djtruefitt
TS Team
It was still there at Christmas, but I guess it could have left the park after then and has recently returned.
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2022: General Discussion
- Thread starter Danny
- Start date
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No rides in X Sector were open today so it could have been a non-Smiler related issue or they could have just been doing general work in X Sector which meant the area had to be closed off?
Either way, a company paid a lot of money to hire the UK’s headline theme park resort today and half of it was closed. It’s just not good enough and I hope whatever is wrong is sorted by the time their main season opens.
Either way, a company paid a lot of money to hire the UK’s headline theme park resort today and half of it was closed. It’s just not good enough and I hope whatever is wrong is sorted by the time their main season opens.
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Well anyone who books a theme park visit right at the start of the season should know that some rides might not be available.
AT86
TS Member
Why should your average theme park punter ‘know’ this?
Plastic Person
TS Member
I am not remotely invested in what was or wasn't available at Alton Towers today, but this is a nonsense statement. The vast majority of theme park visitors are not privy to forum gossip concerning operations, and even if they were, why shouldn't paying customers expect everything to be available?
As much as rides are bound to be temperamental at the start of the season, you've still got to understand that a company have spent lots of money and had they of known about some closures today they might not of bothered
When doesn't nemesis run well tbf
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
It does vary, from my experience. I’ve had some rides on Nemesis that have been really great, with great speed and little headbanging, but I’ve also had others that are either fairly slow in places (mainly the stall turns), a touch rough (although by no means unbearable) or both. For my money, it’s never a terrible coaster by any means, far from it in fact, but I think it does vary.
Although it must be said that all of my rides on Nemesis have been really great lately, so perhaps the weaker rides I had were just a brief low spell for the ride?
Perhaps your body has gotten better at handeling the forces or it feels different as you've got older, I've definitely noticed a quite big difference in how rides feel as I#ve gotten older and it wouldn't surprise me if that's a factor. Your body is still changing as a man until about 21 from what I understand.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I’m not sure it’s that per se; one thing I would say has developed about Nemesis as I’ve gotten older is that I often grey out in the helix nowadays, which I never did when I was younger. That is one thing that I’ll admit takes away from Nemesis for me; to be honest, it’s probably the deciding factor that puts Inferno above it at present, as Inferno has no grey-out moments per se. So that would suggest that I don’t handle the forces any better than I used to.
Also, the weaker rides on Nemesis seem to have been spread out a fair amount time-wise (both pre and post-puberty, as you refer to “change”), which would suggest it’s the ride and not me.
That is all conjecture on my part, though… I don’t know if that’s actually true.
Also what were the operations like on the other coasters? How many trains were nemesis, galactica, rita and th13teen on?
I think this a general problem that AT have, could they not just publish rides that are expected to be down or have planned maintenance on their website like other parks do?
Maybe they feel like the turn out would be significantly lower if they said in advance that the smiler would be shut
I've just looked and the gate price at pleasure beach is £42. Expensive but still £20 cheaper than towers. Then again given the gap in quality in the parks I'd much rather pay for towers. Blackpool have 1 good ride and that's it imo
Dave
TS Founding Member
They have a few good rides, Avalanche, revolution and most of the woodies for nostalgia sake. Icon is a reasonable kiddie coaster tbf.
In all seriousness Towers need to stop trying to do these buy out weekends if they want to open in December (which they should). Europa never really open before the start of April and they have far more closed season resource for maintenance.
13 - didn’t open until after 3pm, we never went to that part of the park as Rita was always at least an hour wait time and I’m not that fussed about riding it
Galactica - operations were fairly good, it was running 2 trains.
Nemesis - think it was only one one train but as always I found operations the best on this ride, we never waited more than 5 mins.
Spinball went down too around lunchtime and the staff said they had no idea what was wrong, we didn’t go back over as no point really with x sector closed.
Wicker man actually rode the best I’ve felt it ever today, or maybe it was just after waiting so long it felt better than it actually was, it just really spoiled it as it was so slow loading on 1 train
Galactica - operations were fairly good, it was running 2 trains.
Nemesis - think it was only one one train but as always I found operations the best on this ride, we never waited more than 5 mins.
Spinball went down too around lunchtime and the staff said they had no idea what was wrong, we didn’t go back over as no point really with x sector closed.
Wicker man actually rode the best I’ve felt it ever today, or maybe it was just after waiting so long it felt better than it actually was, it just really spoiled it as it was so slow loading on 1 train
djtruefitt
TS Team
I don’t think wicker man has ever ran one train since the ride opened. So this must be the first time ever for that!
It really is a poor show from towers. If I was JL I certainly wouldn’t be best pleased, even if they are offering return visits to those who went today.
These buy out days are sometimes a bit hit and miss, but never usually this bad. They’re certainly never had a whole area closed for the day before.
Towers are by far the worse park for lying (or ignoring the truth). I mean the smiler, rapids and Hex were closed for the final month of the season, but they refused to mention that on their website, fb, twitter or instagram pages. You’ll only know once you’ve got in to the park. Any other decent park (even Thorpe park) will put it on their website.
It really is a poor show from towers. If I was JL I certainly wouldn’t be best pleased, even if they are offering return visits to those who went today.
These buy out days are sometimes a bit hit and miss, but never usually this bad. They’re certainly never had a whole area closed for the day before.
Towers are by far the worse park for lying (or ignoring the truth). I mean the smiler, rapids and Hex were closed for the final month of the season, but they refused to mention that on their website, fb, twitter or instagram pages. You’ll only know once you’ve got in to the park. Any other decent park (even Thorpe park) will put it on their website.
Danscott22
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Smiler
I think with regards to The Smiler, as others have said, it is perhaps closed now not because of issues, but as the whole of X Sector is closed, it's more than likely the entire area just isn't ready yet.
Shaggy_Dog_
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ride To Happiness
I think that with regards to The Smiler, Alton Towers never actually specified why the ride was closed from September onwards last year or even confirmed that it was having an extended downtime for whatever reasons. I think it’s that lack of communication over what it going on with it adds to the frustration.
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