- AD - We were kindly invited to Coral Island to review and we were given some spending money for the machines, a VIP card that let us go on a couple of rides, as well as a free meal in Captain Jacks. Although this is an AD, all words, images and opinions are entirely my own.
CORAL ISLAND, BLACKPOOL
Blackpool is a town I have visited many many times when I was a child. It's known for its fish and chip shops, arcades, lights and rides. It was somewhere my Dad used to take my brother and me for days out during all seasons. My best times to visit was the winter for the lights and the summer because it was just so nice. Years later and Blackpool has changed massively. The seaside front has been updated and it does look 10x better than what it used too.
When I was asked if I'd like to give a review of Coral Island on the promenade of Blackpool, I instantly said yes. Main reason being, I've not taken my kids to Blackpool and it's a place I've been wanting to visit again for a very long time. I've also heard some great things about Coral Island and so I couldn't wait to see what it was all about.
ARRIVING
It was a May Bank Holiday weekend and the first weekend of the school holidays that we went, which honestly, wasn't the perfect time to go as it was overly busy. Coral Island was very easy to find and we parked in a multi-storey car park nearby, which was a 5-minute walk from the arcade centre.
There are 7 entrance doors to enter Coral Island and it's definitely a place you will not miss, with its lights, music and arcade machines. It was much bigger than I thought and there is a lot more mix of arcade machines than I thought too. You will find the classic old' 2p machines that everybody loves, electronic bingo, rides and much more.
ARCADE GAMES, TICKETS AND RIDES
The arcade games prices ranged from 2p, 10, 30p, 50p and £1. There are a few 'Change' machines if you were wanting some loose change and there's also a fair range of free cash machines to get money out too. As for the arcade machines, there's a great range of different machines to play for all ages.
Coral Island has a ticket system which means whichever machine you are on, you win some tickets. The higher your score, the more tickets you will receive. The girls especially loved this and in total, they got around 500 or so more tickets. Unfortunately, we weren't able to swap them in the Prize Counter because the queue was way too long and the wait would have been a long time. So we told the girls we would save them up until the next time we visit.
There are two rides; Pirate Flyer and The Ghost Train. We had one go on each ride, mainly because the girls didn't ask to go on them again and again, the queues were quite long when we were passing. The Pirate Flyer was the ride I went on with the kids. 4 people are allowed on one Pirate Flyer and the ride lets you have a flying view of the whole arcade - it was pretty cool!
The Ghost Train, on the other hand, I didn't go on it but my partner did. It's 2 people per cart and my eldest, who's 9, ended up crying all the way through. She was terrified, luckily her sister was sitting next to her and comforted her throughout the ride. My partner and my little boy, who's 2 years old were fine. So it all depends on the child if they can handle some slightly scary rides or not!
My only problem, other than the queues for the rides, was I personally found the staff on the rides a bit off. When the kids and I went on the Pirate Flyer, Freddie decided to have a meltdown before getting on. The pirate came around the corner and gave the kids a chocolate coin each, which I thought was nice. But the lady that let us go on the ride, wasn't all that enthusiastic like I was expecting. We were also not told that the ride stops for a few minutes - which literally scared me as my worst fear is a ride stopping halfway through - but all was ok in the end, luckily.
THE FOOD - CAPTAIN JACKS
There are a few food places to choose from, but we were gifted a family meal in Captain Jacks. The staff were so welcoming and I loved the whole 'Island Holiday/Pirate' kind of theme they had going. It wasn't a large place and it wasn't overly busy either. We were shown to our table and the kids were given their children's menu, as well as some crayons to draw - which is always a bonus.
Firstly, the kids eat free for every adult meal bought, which is a great bonus. The menu ranges from burgers, chicken and ribs. The menu for kids had a selection of chicken nuggets, sausages, macaroni and cheese and a couple more. As for prices, the adult menu started from £7.80 and in all honesty, the prices weren't too bad but I did find any add ons such as adding cheese to a burger etc, I found the extra price a little pricey. But it's not something that would stop me going back.
Something I have said since going to Captain Jacks was that the customer service was fantastic.
OVERALL
Coral Island is a very large place and I did feel I needed eyes on the back of my head to keep an eye on the kids, as it was super busy. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so busy - it was quite difficult with the pram. But, saying that, the girls did enjoy themselves and I guess that's the main priority when you have a day out somewhere. The 2p machines took me back when I was a child, so I even had a go on them.
There is a lot of things to do there from the rides, arcade machines and other machines such as air hockey, car racing and so on. So it's definitely a place you can spend a good few hours at. As there are many other attractions in Blackpool, I would definitely visit Blackpool again to visit Coral Island and their other attractions (see below). But I would make sure I visit on a day or weekend that isn't the school holidays or bank holiday as it was a little too overwhelming for me.
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Coral Island is huge, check out their
online map to help you get around.
It's free entry which is great if you want little breaks in between.
Make sure you keep the kids close by as it is a large area.
There are toilets in Coral Island.
Kids eat free, all day, every day (with a purchased adult meal)
BLACKPOOL ATTRACTIONS
Pleasure Beach
Sea Life
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Zoo
