Blackpool Pleasure Beach has defended its decision to introduce a £25 charge for Essential Companion tickets, previously offered free of charge, made just days before the park opens for the 2026 season on Saturday, March 7.
What Has Changed
The Fylde Coast theme park quietly updated its accessibility policy on its website around 2 March, with no emails sent to existing ticket holders about the changes. Two key changes were made for the 2026 season:
- Essential Companion (carer) tickets — previously free, now £25
- Additional EasyPass guests — increased from £5 per person to £10 per person
The EasyPass scheme, which allows qualifying disabled guests to avoid physical queues and use a virtual queuing system instead, still permits one companion to accompany the pass holder free of charge. Bookings made before March 2 are not affected by the changes.
Pleasure Beach's Response
A spokesperson for Pleasure Beach Resort said: "For the 2026 season, we are offering Essential Companion tickets at a reasonably adjusted rate, which is less than half the price of our full-priced ticket, and cheaper than any promotional or online rate that includes riding on any day of the year.
"Essential Companions can continue to be added to our EasyPass scheme free of charge.
"The EasyPass scheme allows qualifying guests to avoid the physical queue and results in easier ride access.
"Our eligibility criteria for our accessibility policy has not changed.
"We have made this change to Essential Companions in line with the wider attractions industry, and have worked closely with Nimbus Disability, an organisation founded and run by disabled people for disabled people, on making sure this change is reasonable and fair.
"Any bookings made before March 2 are not affected by this change."
Parents React
The changes have sparked anger among families of disabled visitors, many of whom said they only found out through social media posts rather than any official communication from the park.
One parent posting on social media wrote: "I'm honestly gutted that once again the disabled community are having accommodations taken away from them.
"Not only this, once again it's done at short notice, on the day of visits and after people have purchased annual passes and tickets for future visits."
Another said: "Absolutely fuming, yet again the disabled are clearly seen as cash cows".
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One added: "I appreciate Blackpool is a smaller operation but if they’d reviewed this at the end of the season and communicated to guests then that would have really helped.
"It’s come out the blue and the week before opening is not a good look when many people won’t be aware."
However one user sided with the Pleasure Beach, saying: "Not an issue.
"We buy 4 season passes and have 2 disabled people so just get the 2 easy access and carer passes when we get there.
"Don't have an issue with the admission charge anyway."
Do you agree with the change? Let us know in the comments.
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