalla
Pleasure Beach Resort
Status	Operating
Cost	£15,000,000
Opening date	14 June 2000
Replaced	Fun House
General statistics
Type	Log flume
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Pleasure Beach Resort, Farmer Studios
Lift system	Two conveyor lift hills
Height	80 ft (24 m)
Drop	62 ft (19 m)
Length	610 m (2,000 ft)
Speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
Max vertical angle	70°
Capacity	2000 riders per hour
Duration	Approximately 4 minutes
Boats	12 boats. Riders are arranged 2 across in 4 rows for a total of 8 riders per boat.
Restraint style	Grabrails
Height restriction	130 cm (4 ft 3 in)

The ride underwent a £4 million refurbishment beginning in 2019 and then reopened for the 2023 season. More than 100,000 gallons of water are recycled per minute, and approximately 35,000 cubic feet of gas is used per hour to produce the flame effects.

History

Pleasure Beach Resort spent three years planning and developing the replacement of the former Fun House attraction, which was destroyed by a fire in 1991. The ride was announced during a media preview event, revealing the name as Valhalla, which in Norse mythology refers to a promised land in the afterlife for Viking warriors. Regia Anglorum, a Medieval reenactment organization, participated in the event with members rowing a Viking vessel to shore and reenacting a small sword battle.

Valhalla opened to the public on 14 June 2000. Television personality Jonathan Ross, along with his wife and screenwriter Jane Goldman, were presenters on opening day. Well-known strongman Geoff Capes also appeared dressed as Hagar the Horrible. As a finale on opening day, the park put on a fireworks display set to music.

Between 2015, 2018 & 2019, Valhalla was named "Best Water Ride In The World" in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.

In May 2004, a fire which damaged the Grand National rollercoaster and the Alice in Wonderland dark ride was extinguished using some of Valhalla's huge water content.

Valhalla was closed towards the end of the 2011 season to undergo its first major refurbishment. Notably, the façade structure was replaced in its entirety, including removal of the shop, addition of a new exit, and restoration of the waterfall.

Inside, some changes were made to the effects and scenes. The Tesla coil lightning room was completely removed and replaced with two Viking skeletons, a large carved Valhalla sign and laser effects. The sound of lightning remains in this area. The ride music system was also improved for better coverage throughout the attraction. The ride reopened on 5 May 2012. Two life-size faux-ice panther sculptures were later added to the ice room.

On 20 December 2019 Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced that Valhalla would remain closed for the duration of the 2020 season, the ride's 20th anniversary year. It was originally due to reopen for the 2021 season but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ride reopened on 12 April 2023 for "technical rehearsals". Whilst the ride was open, not all effects were present or operational. The ride’s official grand reopening was on 10 May 2023.

Design

Dragon torch with flame effect at ride entrance

Conceived by former park owner Geoffrey Thompson, the ride is based on Valhalla from Norse mythology and features sixteen different scenes. The ride show, animations, and effects were designed by various ride manufacturers from the UK, France, and US. Intamin provided the water transit system.

Valhalla uses a variety of physical and environmental effects, including artificial snow, extreme changes in temperature ranging from −20 °C to 40 °C, and several water effects, including a water vortex. Track elements include a turntable that turns boats 180 degrees.

More than 100,000 imperial gallons (450,000 L; 120,000 US gal) of water are recycled per minute, and roughly 35,000 cubic feet (990 m³) of gas is used per hour to provide the flame effects. Valhalla has a theoretical capacity of 2,000 riders per hour, and each journey lasts approximately four minutes covering nearly half a mile in length. The ride is housed inside an 80-foot-tall (24 m) building. Its façade is composed of artificial rock and features a large waterfall that dispenses 12,000 gallons of water per minute.

After the 2001 season, the boats were replaced, and each had a redesigned cannon attached to the front. The padded grabrails in the front row had a slight design change and the back three rows were swapped in favour of curved metal grab rails. The old boats were shipped out to Parque Warner Madrid in Spain to be used on their new flume ride Río Bravo.

New seats were installed on the boats following the 2007 season, which included padded headrests and updated metal grabrails. A new paint job was completed on the boats in 2012.

Ride experience 2000-2019

Boats enter the ride through a skull's mouth. The original version is depicted here.

Station, departure and first lift hill

Riders board Viking-style longships with a capacity of eight people.

Viking chanting music, 'Song of the Elders', is played in the station and throughout the ride. Boats travel as in a traditional log flume ride, carried on pumped flowing water. As the boat enters the ride building, a waterfall from the mouth is stopped after the boat is detected by an infrared sensor. As the boat enters the building, a Viking warrior is seen in a cave in the wall (formerly two crows). Once inside, a doglike beast comes into view and to the right, a 2-headed dog lit by a huge LED strobe light appears from the shadows barking at riders and guarding the entrance to Valhalla.

Torches radiate heat as the boat passes under Fenrir climbing the lift hill. The rock tunnel surrounding the lift hill rotates with eerie sound and lighting, while a video projection of a Norse god intones:

"Where lightning strikes to burn the soul. Where fires rage to ignite evil. Where the chill of ice freezes eternity. The kiss of death has tortured the lives of these Viking warriors. Their stricken souls await to accompany you through the twilight world of the gods. Where mist shrouds the human form. ENTER VALHALLA!"

First upper section

There is a small drop which sends the boat hurtling into darkness before lights flash as you turn right with dragon heads and a large UV lit face, as the ride reaches the next corner a demon head raises up behind a hole in the wall. The boat then enters the famous "fauxfire" room (also known as steam room). This is a corridor of simulated fire effects. The boat then briefly enters an area where the outside is exposed and the theme park can be seen, the boat moves towards this window and gives the impression that it may not stop and go over the edge. The boat is then rotated clockwise approximately 90 degrees via a turntable begins to move quickly backwards into a small drop where the on-ride photo is taken. A second turntable returns the boat to forward travel. Powerful wind effects are utilised during this rotation.

Ice room, second drop and lower section

The boat then enters the ice room where large fans blasting winds at temperatures of around -20 °C and artificial snow are faced, in the style of Fimbulwinter. Perspex figures, simulating skeleton warrior-style and tiger ice sculptures watch you pass by. Faux-ice big cats were added briefly during the late 2010s but were removed prior to the ride's closure in 2019. The boat proceeds around this room and into darkness again where there is a sharp drop of some 60 feet and 70-degree incline. Around halfway down the drop there was a blanket of mist and lighting effects which led the rider to believe that the ride is about to level off before it eventually plunges into water below. If riders were quick enough on the drop, they would see a large longship wrecked on their right-hand side and the second drop to their left.

A tunnel of water jets is then passed through, which deposits considerable amounts of cold water over the boat, particularly for those sitting on the left hand side of the longship. The lights start flickering on and off as two water cannons shoot water straight up into the air which comes down onto the boat. The lights flicker on to show you are going to pass under a water fall. As the lights go off, the waterfall stops and you pass under it turning around to start the climb of the second lift hill.

Second upper section

At the top of the hill, the rides pass under a swinging set of skulls with eerie eyes accompanied by distant screaming. Turning right past two giant Viking warriors, riders see a jungle-like setting where the boat encounters two gigantic log hammers which swoop down and appear to be heading to sandwich crush the boat but simply create a huge splash, further drenching those on board.

The boat then turns left where it passes under a rolling spiked log and the sounds of arrows passing over head which riders feel are just missing their heads. There are also fire-lit arrows in the walls and compressed air jets to simulate this. The boat then passes into a dark area passing a skeleton with lit-up eyes and smoke coming off it into a dark room. A crow is lit up briefly, then another smoky skeleton is lit up with wind effects blowing it around which then says "Please do not lean forward on the next drop" twice (this used to be trees and bushes in a cage which simulated thunder and lightning with strobe lighting).

Final drop, inferno and finale

The boat then goes down a large double drop, plummeting through a ring of fire that is extinguished by the splash of water just in time before facing an inferno of longships visibly ablaze and temperatures briefly exceeding 40 °C when fireballs are ejected. The fireball effects are achieved via the ignition of pressurised natural gas bursts from storage cylinders.

The boat then veers around to the left into a final explosive scene where a small fireball goes off to the left shortly followed by a huge fireball explosion to the right. The large fireball is widely suspected as being the most expensive effect on the entire ride. The boat then sails out of the building where another cannon shoots a considerable amount of water into the air and back down onto the boat and unsuspecting bystanders off-ride before going back into the station.

Ride experience since 2023

Station, departure and first lift hill

Passengers board a black Viking long ship that can seat up to eight people, all loose articles must be taken on board too. As the boat enters the building a voice tells you the journey ahead "When fear leads the way, the destination is never glorious. If you desire a place in this world... Arise!" The boat veers to left passing a Viking statue on the right and a large lit 'V' symbol appears. The boat then passes two dogs on the right barking whilst also passing under a fenrir lit by a blue flashing strobe. The boat then starts ascending the first lift hill with lit skulls on either side. Then a red Viking skull appears above you and whispers "Valhalla" whilst blowing smoke out of its mouth

First upper section

As the boat lifts the crest of the lift hill it makes a small descent and veers to the right in total darkness. Then on the right a number of lit lanterns comes into view as a voice continues his narration of the journey. The boat then turns right into a faux fire area where the boat travels down a corridor with simulated fire & smoke effects. The boat then goes right again and travels into complete darkness before coming to a stop. Then a woman shouts "Turn around!" and the boat turns 160° anticlockwise whilst a fast-paced drumbeat sounds and blue strobes flash. A Viking warrior can be heard screaming during the turnaround. The boat then moves forward into a small drop where the on-ride photo is taken, slightly soaking those in the front row. Then a large blue lit Viking face spits out water, drenching those on the first two rows of the boat.

Ice room, second drop and lower section

The boat enters the ice room where fake snow is being blown out over frozen Viking warriors as a voice continues the narration "Now you must go on alone, as you take your final breath". The boat veers to the left in this room and then into complete darkness. A red light in front flashes at the boat as it descends a large steep 70° drop into the water in complete darkness soaking those on the front row. Then the boat travels through a tunnel of water jets is lit up by a white light. Just as the boat comes out of the tunnel two cannons shoot water into the air which comes back onto the boat. The boat then travels round to the right and onto the second lift hill

Second upper section

At the crest of the lift hill riders pass underneath a set of swinging skulls with a large Viking skeleton on the right side. The boat veers round to the right where two log hammers swoop down and appear to be heading to sandwich crush the boat but simply create a huge splash, further drenching those on board. The boat moves to the left where air cannons shoot from the right and flaming arrows appear on the left whilst a spiked log rolls over the top of the boat. the boat then traverses down a corridor with a number ringing bells above the riders. The boat then moves round to the left where skeleton Vikings on the left light up and move towards the boat.

Final drop, inferno and finale

A creature above the boat roars, emits smoke and lights up the surrounding area as you head down a large double down drop into a ring of fire which is extinguished by the splash of the boat which notoriously drenches everyone on board especially those on the front row. Then two fire explosions happen on the left hand side. Then the boat goes left into the final scene where a small boat explodes and a large fireball goes off the right. The boat exits the building to the left where a final water cannon goes off as you make your way back into the station.

Music

2000 - 2019

The main theme music used for the ride is a soundtrack known as "Song Of The Elders", originally composed by Grahame Maclean as the last segment of Rhythmos, the 2000 incarnation of the park's Hot Ice Show. The tune and scoring is taken from the Maori song "Tarakihi" (the locust). This music is played very loudly in the ride station, and at some points during the ride. The Valhalla music sounds different in each place around the ride – in the ride station it sounds raucous and loud whereas in some places throughout the ride it comes across as more distant and mysterious - probably to do with the positioning of the speakers. The theme music used to be patchy throughout the ride, this was improved somewhat during the 2011/2012 refurbishment however since then the audio system has deteriorated to the point where it is "botched." As a result, several of the sound effects are not functioning correctly, whilst others are inaudible due to being too quiet. For the first two years of operation Valhalla had different theme music – the old piece can still be heard on the first lift hill.

Other sound effects throughout the ride include dogs barking, snow falling, thunder (this has since been removed), crows, screams and Odin on the first lift hill. There is also a second piece of music that plays on the first lift hill, but only briefly. This was previously the main theme for the ride. Furthermore, two similar pieces of music (which could even be different sections from the same piece) can be heard upon both leaving and re-entering the ride's station.

2023 - Now

The new soundtrack has been created by The Notable Stranger and is yet to be heard in its entirety. Snippets of the over 40 minutes loop have been used for promotional material by the park.