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The Smiler - General Discussion

AT86 said:
These new air con units are placed near where ride hosts are standing I believe?

The park have made various improvements across the park for staff this year, including new shelters to protect them from the elements. The air con could be part of those improvements.
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True, but are they paying them more/fairly?

As for The Smiler, the host at the merge has an almost impossible job and it would be better to design the single rider so it takes care of itself.

Then again, it’s typical Merlin having three queues and some people from the lift/exit all into one station and wonder why it sometimes doesn’t work.

Nice to see them painting it up a bit but really it needs track work, as does Saw.
 
Hi all,

I was just wondering when do you think towers will give the smiler the care, attention and detail it deserves.

I think this is still one of the general publics favourite coaster in park, but year after year it’s just overlooked when it consistently looks a state, I know they did some painting of the marmaliser but it’s not enough.

I’d love to see a full track paint, reroute of queue, sort out the drainage in queue, remove pipes and actually theme the station. I love the theme I just wish they could finish it off to the same standard of wickerman and nemesis
 
deathproof69 said:
Hi all,

I was just wondering when do you think towers will give the smiler the care, attention and detail it deserves.

I think this is still one of the general publics favourite coaster in park, but year after year it’s just overlooked when it consistently looks a state, I know they did some painting of the marmaliser but it’s not enough.

I’d love to see a full track paint, reroute of queue, sort out the drainage in queue, remove pipes and actually theme the station. I love the theme I just wish they could finish it off to the same standard of wickerman and nemesis
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This might be controversial but I don’t actually think Wicker and Nemesis are as well themed as people think. Don’t get me wrong the station, pre show and main structure on Wicker are nice, but the rest of the queue is pretty uneventful. Same with Nemesis the interior and exterior of the new station is fantastic but the rest of the queue is pretty plain and underwhelming. Just looks a bit messy in places and unfinished. I think Alton manor by a long way is the most complete experience theming wise at Towers. The queue, the rolling pre show, the ride itself, the exit- everything has been thought of and done to a pretty good standard. The Smiler gets away with having a bit of a messy queue because the views are amazing and it keeps you entertained while you wait
 
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deathproof69 said:
Hi all,

I was just wondering when do you think towers will give the smiler the care, attention and detail it deserves.

I think this is still one of the general publics favourite coaster in park, but year after year it’s just overlooked when it consistently looks a state, I know they did some painting of the marmaliser but it’s not enough.

I’d love to see a full track paint, reroute of queue, sort out the drainage in queue, remove pipes and actually theme the station. I love the theme I just wish they could finish it off to the same standard of wickerman and nemesis
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I would love to see a queue reroute (wasn't it originally supposed to go round the toilets, and the pit was a plaza similar to nemesis?)
a repaint and cleaning of the concert would also be nice.

I think a retrack of the second inversion of the cobra roll (the one closest to the station) would also be nice (looking at old footage it was much better)

you argue that repainting the marmaliser isn't enough, but it should be considered all of this took place during operational months, they could do much more over the winter, and with the sky ride and general improvements made around the park I would hope they would continue to make such improvements around the park.
 
Smiler really felt peak Merlin

A ride designed in Poole/London by a load of marketers.

Great concept, and I genuinely think it’s Alton at its best. Terrible execution as a “ride” or experience.

God awful queue fencing which ruined the entrance to x sector, “meh” queue line entrance, a queueing experience which is just miserable. A station building which still looks unfinished now. Projectors that work off and on.

Honestly at this point I’d like them to try and enclose/cover the entire queue line if they could.

I’d rather walk through shipping containers.

Look at Wickerman which is idyllic comparatively (could also do with some cover)
 
flyingguitar said:
you argue that repainting the marmaliser isn't enough
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one problem is that there is quite a bit of work required (obliv, GAL, 13 all need some theming work, on top of the monorail), but givving credit where it is due, they are going through that list and improving it

also I want to say they didn't fully repaint the marmaliser, I think someone managed to get hold of a tonn of yellow paint, as everything painted in yellow was redone (the pipes on the station, optical illusion text) but the black and grey parts were not touched up.

I hope they do touch them up, whilst they probably need less work (since black dosn't weather like yellow) I would like to see the sticker / plaques on the legs restored (imaged bellow) as quite a few of them they are falling off with half of it on, and missing paint where it was.
1737416522187.png
what some of them look like now:
1737417521085.png
 
Problem with Smiler area is lots of concrete was used in the building and queue lines. Concrete looks awful after a year or so with weathering, so I don’t think the smiler area will improve unless they clad the building in something else. As for the queue line, drainage has always been a problem so unless that is fixed (which means digging up the queue line) then I don’t see the state of this area changing much. What they do need however is some form of shade for the summer. Being stuck in that caged queue area for an hour or two in the full sun with ha ha ha being played repetitively isn’t good for your health!
 
MaxPower said:
On my last visit I was thinking about how to go about solving that problem and I think the only financially viable soluion would be to elelvate the queue out of the pit using some grated metal flooring.

They're never gonna rip it all up to install drainage.
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If they're smart, they could do that, and make a feature out of it. "World's first queue entirely over stagnant water!"
... Mosquito repellent kiosk replaces the mid-queue snack shop. Tenner a squirt.
 
Actually had some of the smoothest, most pleasant rides on it I can remember this season just gone even though my first ride back in March gave me a bad neck for days after. At fireworks it was like Blue Fire lol.

I think the track is just going to be Like That forever now until it goes but the queue has to be sorted
DiogoJ42 said:
If they're smart, they could do that, and make a feature out of it. "World's first queue entirely over stagnant water!"
... Mosquito repellent kiosk replaces the mid-queue snack shop. Tenner a squirt.
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Infusion already did that surely, as if Mandy would miss that opportunity
 
Martin said:
Actually had some of the smoothest, most pleasant rides on it I can remember this season just gone even though my first ride back in March gave me a bad neck for days after. At fireworks it was like Blue Fire lol.

I think the track is just going to be Like That forever now until it goes but the queue has to be sorted

Infusion already did that surely, as if Mandy would miss that opportunity
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But infusion has fountains to keep the water circulating. Smiler's pit has the potential to become a true swamp of filth!
 
How many days into the season will it be before mould starts to appear in the station again? I'll start at guessing 60 days in🤭
 
Regarding the miserable queue experience, I would argue that it was designed that way as the feeling of being shoved into a cattlepen, enclosed like an animal whilst making you feel uncomfortable, fits the ride theme perfectly. Almost as if it was designed that way, for good or bad,
 
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