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
Melchi
New Member
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:19 am
Location: Milton Keynes

I was also there on Saturday and the restraints really did pong something awful. Although Smiler was not alone in this, Sonic and even Nemesis were an offense to the nose.

I suppose its going to take quite a few weeks of rain to wash out the summers worth of extra sweaty rider juice.
User avatar
Lee
Member
Member
Posts: 1382
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:51 am

lewis97 wrote:
themealgang wrote: Anybody else noticed how much the restraints stink after it has rained? Rode it on Saturday and I nearly gagged when I pulled the OSR down!
I was there Saturday and I don't remember it raining. However, I do remember the person next to me saying that they could smell the stale water from the spray of The Inoculator...
It had rained overnight I think LewLew, because The Smiler queue was puddled all over.

I personally thought it smelt like fresh poo. Really not a nice smell to greet you o a brand new £18 million Rollercoaster.
User avatar
Themeparksandy1981
Member
Member
Posts: 1560
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:34 pm
Location: Midlands
Contact:

Is all the temp queue line fences still in place?
User avatar
djedwardsmith
New Member
New Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 4:10 pm

Has there been any down-time at all in the past two weeks? Touch wood it's been running smooth and if the weather holds out should be open tomorrow.

Hopefully anyway, given apparently it has a 0 minute queue atm.
User avatar
sully1311
Member
Member
Posts: 108
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:11 pm

djedwardsmith wrote: Has there been any down-time at all in the past two weeks? Touch wood it's been running smooth and if the weather holds out should be open tomorrow.

Hopefully anyway, given apparently it has a 0 minute queue atm.
I went last Thursday, ran smoothly all day on 5 trains + it was 0mins from about 1 oclock onwards. It was speechless how empty it was. Sending trains round with 4 people in it!
User avatar
BHXDMT
New Member
New Member
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:23 pm

Went today, was a 30-40 minute queue between 10-11:30 and then it really dropped off, down to 0-5 minutes for the rest of the time I was there. Ended up getting 12 rides between 10 and 1:30pm! Seemed to run well with 5 trains all the while I was there.

It's still as rough in certain spots as I remember from my last visit in June, although funnily enough after 12 rides not too many ill effects except some very visible bruising has shown up on my upper arms since! Compare that to SAW, where I come off with a headache after 3 goes...

In terms of working effects, well... disappointing really. The Innoculator stopped spraying, and the mist at the start and in the tunnel was non-existent. Hopefully they can work on that for next season, but I wouldn't be surprised if nothing changes either.

Having said that, I bloody enjoyed all 12 rides! Absolutely love the ride still.
User avatar
Lee
Member
Member
Posts: 1382
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:51 am

Themeparksandy1981 wrote: Is all the temp queue line fences still in place?
Yes, although its positioning seems to change throughout the day.
User avatar
JAMMYD777
Member
Member
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

I just found this image posted by HuffPostPics on Twitter which shows one of The Smiler trains lit up to advertise Scarefest. Imagine if all the trains were lit up like this for Scarefest. It would be magical.

Image
Last edited by JAMMYD777 on Thu Oct 10, 2013 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SW7:
User avatar
tallicay2k
Member
Member
Posts: 443
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:22 am
Location: Great Yarmouth...Norfolk

^^ predator vision.... Do you think it's real? For one the riders are glowing red like heat signatures.

I doubt it.
Image
SEEK...AND...DESTROY
User avatar
Danny
Member
Member
Posts: 2153
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:22 pm
Location: Essex

Considering it's just yellow and black metal I find it hard to believe they turn green. Would look amazing though!
User avatar
JaykeAT
Member
Member
Posts: 596
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:24 pm
Location: 84

I think after Scarefest when it comes to next season, this sort of 0-15 minute queue will be the norm and we will all look back to when we wait 2 hours + for it, sometimes twice in the same day  :|
Last edited by JaykeAT on Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
TheOutpatient
Member
Member
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:02 am
Location: UK
Contact:

I'm confused - the guy on the lefts arm doesn't look real - like thermal camera as has been mentioned but the there is just a small amount of green light reflected of the track infront. The shadows on the riders themselves suggests uplight which is correct as the lights would be in the base of the train.

The bars are indeed black so why are they looking green? This would mean that at some point, the Smiler car was heavily kitted out with lights, maybe including green rope lights. I hope someone knows whats going here  :(

Oh if this is a special car for scare fest (-definitely a cool idea), that means they've really been listening to the forum (which is awesome) - yes I'm talking about you Sku dude.
Last edited by TheOutpatient on Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
Please visit my blog of original dark ride ideas: http://mattsdesignsblog.wordpress.com/
User avatar
JAMMYD777
Member
Member
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

TheOutpatient wrote: I'm confused - the guy on the lefts arm doesn't look real - like thermal camera as has been mentioned but the there is just a small amount of green light reflected of the track infront. The shadows on the riders themselves suggests uplight which is correct as the lights would be in the base of the train.

The bars are indeed black so why are they looking green? This would mean that at some point, the Smiler car was heavily kitted out with lights, maybe including green rope lights. I hope someone knows whats going here  :(

Oh if this is a special car for scare fest (-definitely a cool idea), that means they've really been listening to the forum (which is awesome) - yes I'm talking about you Sku dude.
I believe that Towers' have simply lit up ONE of the trains for a promotional shoot to advertise Scarefest this year, hence me finding this photo on a press twitter account. I highly doubt the trains for The Smiler will be lit up like this for Scarefest. I just pray we don't see an endless sea of white floodlight generators. :/
SW7:
User avatar
TheOutpatient
Member
Member
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:02 am
Location: UK
Contact:

they had moving-head yolks if you remember those promotional images before it first opened - it looked very cool with white beams spearing through the tracks at various angles. That's one possibility I guess!

I agree the cars probably wont be lit up because all the odds and sods would have to be safely installed on each car but they've made that image with people who work for the park so they didn't have to.
Image
Please visit my blog of original dark ride ideas: http://mattsdesignsblog.wordpress.com/
User avatar
JAMMYD777
Member
Member
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

Also, from Alton Towers website, more 'planned maintenance'. Perhaps trying to iron out the kinks as much as possible for Scarefest.
The Smiler will be open between 10am and 1pm on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th October.
SW7:
User avatar
Jack
Member
Member
Posts: 1206
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: Solihull

As long as it's planned and not a bad technical failure, I'm happy :D
Last edited by Jack on Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
redpiggy
Member
Member
Posts: 75
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 11:12 pm
Location: Leeds

I went on the 7th and queues were about 40 minutes most of the day.. Although my first queue was interrupted twice, in a row, by somebody throwing up!! Not happy!
Then on my second queue there was a swiftly resolved code zero.

First ride I got a lovely smooth run, but the second time it was sooooo vibratey all the way around :( And yes, the OTSRs absolutely stank!! Which was doubly disturbing as both my restraint and my boyfriends appeared to have bites out of them  :shock:
User avatar
JAMMYD777
Member
Member
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

New from Bottletop, a brand new video showing snippets of footage from The Marmaliser and audio from 'Buy The Smiler' with a little bit of second lift hill audio. If you ever wanted the chirpier version of the 'Ha Ha Ha', here it is. :)

Original on vimeo here:

OR

I have uploaded it to Youtube here:

Also, there is a snippet of The Smiler Shop TV footage as well.

Enjoy :)
Last edited by JAMMYD777 on Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SW7:
User avatar
ST-Chris
New Member
New Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:51 pm
Location: Chester

second lift hill audio?

never been played whenever ive been on.. first time ive heard it
User avatar
JAMMYD777
Member
Member
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:32 pm

ST-Chris wrote: second lift hill audio?

never been played whenever ive been on.. first time ive heard it
As in the little 10 second clip at the end of the video. This is the audio that plays at the 'Half Way Corrected' point when stopped in front of the vertical lift with the monitors.
SW7:
Post Reply