The Smiler - General Discussion

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
Post Reply
User avatar
ilyAlton
New Member
New Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:31 pm

What do you guys think the chances of it being open this weekend are? I've been waiting months for this trip to go on The Smiler:(
User avatar
Themeparksandy1981
Member
Member
Posts: 1560
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:34 pm
Location: Midlands
Contact:

alex tyler wrote: I don't know if this will help or not, at Disney if you get a fastpass for say 12-1 and you get the the ride at say 4 they still let you use the fastpass.
That's not the case any more. You got to go at the times listed on your ticket unless it's broken Down.

Do u think the Smiler will be open tmoz? I hope it is as it's the only time I be able to go this year unless they open date my free sun tickets.
User avatar
Wedjie
Member
Member
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 2:01 pm
Location: Warwickshire

ilyAlton wrote: What do you guys think the chances of it being open this weekend are? I've been waiting months for this trip to go on The Smiler:(
Who can say?
Some days it's been opening close to 10am, so you might get lucky.
You can guarantee that what ever problems they're having, they will be working as quick as possible to fix it.
User avatar
ilyAlton
New Member
New Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:31 pm

Wedjie wrote:
ilyAlton wrote: What do you guys think the chances of it being open this weekend are? I've been waiting months for this trip to go on The Smiler:(
Who can say?
Some days it's been opening close to 10am, so you might get lucky.
You can guarantee that what ever problems they're having, they will be working as quick as possible to fix it.
But was the problem today not more serious than the other times? I mean surely it will take longer to fix?
User avatar
AidanCKY
New Member
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 3:40 pm

mike_roller wrote: How does revalidation work? If they don't re-issue tickets with an open date then isn't any ticket valid for any other day without question?

The system would be unable to to determine the difference between the two, no?
When I complained at Guest Services, the woman signed my ticket and wrote some wierd stuff on it. She said I could come back "any time".

I hope to god they accept them when I drive 2 hours to visit again.
User avatar
dazza4783
Member
Member
Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Here

Themeparksandy1981 wrote:
alex tyler wrote: I don't know if this will help or not, at Disney if you get a fastpass for say 12-1 and you get the the ride at say 4 they still let you use the fastpass.
That's not the case any more. You got to go at the times listed on your ticket unless it's broken Down.

Do u think the Smiler will be open tmoz? I hope it is as it's the only time I be able to go this year unless they open date my free sun tickets.
They did mine.
Although if you are worried that they won't, just keep an eye out for discarded tickets that people have thrown away during the day, they will also re-validate them for you  ;)
Image
User avatar
Wedjie
Member
Member
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 2:01 pm
Location: Warwickshire

ilyAlton wrote: But was the problem today not more serious than the other times? I mean surely it will take longer to fix?
Well nobody knows exactly what the problem is, so its hard to say really. It could open tomorrow, it could stay shut for a week.

We won't know until Alton make a decision - gone are the days of telling people what's going on ;)
User avatar
Themeparksandy1981
Member
Member
Posts: 1560
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:34 pm
Location: Midlands
Contact:

It's been open 2 weeks tmoz. How many of them days roughly do u think it's been open all day?
User avatar
Jmurphy55
New Member
New Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 4:05 am
Location: Exeter

This is really starting to wind me up now.
Am I mistaken here or was this ride not built by supposed experts?
I realise that teething problems occur and things can go wrong that wern't expected.
But this has been delayed opening for a week, and has since been out of action twice that I'm aware of since it opened, taking Oblivion with it. This isn't a fair ground its a major theme park that costs 40 quid to get
It is not acceptable to close off one of the major areas of the park with little to no warning on what is now becoming a semi regular basis. And a re validated ticket is not a satisfactory replacement when it takes the majority of guests at least 2 hours to get there.
It's a complete shambles.
Sort it out!
User avatar
Wedjie
Member
Member
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 2:01 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Jmurphy55 wrote: This is really starting to wind me up now.
Sort it out!
Amazingly I agree and disagree with your post :p

It is getting annoying the downtime. And why Oblivion has to close at the same time is beyond me, especially today (you can almost understand when they need to get a crane in)

I also agree that revalidating is not enough. More annoyingly they give the impression the couldn't give a flying feck about the inconvenience caused to MAP holders - where revalidating is obviously not an option.

I disagree with the 'was it not made by experts'. Yes it was, and it is obviously behaving very different to how they were expecting, which is not uncommon. Kingda Ka was also designed by experts...weeks into testing and they still couldn't get it over the hill. The 787 Dreamliner was built by experts and look at all the problems that has had...
It is impossible to know the nature of Machine without building and running it.
User avatar
DaveBear
New Member
New Member
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 2:22 pm
Location: Walsall

I would maybe think the Trains could cause some problems?

They are different to the conventional Gerstlauer ones, maybe this could be reasons for Problems?

But then if many seem to be the Lift Hills then there is some problem with those or the Fins etc...
User avatar
Deejay
Member
Member
Posts: 814
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:58 am
Location: London, UK

Morning TT,

Just wanted to clear up about The Sun ticket offer and revalidation, friends of mine that came with me on the 23rd May were using my free tickets and got a revalidation without hesitation!

Ruby, the fast track issue of a refund is not on. I would call them and speak directly to guest services, if you don't get an acceptable answer then ask to speak to the duty manager!

I'm off to the park for my 7th attempt to ride the Smiler in 3 weeks.

Keep your fingers crossed  :D
User avatar
pittster2013
New Member
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:06 pm
Location: Nottingham

Apologies if this is an obvious question but not been for a few years... going next Tuesday for my birthday - just me and my husband, neither of us are fussy about sitting together as long as get to go on so will we be better going on as single riders? Just wondering if the queue time will be considerably less this way? Not sure we want to pay £6 each for fastrack.
Kirsty25

I'd say go early for single riders. A guy rode front row single rider with us on Tuesday, started queuing at 10.15 and we were on the ride by 10.45 weds afternoon the guys in my group went single rider and it was just over an hour (queued outside the building to the first corner of the mesh)
User avatar
pittster2013
New Member
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:06 pm
Location: Nottingham

Thanks Kirsty, I think we are going to head straight over to Smiler - assuming it is running that day and get on it and over and done with!

Sorry if its off-smiler topic, but do you think we would be worth getting a £12 fastrack package for some of the other rides? I know it depends as if Smiler is open we probably won't need to but if it isn't I'm guessing the rest of the park will be rammed. We don't mind queuing 45-1hour for rides really.
Kirsty25

I would actually do smiler then to FV as the queues over there first thing have been under half an hour as I guess people head there last. The only ones I would consider fasttrack for would be thirteen and rita but they were only at 45 mins max. Oblivion was a max of 20min walk on, queuing no further than the split to go to row a/b/fastrack/single rider. Hope this helps (and now back to the smiler)
User avatar
pittster2013
New Member
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:06 pm
Location: Nottingham

Thanks again Kirsty! I think that's the package we would go for, Oblivion, Rita and Thirteen. We are limited on time really as have to get back to pick up baby from nursery by 5.30 so want to try and get round all we can.

Really hope we get on the Smiler!
User avatar
Chaz
Member
Member
Posts: 344
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:17 pm
Location: Woking, Surrey

So, judging from Twitter, The Smiler is closed and not due to open at all today?

Whilst people overreacting probably isn't the most reliable source, the closure is still mentioned on Alton Towers' official website.

Anyone care to speculate why, two weeks after opening, it is closed for a 2nd day? No stalling this time it seems.
1ne, 2wo, 3hree, 4our, 5ive, 6ix, se7en, ei8ht, 9ine, t10n, e11even, tw12ve, th13teen

www.facebook.com/charliemarsh7
User avatar
pittster2013
New Member
New Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:06 pm
Location: Nottingham

Guessing its just more teething issues. I think its been closed more than 2 days hasn't it since opening? On and off?
Kirsty25

2 days last time was when they had to bring a crane on site to remove a stalled train. This is a different issue and I am concerned of the severity of the problem.
Post Reply