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Towers Loving Care

The Smiler should receive the next urgent treatment from the TLC scheme.

The entire experience needs an overhaul to bring it up to the standard of when it first opened.

Full audio, smoke machines working, jet washing the queue area.

It is in such a shoddy state considering it is one of the newer rides at the park.
 
My company publishes a corparate blog of our everyday work and makes effort to sell it as impressive. Most companies do it.

I think the thing is expectations. Yes it's published maintenance and restorative work that should be happening. It is happening, hopefully it will happen again next year. It's a shame it was used as an excuse for closed rides.

I really don't see the marketing angle, when it's only enthusiasts looking. Wouldn't it be on the main alton page if they were trying to push it.
 
WickerManiac said:
The Smiler needs restoring to its original creative design in 2013.

Completely re-hauling all of the tat.
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I honesly think it needs a big step further too. It's a really fun coaster & theme, just the cheapness of the finish and queueline of hell lets it down!

Completely new queue route that doesn't spend its whole length stuck under the ride in a cage (exciting for the last 30 mins maybe, but otherwise it feels like the park just doesn't care where it shoves its guests). I understand this wouldnt be possible without building a new bridge from the grass bank and considering access to BOH areas. However, it really needs to take a leaf out of Nemesis' book, where walkways are used to take the queue close to the ride at different levels and doesn't get stuck in one space.

Also, the interior queue always felt pretty nasty and cheap. If the space could be remodelled, walls themed and the effects improved, that'd be amazing.

I'd also say add theming the ugly building with some simple cladding (those pipes don't do much to help, other than get mistaken for soil pipes haha), but I imagine that's way out of what Merlin will ever pay for.

The Smiler always was a rushed project and it's no surprise that 5 years down the line it's mostly all busted. It will surely need so much spending on infrastructure as well as the experience, but as a headline ride guests would greatly benefit from it. :)
 
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TakeYourMedicine said:
I honesly think it needs a big step further too. It's a really fun coaster & theme, just the cheapness of the finish and queueline of hell lets it down!

Completely new queue route that doesn't spend its whole length stuck under the ride in a cage (exciting for the last 30 mins maybe, but otherwise it feels like the park just doesn't care where it shoves its guests). I understand this wouldnt be possible without building a new bridge from the grass bank and considering access to BOH areas. However, it really needs to take a leaf out of Nemesis' book, where walkways are used to take the queue close to the ride at different levels and doesn't get stuck in one space.

Also, the interior queue always felt pretty nasty and cheap. If the space could be remodelled, walls themed and the effects improved, that'd be up to scratch

I'd add theming the ugly building with some simple cladding (those pipes don't do much to help, other than get mistaken for soil pipes haha), but I imagine that's way out of what Merlin will ever pay for.

The Smiler always was a rushed project and it's no surprise that 5 years down the line it's mostly all busted. It will surely need so much spending on infrastructure as well as the experience, but as a headline ride guests would greatly benefit from it.
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Fully agree with all of your points.

I'm also all up for cladding on the building - the current situation looks dire.

Of course this is all purely hypothetical. Merlin would never allow such money to be spent this way.

:(
 
I have seen they have replaced the tv on the Smiler second lift hill that was missing all last season.
Not seen them working but at least theres two of them now :rolleyes:
little bit of TLC there
 
The queue line is an absolute disaster. It looks horrendous now. And yellow floors? Who's bright idea was that? Black floors and yellow walls not obvious to them in the design faze?

The coaster is still really fun though except for 1-2 inversions right near the end so at least there's that.
 
I was appalled at the state of the Smiler when I visited earlier this season. Even some “non-enthusiasts” I was visiting with said how tired it looked - they need to fix the effects and sort something out with the queue.

When I was last there the screen on the Marmiliser was partly out, the audio was really quiet and one screen was working.

It seems such a shame that a ride which was always spoken about when new throughout the UK has fallen into this state. I can only imagine the disappointment the general public would feel if they came specifically for The Smiler to see it as it is. Surely that can appreciate that eventually it will need some TLC which will cost more than just fixing and maintaining?
 
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DW_0505 said:
I was appalled at the state of the Smiler when I visited earlier this season. Even some “non-enthusiasts” I was visiting with said how tired it looked - they need to fix the effects and sort something out with the queue.

When I was last there the screen on the Marmiliser was partly out, the audio was really quiet and one screen was working.
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The audio is considerably quiet compared to pre-crash. I recall it being very atmospheric when blasted out.
 
AstroDan said:
If The Smiler is the only TLC project next winter, I would be more than happy!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
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My wish-list for TLC over the winter period would be as follows:

Given that The Smiler was looking appalling during my last visit, this would receive the most attention:

-Re-store the original theme of "Correction' and 'Marmalisation'. It is almost 3 years since the accident and said terms don't bare any link whatsoever. Without them, it just seems like a multi-looping ride with lots of laughing, and no coherent story.

-Re-store the original train designs. The back of the seats on opening day were amazing and was so clever. It is beyond me why this was ever removed for some safety sign!

-Audio needs bringing up to scratch, lots of dead spots and far too quiet.

-Jetwash the entire area to make it look presentable to the paying customers.

-Align those awful projectors too!

-I am yet to ride The Smiler with smoke in the inside section since its opening day - the reason why is beyond me! The concrete mess now is awful.

-'The Smiler' logo on the entrance archway looks dodgy too. It's like a sign, on a sign, on a sign.

Galactica

-VR removed and restored back to Air. I am quite fond of the Galactica branding however.

-Galactica cladding to be jet washed periodically as it is mouldy.

-Further AV enhancements on the ride - the music is far too quiet also.

-Make the dispatch more memorable. The iconic "Prepare for Air" dispatch tune is so much better than the silent rubbish now.

Monorail

Jet-wash all of the trains. This is the guests' first impression as they enter the park and its facilities. A mouldy cow train rocking up isn't the best first impression!

:)
 
They need to improve the drainage in the Smiler pit and remove/reroute some of the queue so it can actually be cleaned properly. They could install a sprinkler system to automatically wash it every night :laughing:

I can't say I noticed anything else wrong but then it's not a ride I go near much
 
As a coaster I like the smiler, but why has it rusted etc so badly? It looks terrible. I can't see them going to the complete original theme of correction and the sort, even with a tiny risk but it needs completely fixing. It's my favourite coaster on park in terms of the layout and actually riding but the area and entire experience is terrible.
 
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