If you ask me Th13teen was a good name to choose. Better than Surrender like we thought it might be at first. If the ride is called
The anything I shall be very disapointted. Alton have always had a way of selecting snappy, one word titles for their rides which sum them up. Nemesis, Oblivion, Air, Hex, Duel, Th13teen. They all role off the tongue well, and the simplicity of them sticks in the mind. Not only that, but they all have a good tie to the rides theme I'd say.
Duel - A name derived from the concept of a battle between two things. Links into the ride concept.
Hex - An old name used for a spell or curse. Has a strong link to the curse the hag placed upon the Earl.
Nemesis - A word used to describe an enemy usually. The alien is almost the villain of the story.
Oblivion - Bottomless nothingness (Best way I could describe it
). The theme is you are entering oblivion... Need I say more?
Adding "The" before a name cheapens the effect I think. All of a sudden it sucks the spark and character from a ride I think, and takes away its personality, leaving behind the implication that it is just a tool or object. The rides need charm and character to them. It's what makes them magical!
The whole Smile name idea in itself is pretty dire if you ask me. It's the cheapest and easiest connection they could possibly make to the theme, and comes across as very unimaginative and dull. All I can think of is a fairground with a Jump&Smile. It's a poor excuse for a name at somewhere like Alton. Calling it The Smile makes it much worse in my opinion!
It was the same with The Swarm. Swarm on its own is rather good I think. It captures what the ride is all about, and is a short snappy title which sticks. Putting The before it has somewhat ruined it if you ask me (Yes I realise that the name refers to the swarm of creatures attacking, but that doesn't mean that it needs the in the name. Nemesis' name refers to the Nemesis monster itself, and Hex refers to the curse, but that doesn't mean they have to have the in the title).
Alton and Studios can be far more creative than calling this ride The Smile (or similar). I really hope that these suggestions prove to be nothing more than that personally ???
</The "the" rant>