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[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

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Someone at TT is trying way too hard to get exclusives.

If it was me I wouldn't have even announced this information as news, even if it was 100% confirmed. There's still every chance the park could miss whatever their current deadline happens to be so you only set people up for disappointment if they make plans based on the information.
 
cotda said:
That, children, is what is called a publicity stunt!
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More like a cupid stunt? (er, because they love coasters, hence cupid, for our younger readers.... ;D)
 
Tim said:
Someone at TT is trying way too hard to get exclusives.

If it was me I wouldn't have even announced this information as news, even if it was 100% confirmed. There's still every chance the park could miss whatever their current deadline happens to be so you only set people up for disappointment if they make plans based on the information.
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Agreed. I wasn't around for the TT / TST split and whilst I don't want to fan the flames of something that I don't fully understand I must agree that they are rapidly losing credibility with these gaffs.

The pictures that have come out over the past few days have got me really excited, but I've been equally concerned at just how much is left to do. Supports still in the car park, lift hills not in, no sign of trains, loads of landscaping still to be done etc... then I'd assume you need to allow upto a month for testing before getting final HSE sign off... I certainly wouldn't put a dime on it being open in two months!
 
I wouldn't say TowersTimes are losing credibility. It's a hard job running a fan site - and often hard decisions have to be made, especially when receiving sensitive information. The team here have had to make hard decisions in the past. That's what you get really with running sites. I will admit though they (TowersTimes) could have handled it better. But who am I to judge.

Anyway, a bit off topic now!

They could still be capable of opening it in May. Just at the end of the month. Track seems to be going up rather quickly now. The Marmaliser is also on site having work done to it so they do seem to be getting a move on. The delays have mainly seem to have been due to ground works - of which the majority is now done. They must have come into some problems with the soil in that area by the looks of it.
 
I personally think we'll see a 31st May opening at this rate. Have any other large scale Alton Towers projects been this delayed?
 
I emailed the park last week with a genuine question about a Tesco Reward ticket I had which expired end of April and asked what the policy was with that ticket regards to missing the Smiler opening. Here is the exact email I got back from Alton Towers Guest Services...

We do not currently have a confirmed opening date, but we expect the ride to be fully open in May with previews to be confirmed in April. Please keep checking our webiste for full detais.

Take from that what you will, but as mentioned, thats from Guest Services.
 
PeteA said:
I emailed the park last week with a genuine question about a Tesco Reward ticket I had which expired end of April and asked what the policy was with that ticket regards to missing the Smiler opening. Here is the exact email I got back from Alton Towers Guest Services...

We do not currently have a confirmed opening date, but we expect the ride to be fully open in May with previews to be confirmed in April. Please keep checking our webiste for full detais.

Take from that what you will, but as mentioned, thats from Guest Services.
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That's possibly the least useful reply ever constructed. They will no doubt have preview dates in mind by the end of April, by which time they can announce them. And they've already widely advertised that the ride will be open in May. If anything, "we expect" sounds less confident.
 
What was clear to me when I went up on opening day and saw it in the flesh is that there was no way on earth they would have ever got that opened for March. Plus, a staff member told me that a major reason for the delay was that an embankment collapsed 3 times during construction and work had to stop while they resolved the problem.

Either way, March was far too optimistic.
 
Ian said:
Rollercoasters4Life said:
TowersStreet said there is a mug with 14 loops on it maybe standing for 14 inversions. Here is said mug:

486597_458493954221054_1559933828_n.jpg

(Credit: Jordan)

13 loops that you can see. Surely if there is one more at the top out of view to make 14 then there could be room for another at the bottom?
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What's even stranger, I looked in Towers Trading, and the hotel shops yesterday. These mugs were no where to be found... Someone let some stock out on sale too early perhaps?..
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I was over-hearing a staff member talking to a guest on Sunday, she was saying merchandise for The Smiler was already selling well despite the fact that the ride wasn't even open. Maybe the mug had just sold out as well as some of the shirts and hoodies.
 
^ I'm pretty sure it was taken off sale. There were lots of them in the ATH shop on Saturday morning yet by the evening they had all gone and been replaced with the syringe mug. And there were none of them to be found in Towers Trading. Apparently the mug changes when it has a hot liquid in it though. Has anyone who managed to buy one tried this yet to see if it reveals anything?

:)
 
Highly unlikely. This mug was only found in the hotel, and unless all the hotel guests purchased the mug and then ran into the park at the start of Saturday to buy all the stock in Towers Trading, chances are it was taken off due to spoilers. A conversation I had with a member of staff in the hotel seemed to point in this direction.
 
I had this thought about the 'not knowing theme' of X sector and how new ride ties in with that.

Basically many people don't really know what goes on in a mental asylum. For me atleast, a mental has an aura of mystery where people are carted off and locked up somewhere and thats it. You don't really hear what happens. lol, So I think, even though the whole coaster is on show, thats what AT are tapping into, including with the secret elemant. I guess they could be saying "THIS is what happens at an asylum".
 
BFuinWnCUAE2tfn.jpg:large

Thanks to JayJay90 (via his twitter)

Thats 3 pieces of track that have been put up today and the day isn't over yet...

They are also doing more work on the station and digging is happening at the top of the site.
 
Ooooh! That final twist does look rather special from that angle. :D

(Fanboys take note, I can praise things Alton do... sometimes.)
 
Rob said:
Apparently the mug changes when it has a hot liquid in it though. Has anyone who managed to buy one tried this yet to see if it reveals anything?

:)
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When the mug has hot water in it the black section at the back reveals the smiler logo
 
Rollercoasters4Life said:
BFuinWnCUAE2tfn.jpg:large

Thanks to JayJay90 (via his twitter)

Thats 3 pieces of track that have been put up today and the day isn't over yet...

They are also doing more work on the station and digging is happening at the top of the site.
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It looks one mighty fine ride :)
 
I wonder when they are going to fill in the holes around the supports?
65566_460030227400760_194823737_n.jpg

They're all over the rest of the ride as well from what pictures I've seen.

I do wonder how it's standing, whether they have been bolted down, or a small amount of concrete has been put in the bottom? Or is it just freestanding in the holes for now? :p
 
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