Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1
So, The Smiler then. As I go through, you'll probably start to think it's all a little like Peter has just rewritten his opinion of the ride, but I think I probably agree with him. I'm going to write a detail review for the site in a while, but here is my personal, CF Report impression of the ride and the first "official" opening day.
It was busy... Properly heaving with people. There was a goonpede as the gates opened at 9:00 and I was a little behind , but had a jolly meander to the area. The gates of The Smiler up to the X-Sector entrance was already full and staff were directing people into a queue made from barriers up the hill.
Within five minutes this was full:
For those who know Alton, this is from the main path from X-Sector, up to the "tunnel of wee" behind the chicken place. It then doubled back on itself and after ten minutes:
This includes the section above and the trail of people went right round towards the entrance to the Towers and out of sight.
By 9:30, the staff already had the queue listed as 3 hours and the ride hadn't even opened yet. It's rare for a ride in this country to make such a splash.
Cheers went out as the ride started testing. It makes a decent kitten roar as it goes around and looks quite nice. It definitely looked like the kind of coaster you could spend all day just watching:
10:00 on the dot and the gates opened and staff had to "level crossing" people into X-Sector. You head down into the pits of the ride area and under...
tomahawKSU said:
That "theming" spider thing is still just a **** eyesore.
Shush you - I think it's awesome :lol: I do love big yellow things though, like diggers and fevers.
You suddenly get this fantastic idea of the scale of the ride. There's just track everywhere overhead, to the sides and some very cool little optical illusion printing on the walls. The queue constantly moved, so it was difficult to get a firm idea of how awful it would be, but as the trains started to circle above us, I loved it.
It's hideous, concrete and metal, but you've got this horrendous/fantastic (*delete as appropriate) soundtrack blaring out and these stunning looking bright yellow cars diving in and out around you.
It looks absolutely stunning as you catch glimpses (or wait if you were later than me
):
The best thing though is those trains duelling around the track. It may be a fluke and not intended, but when they're working closely, it's incredible (I'm going to put a video together today too so you can see for yourselves). To have two trains racing each other as the pass overhead is sublime. I said above it's a coaster to
watch and its gorgeous:
I don't want people to think I've suddenly become some kind of saddened or deluded Alton/Gerstlauer apologist - I haven't. There's just something that hits the right note with me and it hit when I got into the queue. I think Joey will really appreciate it for the holistic nature of bringing together theme, music and views. I didn't spend long there in the queue though, but it's a five minute trek before you hit:
The first real disappointment. The station entrance area is ugly, bland and nasty. Suddenly I realise I'm about to ride a Gerstlauer and it's also not going to be pretty. All the excitement and love I was starting to feel rapidly washed away.
Inside wasn't much better. A few projected illusions that Drayton Manor would have rejected:
It's claustrophobic like 13's station, dark and a bit miserable. It's cheap really - I'll come back here in a bit
The queue whizzes through though once inside, just a few minutes and it's bag drop burden and station. The bag drop is also like 13's, so if you're in a group (I tagged along with Towers Street) and some don't have bags, you end up split and having to force past people on the stairs to rejoin. Eugh!
The station is very open, bright and airy. It's a bit of a shock after the gloom of the building queue line. you're pretty much right onto a train though and off.
My first thoughts on sitting down? The train was already damaged. The aluminium panelling of the floor was bent up to the raised vertical part of the train (it's hard to describe, but essentially where the floor meets the car front). this had bent away from the front of the train where I was sat, probably due to somebody standing on it and it hadn't been fixed down properly. It's not a great start.
Spoilers ahead
The ride gets off and there's a decent drop much like Saw's, into the inline. I loved this. I usually hate inlines, but it really worked. There's something really odd though about it and it feels like you're still sideways when you're actually flat. It's a bit like the spinning tunnel effect in a ghost train - I loved it. It left me a bit dazed and my head took a while to realise we were on the lift section and heading up.
We were lucky and had a good duelling train going up the vertical lift. People knew each other on each train and were shouting and cheering to each other. It's very cool actually
Then you drop and head for each other and the ride starts.
It's what you'd expect, inversion after inversion. If you watch the track and ride into it, it was "fun". The air time hill is mild, but pleasant. you don't really notice much else though. The odd glimpse of another car, but the Marmaliser you pass by without a glance. It's incredibly disorientating though. You do lose track of if you're inverted or not or where you are on the track.
It's a weird mix of forces assailing you constantly. It also has fit and spurts of speed and slow, so you can understand why...
It would stall
We hit the mid brakes and hill and my head was spinning. I've never,
ever been made dizzy by a coaster before. Madame_Furie said the same and also agreed with me the mid hill brought a very welcome break from the ride otherwise you'd be puking your guts up.
The second section wasn't as dizzying, but the airtime hill was better.
Then you hit the cobra roll and...
... everyone of the people on this train will be seeing a chiropractor in the near future :lol:
Wallop! It's a big crunch and it's jarring.
The rest of the ride I found "reasonably comfortable". No awards for smoothness, but it's just a little shaky and juddering - nothing horrendous. It's much as I found Saw really. Madame_Furie said she got a real ear beating, but she's shorter than me and probably wasn't "riding into the elements".
It does seem that there is a train issue, where one or more trains are abysmal. I was lucky (like Saw). I guess that's pot luck then.
The ride finishes with a quick flurry of inversions and you're home. The exit has a few extra painted bit and bobs and the shop is bright and happy with some great merchandise. there's also a CGI make yourself an advocate mirror thing.
I enjoyed it. I honestly, really enjoyed it. The problem is "it's cheap" (see I said I'd get back to that). Everything is as little as needed to be done to make it as good as "required". Everything. The coaster itself by Gerstlauer, the bare concrete, the plastic looking "metal doors", the 3D "inside theming". It's all good ideas, executed as cheaply as possible. It's a Kinder surprise toy when you were promised a Scalextric. It somehow works though to produce a fun, engaging experience. The duelling helps (did I mention the duelling, I love it - have another photo) massively:
The ride sits alongside Rita, Air and Sonic I think. It's a competent ride and will offer bags to those who enjoy what it offers. If you love Saw, then The Smiler will blow you away. For the rest of us, it's exactly what you were expecting - it's a slightly rough, inconsistent, Gerstlauer multi-looper with a (sometimes) great setting. I'll ride Rita every time I go with new people; and Air and Sonic. Yet most days on park I just ignore them. The Smiler will fit in here with those rides, only I probably have a little more love for it than those - we'll see how it beds in over time.
The public seemed to love it. They don't know what to expect and the effects developed (the sound, queue under the track, duelling cars, dizzying mind **** on the ride, etc) will make them really appreciate it. It will be as big a hit as Air and Rita is with the general public. So Alton have a winning coaster on their hands, but another where enthusiasts will be generally disappointed. Once again Merlin showing us they can get away with a lot less than we expect of them
It's easily a 7/10 coaster, and realistically an 8/10 if "you like that kind of thing". If you had a bad train, probably a 0/10 :lol:
It appears I've written a full review there (CTRL+A :lol: ). Well worth coming to Alton this year for, not worth more than an hour queue for your first go
