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The Smiler - General Discussion

Nemesis is trying to fall in the pit and is nearly 30 years old. Fairly straightforward retrack though, just needs some footers rebuilt.

Smiler? The entire concrete raft is moving. Best solution is tear the entire ride down, rip out the concrete and start again properly. But if you're going to do that, might as well build something new....
 
Actually wasn't the Infinity Coaster given the option of having a lap bar option yet Merlin went with OTSR?

Honestly, there is a great ride in there that is screaming to get out much like Goudruix. If it had the lap bars the roughness we complain about would stop, maybe actually get some respect.

I have said to several that Smiler is just three or four steps away from being a masterpiece, I do love the layout I'll admit, in which those I've said are as follows.

1) The lapbar type cars could help.
2) Having the pit be better designed to have cuttings in which the ride flies through rather than just a sea of flat concrete.
3) The theming ofc, as much as we can say it's poor, belive it or not it could have been worse had they gone for the original planned abandoned hospital theme though budget cuts put an end to that. What I mean by that is that when we had so many spooky/abandoned themes from Merlin like Thirteen, Swarm and Saw, I'm kinda glad we never got that for Smiler as it would have looked even more out of place from X-Sector. Yes, the final theme on Smiler may look sanitised and clean (before it got rusty as of now) but at the very least somewhat blends into the area a little better...honestly one of the rare times IMO that budget cuts for theming actually worked. Anyway to get back on topic, I would have liked the station to have a matching curved structure to complement Oblivion's station which would blend seamlessly into X-Sector rather than looking like a Soviet era tower block. Also the second lift hill could be have a tube structure built around it (laughing gas tube anyone) with some sfx smoke and sprial lighting to give a nice wee effect, still wish they brought back the original effects within the indoor bit when it first opened though, when it worked it was great.
4) Also to help with the throughput, I felt that they made a mistake of not building in a second loading area much like with Oblivion, there is space there if you look at the station which honestly could just fit in a second loading area for had they done this or ever did decide to redo this area then Smiler's throughput levels would improve considerably, maybe even get all five trains back on again you could potentially get away with again.

So yeah, a flawed ride but I do have a soft spot for it but I'll admit it can be improved in places. Also, I can happily say that I'm fairly fortunate that I have managed to have fairly smooth rides on it whenever I visit, old girl seems to like me as I'm a fairly tolerant and fair person! :p Also, I have learnt techniques how to manage a smooth ride that I manage for the most part to avoid having a head bang. ;)
 
With regard to your point about throughput @QTXAdsy; it looks like a ride that might have been designed to have a separate offload area, but they simply never implemented it.

You’ve got that very convenient little space where cars are often waiting for an extended period just before the loading area (by the “You Belong To The Smiler” text on the wall) that looks like it could have been very well suited to a separate offload area, and it could have really boosted throughputs… Gerstlauer claims that the ride is capable of 1,200pph on 5 trains, and I’d wager that a separate offload area would have given the ride that extra 200pph or so’s boost that it would need to get there (when running at its optimum in the current configuration, I’m led to believe that Smiler’s throughput is around 1,000pph, perhaps a little shy of it).

If attained in the real world, 1,200pph would have seen it be roughly equal in throughput to Nemesis.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Actually wasn't the Infinity Coaster given the option of having a lap bar option yet Merlin went with OTSR?

Honestly, there is a great ride in there that is screaming to get out much like Goudruix. If it had the lap bars the roughness we complain about would stop, maybe actually get some respect.

I have said to several that Smiler is just three or four steps away from being a masterpiece, I do love the layout I'll admit, in which those I've said are as follows.

1) The lapbar type cars could help.
2) Having the pit be better designed to have cuttings in which the ride flies through rather than just a sea of flat concrete.
3) The theming ofc, as much as we can say it's poor, belive it or not it could have been worse had they gone for the original planned abandoned hospital theme though budget cuts put an end to that. What I mean by that is that when we had so many spooky/abandoned themes from Merlin like Thirteen, Swarm and Saw, I'm kinda glad we never got that for Smiler as it would have looked even more out of place from X-Sector. Yes, the final theme on Smiler may look sanitised and clean (before it got rusty as of now) but at the very least somewhat blends into the area a little better...honestly one of the rare times IMO that budget cuts for theming actually worked. Anyway to get back on topic, I would have liked the station to have a matching curved structure to complement Oblivion's station which would blend seamlessly into X-Sector rather than looking like a Soviet era tower block. Also the second lift hill could be have a tube structure built around it (laughing gas tube anyone) with some sfx smoke and sprial lighting to give a nice wee effect, still wish they brought back the original effects within the indoor bit when it first opened though, when it worked it was great.
4) Also to help with the throughput, I felt that they made a mistake of not building in a second loading area much like with Oblivion, there is space there if you look at the station which honestly could just fit in a second loading area for had they done this or ever did decide to redo this area then Smiler's throughput levels would improve considerably, maybe even get all five trains back on again you could potentially get away with again.

So yeah, a flawed ride but I do have a soft spot for it but I'll admit it can be improved in places. Also, I can happily say that I'm fairly fortunate that I have managed to have fairly smooth rides on it whenever I visit, old girl seems to like me as I'm a fairly tolerant and fair person! :p Also, I have learnt techniques how to manage a smooth ride that I manage for the most part to avoid having a head bang. ;)
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I think the Entrance, colour scheme, and Marmaliser are great, and the Indoor Segments of the building, but outside of them it's pretty terrible. Agree with that The building needs to be like Oblivions but altered slightly.
 
Matt N said:
With regard to your point about throughput @QTXAdsy; it looks like a ride that might have been designed to have a separate offload area, but they simply never implemented it.

You’ve got that very convenient little space where cars are often waiting for an extended period just before the loading area (by the “You Belong To The Smiler” text on the wall) that looks like it could have been very well suited to a separate offload area, and it could have really boosted throughputs… Gerstlauer claims that the ride is capable of 1,200pph on 5 trains, and I’d wager that a separate offload area would have given the ride that extra 200pph or so’s boost that it would need to get there (when running at its optimum in the current configuration, I’m led to believe that Smiler’s throughput is around 1,000pph, perhaps a little shy of it).

If attained in the real world, 1,200pph would have seen it be roughly equal in throughput to Nemesis.
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Since it loads and unloads from opposite sides and the air gates open as soon as the train parks - how would a separate off load improve throughout by any material amount?
 
AT86 said:
Since it loads and unloads from opposite sides and the air gates open as soon as the train parks - how would a separate off load improve throughout by any material amount?
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Surely waiting for the people from the train that's just stopped to get off will add on a little bit of time, which, with a ride that has short dispatch intervals like Smiler, might make a fair difference?
 
Matt N said:
Surely waiting for the people from the train that's just stopped to get off will add on a little bit of time, which with a ride that has short dispatch intervals like Smiler, might make a fair difference?
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I am not convinced it would save much time at all. The next lot of riders are boarding literally as the current ones get off. By the time the staff have checked the harnesses the departing guests have cleared the platform and the host closes the gate as they pass.

The only real thing ever slowing the dispatches on The Smiler was the baggage faff, but now the storage room is back open it’s not an issue.
 
Danscott22 said:
Still don't get the rough opinion, went on it 5 times on Friday and it wasn't even slightly rough. Not even the cobra roll this time! The second inversion had a jolt and the first dive loop creates a bit of a bang (never experienced this before), but it was riding great!
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Absolutely on the same page, had one time where I had bruised shoulders from some guy absolutely stapling me for no reason, that wasn't enjoyable.

Everytime I've been on park this year I've lapped smiler through the single rider queue many times, I just don't find it rough imo, yes it doesn't compare to the blissful smoothness of a b&m but I find saw the ride or Rita much more brutal than the smiler.

You have the pothole after the second inversion and one coming out of the cobra roll, as long as I somewhat brace and put my hands down for those 2 parts I'm absolutely fine.

Watched coaster crazy's most recent vlog where he had a row 3 ride and said how unbearable it was, I was on park on the same exact day and I kept annoyingly getting the 3rd row but it wasn't rough, just not as amazing as the front.

Me being pretty tall and having a longer neck obviously my head is above the restraints so I rarely get head banging on any ride but never smiler, main thing with smiler you just have to be careful to not sit up too straight and risk bashing your shoulders.
 
Some say a retrack is needed though I doubt you'd even need that, having simply put in place the lapbar trains for the ride would actually make a world of difference, even add to the scare factor more.

Given how 75% of complaints are about the roughness, take that away and the ride would have a bit of a better standing among many, only thing then to moan about is the theming and to some extend the throughput though this can vary depending on the operations. Then again even if you fix them, you'd still get some moaning gits who are never happy so you can't win! :p

What I said at the top to try and improve the ride might not be dramatic as a whole retrack but can honestly be done without spending silly money and honestly some subtle changes can make a world of difference and Smiler could benefit it as apposed to some wanting it ripped down.

Now for Rita...uh, a little bit more tricky to say the least to fix it. 😅
 
Get new lapbar trains as gerstlauer intended to have on the infinity model, get a retrack just on the exit of the cobra roll and the end of the corkscrew after the first lift hill and it would be a very different ride experience and people would give it a lot less grief, the whole track certainly does not need a retrack, just those 2 elements.

Even then I don't find those 2 spots that bad some rides barely even notice them now.
 
George W said:
Absolutely on the same page, had one time where I had bruised shoulders from some guy absolutely stapling me for no reason, that wasn't enjoyable.

Everytime I've been on park this year I've lapped smiler through the single rider queue many times, I just don't find it rough imo, yes it doesn't compare to the blissful smoothness of a b&m but I find saw the ride or Rita much more brutal than the smiler.

You have the pothole after the second inversion and one coming out of the cobra roll, as long as I somewhat brace and put my hands down for those 2 parts I'm absolutely fine.

Watched coaster crazy's most recent vlog where he had a row 3 ride and said how unbearable it was, I was on park on the same exact day and I kept annoyingly getting the 3rd row but it wasn't rough, just not as amazing as the front.

Me being pretty tall and having a longer neck obviously my head is above the restraints so I rarely get head banging on any ride but never smiler, main thing with smiler you just have to be careful to not sit up too straight and risk bashing your shoulders.
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It's weird how opinions and experiences differ... because I personally find Smiler considerably less comfortable than Rita.

None of my recent rides on Rita have been overly rough at all (maybe slightly rattly at very worst), and I've actually been really enjoying it lately (controversial opinion time... it's actually my 3rd or 4th favourite on park at present! I can't remember whether I've currently got it or Thirteen higher...), whereas Smiler seems to have been quite rough on some of my recent rides. My rides on my most recent trip were, while quite rough, not as rough as some I've had in the past, but I had some rides in June that were really quite brutal...

In terms of Saw; overall, I've personally found Saw no rougher than Smiler as of late. That first drop jolt and that ending are absolutely brutal (probably about on par with Smiler's ending), but the rest of it hasn't seemed any worse than Smiler as of late... it was a little bit rattly this year, but I had a ride in September 2021 where most of the ride apart from those two bits genuinely wasn't overly rough at all. I could just be striking lucky with Saw at the moment, though... I've had some pretty terrible rides on it in the past. I'm not a huge fan of either Saw or Smiler, as I find both rides a bit too rough for my liking, but seeing as it's been no rougher, sometimes even smoother, than Smiler for me as of late and I vastly prefer the layout, I'd actually have to give Saw the edge at the moment.
 
Yes, it has a couple of jolts but i don't find it rough it all. I got seven rides in a row last week on a variety of rows and never once banged my head or shoulders.

As much as i love Nemesis i often bang my ears on that.

Rita rattles me around a lot, and Wickerman is - of course - rikkety.

And, with the exception of Icon, i would say that all of BPB's rollercoasters are more painful. I do enjoy them though. But when you get posters saying the Smiler is "brutally rough" or the "roughest coaster in the UK" i often think they're saying it because they think they are supposed to.

Also, i think Smiler is one of the best operated rides in the park, with Single Rider, Baggage hold, Quick dispatchers and a very quick moving team
 
Mikw said:
And, with the exception of Icon, i would say that all of BPB's rollercoasters are more painful. I do enjoy them though. But when you get posters saying the Smiler is "brutally rough" or the "roughest coaster in the UK" i often think they're saying it because they think they are supposed to.
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At times it's also somehow fashionable in the community to discredit and complain about The Smiler. And Towers in general sometimes (admittedly sometimes deservedly but most times not).
 
Steve74 said:
At times it's also somehow fashionable in the community to discredit and complain about The Smiler. And Towers in general sometimes (admittedly sometimes deservedly but most times not).
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Smiler is only discredited by Nemesis fans, which is understandable bearing in mind its the only ride on park that can compete with Nemmy for top coaster
 
Broad brush generalisations dragging you down again Ethan.
I like both.
Some argue the new woodie is the star attraction.
All comes down to personal opinion and perspective.
Smiler is a bit boring and needed more airtime and variety...but worlds firsts must lead the way.
 
Ethan said:
Smiler is only discredited by Nemesis fans
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We are not 11 year olds, we don't see it as a fight to be won, its not a campaign. Why we anyone want to overly discredit one ride because they like another? What is to be gained?

I criticise The Smiler because it is a poor ride, not because I think doing so will make Nemesis look better. Because that would be mental.
 
Fair enough then, I stand corrected. I always assumed nemmy fans feared her title as the best coaster at towers was in jeopardy and thought giving smiler a bad rep would solve the issue
 
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