[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[Ian]

How AT are getting away with this, and within the GDO I'll never know! It's set to be huge!

 

[Rob]

Wow that is one big support! That is going to be very very visible from outside the park. I have a feeling the GDOs may be somewhat modified after this is built!

Definitely looks like another inverted support connection though!

 

[JB1985]

TT seem to have confirmed what many of us guess/knew/can see from the construction so far that the track layout is indeed different to that on the plans

http://old.towerstimes.co.uk/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1361389720&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1,11&

 

[Wilsy]

It's been clear for months now that the plans aren't accurate for the actual layout for ride, this has become even more obvious lately with the different groundwork and also the apparent inversion directly after one the lift hills

 

[rightbackgranty]

I was quite content with the designs that were with the original planning document! I do hope that the ride's layout doesnt become too congested with inversions, as there is nothing wrong with airtime hills.

Just have to wait and see. I'm out of country for 2 months from mid April and it will be quite a surprise to see what there is when I get back!

P.S - Not that I have any complaints about the ride - I'm over the moon with what I've seen so far, and the direction I think that it is going to go in. It's quite obviously going to be a beast of a ride - I just fear the risk of Alton Towers "trying too hard", a lot like they did with 13.

 

[Lottie.]

The latest supports that have been constructed baffle me

But I'm going to assume that they might be to do with the second lift hill. (Of course I could be wrong lol!)

 

[rightbackgranty]

error in posting location! Sorry.

I've projected my voice over to the Marketing Discussion instead! But to quote myself...

Heard that John Wardley was on Radio Bolton this morning so checked it out. Currently listening back to it - its well worth a listen! He sounds really enthusiastic about the ride and has a lot of interesting things to say!

He confirms (in a sort of summary piece + some quotes) -

Speaking about nem / air / oblivion - "well our new ride, its going to beat those"

Talking about the new ride - "the thing about this, the unique thing, is that whilst rides in the past have played with your body, this "marmalises you" - plays with your mind in 5 "mind manipulating elements" that you experience on the ride. Its more than just a physical rollercoaster"

"What weve managed to do is pack more track per m space on this ride than any other in the world" - also confirms the two "lifts" (one of which is vertical)

Also comments there are things to disorientate you to make it both physical and mental.

Also mentions a worlds first, never been done before - that they are holding back from the public before you ride.

Have a listen http://podcast.canstream.co.uk/boltonfm/index.php?page=3 - Mid Mornings top of the page, towards the end of the show (perhaps 4/5ths through)

 

[Nemesis94]

Hmm... Interesting. If these supports do turn out to be for zero-G/dive-rolls/whatever-you-want-to-call-them, that will take the number of inversions to 11, with possibly more to come. I still think the S-bend hill after the batwing will become a corkscrew of some description.

Anyway, I've found time this evening to have a quick tweak of the No Limits model to see what these inversions would look like. This was done very quickly, so supports are just a quick tweak of the existing ones. Personally, I think these inversions might spoil the pacing of the ride a little, but I suppose that will depend on the speed that the train goes through them.

View up towards the 1st of the new inversions:

View up towards the 2nd of the new inversions:

Overview of track above the toilets:

And finally, an aerial update from No Limits Airways :twirly: ...

 

[Alastair]

Great work on that! Any chance of releasing the updated NoLimits file for download? When you've got time obviously

 

[Sammy]

Oh yes... Please let the ride actually be like that! I love the way the turn swoops up into the roll's then just dives downwards into the rest of the madness!

I really do look forward to seeing the ride progress over the coming weeks!

 

[TheMan]

error in posting location! Sorry.

I've projected my voice over to the Marketing Discussion instead! But to quote myself...

Heard that John Wardley was on Radio Bolton this morning so checked it out. Currently listening back to it - its well worth a listen! He sounds really enthusiastic about the ride and has a lot of interesting things to say!

He confirms (in a sort of summary piece + some quotes) -

Speaking about nem / air / oblivion - "well our new ride, its going to beat those"

Talking about the new ride - "the thing about this, the unique thing, is that whilst rides in the past have played with your body, this "marmalises you" - plays with your mind in 5 "mind manipulating elements" that you experience on the ride. Its more than just a physical rollercoaster"

"What weve managed to do is pack more track per m space on this ride than any other in the world" - also confirms the two "lifts" (one of which is vertical)

Also comments there are things to disorientate you to make it both physical and mental.

Also mentions a worlds first, never been done before - that they are holding back from the public before you ride.

I think that is worth quoting again, just to really take in what JW is saying here.

He is taking two of the highest regarded coasters for differing reasons in coaster history, and saying it will beat them, with a Gerstlauer, on the site of a much loved but little indoor coaster in a tent.

If no one else reads that and thinks "Uh Oh, what has JW got planned here" you may need to read it again.

5 different psychological elements? A never done before world first (confirmation it isn't going to be only inversions... I stand by that is the world beating element though), and will beat all 3 B&Ms on park?

What on Earth is this man building?????

If this was the last coaster you planned on building, would you not try to make it your absolute dream coaster, fusing everything you have learned and loved down the years?

To do all that, and pull it off to the world class quality quoted above, and no offense but with a Gerst in a comparatively tiny area, with restrictions like Alton have?

Nemesis and Blivvy are and remain game changers. JW must, if that quote is accurate, (yet to listen) believe this to be his finest work ever.

He deserves it, I hope it is everything he hopes it will be, as if it is, guys and gals we could be in for a real, real treat.

 

[Josh]

Track was being moved to the site at the end of the day yesterday, I was stuck behind a tractor carrying a piece down the main drive

 

[Wilsy]

Rob has sent us the following photo of Smiler construction, it was taken not too long ago! I believe he will be around later with more updates.

 

[Illookdownifiwanto]

I was thinking there could be a really slow heartlined roll, but inside a tunnel that rotates, kind of like the one inside Duel, but the track inverts as well, and the tunnel rotates either the same way as the track so it looks like you're not inverting, or the opposite way to the track so it looks like you're inverting more. Or perhaps some sort of 'spin cycle' where it changes between the two at different speeds... :twirly:

 

[rightbackgranty]

The screengrab from the video does mention an "indoor heartline roll" - now this could mean that inversion that we already know about after the station drop, or a further inversion in the straight section before the first lift hill.

 

[smudge]

I was thinking there could be a really slow heartlined roll, but inside a tunnel that rotates, kind of like the one inside Duel, but the track inverts as well, and the tunnel rotates either the same way as the track so it looks like you're not inverting, or the opposite way to the track so it looks like you're inverting more. Or perhaps some sort of 'spin cycle' where it changes between the two at different speeds... :twirly:

I agree. Instead of trick track, we could have an effect that disorientates you. I think the video hints at this too:

 

[Ian]

From the way the process is listed in stages cab anyone else see this ride using multiple queueline videos which progress the story the closer you get to boarding the ride, ala Oblivion?

I really am loving watching this project develop. The sense of mystery and secrecy still surrounding the ride at this late stage is brilliant! It's probably one of the most successful SW projects on that basis. Let's just hope daytime TV doesn't get its snout in a day before opening and blow it all apart

 

[TheMan]

Let's just hope daytime TV doesn't get its snout in a day before opening and blow it all apart

Don't think JW will be letting that happen again, at least, he seems to allude to this in that interview from what I have read. That was the most ridiculous thing about SW6 development, put the lights on and show it on daytime TV to totally ruin what is supposed to be a surprise element (and actually really does work for those who don't know what it does). Imagine that same presenter came off with a huge smile and a "well, you didn't expect that!". Anyway that was just another in a catalog of almost Norman Wisdom style errors that were made in SW6 marketing, that thankfully, SW7 seems to have avoided.

Morwenna wasn't head of marketing, she was head of attention seeking - there is a rather big difference. For an example, note present The Smiler tactics lol.

Let's just hope they don't do a Swarm and actually undersell it, (clearly that isn't happening though).

 

[James]

Morwenna wasn't head of marketing, she was head of attention seeking - there is a rather big difference.

Eh?

Morwenna did exactly what was asked of her, to market a new thrill ride at Alton Towers. While Th13teen was always a family ride she just had to do what was asked of her. Like it or not Morwenna made 2010 one of the most successful years in Alton Towers' history.

 

[TheMan]

Morwenna wasn't head of marketing, she was head of attention seeking - there is a rather big difference.

Eh?

Morwenna did exactly what was asked of her, to market a new thrill ride at Alton Towers. While Th13teen was always a family ride she just had to do what was asked of her. Like it or not Morwenna made 2010 one of the most successful years in Alton Towers' history.

No James, Morwenna did her own interpretation of what was required of her, otherwise there would be no point employing her would there?

I have nothing against her personally of course, but the wide condemnation of her marketing is again rather obvious and it seems a bit silly to post a comment like that.

No one forced her to use those techniques or marketing spin, or as I say, if they did what on Earth was the point employing her? The person employing her and pulling the strings could have saved a no doubt decent wage!

And most successful based on what exactly? Also, at what cost? SW6 created mistrust in the brand, that much is also abundantly obvious. The THORPE style marketing was cheesy and not backed up by the hardware. In short, it was awful.

Some of the opinions on here are so far removed from that whichI have seen posted before by people, I have to wonder if it isn't actually just because they subconsciously cannot bring themselves to agree with me ;D

:twirly:

#getcorrected