• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

The Smiler - General Discussion

While The Smiler certainly isn't the smoothest of coasters, and I find it can be a tad inconsistent in the smoothness department, I certainly wouldn't say it's unbearably rough by any means! I still love the attraction; it's currently still my #2 coaster at Alton Towers, my #4 in the UK and my #7 overall, so I definitely have a lot of love for the ride! The ride also holds a very special place in my heart, as watching it get built was the very thing that set me on the path of theme park enthusiasm in the first place!

Also, as @AstroDan mentioned above, it was unrealistic to expect Mako or Icon levels of smoothness from a coaster that packs nearly 4,000ft of track into a space little bigger than that of the average Vekoma Boomerang. Smoothness was never really The Smiler's greatest strength to start with; that award would go to its insanity and out and out relentlessness! The ride never lets up from the second you crest the first lift hill to the second you hit the final brake run!
 
Matt N said:
While The Smiler certainly isn't the smoothest of coasters, and I find it can be a tad inconsistent in the smoothness department, I certainly wouldn't say it's unbearably rough by any means! I still love the attraction; it's currently still my #2 coaster at Alton Towers, my #4 in the UK and my #7 overall, so I definitely have a lot of love for the ride! The ride also holds a very special place in my heart, as watching it get built was the very thing that set me on the path of theme park enthusiasm in the first place!

Also, as @AstroDan mentioned above, it was unrealistic to expect Mako or Icon levels of smoothness from a coaster that packs nearly 4,000ft of track into a space little bigger than that of the average Vekoma Boomerang. Smoothness was never really The Smiler's greatest strength to start with; that award would go to its insanity and out and out relentlessness! The ride never lets up from the second you crest the first lift hill to the second you hit the final brake run!
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this - and i don't think it's that rough. Taylor from Coaster Studios got it exactly right for me. If you hold your head forward you don't bang it. Honestly, i find Nemesis more of a head banger.

As you say, it was never going to be as smooth as Icon, but for all it packs in, and into a small space, it's a very impressive ride, and the longest coaster at Towers. and it never lets up. I also love the stop before the second lift hill, as it gives you time to get a breather.

Never feel like i've had a great day out at Towers unless i've been on The Smiler and Nemesis.
 
djtruefitt said:
The lights at the bottom of lift one are now working again, however the audio is still very quiet here.
Click to expand...

Sorry off topic here but the audio was quiet everywhere today. I can understand why they’ve turned that audio down at the bottom of the lift hill as it was obnoxiously loud.
 
Laura91 said:
Sorry off topic here but the audio was quiet everywhere today. I can understand why they’ve turned that audio down at the bottom of the lift hill as it was obnoxiously loud.
Click to expand...
Yeah but it is still a bit too quiet. Just turning it up a little bit would be perfect.

On a different topic, they really need to lose that strobe in the correction block. Other than that, effects were working great last week. The innoculator was working and the projection mappings look really good.
 
I liked the obnoxiously loud music, it fitted in with the whole disorientation thing. You come out of the roll, stop at the bottom of the lift with the music too loud for you to be able to get concentrate, then you're going through the first roll before you've got your wits back!
 
SRQ took 30 mins in saturday. There were groups in it, but they were batched separately.

I was back left and it bashed me about a bit, but I am 6’ 3”. Also the soft rubber bits on the restraints absolutely honked.
 
Ive been quite impressed with how smooth Smiler has been this season
Until last ride yesterday and the train with a flat spot on a wheel
Actually felt more like it had square wheels
How it didn’t shake it’s self to bits is a mistery
Hope it’s been picked up in last nights checks It will be playing Russian rullette today :confused:
 
Out of interest, does anyone know if any work has occurred in terms of the actual coaster to Smiler over the off-season? As I've heard quite a few people now saying that it's running smoother and better this year.
 
Matt N said:
Out of interest, does anyone know if any work has occurred in terms of the actual coaster to Smiler over the off-season? As I've heard quite a few people now saying that it's running smoother and better this year.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know that too.

Although, too be honest, i found it pretty smooth last year as well, it just seems to agree with me.
 
I've never had an issue with roughness on The Smiler in any row. It's not glass smooth, but I don't understand how people find it unbearable. Maybe I'm just lucky.
 
Matt N said:
Out of interest, does anyone know if any work has occurred in terms of the actual coaster to Smiler over the off-season? As I've heard quite a few people now saying that it's running smoother and better this year.
Click to expand...
As I said a few pages back, there’s certainly something been done to at least the first lift hill, as when the train engages with the chain, it is much less jolty now than it was before.
 
Other than the jolts the reason Smiler is rough is the fast compound wheels they have to use to stop it stalling. These have 2 issues:

1) harder wheels results in less absorption of the bumps in the track.

2) The wheels wear out quicker so if you get a train that’s due wheel replacement you get a tougher ride. And this happens more frequently on Smiler than other coasters due to the short replacement window.
 
I have a question, i think the staff on The Smiler are really good. Always chatty, friendly and efficient. Anyone know the name of the guy who's often in the ops cabin? I waved to him today when my ride was dispatched. A few hours later he was mopping up where the baggage hold used to be.

He saw me and thanked me for the wave and we had a nice chat, top guy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top