Alton Towers, The Smiler - Point of view video

Dino and Pete from Capital East Midlands got an early ride on The Smiler, the new ride at Alton Towers.

Check out the video they did. One camera is mounted on the front and another on Pete's head....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwsDR_zJ7nc

How many inversions does it have?

RCDB says 14.

I can't say I'm upset, but I did think it was going to be better. Everyone was saying it would have an indoor spinning room sort of thing. What is the secret element supposed to be though?

14 inversions was the secret.

I wonder if they have on board sick bags.

Oh I thought I saw the Ropers

Could the indoor spinning room have been creatively edited out? I'm still not 100% convinced that it is or isn't part of the ride. It's not open to the public for another week or so, I believe.

There's better POV vids of the ride than this one. (please don't promise me a POV then spend half the time with a camera pointed at your big nose so I can see your stupid reaction like I care. In all cases just the ride itself will be fine.) (< mini rant) And in one I saw the indoor space does not contain the predicted spinning room but a jo-jo roll which brings the total inversions to 14.

I think this ride looks interesting, but I wouldn't call it the next great thing. The second lift and the stop/start time you spend getting there is totally interruptive, ruining the flow and the thrill of so many inversions. (which that number, or more, you can find on the Kamikaze or Super Loops at any fair, btw, so.... big deal?)

Okay. I did some more looking online and found some POVs that show what happens inside the building. I am now 100% sure that there is no spinning room, like ScreamScape said there was (lol.) The "secret element" is an indoor jo-jo roll type flip just before the first lift hill.

Now that I have THAT out of the way, this ride look really great. I wouldn't mind seeing something like it here in the U.S. I love how it pack suck a long ride into such a small space. It looks really interesting from the ground. I also find that the design isn't lazy in getting all the inversions in there like previous record-holders; every element supports the artistic look of the ride.

I am impressed with this one a lot more than anything that park has done before, just because of it's creative design.

Here is a pretty good POV of The Smiler...

RCMAC had a point with the disruption of the lift hills. The first lift hill especially looks SO slow. The ride itself looks pretty fun though, unique, and there looks to be at least two pops of pretty good air. The Jojo roll in the building is done very nicely as well. I'd like to ride it just for all those inversions, but then again, I'd just like to go to Alton Towers in general.

In the US, the closest you could come would be BGW.

Being able to walk, unescorted, through an actual castle...nothing short of amazing.

I always thought the Alton Towers scenario in RCT1 was super difficult because all that would happen is guests would get lost in the castle.

Don't be so sure on the special thing quite yet. I've been told the secret element is not going to be added (revealed) until opening day. Alton Towers has done an incredible job with this ride and its marketing. They put 30 million US dollars + into it. I think there is even more coming than we already see.

LostKause said:

Okay. I did some more looking online and found some POVs that show what happens inside the building. I am now 100% sure that there is no spinning room, like ScreamScape said there was (lol.)

I've been trying to tell you. You were just so damn convinced.

There is going to be a spinning room. There will be two parts of this ride. They will be disconnected (as in the coaster does not go through the spinning room). Just watch and see

That looks like a really crazy coaster. Something I'm sure I would just love! Though I'll bet the line to ride it will be horrible. Not that I would ever be able to go there to ride. Sigh, the drawbacks of being a poor SOB.

Yeah. Clearly, you can predict right now that you'll never have the money to go to Britain.

What a ridiculous and unnecessary song to play for the ride.

Do you have anything nice to say about anything, SheiKraFiend? Debbie Downer? :)

Jimmy Boy, I don't understand what you are saying. How could that be possible?

I still haven't seen a POV all the way to the unload, so it is still slightly possible that the rotating tunnel element is at the end of the ride before unload. I really don't see that happening, but I still don't know for sure.

Thanks, stupid Screamscape, for putting the rotating tunnel idea into my head. lol I really want to believe that there is a rotating room, but it's not looking good. It's a great idea, and with added effects, it might just be extremely cool.

Timber-Rider, I get what you are saying. I don't consider myself "poor", but unless things really change for me, I don't see myself being able to afford traveling so far abroad just to visit a theme park. I have plenty of parks to visit here in the U.S. that I haven't been to yet as it is.

I just checked online to get an idea of how much it would cost for me to fly to England... Between $1,500 and $2,500 one way, and that's just for the flight. lol I can take a week long trip to Pigeon Forge or Orlando for that much.

LostKause said:

unless things really change for me

The problem I have with this statement is that it implies that you're just waiting around for something to change your circumstances. I find that when I really want something and current circumstances don't make it feasible to obtain (whatever that something is, be it material or otherwise), I make the necessary changes for it to happen.

Easier said than done, but if I recall, I've heard you mention the whole power of the mind phenomenon. I've always been a firm believer of it.

Which is why I'm currently unemployed and no longer a homeowner. Lulz.