The Smiler - Ride Reviews [Spoilers]

[GaryH]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

To be fair, when there are only 4 rows I can understand why there isn't a front row queue. Though if no-one else is waiting I think they should let a group wait for the front, it doesn't cause any harm.

Yeah but I like to sit at the front!!!! lol!

 

[Poisson]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

Did The Smiler yesterday.

'Tis a good enjoyable ride which deteriorates to rough towards the end. I personally can't see where this Nemmy beating business is coming from.

Good:
The Music <3
Fun to watch
Theming

Bad:
A bit rough at the end
Not as enjoyable as I expected
Not up to the job of matching Nemmy

Ugly:
Only on 3 train operation
Horrendous queues
Staff uniform

 

[Benzin]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

Bad:
Not up to the job of matching Nemmy

To be fair to it, few rides in the entire world even come close to doing that...

 

[LordOfDarkness]

[The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

After multiple re-rides I think it is on par with nemesis. If not better.

 

[cotda]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

During my ride, I would rate it on par, i cant decide between the two! As much as I love Nemmy, Smiler was amazing! Packed a lot more force than I was expecting!

 

[Alastair]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

During my ride, I would rate it on par, i cant decide between the two! As much as I love Nemmy, Smiler was amazing! Packed a lot more force than I was expecting!

Do you not agree though that Nemesis feels much more natural with its pacing and layout? Every turn and inversion on Nemesis seems very well thought out, and it combines a lot of different elements (airtime, high-G's, inversions etc) into a very satisfying and unrelenting experience. With The Smiler, it just feels as though it's inversion after inversion and that pacing that makes Nemesis so great is not there.

Just my opinion.

 

[BigAl]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

One thing I will say about The Smiler is that it doesn't leave me wanting to immediately run back around for another ride whereas Nemesis is just short enough that it leaves you wanting to get off and join the queue again.

Before anyone gives me grief, that's not a bad thing, as Smiler does feel like the full package. Because you have the projection mapping room, longer ride with three sections to it, the fun house style exit and the shop, I got off it and didn't feel like I'd need to do it again.

Think of it as if Nemesis was a one hour programme that relies on you being hooked at the end so that you tune-in the following week to carry on and The Smiler is a film that you really enjoyed but wouldn't be bothered about watching it again so soon, or if a sequel took a few years to be made.

Some will prefer a more complete experience and others will prefer the attraction that cuts things off just at the right time when you're at the edge of your seat. Smiler ties everything together at the end, but with Nemesis you have to go back and rejoin the queue!

That's not to say that people won't get off and want to run around for another go on Smiler, just as there will be people who can watch the same film at the cinema with different groups of people!

But like I said, that's not a bad thing, it's just another difference I wanted to point out between The Smiler and Nemesis, and the film/programme comparison seems the best way to get across the point I'm trying to make. Though both attractions are roller coasters, they're both very different in the way they entertain you.

 

[cotda]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

During my ride, I would rate it on par, i cant decide between the two! As much as I love Nemmy, Smiler was amazing! Packed a lot more force than I was expecting!

Do you not agree though that Nemesis feels much more natural with its pacing and layout? Every turn and inversion on Nemesis seems very well thought out, and it combines a lot of different elements (airtime, high-G's, inversions etc) into a very satisfying and unrelenting experience. With The Smiler, it just feels as though it's inversion after inversion and that pacing that makes Nemesis so great is not there.

Just my opinion.

Ahh, see I found it to have very nemesis esque pacing, and I felt like most of the inversions didn't feel like inversions

 

[Rose Of Dawn]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

One thing I will say about The Smiler is that it doesn't leave me wanting to immediately run back around for another ride whereas Nemesis is just short enough that it leaves you wanting to get off and join the queue again.

Before anyone gives me grief, that's not a bad thing, as Smiler does feel like the full package. Because you have the projection mapping room, longer ride with three sections to it, the fun house style exit and the shop, I got off it and didn't feel like I'd need to do it again.

Think of it as if Nemesis was a one hour programme that relies on you being hooked at the end so that you tune-in the following week to carry on and The Smiler is a film that you really enjoyed but wouldn't be bothered about watching it again so soon, or if a sequel took a few years to be made.

Some will prefer a more complete experience and others will prefer the attraction that cuts things off just at the right time when you're at the edge of your seat. Smiler ties everything together at the end, but with Nemesis you have to go back and rejoin the queue!

That's not to say that people won't get off and want to run around for another go on Smiler, just as there will be people who can watch the same film at the cinema with different groups of people!

But like I said, that's not a bad thing, it's just another difference I wanted to point out between The Smiler and Nemesis, and the film/programme comparison seems the best way to get across the point I'm trying to make. Though both attractions are roller coasters, they're both very different in the way they entertain you.

I know exactly what you mean. When you go on Nemesis you just wanna do it again and again. But The Smiler is almost three minutes long, and when you combine the cool projection mapping room, the ride as a whole and the final walk through when leaving the ride,it really does feel like a complete package - more so than any other coaster I can think of.

The more I think about it, the more differences there are between the two rides becomes apparent, and I find it hard to compare the two or to even think of a favourite.

 

[djtruefitt]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

To be fair, when there are only 4 rows I can understand why there isn't a front row queue. Though if no-one else is waiting I think they should let a group wait for the front, it doesn't cause any harm.

Yeah but I like to sit at the front!!!! lol!

On Wednesday we asked twice for front row and the two different staff members said ok, one made us wait where they got other people in the queue line to fill up rows, the other just sent us to stand near front row. Like TH13TEEN it will probably depend who is batching.

 

[BarryZola]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

To be fair, when there are only 4 rows I can understand why there isn't a front row queue. Though if no-one else is waiting I think they should let a group wait for the front, it doesn't cause any harm.

Yeah but I like to sit at the front!!!! lol!

On Wednesday we asked twice for front row and the two different staff members said ok, one made us wait where they got other people in the queue line to fill up rows, the other just sent us to stand near front row. Like TH13TEEN it will probably depend who is batching.

Isn't this slightly unfair on other guests who have queued and should have had a 1 in 4 chance of getting a chance to experience the front row though? I wouldn't be happy if I'd waited 2 hours to find out that I hadn't got at least a chance to ride on the first row because some ride host had took it upon themselves to show favouritism to certain guests. There is no front row queue so guests should not be able to queue/wait for the front row....especially when it will only take a matter of a few minutes extra with the right words whispered to certain operators. Staff will get reported if I ever see this happening as it's purely and simply not fair on guests generally. Or have I missed something and I'm completely wrong?

 

[BigDave]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

People should be allowed to wait if they want and are not causing problems with batching. I can see why they dont as there isnt much room in the station for a front row queue, but if people want to wait, they should be allowed.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BarryZola]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

But Dave, doesn't that stop some of the following guests from getting on the front row? That is not fair surely, as it has quickly become apparent that the best experience on the ride is the front row.

 

[BigDave]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

If they want the front, they can wait too.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BarryZola]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

.....that would mean the station platform becoming very full though. What happens when the next group comes along who want to wait for the front row when the platform is already dangerously full of people waiting for the front? Will the op's then tell these people that they have to ride on row's 2,3,4 when they have just seen people be allowed to queue a few min's extra for the front row? A recipe for disaster. People in this scenario will try the same thing when they have seen that other people have been privileged to such advantage.

Either have an official queue for the front row, or don't have one at all People have to queue long enough already without having less of a chance of getting the best experience of the ride - which is the front row.

 

[BigDave]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

What happens when you have a guest who has queued up and wants the front? Hes unlikely to go to the park again that year and wants the front. Good luck telling him no. Trust me we tried it on air when we pushed for throughputs and it caused that many complaints it wasnt worth it. If people want to wait they should be allowed so long as its not causing a hazzard, but even then its bad design that they never put a front row queue to begin with

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BarryZola]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

Exactly, have a proper queue for the front row if the ride merits it....or don't. It's not acceptable to have an in-between on such a new and busy ride if and when the op's feel like it (unless there is no queue - which is not going to happen for the foreseeable future).

Why would a guest be upset about not getting on the front row when they have not been told that there is a front row queue? It's luck of the draw unless we are informed otherwise.

 

[GaryH]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

Thing is though, if I have waited 2 hours, i'd like the opportunity to wait maybe a bit longer and try out the front row. Same thing with Nemmie and Air, at least you have the option - if you want to wait longer, then thats up to you. Really, really surprised they didnt do it with The Smiler

 

[Bob]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

Thing is though, if I have waited 2 hours, i'd like the opportunity to wait maybe a bit longer and try out the front row. Same thing with Nemmie and Air, at least you have the option - if you want to wait longer, then thats up to you. Really, really surprised they didnt do it with The Smiler

On the other side of the coin, after two hours of waiting, the majority of guests just want to get on the ride and care little where they are placed. I've no problem with guests wanting to wait that little bit extra for the front, as long as everyone gets that opportunity.

 

[djtruefitt]

Re: [The Smiler] Ride Reviews (Spoilers!)

It didn't seem to cause any issues when we asked about front row, if people don't mind waiting a bit longer then let them. I think if you have queued three hours for a ride you might want to try the front. But then other people don't care so they will go anywhere they are put!

I think there is plenty of room for a front row queue, but the only reason they don't have one is because the disabled lift (not in use at the moment I believe) comes out near the front row, so if a queue fence was put there it would be in the way for disabled quests. There is plenty of room on the platform to wait without blocking the area however.