The Smiler Incident 02/06/15

[Themeparksandy1981]

I think management should invite the tv news media to the park a few days before the start of season to explain everything that's been put into place to make the Smiler and other rides even safer.

Could work but imagine if they run it and it breaks down or stops on the lift hill. It could end up having the exact opposite effect.

I didn't mean show the ride running but show what's been put in place and needs to done now to reset a breakdown. Central news I'm sure with it there for the media preview event of the new ride. The media also could show Alton Towers is another bad light showing all the closed/removed rides.

[Echo Rider]

Hi Guys,

Now it's confirmed that the smiler is reopening at the start of the new season does anyone have any info on if it will run for the john lewis day and the services days before that?

Many thanks,
Echorider.

[Dan]

Hi Guys,

Now it's confirmed that the smiler is reopening at the start of the new season does anyone have any info on if it will run for the john lewis day and the services days before that?

Many thanks,
Echorider.

It's already been confirmed that The Smiler won't be running on those days.

[Echo Rider]

Ok, thanks. Hadn't seen that confirmation and was wondering if plans had changed with the latest announcement.

[Aidan Lowe]

Should come as no surprise but with the re-opening also comes all the merchandise on sale as well.

Alton Towers confirms it will be selling Smiler merchandise when ride reopens on 19 March after last year's crash.

[MakoMania]

Don't know if people already know this but single rider is confirmed to be avaliable on The Smiler in 2016.

[homer22422]

Don't know if people already know this but single rider is confirmed to be avaliable on The Smiler in 2016.

There was always single rider for the smiler.......

[Dan]

Don't know if people already know this but single rider is confirmed to be avaliable on The Smiler in 2016.

There was always single rider for the smiler.......

I think what MakoMania was referring to is the fact that Towers have been slowly removing the SRQ's on their coasters over the past couple of years (Nemesis, Rita and I believe that the SRQ for Galactica has also been removed)

This led some to speculate whether The Smiler would still utilise it's SRQ when it re-opens.

I'm glad they will be using it, it can be very useful to get a few rides in quickly.

[Mermalizer]

I'm not sure if anyone's already said this, but if you look on the website The Smiler's page mentions the fourteen inversions, the speed and the track length, but has absolutely nothing about correction, marmalisation or even smiling.

To me this seems like a sign that they're going to 'soften' the theming a little, just by removing a few things. I'm intrigued to see if (and how) this happens on the ride itself.

[Tom170499]

I'm not sure if anyone's already said this, but if you look on the website The Smiler's page mentions the fourteen inversions, the speed and the track length, but has absolutely nothing about correction, marmalisation or even smiling.

To me this seems like a sign that they're going to 'soften' the theming a little, just by removing a few things. I'm intrigued to see if (and how) this happens on the ride itself.

I saw that myself and had a similar thought. However, didn't Nick Varney himself say that there would be no alterations of the theme? I'm not sure. If there is any changes, all I can see being removed is the voice that says 'The Smiler will marmalise your body and mind' for obvious reasons.

[xylyx]

TBH I'd be surprised if they did. Marmalisation doesn't really mean anything to the average peep. I guess we shall see. I just want that pounding oppressive atmosphere back,

[Danny]

If I remember right they removed most of those terms soon after the incident occurred. Interestingly, the 'Half Way Corrected' signs are still up at the bottom of the vertical lift, so it would make me think they will continue with the theme, but remove any references to mind and body manipulation.
The sign in the pit, queue line entrance and shop are yet to return, it'll be interesting to see if any changes are made to the logo.

[Morgan]

I doubt Towers will change the logo, seeing as it's on the new chocolate selection.

[Liam.W]

As long as the merchandise is roughly the same i'll be happy, I love the smiler hoodies but never got one

[Max]

As long as the merchandise is roughly the same i'll be happy, I love the smiler hoodies but never got one

Can't see it changing too much, would cause too much fuss than it's worth amongst the media.

[118hazaman]

I really hope everything goes back to the way it originally was. The atmosphere was amazing with the music, effects, and ride experience.

[Capt.Barnacles]

I agree that I think any changes made to the theme and symbolism will be absolutely minimal, even down to the music staying the same. The only changes I think we'll actually see are visual. Possibly the 'marmalisation complete' sign painted over, and maybe the whole 'You Belong to The Smiler' going too. Aside from that, I can't imagine anything too significant actually changing. Though given it was in the location the trains crashed, I can't see the logo in the pit returning any time soon.

[Justin]

I doubt anything will change and I expect everything to be the same.
As tragic the accident was, opening as normal will be the best course of action. If you remove theming then you are always going to draw attention to the crash. Inadvertently, but attention even still!

[Themeparksandy1981]

The normal GP wouldn't care if the whole ride was stripped of it's theming. There just there to ride the coaster.

[jdoughtyqpr]

For anyone on the Alton Towers SW8 news group on FB a couple of security employees at Alton Towers took to the discussion of The Smiler re-opening.

One of them to some extent defended/sympathized with the people responsible saying "There's so much information that's not been shared and I'm not at liberty to say, but the whole blame being on the ride operator is completely unfair, because it's not." while the other simply called Alton Towers ran by "kids with no life skills what's so ever".

As soon as the news broke of this incident last year experts in the industry couldn't fathom how it happened and there and then said human error was involved.

I merely pointed out to these individuals that it had to be manually overridden by whoever was working that day, its the only logical explanation?! They started replying to me and others with vulgarity and in response said that information has been "filtered to satisfy the general public". Whether there is more to it than first thought I'm not sure and were likely to never find out.



Interesting. :-$

It struck me that he may have been one of those unfortunate to have been made redundant. He clearly had/has a grievance with AT. Quite honestly if he was one of my staff stating how the company put customers at risk "Shut up it was down to how Alton Towers trains and hires staff and they don't care about safety" on a public forum, he'd be in a disciplinary before his feet touched company property again.

I think you're right on the redundancy thing, or people could be getting really really angry at know it all people posting stuff on a subject that has massively effected their personal lives.

"I merely pointed out blah blah blah" you would have got the same treatment from me. You were trolling, regardless of if you care to admit it, you were trolling for a reaction, got one, then wanted to brag about it.

Imagine knowing what happened and not being able to say anything. Then getting people being able to talk and throw accusations left right and centre and not be able to say anything back. With reasons like "logical explanation" once would be bad, but they ,just get it hundreds of times a day from various sources. With the caveat that if the truth is told they are fired or sued.

There is never a good reason to abuse people, let me get that out there, however there also needs people held accountable for what's caused the reaction.

If the daily mirror would have posted that comment to the staff member there would have been outrage, but because it's an enthusiast it's acceptable?