The Smiler Review - Alton Towers
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- In this video I share my review of The Smiler, an Infinity Coaster manufactured by Gerstlauer located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Along with giving an in-depth review of the ride I also share facts about The Smiler along with sharing a variety of on and off ride footage.
Thank you for watching! I apologise about a slight audio issue between 15:00-16:00, it seems that this part of the video didn’t render as planned!
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Thank you for watching! I apologise about a slight audio issue between 15:00-16:00, it seems that this part of the video didn’t render as planned!
I thought it was an "Optical procedure" haha
We've been marmalised
Ooff
Welcome to the sanctuary
a stu "you are now w embarking on an optical procedure. Part of the correctional process."
I actually think The Smiler station is a highlight, it's sleek, love the dispatch sounds and the staff uniform.
Millsy for me the stairs when you exist are sort of out of place
JOIN US
@@youknowthatwasntveryfunny2971 I don't get why they are painted rainbow either. Seems really out of place compared to the yellow/black
theme
That station is hideous. I feel like I'm in a multi story carpark!
@@twistedcheese1 you must visit some neat car parks then lol
As much as I hate the queue line for this ride, it really adds to the immersion that you're being funnelled through to this sinister human experiment. I don't think this was intentional but with the cattle pen and repeative soundtrack you really do arrive at the station feeling a little bit broken and ready for the experience.
I feel like it just so happened to coalign with the theming, and it's great
I love the Queue line, it adds to a test facility feel
We love the smiler. We had a smiler themed wedding cake in early 2015 and the cake topper was the train and the track descended down each tier of the cake
Sounds amazing
Woooow
That must’ve been a wedding cake and a half!
What flavour was it?
How did it taste?
Also congratulations!
Never get corrected on your wedding day, or that happens.
i think the concrete floor and cattle pen style of the outdoor queue line sort of matches the theming like you're being funnelled through into this facility in a inhuman kind of way; if that makes sense
I agree
Yeah
I love the smiler. I always thought the Cattle pen was intended because you're being treated like cattle going to get marmalised and thought it was quite a good idea. Although I do agree it's looking a bit tatty now. I do love the station too it feels like you're somewhere clinical and you're being prepped for s procedure haha. But yes I love the lights I love seeing into the operation booth and giving the ops a little wave and the uniforms 🥰
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I don't mind the fact that the Smiler has gone a bit bland and empty on the theming, the simple colour and detail scheme emphasizes the idea of a clean, medical facility style operation, with the concrete cattle pen queue line making you feel like a simple test subject lining up to be corrected. I also like the themed screens in the queue line that show the "marmalisation" process, as well as the audio announcements in the building like "You will now begin your correctional procedure" that really help emphasize the psychological feel. That decent amount of theming combined with a brilliant ride experience makes the Smiler my firm favourite at Alton.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I agree completely
is it bland building or is there the small details that most people will not pay attention to but may still pick up on that make it into seeming like some kind of strange lab or some weird facility that fills you with a nervous feeling?
I agree. I love to hate it and hate to love it.
The smiler has always been my favourite ride, and it’s really nice to hear that it opened 7 years ago today!! 🥳
Thank you for watching!
The Smiler is the roller coaster that cured my fear of coasters. So glad I queued up last October. What a ride
Hol0 it's really a fantastic ride 👍
front row in the dark at scarefest is amazing i loved it
One of the best rides I’ve ever been on. The theming, the queue line, logo, staff uniforms, dispatch room and the roller coaster it’s self. Perfect ride 😀👍🏼
I love The Smilers soundtrack but when you're in a 3 hour queue and it's on repeat its excruciating!
Shaun: "Its a good solid lifthill" 🤣
Good solid lift hill!
@@ThemeParkWorldwide I will correct it 😋
@@timhulsen7385Not corrected!
The fact you can’t process what’s happening is why it’s so genius. I never know what the hell just happened to me after I’ve been on that ride. I can never remember the details after and I can only handle doing it once per visit. Its definitely the most immersive and effective theme for me. It’s too epic this ride.
Love the ride. I first went on it when I was 16. That day was a memory as my school went for our leavers party
I first rode it with my sister when I was 11, and it broke down just as it pulled into the station but we were lucky enough to be on the front row, so we were allowed off but everyone else on the cart wasn't and was stuck just slightly outside the station for hours. That would be extremely annoying given that they were right next to the little platforms that leads to the steps and ladders so technically they theoretically could've got off :/
Jessie Miller did you manage to go on any other rides when you went for your leavers party. Schools are very strict with time limits and the smiler has a massive queue line. I remember when I went with my school, some people only rode the smiler throughout the school trip
you may not hear this about a ride much but the smell of the ride makes it for me! so memroable implented in my mind from the first time i rode it (and then the 4 straight after)! , theming, colour, sounds, everything was just impecible
I have to say unlike other Gerstlauer ride, the Smiler is one of my absolute favourites. It's certainly a bit rough, but the theming and soundtrack really make it for me. I can entirely understand why it's not for some though!
I was surprised how "unrough" it was compared to other Gerstlaur coasters
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The Smiler will always be in my memories because of a presentation I did back in school in English class about roller coasters where I also talked about its inversion record =D Everyone laughed at me back then because we could choose the topic of the presentation ourselves and I immediately went for roller coasters xD Can't believe I still haven't been on it :/
I bet they chose boring topics like football lol
@@visionist7 There were a lot of teenage romance novels actually....
Same lol, but for me still, I've done something like 3 different projects on rollercoasters, and my ongoing A level project is about deciding what Thorpe Park's next ride should be
I remember swearing never to ride it after the accident but now I’m obsessed with it 😂 The only flaw in my opinion is the corkscrew at the end is so rough but still love it either way
I want to Drayton Manor and saw some queue jumpers the park staff told them to get some
Drayton Manners
crispy bacon lettuce 08 lol
@@polibix lol
oh my
@@wypmangames lol
whoever said that: genius
i actually love the station It rlly fits with the theme in my opinion but they should definitely redo the downstairs room It’s in pretty bad shape
Hey Shawn, I went to Thorpe park a few weeks ago and didn’t go on anything as I was so scared! I regretted it when I got home, and started watching all of your videos, your excitement and enthusiasm is so catchy!! So we booked Alton towers for the weekend just gone and I went on every single coaster including the smiler. I have a new found love for coasters, I loved nemesis too and the feeling on Rita was something I’d never experienced before! thanks to you & Charlotte I now get to enjoy themeparks! Loved this smiler review agree with everything you said! THANK YOU ☺️
Alton Towers : 14 looping coaster
The smiler : I don't even have one loop
Enthusiasts : 🤦♀️
Fools the GP though
They meant inversions then?
@@bustedkeaton yh
The smiler is the best at towers
I like the smiler station and queue because it feels like you're in cages waiting to be put under.
Great Review as always Shawn. I really enjoy The Smiler but like you, I did find it was becoming unbearable a couple of years ago. I still went on it because my fiancee loved it so much but last year I started to enjoy it again! My favorite position is at the front on the inside, the sea serpent element into the airtime hill feel amazing at the front. I actually really love the theming, it's so original and I think the cult-like following it has really shows that. The concept art did look cool and normally I'd be in favour of the more rundown, gritty theming, but I really like the polished look the station has now. Obviously, Wicker Man takes it to a whole new level but I like to think Smiler pathed the way for Big Bob!
Is it just me or is there some audio issues? Around 15:00
I noticed that as well
I know what was that?
I thought there was aswell
Sounded like he said the same thing like 3 times
Sounds like he's over dubbed it
Happy birthday to The Smiler! and me ;)
Happy Birthday Mr Coller Roaster! My birthday is coming up in 9 days too!
Happy birthday to you too! :)
Matthew Robertson thank you
Heyo
Happy Birthday
Oh yeah Shawn absolutely love the smiler, missing it loads
I rode the Smiler the day after it opened with my mum. We waited something like 2 hours in the queue line and I remember saying "G-Force" the entire way round.
I'm not much of a screamer and if anything, I'll talk throughout the ride or just be quiet. Nowadays, I still love the ride, although I think that the projection mapping in the indoor queue line has gotten worse. Sometimes it doesn't work. I remember when there used to be optical illusions on the back of the seats which used to give me a headache but of course they removed them.
There is this one staff member who I think is one of the main ride operators for the Smiler who helped my sister overcome her fears of the ride and I always like to wave to her whenever I go on the ride (if she is there of course). After many times going on the Smiler, I have calculated that the photo is taken after the 10th loop and it's nearest to the wall next to the main path. The vertical lift hill is also a nice element and it's even better when your train drops down the same time as the other one on the other lift hill. When it's sunny, I even like to pretend that I'm sunbathing.
I feel like they nailed the theme, music and all. I think it’s be a lot poorer if they had made it something else. All for adding to it though, can never have too much theming!
This was the ride that stopped my fear of rollercoasters
This was my first coaster 😂
I saw you in a stevie t comment section Matt 😂
@@matthewsouthwell9653 oh hi again lol
@@visionist7 yo
British Thrillseeker I’m a Stevie t fan!!!!!!!! He’s so food
I hope the world record will stay it just makes the ride more crazy and awesome
I have a soft spot for The Smiler, out of the hundreds of times i've been on it there was only one time I ever thought it was rough. Right on the back row at the far left. I had a bit of a headbashing but it was nothing too crazy. Such a great coaster but I agree, it certainly needs a theming upgrade, it's a little basic in places throughout the queue-line and especially inside the main building.
i live waving to the people on the path at the top of the lift hills
There's audio issues @15:03 The video and audio are out of sync! oops
Great review though. 2nd favourite coaster at AT
I apologise about a slight audio issue between 15:00-16:00, it seems that this part of the video didn’t render as planned!
The smiler is my second favourite too what’s your favourite AT ride?
I really wanna go on the smiler
The smiler is my favourite ride at the park
The smiler is my second favourite I still think nemesis is the best
@@EG-pw9by good opinion, I think smiler is the best but fair enough!
It doesn't feel like its been 6 years since I first went on it
I never got on it or seen it and I will probably never get on it but still I feel something for that ride
It’s well worth it if you ever get the opportunity
Gina Collyer I agree
Let’s hope you get to ride it at some point!
Theme Park Worldwide thank you
I rode The Smiler for the first time last year and was shocked at how smooth it was due to everything I’d heard about it. It’s right up there with Nemesis for me, I love the sound of the trains going around the track and how relentless it is to ride - I hope it continues to be as enjoyable as it was when I rode it in 2019! 🎢
im just happy that the smiler re opened on my birthday - march 19th. ive always feel like iv been the biggest smiler fan cus I was also ine of the first riders on opining day! also I don't think anybosy completely designed their room to the smiler whilst they were building it.
I actually quite like the bare, clinical station building. Fits the theme well. But I agree about the queue line - and they need to do something about the flooding!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The Smiler Shop TV man Is Having A Party Smile... Always
Ever since it opened the Smiler has been my favourite ride just a bit of a shame they toned everything down after the accident although I do understand why they did
I mean, people have lost legs, would be tone deaf if they wouldn't
@@magdalenat3424 yeah but that was due to human error not the great theming on the ride. Don't get me wrong it was a tragic accident caused by human error but its still a shame they dialed everything back.
@@charliebristow3305 you're right i see your point. Nonetheless imagine being a victim or victim's close one after the accident hearing about the ride, seeing advertisements etc. I think what's really sickening is the fact they were on it injured for 5 hours listening to that bloody music with laughs and all of that. I just think it would be simply disrespectful to cause futher harm
Remember my first Ride on the smiler last year. It was amazing. It did the job too, as me and my brother couldn't stop laughing. Absolutely brilliant. That trip was the first time in six years that we went, we tried to ride the smiler back when it 2013. But was closed the day we went. The opening of the smiler was a nightmare
I used to get sick of the soundtrack in the queue, but wow! I took it for granted😨🤣 would love to be annoyed in the queue line right now!
Got to go on it, front row in June (before the accident happened), loved it on the summer's day, and sadly haven't been back to Alton Towers since.
When i rid the smiler i had a good ride on the back row and the cobra roll was quite smooth cant wait to go back in 2022
really do love the smiler, yes the last couple inversions are rough but i don’t think it takes too much away from how good the rest of the ride is
The coaster that brought me to Alton back in 2013, been going every year ever since!
I love that ride, i first went on it when I as 13, and I went on it 3 times in a row!
Smiler is my favourite rollercoaster in UK however every time I've been on it, I've been on row 1 or 2 so I've been very lucky! Is this your favourite infinity coaster Shawn or have you got a different favourite?
Daniel the smiler is my number 1 coaster at Alton Towers, but last year on the 1st day of ultimate fireworks i ridden the smiler 27 times, it's epic
One of my favourite roller coasters for sure
This ride means a lot to me. It’s not my number 1 coaster and I don’t think it’s even the best in the park but I remember riding this for the first time and this was the ride which made me an enthusiast. I was so scared to go on but somehow my cousin convinced me to go on but when I came off I loved it. I came off thinking ‘I don’t know what just happened but I need more of it’. I love this ride. 😁
Thanks for sharing your memories!
2013 was seven years ago!? I feel old
It was indeed!
I’ve been to a fair few theme parks over the years, Europe, USA, UK… and I have to say, having taken my 11 year old daughter to Alton Towers for her first time today… and my first visit since the early 1990’s… The Smiler is, to us, entirely different level. We loved the Wicker Man, beautiful.. ferocious, screamathon fun on the back seats but… The Smiler, entirely intimidating, awe inspiring, star struck, funny, oh we laughed with amazement… can’t not mention the history, sad… very very sad… but so mightily impressed with it today. We are back tomorrow and that will be our main focus for the day with a few other rides for good measure but it’s all about The Smiler.
And great channel btw wave watched a lot this last few months.
We’re glad that you had a good time!
I love everything about the Smiler except the indoor portion of the queue line. The music and lights give me a thumping headache before I've even got on the ride. Luckily the single rider queu me bypasses most of the indoor section, which helps.
Other than that, it's a spectacular coaster. I enjoy every inversion, and the two airtime hills are glorious.. the second one gives me the best airtime I've ever experienced! And how on earth they managed to fit such a dense track into such a small space, I will always be in awe.
Shawn where does this rank amongst other Alton Towers coasters for you?
It's my number 1 favourite coaster at Alton Towers Mr Coller Roaster
Nemmy is the best still for me. Smiler close second.
Nemesis, Wickerman, Smiler, Oblivion, Rita, Galactica, Th13teen, Mine Train, Spinball Whizzer.
Nemmy then Smiler then Wickerman
I’ll be shading a video on this in the near future!
I agree I would love too see a bit more done with the smiler. It's so popular and it's got such a cult following they could do a lot with in the station and the queue line. They did so much with the Backstory aswell.
Looking back on all the fond memories of this attraction has made Shawn a smiler. *canned laughter*
When I first ride the smiler it was my no 1 coaster of all time
I was petrified to go on the ride few years ago but now I absolutely love it I don't like that bright flashing light in the queue tho, happy birthday smiler🥳
Emma i was apprehensive looking at the smiler, until last year when i 1st ridden it in September, now it's my favourite coaster at Alton Towers, miss riding it this year
Loved the video. I don’t think they would get away with taking out some of the cattle pen cos the smiler gets HUGE Queues
Love how much a ride can change where you sit. I like the front... feels less intense than the back
Thank you so much for doing this review! The Smiler is one of the big reasons why Alton Towers is so high on my bucket list of parks to visit. I thought it was interesting that you brought up the roughness towards the end. I immediately thought that it's likely going to be the trains that are the problem. While track does constantly get warped a bit over time, the structure that's holding it up looks incredibly well engineered. You can see the structure sway a little bit to absorb the impact of trains running with quite a bit of weight at high speed. Whereas the trains wear a lot more easily over time. It sounds like train work that was done has really done the trick. I hope it stays as comfortable until I'm finally able to ride in hopefully a year's time!
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts!
My favourite part of the smiler is the airtime hill after inversion 9 or 10.
Seems a very fair review of the the Smiler Shawn and I have to agree with you on the points raised. I went on it on the O2 priority buyout day in March of this year and had a few rides in different positions. It was quite smooth for one of the rides that I had but another was a similar level of roughness to what I remember from back in 2018, hopefully it just needed running in and we should all be able to have some better rides on it later this year :)
It’s slowly becoming one of my favourites at Alton towers. Still need to brave the front row along with the front row on Rita
I just went on every single rollercoaster in Altons today, and the best for me was the smiler & the worst for me was personally oblivion cause it wasn't long enough with only one high vertical drop, and it would've been good if it twirled and went upside down; the smiler is one of the best getting a 10 out of 10 as a coaster; the smiler is actually just Galactica & nemesis but mixed up like riding both of them in one, which is good cause nemesis & Galactica are some of the best etc in the entire park, and the smiler was the best in the park cause it is literally just nemesis/Galactica in one ride, and I really see why it's called the smiler cause manic laughter including your own spreads through the track like a disease. One of the best theme parks I've visited in a long while, the blade was very good aswell. Every rollercoaster is highly recommended, just make sure to get fast track tickets, cause that'll be a better experience for us all.
One thing I really like about the Smiler Layout:
It seems just like a mess of track and supports, but there is actually quite a logic behind it, once you analyze it more:
Both halves have the same start: The small drop turning around to the Corkscrew Drop. 1 Inversion.
Then, the first half goes into back to back Dive Loops and the second half goes into the Sea Serpent Roll. 2 Inversions and the track is now facing the same way as before, but offset to one side.
Airtime Hill through the Marmaliser.
On the other side of the Marmaliser, both halves go into a "Turnaround Double Inversion" (The Batwing in the first and the Cobra Roll in the second half).
Then the first half goes into a Corkscrew into the midcourse brake run and into the second lift hill and the second half does a double Corkscrew into the final brakes.
Its basically a "Double Out-And-Back" Layout, just very compact and with another lift hill in the middle. There are only 8 times in the whole ride where the track turns 180° (The 2 drops, the Dive loops, the Sea-Serpent Roll and the 2 turnaround elements) and 4 of those instantly cancel each other out.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
was my 3rd ever ride, went on when i was 11 in opening season, still absolutely love it
Never did Smiler but would love too. Last time I went Alton Towers was just before Corkscrew closed. That was iconic for an 80s kid
The roughness didn't bother me for the most part but I would say the 12th inversion needs retracking. Other than that....love it.
my biggest bucket list ride ever. i’m from germany near phantasialand and hope to ride this epic ride one day!!!! i love the theming and lore, and the inversions look awesome!
I love the empty feel I think it would be to crowded if they added much more
I remember riding it non stop first time I went when it opened I loved the themes the staff wearing them. Amazing coaster. The accident should never of happened. Xxx
I absolutely love the smiler. It’s my favourite roller coaster in the uk. When I first went on it with my mum and dad a few years ago my mum hated it and dad was a bit 50-50 but I loved it. I have lots of smiler merch lol
Formerly, Merrie England at 18:38. That will keep us smiling at 24:04 like 5 years ago as thank goodness we weren’t on the accident and talking of being safe, make sure you and Shawn keep staying safe and well. 😊
The 2nd half is amazing, except for the Cobra Roll of course
The double corkscrews at the end are my favourite inversions on the ride
Also one of my favourite memories as an enthusiast was riding this with you back in 2018!
Love the smiler a lot and agree that the cobra roll is a it rough😂
Hi Shaun brilliant review as always. I have hit and miss relationship with the smiler, being over 6 foot I can stick my head out of the restraints for the rough parts so not so bad but feel bad for shorter riders, last summer 2019 my sister was heavily bruised around her ears after getting a back right ride twice (single rider), would prefer lap bars everytime!! Can we have a review of the original haunted house? Surely it is time to get it back running to its original spec, so much better then duel!! Can we start a campaign to bring it back? Keep up the good work mate.
This was the first tpww video i had ever watched, and ever since i have been hooked
Thanks for watching. Fingers crossed we’ll be back in the parks soon!
I've only been to Alton Towers and Blackpool Pleasure Beach so far in my life, but The Smiler is my favourite ride I've been on so far.
I'm a Rollercoaster lover. Been to cedar point, Busch gardens Williamsburg, lake compounce. I'm saving up because I really do wanna visit Alton someday as an American. Here's hoping covid will let me visit in the next year or so, the smiler really is up there as my must ride list for the inversions.
Let’s hope you get to visit!
This ride is brilliant, and the music is epic (the non laughing/voice parts)
I actually love how basic and "generic" the station is, because it leaves you to think of the story for yourself, and it allows your attention to focus on the lights that are so bright before the dispatch. To be honest, I love everything about the smiler, from the colours to the theme to the track layout, even the uniforms, and it is definitely my top coaster 💛🖤
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Great review. Definitely a unique coaster and a great use of space. Depends on where you sit in terms of roughness but it’s something we should be proud to have in the UK!
Thank you!
Love these reviews. Great summary of the smiler but what happens at 15 mins? haha! bit of a mix up on the audio voice over i think my dude!
I apologise about a slight audio issue between 15:00-16:00, it seems that this part of the video didn’t render as planned!
@@ThemeParkWorldwide luckily it kind of fits with the disorienting Smiler theming haha!
The end of The Smiler is one where you need to know how to ride it. The profiling of the second Cobra Roll inversion is pretty condensed which caused a jolt. If you dont brace yourself right for it then your head will knock back and forth until the end of the last inversion.
One thing I'm surprised never gets mentioned is the jolt as you go down the first drop into the dive loops. That's been there since the first time I went on.
That’s also a jolt that’s got worse over time sadly
I love the smiler it's my favourite at alton towers but I don't know if I like icon at blackpool pleasure beach they are both great also doesn't nemesis my 2nd favourite at alton towers have a big themed structure but I loved your review and I love your channel
I’ve watched so many smiler videos and never known there was a pre-show
🤷♂️
There is indeed, even if it is a rolling pre-show!
i really think the smiler needs lap bars, it would honestly be so much better. only been on it twice since i dont live in the uk but from my experience i really think it would feel a lot less rough with the lap bars which i believe were planned initially by gertslauer. still an absolutely fantastic ride though, will definitely go on it again if given the chance
Sadly, I haven't been on the smiler because of me hight lol! but I cant wait to go on it :D
Loved the video! :) Hate to say it but this is probably one of the most uncomfortable/painful coasters I've been on, like you said, its gotten so rough and some of those inversions just throw you about. Think Saw The Ride at Thorpe could also really do with a bit of TLC, another one that hurts a lot to ride and bruises you!
Even though thats where you met Charlotte i swear you never give the smiler the credit it deserves
Love this ride It’s one of my fav rides at Alton
Thanks for your videos they are great.
Stayed at the hotel in March for a weekend and did smiler about 15 times (wasn’t busy).
Funny enough I thought the same as you, front of the cars where smooth, the back was rough! Still enjoyed it though.
The batwing on Abyssus is going to be fantastic on the backrow, but it will be crazy on the front... Alton Towers should put RMC trains on The Smiler!!
It will be epic!
Unfortunately I have never ridden smiler but I have a feeling it’s smoother then saw after it’s overbanck