Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[Alastair]

Ditto - it's a very photogeneic ride!

 

Loved it, but have got serious bruises on my shoulders from four rides over the last two days.

 

I wonder if there's any remote chance of Alton converting the trains to lapbars in the off-season if roughness is an issue now.

 

Very unlikely given that they've had enormous problems getting the current trains to work well as it is. I think there's more chance of them correcting the cobra roll jolt when/if they get the chance, seems like an easier fix than buying 5 more trains with lapbars.

 

Maybe in 10 years though...when it really does become unbearable? We can only hope

[coastercrazy216]

^^ Wes, the likelihood of that happening is incredibly slim. The lapbar trains weigh substantially more than the OTSR restraints, meaning that there would need to be support work changed, but we can still hope.

[Baffles]

I wouldn't say it is rough, but lots of shuffling is felt towards the back of the train. Like Saw, it has crazy transitions which just throws you around in the seat - and the OTSR's are not the most comfortable out there.

[skitt2010]

Sorry to all the Alton Towers Nerds on here, but The Smiler really let me down...

 

I cant call a 14-inversion coaster a record holder if there is a huge pause in the ride halfway through.

It was pointless, didnt allow me to take anything extra in, and had nothing to do with letting another train flow around the track... so what is the point in it?

[tiger01]

I personally thought the Smiler was alright. Not fantastic but still fun. The Pause in the middle was quite cool as it says out loud 'Half Way Corrected' which is quite humorous. The last three inversions were brutal. I actually left Alton two days ago enjoying Th13teen more than the other rides. In the back you get some great airtime!

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Sorry to all the Alton Towers Nerds on here, but The Smiler really let me down...

 

I cant call a 14-inversion coaster a record holder if there is a huge pause in the ride halfway through.

It was pointless, didnt allow me to take anything extra in, and had nothing to do with letting another train flow around the track... so what is the point in it?

Robb thought the same thing when he saw footage of the ride. However, the "two seven inversion coasters glued together" argument was dropped a while ago after it spiraled way out of control when fanboys threw hissy fits over the idea someone had criticism of the ride.

[tiger01]

It's just a roller coaster. I really don't see the point of all these arguments. I don't see why people who haven't ridden it are complaining about it since they always get annoyed when people who haven't ridden a new coaster give crap about it.

[Ultimate]

Sorry to all the Alton Towers Nerds on here, but The Smiler really let me down...

 

I cant call a 14-inversion coaster a record holder if there is a huge pause in the ride halfway through.

It was pointless, didnt allow me to take anything extra in, and had nothing to do with letting another train flow around the track... so what is the point in it?

The break run and lift hill in the middle actually act as a block section - without it, the dueling effect wouldn't be possible and also capacity would be seriously effected. And there is no way it could make 14 inversions with just one lift. Of course the ride would have been better without it, but it really is mandatory for what they are trying to do.

 

And I'm sure if a launch was feasible, they would have done one. But I highly doubt it could have worked in the area they had.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

^You don't need a lift hill for a block, only a break. Maverick at Cedar Point rolls through breaks and right into a launch. If it needs to slow or stop it does for safety only, otherwise it rolls right though and doesn't stop. They could have done an upwards launch to keep the momentum going.

[1aflack]

Electricity is incredibly expensive in the UK compared to most other countries so LSM launches just aren't financially possible. Gerstlauer only seems to do this type of launch so building Smiler with a launch would never really have been on the cards.

[TyRush]

Electricity is incredibly expensive in the UK compared to most other countries so LSM launches just aren't financially possible. Gerstlauer only seems to do this type of launch so building Smiler with a launch would never really have been on the cards.

Rita is a hydraulic launch and that takes a good amount of electricity, and Premier, Intamin, and Maurer Söhne all have built LSM coasters. They easily could have put and LSM launch in.

[1aflack]

Of course the other maufacturers make LSM and LIM launches but that doesn't mean that Alton Towers could afford the money to run one. Hydraulic launches use a lot less electricity than LSM launches.

 

I think you are from the US so electricity is much cheaper out there than over in the UK. To give you some idea, fuel poverty is quite common over here, people have to make do without heating and turn off as many lights and electrical appliances as possible in the winter. I live in a 20 year old 4 bedroom house fully insulated (wall and roof) and my gas and electric bill is £1800 or $2775 a year, so if I can switch off a few lights and set my heating to come on an hour later to save some money I will. Because of the cost it has become ingrained in people to save gas and electricity over here.

 

This is the reason there are no LSM launches over here, electricity is cheaper all over the US and Europe that why you see a lot of little LSM launchers everywhere else.

[JayTricky]

Of course the other maufacturers make LSM and LIM launches but that doesn't mean that Alton Towers could afford the money to run one. Hydraulic launches use a lot less electricity than LSM launches.

 

I think you are from the US so electricity is much cheaper out there than over in the UK. To give you some idea, fuel poverty is quite common over here, people have to make do without heating and turn off as many lights and electrical appliances as possible in the winter. I live in a 20 year old 4 bedroom house fully insulated (wall and roof) and my gas and electric bill is £1800 or $2775 a year, so if I can switch off a few lights and set my heating to come on an hour later to save some money I will. Because of the cost it has become ingrained in people to save gas and electricity over here.

 

This is the reason there are no LSM launches over here, electricity is cheaper all over the US and Europe that why you see a lot of little LSM launchers everywhere else.

 

They spent 18m on the Smiler. They could have installed a LSM launch if they had really wanted to. I don't buy that theory at all. If they were that bothered about electricity why would they keep the Marmaliser screen running all day, music blaring all day and effects on all day?....

[1aflack]

There is a bit of a difference in running 5/6 large TV screens which I guess might cost a couple of pounds an hour to launching a heavy rollercoaster train maybe to 40mph every 30 seconds using magnets

 

Why are there no LSM coasters in the UK when they are a stable of many smaller/mid size parks in Europe.

 

You saw the reason SFMM and Dreamworld in Oz didn't run there Intamin reverse freefall coasters to the top of the tower, simply to save money as the electricty costs were so high and this was in the US and Oz so can you imagine the electricity costs in the UK.

[Garet]

There is a bit of a difference in running 5/6 large TV screens which I guess might cost a couple of pounds an hour to launching a heavy rollercoaster train maybe to 40mph every 30 seconds using magnets

 

Why are there no LSM coasters in the UK when they are a stable of many smaller/mid size parks in Europe.

 

You saw the reason SFMM and Dreamworld in Oz didn't run there Intamin reverse freefall coasters to the top of the tower, simply to save money as the electricty costs were so high and this was in the US and Oz so can you imagine the electricity costs in the UK.

 

I feel like this free-fall tower and the whole Alton couldn't put in a launch because it's too much electricity is you trying to pass off your own personal thoughts and opinions as concrete facts....... You've given no sources to back up your claims but you seem intent on claiming what you are saying is 100% fact, just a lot of they don't do this (run it to to the top of the tower/have this kind in the UK) and that's the reason which is just a bunch of hypotheses.

 

Counter Point: If Six Flags Magic Mountain are running Superman at less than full power to save on electricity costs why would they install another launched coaster right next door as opposed to an intamin cable launch or something like a B&M wing coaster?

[1aflack]

I just thought it was common knowledge about electricity costs in the UK compared to Europe and the US. They talk about it in the papers pretty much every day, the US now has Shale gas which has massively reduced energy costs, Europe has a lot more green and nuclear power. I think I read that the 3 LIm coasters at Kings Dominion have to sit on a different grid because of the amount of power needed.

 

Take a look at the link below...

 

In a section talking about Vekoma's new Hydraulic launch system on Toverlands Booster Bike and why they developed it, they talk about the difference in costs between running the two different launches. Two megawatts of electricity, we are talking hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in the UK.

 

"After the magnetic LIM and LSM launches the future will definately belong to the hydraulic power units: "There are no costly power supply lines or transverters needed for this system, and the handling is quite easy", Nijsen points out. "While our LSM coaster at Six Flags Holland reaches a peak demand of more than two megawatts, the pump system of the Booster Bike only needs 140KW, which is less than a tenth."

 

http://www.coastersandmore.de/rides/boosterbike/boosterbike_e.shtml

[1aflack]

Here are some other articles regarding running costs for coasters.

 

The first is an interview from 2008 where the CIO from Six flags talks about various bits and bobs but at the end he mentions that the electricity cost in the US of a large coaster can be up to $600,000 a year. This is in 2008 so I can't even imagine what this would be now...

 

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/315850/Michael_Israel?taxonomyId=83&pageNumber=3

 

Found this on-line regarding running costs for SFMM superman....

 

And people wonder why Magic Mountain does not race Superman The Escape.

 

I read somewhere somebody that was able to speak to a technician during a private event at the park a few years back mentioned depending on the rates at the time set by Southern California Edison, every cycle Superman runs consumes enough electricity to set back the park approximately $200 - $500 due to its substantial usage of electricity thanks in part to the hundreds of sets of heavyset electromagnetic staters.

 

Taking those numbers into account, imagine how many cycles Superman has in a single operating day. Add those up over a week, then a month, then a year. Operating costs for Superman carries over into the multi-millions each season for Magic Mountain.

 

And that also doesn't factor in the power consumed by the ride's overly complicated central operating system, then individual control and power feed units that line down the track (the little square office-like buildings that line down the 900-foot launch track).

[Richard]

Alton Towers have posted a professional video online now of the ride. Least we know there's a proper pov somewhere. The video captures the atmosphere of the ride really well, I think it's one of the most sinister themes I've ever seen for a ride tbh.

 

http://youtu.be/SFTreEEOzDs

 

I've been on a fair few times now and I think it's gotten better with each ride. First time I think I was just a victim to hype but once you get to know the ride (and learn where to brace) you can really appriciate theming elements. It's a pretty intense ride with real force and speed between loops. My friend described it as 'scatty' which sums it up, it's quite a messed up experience.

 

I just have to mention though. When your mates are all on the vehicle in front and they perfectly duel, youre in for such a treat, it really applifies the fun looking around for them and shouting across, its a perfect ERT ride!

[StealthFan]

Okay so I got back from a 2 day Alton Towers trip and I did get to experience the Smiler twice. Honestly I can say I was impressed with the ride and did enjoy it. I was very cynical about the ride while it was being built and I honestly thought it was going to suck so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy the ride. Don't get me wrong its not the best coaster ever but it is very good. Its rough in places and I did get my head smashed in twice but over all it extremely enjoyable and I have to say the little airtime hills pack a punch. I think its safe to say this ride will easily be the biggest success ride wise they have had since possibly Oblivion. This ride will do wonders for the park with out question. The ride had a constant 2 hour queue while I was there while everything else seemed to settle at 45 mins. I Don't even want to imagine what the queue will be like when summer peak hits. I will also applaud the park for limiting fastrack tickets for the Smiler because if they sold more the queue would be even more insane. I will admit I did buy one on the second day though as even though the ride is good I refuse to queue 2 hours for it. On the subject of is it better than Nemesis im my honest opinion no it doesn't compare but it still is a great ride. I do have a slight concern about how the Smiler will age, I Don't know if anyone feels this but I just get this nagging feeling in a year or 2 it will just kick your arse for the whole ride.

 

While on park on Monday we were informed Oblivion would be closed and had been closed for about 2 weeks previous, luckily it re opened on Tuesday. The ride looks amazing with its new paint job and new bright orange restraints and it really has brought new life back into the ride and X Sector as a whole. Hex was amazing this year, the work they did to the vault over the winter has really made the ride the best I can ever remember it, the ride is smoother than ever and the music is crystal clear to the point I heard new audio through out the ride that I had never heard before. Around park I have to say the park felt very grubby this year first thing in the morning during ERT queue lines were still dirtys and some of the trains looked disgusting. It seems all focus was placed on X Sector this year and the rest of the park forgotten about. I did also experience Extraordinary Golf for the first time on this trip and while I did enjoy it I have to say the whole corse is in need of some serious TLC, there is many broken effects and scenery, some of the obstacles are broken so the ball doesn't pass through them correctly. I imagine when it first opened it looked great but time has not been nice to it.

 

Over all though I did enjoy my trip to Alton Towers as I always do and look forward to going back. The Smiler is a winner in my books and even after all the delays as I said previously im sure it will be a great success for the park.

 

-Craig

[StealthFan]

Sorry to double post but if anyone if interested here is some off ride footage I took of The Smiler on my recent trip to Alton Towers. If you wish to know my views on the ride please read the post above.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Smiler-1_i31x[/coastertube]

 

-Craig

[robbalvey]

I just want to point out that after all the bitching and moaning about this ride that went on and on for what seemed like forever in this thread prior to opening, and during the issues it was having in May, there has hardly been any discussion about it now in the past few weeks.

 

So way to go fanboys, blowing something totally out of proportion that wasn't a big deal, and now that the ride is open, none of you guys seem to be giving it much love.

 

--Robb "Just wanted to point that out..." Alvey

[robbalvey]

Electricity is incredibly expensive in the UK compared to most other countries so LSM launches just aren't financially possible.

LMFAO!!!!

 

Ok, on second thought, maybe it's BETTER than the fanboys haven't been responding to this thread!

 

--Robb "This might be one of the dumbest things ever posted to TPR." Alvey

[Wes]

When you can't fill pages upon pages with washing machine speculation, the thread dries up.

[BeemerBoy]

^ Hmm, come to think of it, maybe that's why they didn't install one? It must be very expensive to wash clothes in the UK.

 

Screw Africa and its need for clean water sources in impoverished countries. It's time to refocus our efforts, people. The UK needs affordable washing machines and more LSM launches!

[TPDave]

These parks thrive off of that kind of hype though. It's not nice but you shouldn't be surprised!