Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Black Hole
Nope, Hang Time at Knott’s has lap bars and that’s just as janky.
I don’t hit my head on smiler, I can’t because it flies off along with half my spine on inversion 12,13 and 14.
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Smiler vs Nemesis
- Thread starter Ethan
- Start date
I don’t hit my head on smiler, I can’t because it flies off along with half my spine on inversion 12,13 and 14.
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Wicker Man's lap bars are not comfortable if they come down further during the ride or you're stapled. I speak from experience!
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GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ug Bugs
There are all sorts of private clubs and websites for people who like that sort of stuff, if that's your thing.
Ironically the only ride I tend to get stapled on is Smiler. I’m not a fan of the restraints I won’t lie but fortunately I never get any headbanging it can just be a bit tight on the legs
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
In the grand scheme of things, I actually don’t find Smiler ridiculously rough for the most part. It definitely has its moments even when it’s running smoothly (the ending comes to mind!), and it can be pretty rough if you strike it on a particularly bad run.
However, on an average run, I’d say that while it’s a bit rough, it’s pretty far from being the roughest coaster I’ve ridden. It’s probably the roughest of the big 7 at Alton Towers for me, but I think that’s more down to most of Alton Towers’ coasters being pretty smooth.
Note my use of the phrase average run, though. As I said before, I find The Smiler very inconsistent. In March 2023, I had a really smooth ride that was the best I’d had on it in quite some time, but some of the rides I had on it in 2022 were pretty rough and nauseating.
However, on an average run, I’d say that while it’s a bit rough, it’s pretty far from being the roughest coaster I’ve ridden. It’s probably the roughest of the big 7 at Alton Towers for me, but I think that’s more down to most of Alton Towers’ coasters being pretty smooth.
Note my use of the phrase average run, though. As I said before, I find The Smiler very inconsistent. In March 2023, I had a really smooth ride that was the best I’d had on it in quite some time, but some of the rides I had on it in 2022 were pretty rough and nauseating.
NuttySquirrel
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Batman: Gotham City Escape
Apart from Bandit!
I do think one's definition of 'rough' is very subjective and therefore it's not really valid to judge someone's enjoyment or otherwise of a 'rougher' coaster. I find Smiler frequently unpleasant and Saw unrideable, however I'm generally fine with rougher woodies - such as Megafobia before the retrack which I actually genuinely enjoyed.
Regardless, pitting a world-class B&M against an only decent Gerstlauer seems like a pretty pointless debate to me.
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
Rough coasters vary from the great (Wild Mouse, T'Ulty) to the dreadful (Bandit, Infusion)
Smiler is decent but not amazing
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ug Bugs
Infusion over The Smiler. If I'm going to queue around pools of water, I'd rather they were intentional and not down to poor drainage.
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
That's taking things too far.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Wow, that’s a controversial one! If you don’t mind me asking, is it just because of the queue that you prefer Infusion to Smiler, or do you prefer the ride too?
Personally, I remember finding Infusion absolutely hideous, and would take The Smiler over it by an absolute country mile any day of the week. Even after having ridden Hero at Flamingo Land, I’m not wholly convinced that Infusion isn’t still my least favourite coaster… Hero could just have topped it, but it’s certainly right down there for me.
Each to their own, however! You’re fully entitled to hold that opinion, and I’m only saying that I personally profusely disagree with it. Only you can compare the experiences you have on these rides, and I have no right to dispute that!
I should say that I’ve only ridden Infusion once, and that once was over 5 years ago, so maybe I caught it on a particularly bad day…
See to me Infusion is like Nemesis but just not as comfortable or intense. I think it’s an alright ride. Not done Odyssey before but I have done Kumali and that’s underrated imo it’s easily the 2nd best ride at Flamingo
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
The SLCs are a weird one, because while I found Infusion abysmal, Kumali was not nearly as bad.
It was a bit rough in places, but it was not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, and it had some good inversions and moments of intensity! Kumali’s not one of my favourite coasters, but I didn’t dislike it, and I’d probably agree with you on it being my 2nd favourite Flamingo Land coaster.
I also haven’t done Odyssey.
Even Kumali pales in comparison to Nemesis for me, though. For me, both SLCs also pale in comparison to Nemesis Inferno, a ride that I personally think is fantastic! I definitely think Inferno is an overlooked invert, and on a good day for it, I dare say that I may even like it slightly more than Nemesis… although we shall see how the retrack changes things there.
Oh I agree neither of them are near Nemesis that’s for sure. Went back to Thorpe in 2023 for first time in years and I thought Inferno was a bit meh personally. Was quite surprised by the lack of force compared to the original. I thought Swarm felt much more intense than Inferno. That turn over the water before the 3rd inversion is pretty damn intense. Beautiful ride Swarm is I wish Towers had something like that. Stealths launch is great but the ride doesn’t do a lot for me it’s way too short. Colossus was closed annoyingly as I was quite excited to see how that compared to Smiler. Talking of comparing to Smiler, Saw absolutely gave me Smiler VIBES. The ride experience fits the theme it did feel like a Saw trap it’s quite a violent ride, made Smiler seem quite smooth in comparison
Earthwürm
TS Member
For me, this is because from the moment you enter the queue, The Smiler could be anywhere in the world (albeit somewhere damp). If you lift that ride up and plonk it down at another park, the experience is exactly the same. All of the other SW's use something about their environment to their advantage, the topography, the foliage, the landscape, all distinctive to Alton Towers, and therein lies the magic.
The Smiler has concrete and grime akin to certain areas of towns and cities the world over.
Sure, The Smiler has interesting views from the top, but if anything they pull you out of the ride experience rather than draw you in. They don't feel as though they're there by design.
pluk
TS Member
What does this even mean? A bias would imply that people here had some sort of vested interest in one ride or the other, like we work for B&M or something. The reality is a vast number of people simply consider Nemesis to be a better ride, and you can't undermine that with comments like this.
Na, to be fair, this is a thoosie site, and thoosies hold nemesis in high esteem.
I took my "GP" niece in law on nemesis, and got "Is that it?"...after hearing all the hype, she thought it too short and lacking in height!
If this was a non thoosie site, I bet it would be more 50/50.
Not that I like backing our Ethan up mind.
I took my "GP" niece in law on nemesis, and got "Is that it?"...after hearing all the hype, she thought it too short and lacking in height!
If this was a non thoosie site, I bet it would be more 50/50.
Not that I like backing our Ethan up mind.
Benjsh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Tis a very good point. The Smiler queue might be the one of the worst I have ever experienced.
Katy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Batman Gotham City Escape
Back row, right hand side on the Big One is my all time favourite ride, I'd hardly say that is a smooth experience. I love woodies too - the older woodies also throw you around a bit. I'll come off in the mindset of "Well you know you've been on a rollercoaster if it's thrown you about a bit". I'm fine with a slightly rough ride as long as there's no OTSRs (especially ones as disgusting as the Smiler ones) right next to my head.
I'm assuming you are relatively young - some of the "less young" amongst us just don't like the rougher rides any more. I could lap the Ultimate when I was 20, if it was still there now (approaching 40) it'd probably be a "one and done" on a visit.
You're comparing Nemesis (a forceful, relatively smooth B&M) to the Smiler (a slightly rough, with that jolt near the end, Gerstlauer). Rating Nemesis over the Smiler does not make someone a "wuss". A lot of comments here have said that they still ride the Smiler, very few - if any - have said they won't go on it ever again.