The Smiler

Been to an attraction recently? Planning a trip? Tell us about it here or get some hints and tips for your next visit.
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MizzHanza
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In two days I went on 3 times, 1st time was at the back so we a bit rough with the first inversion and the vertical lift was petrifying because all I could think was 'If this thing collapses everyone falls on me' but it was surprisingly fast getting up it! I actually managed not holding on first time! The 2nd time I was on the third cart round! Was totally amazing and felt much better not being at the back. 3rd time was mental, it was raining and only a 30min queue! Well worth waiting at 9am for it!
Last edited by MizzHanza on Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I went to OBLIVION and back, faced my own NEMESIS and it's origin. I flew through the AIR, I played with SONIC but was cursed with a HEX from the number THIRTEEN. I was the QUEEN OF SPEED but most of all I was a SMILER
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neontrix
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Well after that I'm pleased I didn't die on the two times I've rode it...

The experience was truly breathtaking. The ride experience itself is absolutely amazing, with surprises, thrills and excitement troughout the 2-minute adventure. However, that tied in with the fantastically frightening concept and well executed theming leads to, in my opinion, the park's best attraction.

That being said, improvements did need to be made. Some panels of the screen on the central theming were broken already, with a colour tint... Queueing for the ride (albeit just under 2 hours) became uncomfortable with the overly-loud sound effects, which is probably understandable. The queue does, however, over a wonderfully intimidating vantage point for the rest of the ride.

Overall, a stunning, thrilling, exciting ride that certainly left a smile on my face.  :)
"We are entertainers. The fact we use concrete and steel to do our entertaining, as apposed to a piece of Shakespearean text or whatever, is... is immaterial" - John Wardley, 1997
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Danny
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I think the second airtime hill is one of the best parts of any coaster I have ever been on. I think it's about 5g's as you exit it. Best part of the ride for me by far!
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Lee
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As a result of quite a few posts I've had to delete, I'd just like to remind people that this topic for for reviews only. Can we please keep discussion related to The Smiler in this topic http://forum.towerstimes.co.uk/the-smil ... sion/1875/

It helps keep this topic easier to read for our members.

Thanks :)
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Ladyofthelake
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After following the construction and discussions on The Smiler since the start of this year, yesterday I finally got to ride it.

Approaching X-Sector the first thing that struck me was just how much they have fit into the small space. As previous people have said, it does dominate the area. With the Marmaliser screen in the middle, and the music blaring out it kind of draws you in towards it.

I decided to use the single rider queue as this has worked for me on other rides in the past. Walking through the pit it is quite intimidating and awe-inspiring at the same time to see the cars passing overhead. I went to the ride straight away at 10am. At this point they were still testing with dummies, it was 10.20 before the first car of riders actually went up. For a new ride I find this poor organisation not to have it ready to go at opening time - there were a lot of frustrated people in the queue. Although there were videos in the queue line it wasn't clear who the Ministry of Joy actually were, or who Dr. Kelman was. I know the MOJ are supposed to be mysterious but I can't help but feel something has been missed here.

Having waited just outside the station entrance until 10:20 I then got to see inside the building. I can't say I was particularly impressed with the projection mapping. It didn't really seem to add anything. It was also very hot and humid, whilst I was queuing someone did collapse in the main queue. I'm surprised with all the electronic equipment in there that there is no air conditioning.

After a short wait I was sent through and up the stairs to the main station. It was as described in previous reviews, white and clinical giving the feeling you are about to go through some sort of procedure. The SRQ moved very quickly with at least one rider per train. Before I knew it my time had come and I was sat in the second row ready to be corrected.

Being so early in the day the smoke screen was working well and we descended through this into the first heartline inversion. The flash of light and the darkness did make it disorientating and a good start to the ride. Then it was up the lift hill for the first part of the ride. It was very smooth all the way through, although the only marmaliser effect I noticed was the flasher in this first half. Before I knew it I was 'half way corrected' as informed by the voice over. As I ascended the vertical lift those next to me on the row were pretty petrified (at the end of the ride they said they found it intimidating going straight up not knowing what was coming next). I was expecting this second half to be pretty rough based on what I'd read, but in fact it was very smooth with an ever so slight jolt on the cobra roll. Again I only noticed one of the marmaliser effects - the Inoculator - and that was only because of the mist it sprayed. Had I been on the back row I doubt I would have noticed it at all.

Overall I was quite impressed with the ride and came off it wanting to go again (although this may have been partly due to the fact that it was my first coaster ride in three years). I went on it again later in the day, this time front row, and had another good ride (although by this point the first smoke screen wasn't working). My brother went on the front and back row and said that both rides were equal in terms of comfort.

8.5/10 
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Sam198
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I think I've held my silence on the ride for long enough, and the time has come to break it...

I think it's a truly appalling coaster. I think the ride and its accompanying facade are borderline repulsive aesthetically. I think the theme is, while not fundamentally bad, poorly executed and shallow. I found the physical ride, front row included, horribly rough and the transitions- particularly in the final quadrant of the ride- are among the worst I've encountered on a modern coaster. I also found the layout genuinely unpleasant with next to no re-ridability appeal. Where's the fun in an endless bombardment of inversion after poorly transitioned inversion? To me, the ride represents an extremely poor design that was completed on far too short a timescale to allow for anything better.

That's my opinion, and you're all equally entitled to yours. :)
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Joshysqaushy
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Sam198 wrote: I think I've held my silence on the ride for long enough, and the time has come to break it...

I think it's a truly appalling coaster. I think the ride and its accompanying facade are borderline repulsive aesthetically. I think the theme is, while not fundamentally bad, poorly executed and shallow. I found the physical ride, front row included, horribly rough and the transitions- particularly in the final quadrant of the ride- are among the worst I've encountered on a modern coaster. I also found the layout genuinely unpleasant with next to no re-ridability appeal. Where's the fun in an endless bombardment of inversion after poorly transitioned inversion? To me, the ride represents an extremely poor design that was completed on far too short a timescale to allow for anything better.

That's my opinion, and you're all equally entitled to yours. :)
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Sam198
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Nope. Just my opinion. One which I somehow knew I would be unable to communicate without provoking just such a reaction among you; hence my reluctance to say anything at all up until this point.

See the last line of my initial post. :)
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Jack
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I do think The Smiler is a bit like Marmite, some people love it, some people hate it, for me I love it and Sam is right, it's all down to opinion, I think the theme should have been explained to some extent in the queue as for people who can't get fasttrack or single rider (or get a dis pass :evillaugh:) need to keep interested in the ride and the surrounding scenery, also explaining how Blivvy, Submission and Enterprise all fit in with The Smiler as well. I think that is the only let down, others may not take the theme into consideration and concentrate on the ride, which, I love, you feel like your constantly upside down (and lets face it, you are) and I couldn't help but think of colossus at Thorpe as the layout (minus the 6 continuous barrel rolls) seems quite similar (to me, anyway)

Another thing I love is the way it looks, I love the yellow and black, it just makes it look happy and evil at the same time (HEY, an example of me ;)) then you have the Marmaliser, this is just mad to look at and very intimidating to none-enthusiasts and when the Innoculator works, even at the back row you get wet, and then the Flasher, which is a brilliant near miss feature, but I do think they should add a strobe feature for scarefest/fireworks, but other than that, no real affect in the day. All the other elements seem to be for show but, meh, I like it.

Altogether, I think it is one of the best coasters I have ridden, I don't think it has taken the crown from the king, which is of course Nemesis, but still it definitely has a place at Alton Towers :moj
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Stfcsteve
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Just been on the smiler. I had a 120min queue but it was worth the wait. The line moved quickly as well, the 3d mapping was made the expierance even better. Got to the station and it look amazing, themeing around a mental institute. Got on the ride and straight into the first loop. The ride was a bit rough in a few areas but I was at the back, but I will try and get on it again to see if is only situated at the back. Il give the smiler a 9/10 I loved it.
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N3m3s1s
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Yesterday I got my first ride on the Smiler. I walked through the entrance, walked down the stairs and...waited. Other than the cars roaring overhead, and the Marmaliser doing its thing, the most memorable part of the outdoor queue was the music. It is so loud! It plays once, and then goes up a pitch and plays again. And again. And again!

Anyway, after entering the Correction Block with that music ringing in my ears, and getting blinded by strobes every 2 minutes, we handed our bags in and went upstairs to the station. I arrived just in time to see the lights burst on, illuminating the station, "JOIN US" echoed through the station, and the car vanished into a cloud of freshly sprayed mist. Soon enough it was my turn to get corrected. The disorientator was only half working with no mist, but that didn't bother me too much. After leaving the HA HA HA corridor thingy, we did the first half of the ride. "You are now half way corrected". Creepy images flashed on the screen, and then we were off again. Semi-dueling, we passed under the Innoculator (not working), passed by the giggler (not working), and then before I could say 'Wardley', the ride was over.

I walked off, feeling slightly dizzy, slightly aching, but also slightly disappointed. The ride was ok. Definitely not great, but ok. The themeing (what little there is) is ok. What annoyed me was the lack of explanation. Not a single person I was with knew what the hell marmalisation was. I at least expected some kind of narrative during the indoor section. Maybe even an announcement in the HA HA HA corridor. The experience was the best part of this ride and the atmosphere was great. The ride was mediocre, nothing but bragging rights for Alton in my opinion. I just wished somebody had turned around and said "Ehem, maybe we should actually explain all of this?".

Overall, a 7/10. Don't get me wrong, It's great in comparison to other rides, but you'll come off feeling disappointing, knowing that it could of been more. Maybe the Smiler is the thing that needs to get corrected...
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Th13TEENGUY
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Yesterday i finally got a ride on the smiler and i thought it was great, the second airtime hill was the best part but a few
Things weren't so great first of all half the affects Weren't working and considering it has only been open 2 and a half months is pretty bad alson on the back left it is really rough, i also hit my head  on the back of my seat on the indoor barrel roll.
Apart from that it was amazing  :moj
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LCFCjames
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I have been on the smiler twice now, so I guess I can give it a justified review. First of all I think the ride is amazing, possibly in my top 3 all time rollercoasters (at the moment). The mixture of intensity, air time and inversions (lots of them ;)) makes the ride thrilling and fun. Both times I have ridden I had to queue for at least 2 hours, but to be honest it was just about worth the wait. The queue line itself never gets boring, with the ride in constant interaction with the guests and the marmaliser and the mix of weird noises giving audio and visual entertainment. As for the theme itself, I think they could have certainly done a lot better, but it is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Some of the theming elements are very clever, such as the marmaliser, but other areas have been left very tacky, namely the bland station exterior. If some of these areas were spruced up and a proper backstory and pre-show added, I think the theming would be perfect.

As for the ride itself, it is very impressive. The build up of anticipation in the station is very well done (probably because most people have been waiting for 2-3 hours). The spray of mist and the strobe lights inside the first drop are nice touches and add to the build up for the main section of the ride. As you go up the lift hill you can see the rest of the track layout and it certainly looks very menacing. The first section of the ride is very good, especailly the first inverted drop and the first airtime hill. The restraints allow for a lot of movement and with your hands up you get a lot of freedom to move throughout most of the inversions. The second half of the ride, in my opinion, is a lot better. The sea serpent followed by the second airtime hill is definitely the most intense and fun part of the ride, offering plenty of G force. A lot of people have mentioned how rough the exit to the cobra roll is, but I didn't find this at all. I had my hands up for the entire ride and was never bashed against the restraint once (this was on the back row). The finish to the ride is also very intense and fast and when its all done I came off wanting to re-ride again and again.

Overall I think it is a great addition to the parks line-up of coasters and will continue to be a hit for a long time (as long as it avoids anymore controversy). Another thing to note is the roar it makes as it goes round the track. Obviously it isn't as epic as nemesis' roar, but it certainly makes quite a rumble, hopefully this will grow louder with time.  :D

I also found a very good fan-made video of off-ride shots of the smiler - accompanied by very fitting dramatic music - worth a watch: 8)
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Instant Mix
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Finally got to ride this beast. First thing that hit me was how big the thing was. Loads of people have said this, but you genuinely have to be there in the flesh to appreciate how big yet compact the thing is. The top of the two lift hills now dominate the entrance of the X sector, totally overlapping the sight of Oblivion's trains above the trees.
However, despite my worries, Oblivion still towers above the rest of the ride, and still attracts loads of attention.
I was surprised at how small the marmaliser actually seemed in the flesh, I was expecting it to tower above everything. Maybe if they made the party hat slightly bigger, it would've looked more massive.
Got in at half ten and queued for an odd 90 minutes or so, although the queue never stood still, it felt like eternity. Being next to the speakers at the giggler is infuriating - not only is the sound annoying, but I swear to god it is above the legal noise threshold. I was blown aback at how much one of the dive loops shook after a train went past it, it must've oscillated for a good 15 seconds before stopping. Bit crazy. Luckily the projectors and such were working ( but some idiot left the windows cursor on show, leading to laughs from a bunch of people. )
The change of music from the scary laughs to a beating of a drum did increase the tension, and the loading bay was just the icing on the cake. Not only was I greeted by some ride OP who had drawn whiskers on his face and was "meowing" to the music, but the sheer "cleanliness" as well as how scary the dispatch was.
I have no idea, but watching each train depart with a small clip of the Smiler's music playing, with smoke gushing from the entrance and hearing a deep voice say "Join Us" just stopped my heart, adding to the tension.


The ride itself surprised me. Contrary to what I'd heard, the only real roughness I experienced was on the second inverted drop, a very noticeable jolt. Apart from that, I had no idea what direction was up or down at any point in time, and the two skewed corkscrews made me grab the restraint when sitting on the left hand side, the sheer rotational forces caught me off guard. The two airtime hills seemed really dull - even though many people said the second one took them by surprise, neither really got to me. Thirteen still holds the medal for best airtime on that first drop. The illusions on the exit walk kept on making me trip up, I have no idea, but at the exact same point in the corridor I took an extra large step.

All in all everything about this ride is a lot better than I had expected. The roughness is a downside as well as the changing of the theming ( I would've loved it if it stayed the same as the original planning documents, but it seems too cartoony in comparison to the rest of X-Sector ), but apart from that, an amazing addition to the towers. Let's just hope another bolt doesn't come out any time soon.



I actually particularly enjoyed the crane that had been painted to match the smiler, nice little touch.
Last edited by Instant Mix on Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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thecoaster
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Visited AT for the first time this year yesterday (Thursday 5th Sept). As per post under general discussion there was no queue at all in the SRQ at 12:30. On the first ride i was placed on row 4, and after reviews on here, i must admit i was thinking; 'oh my god, i'm in row 4, i'm in for a rough time'. After the inside loop, Starting down the first main drop vibrations started, and I really got worried it was going to be horrendous, but to be honest, after the first drop the vibrations seemed to disappear (maybe your mind focus's on the loops and whats coming?) and the only rough spot i noticed was exiting the well reported exit from loop 5 or 6 in the second half of the ride. Yes the last 2 loops are uncomfortable too, but not because they are rough, more the slow and no g's to hold you in. So in summary, it was enjoyable, manageable level of vibrations and overall ok to ride. I went back on straight afterwards and got put in row 3 and it was very similar experience. I was around the site a little bit during the day and noticed the good spirit of riders and that first ride atmosphere- the screams from the riders and noise people were making was great- you only get that the first year a ride opens and people are genuinely nervous about the first ride. Good ride, great addition, but after time when the hype slows i'd say its nearly as good as nemesis or oblivion but not better than those. Lets hope they sort the exit from the notorious loop out and get the vibrations down a bit over winter downtime and then i think it will be a good ride for years to come.
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NickiFan
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So I got corrected 4 days ago and this is how it went..


(I went on single rider)


You wander down the stairs, the beast roaring over your head, the music blasting and the screams are the only things you can hear.. It sounds amazing!

As you get into the correction block, the effects really do get you ready for your correction process, then you get ushered through to the bag store, collecting your yellow wristband you head up the stairs...

You enter the station, a big, white building what feels like a hospital, the minimalistic colours seem to echo around the building, the lights illuminating those about to be corrected..

As you finally get onto the train, you notice how comfortable the restraints are and you do feel safe, the ride ops check you and then....

'JOIN US!

You are off, the blinding lights seem to show where you are about to drop, into a dark, disorientating drop before you stop... HA HA HA, HA HA HA! The booming noises of laughter deafen you, then you begin...


The first lift hill seems steep and slow but when you reach the top, you have no escape! It seems to become a relentless force pulling you around the inverted drop, hurtling towards those in the queue, DIVE LOOP! You now feel the G-Forces, being pushed back into your seat before another Dive loop, before you can realise what has just happened you are speeding under the marmaliser and into the Batwing. The exit of this is really disorientating and then into a corkscrew once again just missing the Marmaliser.

Now you stop, giving you time to catch your breathe will the videos show images, now you are going up...Vertically! This is a feeling like no other, you are lying on your back, it feels like you aren't moving but when you get to the top it begins! It seems to be faster and faster than the first, inverting then into the sea-serpent roll, then into the airtime hill through a cloud of water.. Now you hit the cobra roll, what I personally found smooth, then into the last two inversions, oddly shaped barrel rolls, finally turning over the hold before the vertical lift and then you stop..

It is all over. You have been corrected and you belong to The Smiler...
Last edited by NickiFan on Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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So here is my review from 12th August (I know it's like been a month since)

My family and I entered X-Sector and couldn't believe what we saw. This humongous beast just sitting there! As we got closer and closer to the entrance I couldn't help but jump in excitement as I've been desperate to go in this ride since the announcement back in December 2011.

When we entered the line I couldn't help notice the speed and sound of the trains passing over our heads! At one point I thought I wasn't going to have a head (but that's me I guess... Or is it?). We slowly made our way through the queue line and got to about half way and got to the shop.. I hated it there! We were there for 5 minutes and people moaned and at one point a group of people passed in front of us! I was tempted to barge back into my space but I thought, well so be it..

We got closer and closer towards the correctional block, and by this point, my back was killing (and my legs) so my step mum and I thought it would be good to rest on a support whilst we waited.. All I can say is WOW! The vibration coming from this is just amazing! Made my back feel slightly better.

We then entered the correctional block! By this time though I had enough of waiting because throughout the whole line experience, the ride must have broken down about 5 times! I wasn't amused! And another reason I was getting fed up was because there was just simply no cooling device in there so I was sweating like hell!

We finally got to the baggage place and handed in our stuff. As we entered the loading bay there was the guy who made it quite funny to be honest because he made it like he was controlling the ride with his hands. Really funny.

Then I got on! Front row! We exited the station and plummeted into the barrel roll! AMAZING! Just that bit made it my favourite ride, let alone the rest! Then we climbed up the lift hill and went swooping into the inverted drop and then onto the next 5 inversions! We then got to the V-Hill... That hill is so weird! It felt like we weren't moving! And it was really soft! Then we got to the top and I started panicking slightly because I've had nightmares on that particular spot! Then the next 7 inversions flew by! Once again AMAZING! We then arrived back at the station and my family said to each other near enough at the same time! Our new favourite coaster!

That's my review from The Smiler! Rate 10/10!
Last edited by Senator on Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Thanks NickiFan
Kirsty25

Re-review...

The bad car is still shocking, rode 2nd row on this one yesterday and was a bit bleugh.

Rode back row on the final car of the day.. still had to brace for dear life, but didn't have the banging headache or nausea that I had last time so there has been a slight improvement. Rapidly becoming my least favourite ride at Towers though, save for submission.
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Danny
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It's such a shame so many people hate the ride because we were all so excited for it!
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ProdigyEng
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I must of been on the bad car, gave my cheekbones a good dozen jabs, but I still love the ride. For me a ride that amazing I can overlook being bashed about a bit, sure, the comfort does need improving, but tbh, I'm not gonna complain.
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