[The Smiler] Train Speculation

[CoasterCrazyChris]

If we just assume it is OTSR's now, then when it this does turn out to be the case you won't be quite as disappointed.

Honestly I want lap bars as much as anyone else but the chances are slim so let's avoid being let down (again) by getting our expectations up...

 

[Tim]

Might I suggest we bring the restraint topic back to life so those people that want to discuss other parts of the ride can do so here?

There are several posts I want to respond to but it'll just lead back round in circles and this topic is supposed to be update based discussion, not dwelling over the same points.

 

[Meat Pie]

Oh and another thing...

Ok, I'm done now.

 

[Scott]

The above 3-4 pages of discussion have been split from the construction topic in order to allow discussion of the trains and restraints within a dedicated thread. If any quotes or posts do not make total sense, I apologise but they may have got lost in translation between threads.

Thanks.

 

[Rob]

The park map clearly shows OTSRs. Is that good enough proof now? Or is the map also wrong along with key visual material and the game?

 

[rightbackgranty]

Just playing devils advocate, but the park map also shows oblivion dropping the wrong way and until this most recent style of map air had apparently been converted to a suspended coaster.

I think it's impossible to make any kind of call from the promotional images as the images we've been supplied all contradict. Going off what has been said by the park on the past (re: wooden coasters unsafe) I think we'll see OTSR, as I've seen a lot of the general public think that lap bars don't let you invert.

That said, I'd much prefer lap bars. I just don't see it happening sadly.

 

[Andrew]

OTSR and floorless. *

*I don't think this will be floorless anyway. It was just to stir things up a bit.

 

[Tim]

Glad I'm not the only person to zoom in on The Smiler

But come on it's a map! If the train had shown lap bars there's no way I'd have claimed it to be proof any more than this is proof of OTSR. Remember Rob this is a map that you personally dislike for its inaccuracy so how can you then turn round and claim it as proof?

I remain confident that we will see lap bars. Call it a hunch but the promotional material that seems to show the lap bars just feels more legitimate to me and I’d be willing to bet on it being the case.

 

[Meat Pie]

The Smiler Die-Cast merchandise (Picture borrowed from TowesrStreet Facebook Page):

So err... What's that I see? OTSR .

So let's get this straight... That's the main promotional image, the map and merchandise that show OTSR. It doesn't look good for the Lap-Bar theory, whose only claim to 'evidence' has been unclear details of a promo which show the back of the train.

If you had to draw a conclusion based on evidence, OTSR is the obvious outcome. I'm still hoping for Lap-Bars and do not rule it out completely, but there's simply no evidence what-so-ever to counter the copious amount in support of OTSR.

 

[Alastair]

There are only 8 there. I still think that lapbars are going to be one of the surprises that they're trying to keep secret for as long as possible.

 

[DiogoJ42]

They wouldn't have fake diecasts made just to throw us off. Molds for those things cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

 

[Bear]

I can't see there being lapbars if you are slowly turned upside down by way of heartline roll, it'd be way more comfortable with OTSRs.

 

[Rob]

OTSRs are basically all but confirmed. Those thinking lap bars, please do not get your hopes up! There is still a small chance, but pretty much everything apart from some small and inconclusive promotional images suggests OTSRs.

 

[Tim]

But why do we have to keep using the word confirmed when there is no solid evidence either way. This is all just marketing we are seeing and are marketing really going to care what restraints the ride has?

While I still personally think there are enough subtle hints that make lap bars likely I'm not going to claim or expect any specific type of restraint until either we see the trains or something that's so obviously an official design that there's no denying it.

As for being disappointed it's more a case that if it's OTSR's I won't think any worse of the ride but if it is lap bars then I'll regain a lot of interest (in all honestly I really haven’t been as hyped about The Smiler as I feel I should be, nothing about it has particularly wowed me yet).

 

[James]

But why do we have to keep using the word confirmed when there is no solid evidence either way. This is all just marketing we are seeing and are marketing really going to care what restraints the ride has?

Well yeah, they want to be advertising an accurate product!

I highly doubt they will have spent hundreds and thousands of pounds on marketing and merchandise showing a false product. It just makes no sense from a business point of view. Obviously unless they have money to waste and pull a last minute trick. But they will have A LOT of stuff to rectify so the right thing is being marketed and shown to the public (and guests on resort).

Despite that I'm staying on the fence for now until we eventually see trains appear on site. Although as far as evidence goes, OTSRs are hitting us in the face. I'll remain sceptical however, but either way I'm not getting my hopes up for over lap restraints.

 

[Rose Of Dawn]

But why do we have to keep using the word confirmed when there is no solid evidence either way. This is all just marketing we are seeing and are marketing really going to care what restraints the ride has?

I think marketing is fairly solid evidence. It's there to give the public a fairly strong image of what to expect from the ride, and as the OTSRs have featured more and more heavily (in the images, the map and even the model), I find it highly illogical that the ride will turn out to have lapbars. The marketing department will know what the ride looks like, and as OTSRs stand out a lot I really think the posters, the maps, the models....well, everything really...points towards OTSRs being in the ride.

If this isn't the case then they have completely messed up a lot of the marketing.

 

[Tim]

But why do we have to keep using the word confirmed when there is no solid evidence either way. This is all just marketing we are seeing and are marketing really going to care what restraints the ride has?

Well yeah, they want to be advertising an accurate product!

I highly doubt they will have spent hundreds and thousands of pounds on marketing and merchandise showing a false product. It just makes no sense from a business point of view. Obviously unless they have money to waste and pull a last minute trick. But they will have A LOT of stuff to rectify so the right thing is being marketed and shown to the public (and guests on resort).

The thing is though people (out side of enthusiasts) honestly don't care. Marketing departments for Theme Parks all over the world often show rides with the wrong track, wrong restraints even sometimes the wrong colour but as long as it looks recognisably similar no one cares. Just look at Alton's recent maps for proof of that.

 

[Novas]

All parks use artistic interpretations for marketing purposes and the odd bit of promotion material, but frankly you’d be hard pressed to find another ride that was pictured in such a specific way on various posters, a newspaper pull out, in shop signage, the park map, a computer game and in park merchandise including a die cast model that turned out to be wrong.

No it isn’t ‘confirmed,’ but to suggest anything other than OTSRs seems pretty illogical at the moment.

 

[DiogoJ42]

I want lap bars as much as the next man, but honestly, give it up guys. It's clearly going to be OTSRs now

 

[Tim]

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

You see the problem I have is that based on the rides design I have a mental image in my head of what the carts need to look like in order for them to be able to function. Things like the rough width between each cart, its shape and proportions ect... remember I studied Engineering, I kind of have a feel for these things

Anyway the point I’m making is that most of the marketing does not match up with this. To me everything about it looks wrong... except for two pictures, the one in Mutiny Bay (see below) and the one from The Sun. Both of these two images have proper engineering proportions but more importantly are unique and not a re-coloured version of some other rides trains. Therefore I am in no doubt that these are what the trains will look like.

As it turns out both of these images show a design that appears to have lap bars, therefore I must conclude that this is what the trains will have. Simple logic.

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This design is just too accurate to have been made just for marketing purposes: