[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[GAGrathea]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Rerecording and sorting an automated telephone message is a lot more work than changing a website, though, and it's not the marketing department's duty to inform hotel staff about things like this, so I'd imagine if there has been some kind of decision made about opening days it will work its way to the hotels within the next few days (or it may well have done if today they're being cagier than they were when I rang yesterday )

 

[Tim]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

They are advising would-be bookers for 16 March that it will be open. Pre-recorded messages stating this remain and it's also the official line from those taking phone bookings.

If you want to go down the route of staff in certain positions not knowing what they are talking about, then it all comes from the top. If an order to remove the countdown came because the project has been delayed, it would be sheer incompetence to not issue and immediate brief to telephone staff and get the pre-recorded message changed.

I get a sense of Déjà Vu, hasn't the park made this blunder before?

---

Anyway in my opinion this isn't a confirmation of the delay more a precaution. That website is the main way for people to find out about the ride. By removing the date from that site they are trying to act as if an opening date hasn't been set so that in the case there is a change only a handful of people (us for example) will realise it’s changed.

Or maybe they just took forgot to add it to the new design without thinking... seems unlikely.

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I get a sense of Déjà Vu, hasn't the park made this blunder before?

They'll pay for it with the subsequent bad PR if they do, they're aware of how Facebook complaints spread like wildfire now.

 

[Panda]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Finally caught up after a hefty amount of discussion, and this caught my eye..

Looks similar to:

And:

But the 'ties' on the first image of the steel found on site (I don't know what to call it!) are much thicker found on, say, Saw: The Ride or Typhoon shown above. This could obviously mean it would be much capable of holding stronger forces and extra weight on a vertical lift.. so could that mean we actually have a launched lift as heavily rumoured?

Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm tired and brain no work as of late.

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Rerecording and sorting an automated telephone message is a lot more work than changing a website, though, and it's not the marketing department's duty to inform hotel staff about things like this, so I'd imagine if there has been some kind of decision made about opening days it will work its way to the hotels within the next few days (or it may well have done if today they're being cagier than they were when I rang yesterday )

I don't accept that about the pre-recorded message being difficult to change or remove. You also didn't address the staff stating it will be open over the phone - this is theme park ticket booking staff as well, not just the hotels.

I CAN accept that those two things do not mean it will open on the 16th, but the only other explanation for them happening is gross incompetence by management - there is literally no other explanation for it happening.

 

[LiamC]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Finally caught up after a hefty amount of discussion, and this caught my eye..

Looks similar to:

And:

But the 'ties' on the first image of the steel found on site (I don't know what to call it!) are much thicker found on, say, Saw: The Ride or Typhoon shown above. This could obviously mean it would be much capable of holding stronger forces and extra weight on a vertical lift.. so could that mean we actually have a launched lift as heavily rumoured?

Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm tired and brain no work as of late.

I think they're going to be thicker to allow for the supposedly new larger, heavier trains that will be being used rather than for a launched lift hill. If we see a launch on this, i think it will be horizontal rather than vertical.

 

[GAGrathea]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Rerecording and sorting an automated telephone message is a lot more work than changing a website, though, and it's not the marketing department's duty to inform hotel staff about things like this, so I'd imagine if there has been some kind of decision made about opening days it will work its way to the hotels within the next few days (or it may well have done if today they're being cagier than they were when I rang yesterday )

I don't accept that about the pre-recorded message being difficult to change or remove. You also didn't address the staff stating it will be open over the phone - this is theme park ticket booking staff as well, not just the hotels.

I CAN accept that those two things do not mean it will open on the 16th, but the only other explanation for them happening is gross incompetence by management - there is literally no other explanation for it happening.

I'm not saying it's difficult, I'm saying it's clearly going to be a more time-consuming thing than just removing something from a website, as it involves getting someone to record the new voiceover before implementing it on the system.

If phoneline booking staff are still saying that the ride will definitely open on the 16th by tomorrow, then yes, that will suggest incompetence in parkwide communications (which has always been the case) but for all we know this could be something which has only just been decided, and that therefore taking the countdown off the site is a pre-emptive measure while a new date is discussed, and in this interim period it's easier to have staff sticking to the original information and - like the hotel manager was for me - offering to change the date in the event of the ride not opening, rather than saying "Well, we don't actually know when it's opening..." which gives a disorganised image.

Anyway, didn't someone who rang hotels today say they were being more cagey about it?

 

[TheMan]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I don't get your point Moley?

They are starting to look like numpties, but it is still all speculation is it not?

You will note I didn't say they are numpties.

The wrong kind of PR is once again leaking out, at least Morwenna kept people occupied!

 

[Dave]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I think people need to remember that its a big organisation, they will get the information to all dept when they decide to go official with the delay if its true

 

[Andrew]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

The metal structure matches the supports for the vertical lift, as seen in the plans, so we may see work on that starting soon.

The opening may be delayed, but it may not be yet. The countdown timer may have been removed because it didn't fit in with the new style page, or, as we are now speculating, the opening of the ride has been pushed back.

I guess we'll have to wait for official confirmation to find out the true story.

 

[TheMan]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

From the photos kindly posted yesterday, those steel frames look to be something to do with the station building to me. I'm sure it showed some of them erected.

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I feel the current webpage will have been designed for hours/days in advance. They haven't literally just removed the counter from it.

So, if the decision to remove it has been taken because of a delayed opening date, that strengthens the view that staff and messages should have been altered by now.

Any remotely competent manager would be saying "get everything related to the 16 March opening removed form the website and stop the staff saying it immediately" if there was a confirmed delay.

 

[Rob]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Right where do I start here.

Oh dear!! Alton Tower's you are beginning to look like numpties as this slowly is filtering out into the public domain.

I'm not sure they're beginning to look like numpties, if anything you are for making such a statement at this stage.

There are very few excuses for a project this small to be delayed if it is, other than terrible planning, which for an operation this size is inexcusable. SW6 was plagued with issues, technical, weather etc, and that still opened on time (I think marketing's hot air probably kept the site dry though ;D ).

It's hardly a small project! It is the biggest on park project they have undertaken for a long time, if not ever. I do agree that any delay is down purely to poor planning though and there are not really any excuses. If it was planned properly and in advance (which it clearly wasn't).

Rerecording and sorting an automated telephone message is a lot more work than changing a website, though, and it's not the marketing department's duty to inform hotel staff about things like this, so I'd imagine if there has been some kind of decision made about opening days it will work its way to the hotels within the next few days (or it may well have done if today they're being cagier than they were when I rang yesterday )

I don't accept that about the pre-recorded message being difficult to change or remove. You also didn't address the staff stating it will be open over the phone - this is theme park ticket booking staff as well, not just the hotels.

I CAN accept that those two things do not mean it will open on the 16th, but the only other explanation for them happening is gross incompetence by management - there is literally no other explanation for it happening.

Pre-recorded messages could well be difficult to change at such short notice. It is normally the same woman that does the voice for pre-recorded messages on the booking lines, and if they still want to keep continuity in the messages and said woman isn't available at short notice it may not be possible. Obviously no-one here can really say for sure as we don't know exactly how Towers do go about these things.

Also Towers have always had poor communication between different departments, so many people have been told different things by different departments at the Resort on numerous occasions; a big example of this is the availability of the Woodland Walk, Guest Services will tell you one thing and hotel staff will say something completely different. I do think it is something they need to address.

---

So a final point. The countdown clock being removed does suggest a delayed opening but I suppose it doesn't fully confirm it like I said earlier. It could be seen as more of a precaution for the time being. It does certainly imply that there is a strong possibility of a delayed opening though.

 

[Fredward]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I suspect the idea of vertical construction slowing to an almost stop over christmas because Alton Towers want Gerstlaeur staff there to supervise makes sense. If they are in risk of not opening on time, I think Alton Towers would want the staff to be supervised to make sure nothing goes wrong to further delay the process. If that's true, I can imagine the track to start going up quickly over the next couple of weeks.

If nothing does go wrong, the above is true and everything is ready to be plugged in and played, I can see them just about opening on time but that is a big IF. They are cutting it really fine. They are clearly behind schedule and hopefully this news could end the annoying "well do have access to the schedule then!?, so how do you know" comments, When it seemed blindingly obvious they are running behind.

Hopefully over Christmas all the electrics are ready for installation the moment the appropriate track is in place, and a lot of the base structure for the station is in place. Something cocked up somewhere. Don't know what, but there insistence on starting vertical construction until the park closed may very well have been there downfall.

Most rides in this country from what I've seen get all the track up before the season ends so gives them time to concentrate on all the station construction, wiring, theming ext. over closed season, it seems towers are trying to do everything at once... Let's see how that ends for them...


Another note

on Russell's pic

Spoiler

There are 2 yellow vehicles, one is obviously a crane, but the other. I prey it's just a loader to deliver the track parts to the site... but if it's a digger surely that means they still have landscaping to do.. that's not good news if that's the case.

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I feel that there is evidence that they are slowly learning from bad PR, especially in the wake of the recent Facebook changes where comments and likes on posts show up to your friends news feeds. You just have to assume everything relating to the opening would have been removed rapidly.

I am not ignoring all of the evidence to support the delay, the removal of the March reference everywhere etc - I think I am just on the side of it opening on time, but as I've said it would inexcusable incompetence for anything else to occur now.

 

[Moley]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I don't get your point Moley?

They are starting to look like numpties, but it is still all speculation is it not?

You will note I didn't say they are numpties.

The wrong kind of PR is once again leaking out, at least Morwenna kept people occupied!

So they should employ someone to sit 24/7 on message boards and Facebook/Twitter replying to every bit of speculation?

In unrelated news, I heard that the ride is postponed and will open in 2014. X Sector will be closed all 2013 as a result.

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

In unrelated news, I heard that the ride is postponed and will open in 2014. X Sector will be closed all 2013 as a result.

Do you live under a bridge or have fluorescent coloured hair by any chance?

 

[TheMan]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Seriously, Rob and Moley man, talk about using poetic license with my posts or what?

Shall I clarify this more for you both eh? Make sure I make it absolutely clear seeing as though you apparently couldn't be bothered to take my posts in context?

If you are going to quote me, quote me fully, clear?

I said that they are starting to look like numpties, with all this speculation - I did not say that they are and I also said it is all speculation of course and that I hope they do get it open on time.

They are the ones who removed the clock, not me. And yes it is a small project in comparison to many other coasters put up globally. It's a Gerst, known for their quick installations, the weather has not been bad, there is nothing as technical as SW6 to get right with their problems - even compared to their own projects such as Air, Nemmy, Blivvy and SW6 it is a small project by comparison.

Not even going to argue that point with you, it's so blatantly self evident!

 

[Moley]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

In unrelated news, I heard that the ride is postponed and will open in 2014. X Sector will be closed all 2013 as a result.

Do you live under a bridge or have fluorescent coloured hair by any chance?

I didn't but the project manager's cat who explained that to me by digging letters into it's litter tray did.

 

[Rob]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Seriously, Rob and Moley man, talk about using poetic license with my posts or what?

Shall I clarify this more for you both eh? Make sure I make it absolutely clear seeing as though you apparently couldn't be bothered to take my posts in context?

If you are going to quote me, quote me fully, clear?

I said that they are starting to look like numpties, with all this speculation - I did not say that they are and I also said it is all speculation of course and that I hope they do get it open on time.

They are the ones who removed the clock, not me. And yes it is a small project in comparison to many other coasters put up globally. It's a Gerst, known for their quick installations, the weather has not been bad, there is nothing as technical as SW6 to get right with their problems - even compared to their own projects such as Air, Nemmy, Blivvy and SW6 it is a small project by comparison.

Not even going to argue that point with you, it's so blatantly self evident!

EDIT: IN fact I even mentioned that the site may have thrown something up unexpected - wow how ignorant were you pair!

I'll quote as I wish, thanks! Especially when posts are long, I like to pick points out to be able to respond to them directly. Also I did not knowingly take anything out of context, if I took things out of context then it was because you did not make the context of certain points in your post clear.

You keep thinking this is a small project though. It clearly isn't. Since when was the size of a project determined purely by the coaster manufacturer? That is a new one to me. This is a large coaster, with the largest station building at Towers with the most amount of theming for a coaster at Towers and is costing more than any other coaster at Towers (yes I know Nemmy would have cost more with inflation and what not). This is a large project.