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The Smiler - General Discussion

Ethan said:
Am I the only one who loves the uniqueness of queuing underneath the ride. It’s probably my favourite queue line because of the views and the atmosphere. Watching the ride go round above your head is amazing and you don’t get that with any other ride. Not to mention the fact it’s visually by far the most impressive ride in the Uk it just looks mesmerising I could watch it for hours
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With the roar of the coaster passing feet overhead, and the incessant blaring of the speakers squealing and the "hahaha, hahaha" droning on and on, it is nothing short of migraine inducing torture, and I am getting the point now that I am considering not queueing if I see people waiting beyond the PVC strip curtains.

I do wonder now that the ride is over 10 years old, could they not try sitting to some more forgiving compounds on the wheels?
 
STEJENT said:
With the roar of the coaster passing feet overhead, and the incessant blaring of the speakers squealing and the "hahaha, hahaha" droning on and on, it is nothing short of migraine inducing torture, and I am getting the point now that I am considering not queueing if I see people waiting beyond the PVC strip curtains.

I do wonder now that the ride is over 10 years old, could they not try sitting to some more forgiving compounds on the wheels?
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They're probably terrified of it stalling again
 
Ethan said:
Am I the only one who loves the uniqueness of queuing underneath the ride. It’s probably my favourite queue line because of the views and the atmosphere. Watching the ride go round above your head is amazing and you don’t get that with any other ride. Not to mention the fact it’s visually by far the most impressive ride in the Uk it just looks mesmerising I could watch it for hours
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Unless Smiler is your special interest (which I understand it is for many), the environment becomes deeply unpleasant very quickly
 
Good point actually. With how careful Towers are when it comes to their over-zealous use of fences and other H&S measures, I'm genuinely surprised that they still have that dark tunnel. The last few times I've exited the ride I was also having the exact same thoughts that it was a potential accident waiting to happen, and you've just reminded me of that. Surprised no-one has fallen over or smacked their heads off a wall yet (that we know of, anyway).
 
I think lessons were definitely learnt from the Smiler. Putting a cattle pen queue line into a pit with no drainage was one of the biggest mistakes they made. The Wickerman queue is a lot different to the smiler one- something I think they learnt that spreading out a queue works better!

I understand some people are trying to weave it into the backstory but I still think it makes it a pretty unpleasant queue experience. The fact as well you can’t really properly watch the ride going round- looks lovely from Oblivion- is such a missed experience.
 
It isn't deliberate, the queue on the plans was different, wasn't it? They ran out of money and just stuck it there.

There's a difference between thematically horrible and just being horrible.
 
The queuing under the ride is great. The problem is the actual queue layout. A miserable cattlepen.

If the queue went up past the toilet block and then down into the pit with some ride interactions, it would be more pleasant.

I agree with Ethan that it's a visually impressive ride, especially when the trains ‘duel’ each other.

It's a shame the whole area looks so dilapidated, and the concrete pit is an eyesore.
 
The only way to rescue Smiler's queue would be to mostly take it out the pit, then build raised plinths for the queue to run on in the places it has to be in the pit..

Every concrete wall needs covering now as it is so stained. Look at the bottom of lift 2 and it is nasty.
 
A new one for me...

There was a guy behind me (I was row 3) yesterday for my afternoon ride that immediately pulled his vape out at the bottom of the first lift hill, and started vaping away.
He was rightly told (very loudly over the PA by Amanda) "please do not vape while you're on the actual ride!" and again when we got back into the station. Couldn't believe it
 
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