Alton Towers Resort announced today that its new 2013 roller-coaster, The Smiler, is going to ‘marmalise’ the minds of riders to give them a thrill like no other. Not only will the ride involve plunging 30-metre drops, hurtling speeds of up to 85km per hour and extreme turns, but The Smiler will feature twisted psychological effects to mess with riders’ mind.
The combined physical and mental assault is rationalised by a new report from researchers at New Scientist magazine revealing that mental anticipation is a key-contributor for ensuring an extraordinary thrill experience.
Existing roller-coasters at the UK’s leading theme park already put the body through its paces. Now, The Smiler will play with the mind by blurring the lines between illusion and reality. Riders will be subjected to five mind manipulations including jabbing needles, blinding lights and optical illusions, to maximise the fear factor.
The Smiler’s 5 Mind Manipulations:
• The Inoculator (A jab of happiness as you pass by stage one of the Marmalisation process)
• The Tickler (Aims to tickle you until you cant resist smiling)
• The Flasher (A giant flashing device, blinding you as you hurtle underneath the leg)
• The Giggler (Infectious, intoxicating laughing gas)
• The Hypnotiser (Has the power to disorientate, mesmerize and disrupt your self-awareness)
The Thrill Report, commissioned by Alton Towers Resort and compiled by researchers from New Scientist, details the importance of using mental and physical cues on roller-coasters so riders can experience a greater sense of excitement.
The report has found that the ultimate ‘Thrill-Factor’ is composed of five ‘acts’ similar to the set-up of a play. This is because thrilling experiences work best when constructed as stories or narratives.
Exposition explains the set-up: a ride’s branding and its look and feel do this.
Rising action increases the user's anticipation of discomfort. Queuing is part of this "act", and the slow climb of the roller-coaster
Climax or crisis essentially the moment of terror, a precipitous drop or jerk, supplying both physical and mental cues for fear
Falling action involves turning terror into release, catharsis or pleasure. After a precipitous drop, roller coasters often follow smoother curves that are more enjoyable than the drop.
Denouement a period of reflection, a time to compare notes with friends, get a photo of ourselves on the ride, and maybe claim we weren’t scared at all.
“All the experiences we use to generate thrill – whether a scary film, bungee jump or roller-coaster - involve an element of fear. This ancient emotion is triggered by either a physical stimulus, such as pain or being thrown around, or a mental one, most commonly the anticipation of danger such as the rising action on a roller-coaster. Roller-coaster designers believe that by pulling both our mental and physical strings, it is possible to create the best possible thrill”, the report edited by New Scientist editor, Jeremy Webb says.
John Wardley, a ride consultant at Alton Towers Resort, commented: “We know people get a thrill when they ride roller-coasters, but in order to heighten that feeling of excitement we needed to design a roller-coaster that also incorporates a variety of mental cues. The Smiler will be different from other traditional coasters in that it will combine intense physical effects to put the body through its paces, along with the unique mental elements to mess with the mind. After riding the coaster they will have experienced full mind and body marmalisation.”
The Smiler will be Alton Towers Resort’s biggest ever investment and will feature a track the length of ten football fields, 30-metre drops and speeds of up to 85km per hour. The Smiler is an all controlling force committed to ensuring you smile. Always.
For more details on the The Smiler, coming to Alton Towers Resort in May 2013 visit
www.the-smiler.com.
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
Marmalisation:
Marmalisation is a term to explain how The Smiler will make you feel. It can be interpreted as making you feel spaced out, or mashed up.
The Thrill Report:
The Thrill Report, commissioned by Alton Towers Resort covers four key areas of research.
1. Mental Manipulation
“Beford argues that thrilling experiences work best when constructed as stories or narratives. A theme park needs to go through five stages or “acts””(highlighted above)
2. Evolution
“When humans first evolved, we did not have the security of an advanced civilisation. Nowadays we are insulated from these threats, particularly in the West. So we seek out thrills in movies and theme parks.”
3. Personality Play
“People’s responses to thrilling experiences vary enormously. People who are curious and open to new experiences, and who are outgoing, assertive and energetic, are more likely to enjoy thrilling experiences.” Sensation-seekers may well produce more of a chemical called dopamine, in response to novel stimuli.
“Psychologists have found that thrill-seekers tend to have a more powerful neural response to new stimuli: they get more of a buzz from novel experiences than other people. Sensation-seeking even extends to their taste in food: they prefer stimulating food that is spicy or crunchy.”
4. Why We Go Back For More
“If people want to be happy why do they sometimes seek out experiences that are associated with displeasure or pain? Sensation-seekers tend to have fewer receptors in their midbrain so they may well produce more dopamine in response to novel stimuli. Dopamine is a key chemical in the brain’s ‘reward system.’”
About The Smiler:
In 2013, Alton Towers Resort will launch its biggest ever roller-coaster – The Smiler (
www.the-smiler.com). The first of its kind in the world, The Smiler will be the biggest ever investment for a ride at the Resort. Whilst many of the details are still a closely guarded secret, here are a few exclusive facts:
• Highest drop – 30m
• Maximum speed – approx 85km/hr which is 10km/hr faster than Air
• Track length – 1,170m. This is 3x the length of Oblivion
• Ride time – 165 seconds which is 3x the ride time of Rita
• Passengers per ride train – 16 (4x rows of 4)
• Minimum rider height – 1.4m
• Location – X Sector, on the site of the old Black Hole ride
• Investment for the Resort - £18m
• Opening date – May 2013
