Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[coneyislandchris 83]

I will leave you with a genuine quote from Guest Services when I went to see if there was any way I could ride without the headset and this was the response I got "If we gave people the option not to wear the headset no one would wear them". What does that tell you about the feedback they have had on it?

Words fail me.

[rctneil 0]

I rode a couple more times during a visit to the park yesterday. My first ride of the day was fantastic. All in sync, audio was balanced and not just in one year, was nice and clear too. When everything is correct it all works to bring quite a nice experience (apart from the video rushing through all the destinations).

 

My second ride in the afternoon was another story. The audio was fine but it was waaay out of sync. Before trying Galactica I didn't think it would affect me as much when it was out of sync as it actually did. Blimey I was wrong, the video was 1-2 seconds behind where I actually was on the track. It seriously makes you feel as though you are going sideways. Very very weird feeling. Thankfully they seem all too aware that things can go wrong with it in small ways like that and promptly gave us fasttracks for another day which was kind of them.

 

I do think the boarding process has reached its fastest (I honestly can't see how it can speed up anymore considering the amount they have to get done to get all riders in place and set up before departing. It's not the fastest but you shouldn't expect it to be as fast as Air was.

 

I managed to get a clearer photo of the small boxes they have between each pair of seats which allows the operatives to manage the VR experience for each person. It's a small touchscreen that gives a read out of the headsets battery status, bluetooth status and also allows the ops to reset the orientation. (Resetting the orientation is such a big thing as to how a rider experiences the ride that I believe they should explain more clearly before putting on the headsets that once they are on and been tightened to sit and look directly forwards (I find a slight tilt of the head up helps too) whilst the reset the orientation so everything is correctly aligned.

 

 

I also noticed that a lot of the action in the video happens directly in front of you and a lot of people must miss it as they are looking down rather than infront of them.

 

I asked to try a subtitled version which they kindly quickly enabled. This gave me a small translucent rectangle at the bottom of my viewport that followed my vision around. Unfortunately the headset wobbles and bounces too much during the ride that it makes it very hard to read. The rectangle is also placed very nearby to you in 3D space so if you've adjusted the focus to be sharp on the background video, it puts the text slightly out of focus adding the legibility issue. The other thing that made me laugh is that as you are sat in the station you sit and stare at a rather large Galactica logo in the centre of a very black room. This Galactica logo was also subtitled "Galactica"!!

 

Overall, people seem to enjoy but I really can't see it lasting all that long. It definitely increases Air rerideability but on the downside takes away its rollercoasterness. People are so focused on the video and audio and forget they are on more than just a simulator. This is proved from standing in the plaza watching the ride and just seeing silent trains go around the track with no one making any noise!

[TyRush 0]

I know the accident was terrible and all, but I saw these photos on Facebook and thought it was crazy how damaged the train was check it out...

Photos from National Health and Safety Lab

[viking86 1]

I saw those pictures on facebook. Really makes you realize the horrors that those poor people must have gone through.

[Henry M 0]

I know you are not supposed to do short post replies, but:

 

WOW

[SixFlagsAstroworld 0]

Just looking at the car made the crash seem even scarier

Edited April 22, 2016 by SixFlagsAstroworld

[SharkTums 380]

It's amazing those girls didn't lose both legs when you see those photos of just how crushed so much of the front of the train was.

[shadox17 0]

Wow, that's terrifying

[robbalvey 151]

It really does make you question whether or not these more "open face" trains are a good idea. I get that there is more of a thrill element, but isn't that "thrill element" the fear that you could die if you collided with something? Perhaps it's not such a smart design move...

 

I mean, what would happen if two of those B&M floorless trains collided?

[Dar 6]

I think the only practical way to mitigate that would be to have a zero-car on every train, with plastic farings, that fall off in a collision, to cover it. I don't know if these infinity coasters can have longer trains, but if not it would massively affect throughputs, possibly too much to be acceptable to manufacturers/parks considering this should never happen?

[robbalvey 151]

Here's a short Smiler video from Craig's recent visit to the park:

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou 5]

I don't know if these infinity coasters can have longer trains, but if not it would massively affect throughputs...

From Gerstlauer's website:

The vehicles of the Infinity Coaster feel infinite and quite spacious. The versatile coaster is available with individual cars for 8 riders as well as with trains holding up to 32 riders. Choosing a train doesn’t change the experience, however. The train concept is designed to navigate small radii, too! The new seat concept is fantastic! The open and high seat positing which offers lots of space and comfort for the riders – including floorless coaster feeling!

 

...

 

The Infinity Coaster is available with chain lift as well as with LSM-Launch – or both! The chain lift is avaible with lift hills of differnet angles. Likewise our 90° lift is navigable for trains composed of maximum 4 rows (16 riders). A new feature of our lift system is the magnetic, silent, safety chain dog system that lowers the vehicles backwards in case of a power loss. That ensures a quick, safe and comfortable evacuation of the riders in case of emergency right at the bottom of the lift hill.

They can run up to 4 rows per train for a layout with a vertical lift, or up to 8 for a layout without one. Smiler's trains were the longest the manufacturer allowed due to the second lift being vertical.

[RyanTPM 0]

Wow, i knew that the train was badly damaged from the original pictures last year but seeing it up close it looks loads worse than i thought. Really is a miracle that the girls didn't lose both legs. Since re opening the coaster has been running so much better though, there's certainly not been any major breakdowns or issues as there was before.

[julioot 0]

It really does make you question whether or not these more "open face" trains are a good idea. I get that there is more of a thrill element, but isn't that "thrill element" the fear that you could die if you collided with something? Perhaps it's not such a smart design move...

 

I mean, what would happen if two of those B&M floorless trains collided?

 

In this case the 'fence' in front of the riders seems to be the thing that caused the most harm. Maybe an even more open design in this case would have saved some legs.

 

I have wondered the same thing about the b&m floorless designs. They do have some kind of a bumper in the front but im not sure if that would hold up in a high speed crash. Besides That, what would happen if someone would have his legs stretched out at the point of the crash.

 

[Pirate 0]

Why does Nemmy have a walk-on all day, every day?

 

Every time I check the ride times website, it's either 0 or 5 minutes. Any reason for this?

[RyanTPM 0]

^I think it's to do with the operations on the coaster being quick combined with a high capacity, its certainly not a popularity issue

[viking86 1]

I have wondered the same thing about the b&m floorless designs. They do have some kind of a bumper in the front but im not sure if that would hold up in a high speed crash.

 

Pretty sure that bumper is there purely to prevent any mechanical damage to the trains in case they should bump together at low speed in the station/brakes/transfer area. You can find that bumper on all B&M's, not just the floorless ones.

[cookiex 0]

Seeing the photos of the damaged Smiler train makes me wonder what happened to the empty train it collided with.

 

And yeah, imagining someone's legs being crushed like that is horrifying.

[Henry M 0]

I have wondered the same thing about the b&m floorless designs. They do have some kind of a bumper in the front but im not sure if that would hold up in a high speed crash.

 

Pretty sure that bumper is there purely to prevent any mechanical damage to the trains in case they should bump together at low speed in the station/brakes/transfer area. You can find that bumper on all B&M's, not just the floorless ones.

Completely correct. It would only slightly help in a high speed crash.

 

Why does Nemmy have a walk-on all day, every day?

 

Every time I check the ride times website, it's either 0 or 5 minutes. Any reason for this?

 

Just you wait till summer comes!

[Dar 6]

Towersstreet Talk are reporting on their facebook that some plans have surfaced on the Staffordshire Moorlands planning portal as part of a structural assessment that show a possible layout for SW8

 

Here's the link to the page: http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=103314 but it seems enthusiasts have hugged it to death.

 

I can't decide what it looks like most, I think GCI but could be RMC but there doesn't seem to be any obvious inversions? Unless they're pulling a Smiler with it all in GDO and this is just a courtesy to the council so some inversions might appear later?

 

James from TowersStreet has made this overlay to show how it fits in with the overall area:

 

[RyanTPM 0]

^Very happy that were finally seeing some plans, looks like a GCI or GG rather than RMC for sure. Although i'd rather have the RMC i'm very excited about this. Wonder if it's for next year though now that we've seen an application.

[lewis97 0]

This is only a Screening Opinion, with a full planning application yet to be submitted, although TowersTimes have an article with a full rundown of all the details that this has provided. It has also been confirmed that it will open in 2018.

[Skramp 0]

The damage on that train is incredible! As an IndyCar fan, I have to wonder.....the cars are made to explode to absorb the crash energy and save the drivers. Possibly something like this could be integrated into the front of all "open faced" trains in order to lessen any impacts. Just like a carbon fiber bumper of the front to absorb any impacts?

[PixelRush 0]

Based upon the given building plans, TheCodeMaster has built a representation of what we may be expecting using NL2! It's quite interesting, and the unique element surely is unique!

[RyanTPM 0]

The lift is certainly, erm, interesting. Wonder what Alton's plans are with that as it's actually listed on the plans as having different angles as it goes up, guess we shall find out when the full plan is submitted!