- News all the latest
- Theme Park explore the park
- Resort tour the resort
- Future looking forward
- History looking back
- Community and meetups
-
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. - Thread starter Scott
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- Forbidden Journey
- Favourite Ride
- The Metropolitan Line
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
- Favourite Ride
- Swarm
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
The Smiler - General Discussion
well me and the mrs finally got on the smiler, very good ride, but i still personally think saw at thorpe park is better has more intensity.
but just wonder not sure if its a coincidence but since then i've had a dull headache in the back of my head and the mrs has had migraines anyone else had this since riding the smiler ?
but could be just a coincidence and were both ill.
thanks.
but just wonder not sure if its a coincidence but since then i've had a dull headache in the back of my head and the mrs has had migraines anyone else had this since riding the smiler ?
but could be just a coincidence and were both ill.
thanks.
BigAl
TS Member
The 'Ride Troubles' section does seem a bit OTT. Only three of the eight points in it are worth mentioning. Imagine how ridiculous the pages for Air or even Th13teen would be if they had something similar?
Still, it's always going to look bad if someone working for the company that owns and operates the attraction tries to stop people from listing anything negative about the ride. I'm pretty sure nobody high up at Merlin would agree with such an idea.
Still, it's always going to look bad if someone working for the company that owns and operates the attraction tries to stop people from listing anything negative about the ride. I'm pretty sure nobody high up at Merlin would agree with such an idea.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
It wouldn't surprise me if it was Varney himself who did it.BigAl said:I'm pretty sure nobody high up at Merlin would agree with such an idea.
Benzin
TS Member
Tom said:How was this tracked back to Merlin?
Bored enthusiasts probably... Though you can trace who edits what on Wiki so it was probably simple to do...
Alastair
TS Team
Benzin said:I'm more curious as to why someone seems like they're going to list every reported breakdown on the page...
I know it's the school holidays, but, really? It such a thing needed?
I have no idea who keeps adding them, it is massively over the top given that ride breakdowns are completely normal and happen to every ride. Try and remove them though and your edits will be reverted very quickly.
Rob
TS Team
After riding The Smiler for the first time in over a month yesterday, I have come to my final conclusion on the ride.
It is a good ride and a great addition to the park. The public seems to love it which is the main thing. However it isn't the easiest ride to enjoy. You have to brace yourself at many different points in the ride for the various different jolts or uncomfortable movements. This means that you focus more on bracing yourself than enjoying the elements that you are passing through. Yesterday we all came off The Smiler with very sore shoulders, and this persisted for a while after riding. Rides like Nemesis or Blue Fire for example allow you just to sit freely and enjoy what the coaster does, I cannot do this with The Smiler.
Also, I have never heard such an horrendous rattling noise on a coaster as I did yesterday. Throughout the whole ride the row behind sounded awful, I'm almost certain this can't be normal and I've never heard anything like it on any other coaster I have been on.

It is a good ride and a great addition to the park. The public seems to love it which is the main thing. However it isn't the easiest ride to enjoy. You have to brace yourself at many different points in the ride for the various different jolts or uncomfortable movements. This means that you focus more on bracing yourself than enjoying the elements that you are passing through. Yesterday we all came off The Smiler with very sore shoulders, and this persisted for a while after riding. Rides like Nemesis or Blue Fire for example allow you just to sit freely and enjoy what the coaster does, I cannot do this with The Smiler.
Also, I have never heard such an horrendous rattling noise on a coaster as I did yesterday. Throughout the whole ride the row behind sounded awful, I'm almost certain this can't be normal and I've never heard anything like it on any other coaster I have been on.
CoasterCrazyChris
TS Member
I genuinely believe that a serious incident will occur on this ride sometime in the near future.
I'm no expert obviously, but how they can 'fix' the issue of track splitting without major structural work is beyond me. The way the trains crawl through the inversions as well is clearly not right and is almost painful to watch.
Really it's difficult to appreciate this ride beyond the adrenaline rush it provides because the design was just so rushed and the construction bodged. I think it has changed X-Sector from an area with a tired but coherent theme to one with a confusing mess of different ideas.
Hats off to the marketing department though, they really have created a strong brand and identity for The Smiler in a way which we havn't seen since Oblivion.

I'm no expert obviously, but how they can 'fix' the issue of track splitting without major structural work is beyond me. The way the trains crawl through the inversions as well is clearly not right and is almost painful to watch.
Really it's difficult to appreciate this ride beyond the adrenaline rush it provides because the design was just so rushed and the construction bodged. I think it has changed X-Sector from an area with a tired but coherent theme to one with a confusing mess of different ideas.
Hats off to the marketing department though, they really have created a strong brand and identity for The Smiler in a way which we havn't seen since Oblivion.
Tom
TS Member
The answer to the above question is they cannot.
They've effectively forced it back together, the only difference now is that they know the areas of stress better and can conduct monitoring.
For me, they have to conduct major restructuring or reprofiling during the closed season to rectify the problems completely.
They've effectively forced it back together, the only difference now is that they know the areas of stress better and can conduct monitoring.
For me, they have to conduct major restructuring or reprofiling during the closed season to rectify the problems completely.
Oatcakedodger
TS Member
exactly the same thinking as me :twirly:Rob said:After riding The Smiler for the first time in over a month yesterday, I have come to my final conclusion on the ride.
It is a good ride and a great addition to the park. The public seems to love it which is the main thing. However it isn't the easiest ride to enjoy. You have to brace yourself at many different points in the ride for the various different jolts or uncomfortable movements. This means that you focus more on bracing yourself than enjoying the elements that you are passing through. Yesterday we all came off The Smiler with very sore shoulders, and this persisted for a while after riding. Rides like Nemesis or Blue Fire for example allow you just to sit freely and enjoy what the coaster does, I cannot do this with The Smiler.
Also, I have never heard such an horrendous rattling noise on a coaster as I did yesterday. Throughout the whole ride the row behind sounded awful, I'm almost certain this can't be normal and I've never heard anything like it on any other coaster I have been on.
![]()