An A-Z Guide to Coral Island, Blackpool

This is an advertisement feature

Coral Island is Blackpool's largest free admission indoor attraction. There is loads of pirate-themed fun to enjoy for all ages. From traditional 2p machines and Bingo to the latest VR games and Camel Derby, there's plenty to keep you entertained & Kids Eat Free at all of Coral Island's restaurants too. Conveniently located on Blackpool Seafront just by the tower, it's a brilliant destination to head to for a bite to eat and some family fun.

As there's just so much to do here, I have decided to put together a handy A-Z guide featuring just some of the fun you can have at Coral Island Blackpool. You can find out more over on their website here:  https://www.coralisland.co.uk/

A is for Arcade Games 

Who doesn't love a good arcade game? There are loads of games to choose from at Coral Island and many are the immersive experience type in booths with moving chairs offering an ultimate gaming experience. From Jurassic World to Motor Racing, there's a game for everyone.

B is for Bingo

My only other experience of playing Bingo with the kids is in holiday parks when the kids were younger and we had to sit in silence and encounter many, many technical hitches. Bingo at Coral Island couldn't be any more different to this. It's just 30p a game and you play on digital boards. You only need to mark your bottom board so it's super easy to follow along, even for kids. There's a real Bingo caller who likes to have a bit of banter and there are staff walking around to help. I was really impressed with the prizes on offer - on the day of our visit, there was a bonus prize every 15 minutes where you could win a £50 High Street voucher. We spent £6 on games between us and had 3 winners totalling 450 tickets so left with lots of prizes (a pot of slime is just 40 tickets for example).

C is for Camel Derby 

I have fond memories of playing this game as a teen myself. I used to be quite the expert then (I sadly seem to have lost my touch now). You roll balls up a table and aim for them to fall down numbered holes. Your camel then moves along a certain number of spaces depending on how well you are doing. There's live commentary and it can all get a bit frantic as everyone races against each other. There are instant soft toy prizes to be won and this game is brilliant fun for all ages.

D is for Deckchair Photo 

My kids love sliding into the giant deckchair for a photo and we always have to do this every time we visit Coral Island - it's definitely a bit of a tradition.

E is for English Breakfast 

Many of the B&Bs in Blackpool don't include breakfast or you might be setting off from home early. If this is the case, you can plan to have breakfast at Coral Island to start the day. Breakfast is served until 11am at Coral Island and is super reasonable. A Full English is available from £4.95 and Kids Eat Free (one child free per paying adult). You walk along the counter and choose what you'd like on your plate too or you can even just buy toast so it's perfect for fussy eaters or if you don't want to spend a lot. As far as budget breakfasts go, this one exceeded my expectations.

F is for Fish and Chips

You can't visit the seaside without enjoying fish and chips and Coral Island has not one, but two traditional fish and chip shops. Prices are super reasonable, Kids Eat Free (one child per paying adult) and Captain Jack himself might pop by for a photo if you're lucky. I have to say, the chips from Coral Island are absolutely delicious, especially when smothered in salt and vinegar - you have to try them.

G is for Ghost Train

We LOVE the Ghost Train at Coral Island as it is actually pretty scary. Maybe not one for younger/sensitive kids to try but my tweens (and I) love it. Watch out for that ghost.......

H is for Hockey 

Hockey of the Ultimate Air variety that is. We love a game of air hockey and at Coral Island, there are multiple tables to choose from. Our favourite is Pac Man Air Hockey which releases loads of little discs onto the table and can have up to four players. This fast-paced game is great for all of the family to play together but try not to get *too* competitive.....

I is for Internet 

There's free high-speed WiFi in Coral Island and it works really well. Perfect for uploading all your boomerangs and photos to Social Media or keeping in touch if you're meeting up with friends.

J is for Captain Jack's 

Our first experience of Coral Island was at Captain Jack's restaurant back in 2014 and we do have a bit of a soft spot for it. It's Caribbean-themed and has a fun holiday vibe with lots of family favourites. I highly recommend the ribs. As always with Coral Island, Kids Eat Free too. Take a peek at the menu here:

K is for Kids Eat Free

I've already mentioned it a few times in this post but Kids Eat Free at all restaurants at all times in Coral Island. There's no voucher needed - simply turn up and order. One child eats free per paying adult. We've dined in all of the restaurants at Coral Island and never spent over £50 including drinks between the 5 of us which is brilliant value. If you're looking for a real bargain, head to Peggy's Snack Bar (they offer a family of 4 meal deal for just £9.99), one of the Fish and Chip Shops or the Sunday carvery in The Buccaneer Pub.

L is for Largest Indoor Free Entry Attraction in Blackpool 

Coral Island is HUGE. It's also free to come and go as you please all day. We usually manage 3-4 hours including a meal before we hit sensory overload. It's right on the seafront and open from 10am (ish) - midnight (ish) daily so the kind of place you can pop in and out of too. I took this photo from Blackpool Tower which shows you just how big Coral Island is compared with neighbouring attractions.

M is for Multiplayer Games 

Another reason I love Coral Island is that there are plenty of multiplayer game options which encourage the whole family to play together and enjoy some proper family time. From buzz walls to car racing, Deal or No Deal or Air Hockey, there's plenty of opportunities to team up with friends and family.

N is for Nightlife

Coral Island is open until midnight. Trying to find somewhere to keep the kids entertained when staying in a seaside b&b with no entertainment can be tricky and I love that Coral Island has provided a solution. You can read more about our family night out at Coral Island here. 

O is for Obliging Staff

The staff at Coral Island are all so lovely. From the patience shown by the staff on the prize booth as they wait for children to decide how to spend their tickets to the staff at the restaurants who provide service with a smile and the ladies in the Bingo area who brought us over complimentary drinks as we were playing - nothing is too much trouble for the staff here and it really makes a difference to your experience I think.

P is for Pirate Flyer

Pirate Flyer is a brilliant ride for the whole family. Up to 4 people can sit in one cart as you sail above Coral Island giving you a wonderful birds eye view. There are targets to shoot and score points along the way and you can compete against your shipmates or work as a team......

Q is for Quids In

The prizes at Coral Island really are fantastic and are one of the reasons they stand out from the crowd I think. We spent around £35 on games and Bingo in four hours and ended up winning:

• 3 x tubs of slime
• A bow and arrow set 
• 3 x giant lollipops
• 12 x refresher bars
• 1 x Captain America trophy 
• 2 x Sequin key chains
• 3 x Soft toys 
• A giant glitter pen 

Not bad going! One lucky family in front of us were exchanging an epic 28,000 tickets for huge prizes and were going home with very happy children indeed. I think if you were on holiday in Blackpool for a week, it would be pretty easy to build up your tickets and win something like a Kindle Fire or Toy Story 4 set.

R is for Refreshments

Gaming is thirsty work so you'll be pleased to hear that Coral Island has its very own pub. The Buccaneer is a pirate-themed watering hole (and eatery) with staff dressed as pirates and is a great place to take a break from the action. 4 large cokes and a blackcurrant juice cost us £11 during our last trip in July which is reasonable.

S is for Spend as Much or Little as You Like 

Coral Island is free to enter and it's the kind of place where you can spend as much or little as you like. There's something for all budgets from 2p machines to £3 for top of the range Virtual Reality gaming. It would be easy to get carried away so I'd recommend setting a budget before heading inside. We usually save our 2ps and 10ps up throughout the year and take these along then change £30 into 20 x £1 coins,  £5 worth of 10p coins and £5 worth of 2ps and share this between us. We normally get a good 3 hours out of this budget but sometimes need to top it up a little for a few extra games of bingo, camel derby or a ride or two. We had great fun playing the A-Z game during our last trip and this is a brilliant way to explore Coral Island and get the most from your £, I'd recommend trying to come up with your own list between you - great fun.

T is for Tickets 

My kids love collecting tickets and there are loads of machines where you can win at Coral Island. We have a rule where we pool all of our tickets together and share them at the end of the day/holiday with the only exception being tickets that the kids have won with their own personal money (Heidi always brings some of her pocket money to Coral Island so she can have a few extra games on Vortex which is her favourite game). We usually end up with anything between 600-1000 tickets from around a £30 spend and there are LOADS of prizes to choose from.

U is for Undercover 

Coral Island is all completely undercover - perfect as a rainy day option but also for those looking for a bit of respite from the sun too (I promise the sun does shine in Britain occasionally).

V is for Virtual Reality  

The boys' favourite! Virtual Reality Gaming at Coral Island is such good value at £3 a pop. Normally you're looking at a minimum spend of at least £60 to have a go of these high tech headsets. Part of the fun is watching people taking part. Some people REALLY scream and hold on for dear life.

W is for Win Big Prizes 

This Summer you can win an actual MINI (as in the car) at Coral Island. It's free to enter - simply complete a form by the promotional stand. Steve and I have entered. Fingers crossed! (T&Cs apply).

X is for X Marks the Spot 

Everything at Coral Island is Pirate-themed which is great fun for kids. There are Pirate rides, Pirate decor, Pirate photo opportunities, Staff dressed up as Pirates, a Pirate themed pub and restaurant, real Pirates walking around and dishing out gold coins......the theming and attention to detail is brilliant.

Y is for Young at Heart 

I'm not going to lie, Steve and I have just as much fun as the kids at Coral Island. There's something about the nostalgia around visiting an amusement park and playing on arcades that just brings out your inner child. Steve gets a little *too* competitive when playing air hockey and was crowned our family winner after our mini-tournament and I can never resist the game where you bash minions on the head with a sponge hammer (although the kids couldn't stop laughing at me and said I needed a lot of practice as I kept hitting the wrong ones).

Z is for Zoltar 

Finally, a trip to the seaside for us is not complete without having your fortune told. Zoltar is on hand to provide your fate!

I'd love to hear what is your favourite thing to do from my A-Z list. Let me know in the comments and check out everything else there is to do at Coral Island Blackpool here: https://www.coralisland.co.uk/

Pin Me For Later