The Smiler - Construction Discussion

[lewis97]

Has the Obvlivion changed at all to go with the smiler theme? or is a case of AT clashing themes again? (As they do!)

Not really, they've just said that Oblivion was an earlier MOJ experiment to prepare people for The Smiler, but nothing has physically changed on the ride, and it's exactly the same experience.

[aress]

Photo Updates From Today!!

Man alive that was a load of photos! Thank you!!! 

[deeve]

The entrance just looks so tacky how many cameras have they put I. Looks like they've bought to many and put them on every square inch of the entrance disappointed Alton towers and no secret element what a let down



This ride has got me excited about Alton Towers for the first time in 12 years. Its a theme park not Grand Design. When the whole thing is operational it will all blend together well. I hope they look after the ride and keep it looking the pride of the park. Would folk rather an Empty Black Hole tent is put back there.

[TimeAgain]

The entrance just looks so tacky how many cameras have they put I. Looks like they've bought to many and put them on every square inch of the entrance disappointed Alton towers and no secret element what a let down

I think its kind of the point, that they have an excessive amount of cameras. To give you the feeling that you're constantly being watched and analyzed by the Smiler. I doubt the camera will record anything, but would assume that since they're being wired up, would probably move about, I think it would look quite good to have them all moving in random directions, making people walking past thing they're being followed.

[jamjamz]

The entrance just looks so tacky how many cameras have they put I. Looks like they've bought to many and put them on every square inch of the entrance disappointed Alton towers and no secret element what a let down

At first i thought the same that the entrance looked tacky but now its finished it looks great. .....ah yes the secret element???? The hole rollercoaster was the secret element. The secret element was the WORLDS FIRST 14 inversion coaster. If you feel let down by Alton Towers then you only have yourself to blame. My Mam always told me to never get your hopes up to much, that way the fall wont be that disapointing. Always worked for me coz im always satisfied with what people give me.  

It's becoming clear that the marmaliser is the only good theming on this ride.

Everything else reeks of laziness and poor, cheap and tacky design on a shoestring budget.

Only a fanboy would disagree.

Thank god the ride is good.

Well heres the fanboy to disagree  Nothing about this coaster reeks laziness, poor, cheap or tacky. If it was all that it would be sitting on the side of the beach at BPPB. Alot of thought and effet has gone into this ride. Just look at the detail....the entrance has 14 cameras for 14 inversions that alone tells you how much thought has gone into the mother of all coasters.

Im sorry but AT and everyone who has put the past 2+ years of there lifes into this monster of a ride are not getting enough credit. I say hats off to you all and a big round of applause  

Me and many others appreciate all the work and effet gone into what i think will be britains best coaster for many years to come.

Also im gunna be there on open day.  broke my arm so got 6wks off work. SSSwwweeetttt!!!

[youarecorrectsir]

Right two things:

a) I understand some of you aren't quite convinced by all of the theming except the marmaliser. But remember there is plenty of time before opening day to add finishing touches! I will bring it up AGAIN: The marmaliser did not look good until it was finished! What's to say it wont be the same for all of the other theming?

So why not hold back your negative opinions to yourself until opening day when you have seen it in person! Sometimes things don't translate in pictures as they do in real life!

If, after opening day, you still think it all looks tacky, by all means - voice your opinions. No one can shoot you down as you have a fair right to make it. But don't slag it off until its done... seriously lol.

b) To all the retaliators who are throwing words around like 'ungrateful' and sarcastic phrases like 'Oh fine, tear it down then if you're not happy!'... they are allowed an opinion! Don't get stroppy because someone isn't as in love with it as you are Just keep the phrase "You'll see..." in your thought until the awesomeness that is opening day!!

So excited... hopefully the teething issues are dealt with and it all comes together in the final moments for an explosion of fun and emotion! Viva la Smiler!

[TheOutpatient]

Damn, kinda puts me off now tbh...

Do you have a fear of blood-face people? I wont mock you.
I don't really like it if they're too loud. I don't mind being creeped out but if they "RARGH!" too loud I'm like ah my ears.

We don't know of course if they'll be in there, guess we'll find out on opening day!

I have a fear of the stuff altogether. :/

Ingredients for fake blood:

-Water
-Corn syrup (golden syrup)
-Red, blue, and green food coloring
-Flour, cornstarch, chocolate syrup, or maple syrup.

When you find yourself starting to feel scared just remember, its not real blood its mostly water and golden syrup.

This is a technique I used to help me watch The Thing and not feel disturbed. I wasn't scared I was just worried of what the deeper implications of feeling "disturbed" is- its quite a deep feeling and I wonder if God kills a kitten when you feel it or something like that.



Can people please stop using the word "Tacky" to describe the entrance. That word means something is tacked on, flimsy, thin. I think the entrance is pretty creative but if you don't can you PLEASE use a different, more accurate word.

[ManiaMuse]

Has the Obvlivion changed at all to go with the smiler theme? or is a case of AT clashing themes again? (As they do!)

They replaced the Fanta logo on top of the Rehydrator with the Smiler logo.

They repainted it as well, in the same shade of black as the Smiler to match (it's a different colour to the grey it originally opened in so i guess you could call that a change).

[Jack]

The entrance just looks so tacky how many cameras have they put I. Looks like they've bought to many and put them on every square inch of the entrance disappointed Alton towers and no secret element what a let down

They put up 14 cameras to represent 14 inversions, I think it looks great tbh. and I'm satisfied the secret element of just a brilliant coaster!

[Themeparksandy1981]

It doesn't matter whatever a theme park builds there will always be people who are not happy with it. Do I think it will bring more guests into the park no as the way the uk is ATM people are worried about spending money on things and going places they dont have 2. I'm 1 of them that's only going this year as I got 2 free tickets with the sun as I haven't got £80 spare to pay for me and my wife to go to Alton Towers for 7 hours Btw that price includes using 2 for 1 voucher,parking,petrol and a couple of drinks each as we will eat breakfast at home,take sandwiches with us and eat when we get home.

The coaster looks great and hopefully in the summer months during the school holidays X sector will be packed with Oblivion having a big queue,enterprise queue full and both arms working together on submission.


Is the toilets at the top of X sector been changed at all?

[Alex]

Why do you need a secret element when we already have a great coaster. I think if one had been put in it could have lessened the ride experience

[Owen]

It doesn't matter whatever a theme park builds there will always be people who are not happy with it. Do I think it will bring more guests into the park no as the way the uk is ATM people are worried about spending money on things and going places they dont have 2. I'm 1 of them that's only going this year as I got 2 free tickets with the sun as I haven't got £80 spare to pay for me and my wife to go to Alton Towers for 7 hours Btw that price includes using 2 for 1 voucher,parking,petrol and a couple of drinks each as we will eat breakfast at home,take sandwiches with us and eat when we get home.

The coaster looks great and hopefully in the summer months during the school holidays X sector will be packed with Oblivion having a big queue,enterprise queue full and both arms working together on submission.


Is the toilets at the top of X sector been changed at all?

It been painted black
It's also a little 'shorter' now 

[Ladyofthelake]

Do we know if the single rider queue will be operating from opening?

(Sorry if this is not the right topic to ask in - I'm new around here!)

Anyone?

[Dan]

Do we know if the single rider queue will be operating from opening?

(Sorry if this is not the right topic to ask in - I'm new around here!)

Anyone?

I would have thought so. I'll be there on opening day and riding alone so I hope it will be. I dont see why it wouldn't be though

[MatthewR1990]

Do we know if the single rider queue will be operating from opening?

(Sorry if this is not the right topic to ask in - I'm new around here!)

Anyone?

I would have thought so. I'll be there on opening day and riding alone so I hope it will be. I dont see why it wouldn't be though

There will be odd seats here and there that can't be filled and they will want the single riders to avoid sending out trains with spaces. Not only for output. Efficiency but I'll be honest I absolutely hate being in a 40 minute queue and seeing a coaster fly past with a few empty seats. Lmao

[Ben-TT]

Do we know if the single rider queue will be operating from opening?

(Sorry if this is not the right topic to ask in - I'm new around here!)

Anyone?

I would have thought so. I'll be there on opening day and riding alone so I hope it will be. I dont see why it wouldn't be though

Why alone? Join the TT meet!

[bbooth2]

There's a very important question that I'm surprised nobody has asked yet... Is there a car goin around that track or is still down from yesterday??

[ManiaMuse]

Do we know if the single rider queue will be operating from opening?

(Sorry if this is not the right topic to ask in - I'm new around here!)

Anyone?

Probably. Alton Towers wouldn't want to be sending round empty seats when the ride will be extremely busy and the ride operators will have had plenty of time to figure out how they will manage single riders given how late the ride is opening.

However I would check how long the single rider queue is first. If the ride is super busy and loads of people join the single rider queue then the regular queue might take the same amount of time.

With only 4 rows of 4 I would guess there would be a spare seat on average every 3 trains or so. I believe Alton Towers is aiming for 1400 riders per hour so a single rider queue of 30 riders would be equivalent to about 1 hour in the regular queue, 60 single riders = 2 hours in normal queue etc.

[Ladyofthelake]

Anyone?

I would have thought so. I'll be there on opening day and riding alone so I hope it will be. I dont see why it wouldn't be though

Why alone? Join the TT meet!

I can't go opening day as I work in a school but am hoping to go during the half term with my brother. We've found in the past that the single rider queue on average has cut our queue time in half (although as it's been mentioned you do have to be careful with the length of the queue)

[C0RR3CTED1]

Look, I know as enthusiasts you all want everything to be absolute perfection but seriously, people have been tearing even the most tiniest of details about the look of the ride and connected areas to shreds! I think it is safe to say that the smiler will now be the best themed ride at AT, the marmaliser is just well, wow! Now I know pretty much everyone is complaining about the look of the rest of the ride, the station etc but really, common sense needs to come into play here. Before we knew what the smiler was all about people went into overdrive coming up with elaborate ideas as to what the theme might be, so everyone had higher expectations as to what every aspect of the ride would hopefully look like but now that we know the theme it would be wrong to theme anything apart from the marmaliser elaborately. The smiler is a place of correction, it is a place which is supposed to make you feel better (kind of like a hospital but not) and minimalism is perfect in this sense. Everything looks clinical, clean and precise and not over the top which is perfect. I cannot believe the amount of negativity I have seen from people about things which shouldn't even be fretted over, the main attraction is THE ACTUAL RIDE and it looks pretty damn awesome to put it lightly. AT have put a lot of thought and effort into the smiler and I will certainly not be picking faults on the silliest things when I go to first ride this beast, everything cannot be 100% perfect, just be thankful for what we have!!