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The Smiler - General Discussion

Everyone says Nemesis vs Smiler...you're all having a laugh.

Black Hole was the best ride on the park with Thunder Looper coming a close second!

Why? Simple really, Schwarzkopf will always be top tier no matter whatever any coaster company will produce so it is no coincidence that both those coasters are still looked on fondly after all these years compared to other closed rides. I rest my case...Schwarzkopf for life! :cool: 🤟
 
I had two rides on it yesterday and the first was the smoothest ride I’ve ever had, the second not so much. I’ve got a shoulder injury and smiler didn’t aggregate it at all, didn’t brave nemesis in comparison
 
MaxPower said:
Or drowning in the queue line when it rains.....

On a side note, the presentation of the Smiler at the moment is appalling. Grime all over the place and lots of things not working.

Hopefully they give it a bit of a spruce up for next year.
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The presentation needs a brush up for sure - however, this year the coaster has been - largely - running like clockwork, with quick dispatches and great operations and not that much downtime, which i think is often overlooked.
 
In summary I think the issues people have with The Smiler are:-

- it is very unkempt and grubby looking
- the theming quality is substandard and hasn’t been repaired as it has deteriorated
- for those who have been around since the inception of X-Sector, it is a jarring contrast to the original ethos of the area which was to be understated and mysterious
- the build quality is evidently poor. While the ride may not be ‘rough’ in the traditional sense, there is definitely just something off when riding it. The vibrating floor of the train and numerous badly profiled sections to name a few
- one of the most poorly designed and botched queuelines in the country (although I appreciate some people do enjoy the atmosphere)

For what its worth, I enjoy the ride but the overall package could have been better.
 
MaxPower said:
Or drowning in the queue line when it rains.....

On a side note, the presentation of the Smiler at the moment is appalling. Grime all over the place and lots of things not working.

Hopefully they give it a bit of a spruce up for next year.
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Agreed, surely towers think it’s time for a repaint too. The track is in a dire state, well pretty much everything is. Maybe it’s just a logistical nightmare to be able to get the relevant equipment in to be able to clean and paint. Should that be true, it’s yet again another thing towers overlooked when constructing this ride.
 
Ethan said:
Fair enough then, I stand corrected. I always assumed nemmy fans feared her title as the best coaster at towers was in jeopardy and thought giving smiler a bad rep would solve the issue
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Who decides this mythical title? Why would it be an issue if someone else thinks my favourite ride is not their favourite ride? The whole thing is madness!

I wouldn't mind betting that when The Smiller comes to the end of its working life it won't be rebuilt like Nemesis is being. From that point of view in 20 something years 'team' Nemesis might 'win'...
 
I finally rode Smiler last night, and got front row! It was awesome, quite smooth and I didn't even feel either of the jolts. Here's my photo:


7cad05e6-6042-42d8-b29e-02f90e78093c.jpg

Did make me feel a little nauseous towards the end of the second half though, but I wasn't surprised.

Also, a funny thing happened in the queue; Someone was vaping (tut tut) so the op did an announcement calling them out and threatened to send someone out with a bucket of water if they didn't stop. 🤣
 
Skyscraper said:
Also, a funny thing happened in the queue; Someone was vaping (tut tut) so the op did an announcement calling them out and threatened to send someone out with a bucket of water if they didn't stop. 🤣
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Got to love some ride ops having fun like that. :p

I remember a few years ago while queing for Nash the ride op was is a fairly cheerful mood by singing, rather poorly I might add. Then one chav told him to shut up, only for the ride op to roast him by singing some impressive improv which caused us to lose it. I bet others have funny stories to tell.
 
Skyscraper said:
I finally rode Smiler last night, and got front row! It was awesome, quite smooth and I didn't even feel either of the jolts. Here's my photo:


7cad05e6-6042-42d8-b29e-02f90e78093c.jpg

Did make me feel a little nauseous towards the end of the second half though, but I wasn't surprised.

Also, a funny thing happened in the queue; Someone was vaping (tut tut) so the op did an announcement calling them out and threatened to send someone out with a bucket of water if they didn't stop.
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The person next to you doesn't seem very happy!
 
Skyscraper said:
I finally rode Smiler last night, and got front row! It was awesome, quite smooth and I didn't even feel either of the jolts. Here's my photo:


7cad05e6-6042-42d8-b29e-02f90e78093c.jpg

Did make me feel a little nauseous towards the end of the second half though, but I wasn't surprised.

Also, a funny thing happened in the queue; Someone was vaping (tut tut) so the op did an announcement calling them out and threatened to send someone out with a bucket of water if they didn't stop. 🤣
Click to expand...
Ok but the real question is do you think it's the best on park
 
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jmc said:
In summary I think the issues people have with The Smiler are:-

- it is very unkempt and grubby looking
- the theming quality is substandard and hasn’t been repaired as it has deteriorated
- for those who have been around since the inception of X-Sector, it is a jarring contrast to the original ethos of the area which was to be understated and mysterious
- the build quality is evidently poor. While the ride may not be ‘rough’ in the traditional sense, there is definitely just something off when riding it. The vibrating floor of the train and numerous badly profiled sections to name a few
- one of the most poorly designed and botched queuelines in the country (although I appreciate some people do enjoy the atmosphere)

For what its worth, I enjoy the ride but the overall package could have been better.
Click to expand...
Was rough as hell yesterday, shaking, vibrating and jolting around the track, must have square wheels on it? The roughness wouldn't be too much of a problem if the ride wasn't as long. Corkscrew was a headbanger but was over relatively quickly.

It's a shame because when you ride the parks B&M's that are now 20+ years in age and they are still smooth you have to wonder how long it will last before management decide it's either too rough or it needs a major overhaul or part redesign.
 
RIPCorky said:
Was rough as hell yesterday, shaking, vibrating and jolting around the track, must have square wheels on it?
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This is exactly the nasty rough experience that some of us here have had with it and it makes me laugh when others say “It’s not that rough” and that they’ve never had a bad ride on it. There’s something going on with it, did you happen to catch what number car you were in for the ride?
 
Rick said:
Rough as a badger's ...
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It really was on both times I rode it this year. Corkscrew rough but with 12 more inversions! The only smooth parts I experienced were the first inversion indoors and the 2 air time hills. Up until my 2 latest rides in early October I never found it overly rough apart from in the usual places.
 
RIPCorky said:
Was rough as hell yesterday, shaking, vibrating and jolting around the track, must have square wheels on it? The roughness wouldn't be too much of a problem if the ride wasn't as long. Corkscrew was a headbanger but was over relatively quickly.

It's a shame because when you ride the parks B&M's that are now 20+ years in age and they are still smooth you have to wonder how long it will last before management decide it's either too rough or it needs a major overhaul or part redesign.
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Which row were you on if you can remember? I was very lucky the other week and got the front row for my first ride, which was nice and smooth, but I'm well aware that it's not like that in the other rows.
 
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