Blackpool Illuminations without the heritage tram tour, any other options?

[stichguru]

Blackpool Illuminations

For the last few years we have done Blackpool Illuminations and been on an Illuminations heritage tram tour. This year the company are currently saying they aren't sure whether they will be doing these because of issues with stock maintenance. Literally the only other tours I can find are one open top bus tour which is fully booked for the date we need, and a massively expensive horse and carriage ride that only takes 5 people when we will be party of 7! Am I missing something? Obviously we can take the normal trams and walk some, but I could have sworn that in past years we have seen lots of busses doing tours. Is there really only one company that does specific illuminations runs? Any options I'm missing?

We went last year and drove in our car. We did the route twice so travelled along the route four times swapping drivers and was very stressfree and chilled

We’ve never done tours, we either drive or have Fish n Chips in Bispham catch the tram down to south pier, start walking along the front finishing off catching the tram for the last leg once everyone’s had enough.