[The Smiler] Construction Updates / Ride Speculation Part 2 *SPOILER FREE*

Loved your updates Rob, there's always something in them that I (and I suspect 99% of others) would never spot if we were there. What camera and lens combination do you use by the way?

Great photos

I'm really impressed with the landscaping. I always knew they would do a good job, but you can forget how much of a change a bit or turf, a few rocks and a bunch of plants can have!

Also loving the Marmaliser, think they've really put a a lot of effort into it. My only concern is that they seem to have forgotten to put its top on I really hope they do add something, but it looks unlikely, being as it opens tomorrow...

Rob Rob Rob, what are you going to do with your life when this thing opens?!

Smashing photos as per usual! I can't wait for tomorrow ;D

Alastair said:

Loved your updates Rob, there's always something in them that I (and I suspect 99% of others) would never spot if we were there. What camera and lens combination do you use by the way?

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Thanks! It's just a Panasonic Lumix TZ7 so nothing special really. A few people have been surprised when they've seen what I've been using!

LiamC said:

Rob Rob Rob, what are you going to do with your life when this thing opens?!

Smashing photos as per usual! I can't wait for tomorrow ;D

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I have no idea, probably just kill myself as my life will have no purpose!

Don't worry Rob, only *two* years until SW8 construction starts.
I'm sure you'll live until then.

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk 2

Rob said:

I have no idea, probably just kill myself as my life will have no purpose!

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No, please don't. SW8 will start construction in two years and one months time!

I would too like to thank you for all the updates you've shared the past few months. Having viewed construction myself it is a colossal site so I truly value all the little details you've managed to pick out and document over the construction period. I found it impossible myself to pick out the details you have. So it clearly shows how well you've understood the site and have been able to give us pretty unique updates that have gone into far more detail than anyone else has managed to. So thank you, it's really been appreciated by many enthusiasts and guests on this site and many other websites.

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So... it seems there's still quite a bit of work to be done ready for the opening tomorrow. They are cutting it quite short! Luckily all the major jobs are done and it just looks like minor ones now, but still, it looks like work will be done on site all day today and even overnight!

I'm concerned about not all the trains being on the track. Hopefully throughput will not be horrific. Lets hope the ride team have picked up their training well and will get quick dispatches going throughout the day.

With only 3 trains on the track, what happens with the other two? Will they wear those trains in during the day? Or overnight when the ride is closed? Or will they just be left for a few months? I'm not sure how things like this work...

If the Alton Towers website is anything to go by, The Smiler won't be opening tomorrow.

Danny said:

If the Alton Towers website is anything to go by, The Smiler won't be opening tomorrow.

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Where on the website are you looking?

The main Smiler page still says 23rd May. If it wasn't going to be open tomorrow, surely they would have said by now in an official announcement.

They have taken it down now. Weird.

For anyone confused the altontowers.com website had this written on the top of the page: "Due to unforeseen teething problems, The Smiler will not be open on 23rd May."

Although it's now been removed for some reason.

Now is not the time for the resort to mess us around.

Danny said:

If the Alton Towers website is anything to go by, The Smiler won't be opening tomorrow.

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Why do you say that? I've just had a look and can't see anything immediately obvious that's of concern?

Oh dear, this is not looking good

Why not announce this at the start of the week, until waiting for the night before.

Ian

Still can't see this on the site, how odd. Terrible if it is true though, more egg on face moments for them :/

Did anyone get a screengrab?

Just checked the AT twitter, and all the tweets are about it opening tomorrow. It's too late for them to pull out without losing a hell of a lot of face now.

Taken from TT:



However upon clicking the link, I was taken to a link broken page.

I will be both happy and RAGING WITH ANGER.

Do NOT mess with people like this Towers, get your **** together and announce something or don't!

Honestly the operations side of this park is a joke sometimes. That will now spread around. An establishment of this nature should not be doing this.

Viewed the site in both IE and Chrome now and can't see this message anywhere. I think someone might be trolling tbh

I think it would be best to give the park the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake for now. No point slagging them off until they make an official announcement.

I haven't got a twitter account, but maybe someone should tweet them and get an official answer about the message on the website?

Woh this is not official yet and AT have removed it. It might have been a planned message for earlier in the week which was then not used. Maybe a mistake?

If not this will be a PR disaster for AT. Hundreds of people will be booked into the hotel and thousands more planning to travel down. Let's hope it is a mistake! :-[

andyramone said:

I haven't got a twitter account, but maybe someone should tweet them and get an official answer about the message on the website?

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Just asked them via Twitter to confirm it