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General Queue Times Discussion 2023

rob666 said:
As said, it is the school holidays...2 hour queues are expected when some rides go down.
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Also it's the smiler. I know people on here don't like to admit it but it's the one ride majority of teenagers and young adults care about the most evidently
 
rob666 said:
They don't care about it, it is just the record breaking looper.
All the coasters got two/three hour queues in their first few years as the "big new coaster".
The smiler holds its novelty value because it remains the world's loopiest.
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So do you think once it's record gets beaten it won't be regarded as high anymore. I probably agree
 
rob666 said:
They don't care about it, it is just the record breaking looper.
All the coasters got two/three hour queues in their first few years as the "big new coaster".
The smiler holds its novelty value because it remains the world's loopiest.
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It's a very unique experience, a big eye catcher one that enthusiasts across the world have high on their bucketlist, lots of people when talking about Alton towers or British theme parks in general will instantly turn to the smiler.

I'm biased because it's my #1 coaster but I do know it pulls in a lot of people, Imo we're very lucky to have such a big ride that's so recognizable and puts British theme parks on the map.

Edit: forgot this was even the queue times discussion for a minute lol, but regardless I think the smiler will continue to pull crowds as long as it gets good up keep and keeps riding well like it has in recent years.
 
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It won’t be any less popular when it’s record gets broken, as the new record breaker will definitely not be in this country. The Smiler will no doubt always be the ride with the most inversions in the UK. Most general visitors probably aren’t going to go wherever the new record holder with be either - enthusiasts will, but standard public won’t.
 
Danscott22 said:
It won’t be any less popular when it’s record gets broken, as the new record breaker will definitely not be in this country. The Smiler will no doubt always be the ride with the most inversions in the UK. Most general visitors probably aren’t going to go wherever the new record holder with be either - enthusiasts will, but standard public won’t.
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I wouldn’t be so sure that the next inversion record breaker won’t be in the UK, personally. I’m sure plenty of people said that when Colossus was still the record holder!
 
Problem is only Merlin can afford to buy 20+ million coasters in the uk.
Anyway the Smiler is the best coaster in the park so gets the biggest queue followed by Wickerman and Thirteen.
I wonder how bad they be next season when Nemesis gets new track.
 
Matt N said:
I wouldn’t be so sure that the next inversion record breaker won’t be in the UK, personally. I’m sure plenty of people said that when Colossus was still the record holder!
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I dunno, it feels like The Smiler came at a time where we’d expect world first/record holders at Alton Towers. I can’t see any other UK park building a coaster that has at least 15 inversions.
 
Ethan said:
Majority of non enthusiasts will know the ride for what happened on it. By the looks of things though it seems as popular as ever so it's great to see the rides reputation hasn't diminished as much as I feared it would back in 2016 when it reopened
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The only thing that's diminished is its smoothness. Felt like my ears were about to be ripped of back on Friday. I might even say that colossus is smoother than the Smiler now :/. Shame, I absolutely adored it back in 2017 when I last and first went on it before last week. But now it defnitely made me appreciate Oblivion a lot more.
 
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Danscott22 said:
the highest Thrill queue time is 10 minutes at 11:38 - weather aside as the negative, you'd be getting on loads of rides today as it's 10-6!
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Change ride close to 2pm I say. Seriously though this is quieter than 4pm days what's the point its a waste of money. Surely towers can just set an opening time the day before based on the numbers expected to be on park
 
This is proof to me that they're not basing closing times on pre-books, as has been suggested. They are stating it is pre-book only still, and originally today was a 5pm close. I imagine the weather has played a part (plus final day of bank holiday) - but there's no way that most people who have pre-booked haven't shown.
 
Danscott22 said:
This is proof to me that they're not basing closing times on pre-books, as has been suggested. They are stating it is pre-book only still, and originally today was a 5pm close. I imagine the weather has played a part (plus final day of bank holiday) - but there's no way that most people who have pre-booked haven't shown.
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Unless you're a passholder why would anyone just not turn up. Just a waste of money. Unless guests reschedule their ticket they're non refundable so why would you spend £40 just to not bother going cus of a bit of rain? People must surely be changing the day they go they can't seriously be paying but not showing. If they've got that money to waste then I'll happily have it please
 
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