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Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

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Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Did people seriously expect to have lap bars? This was never going to have lap bars!!

Trains look really good and love the hypnotising imagery on them!

They look suspiciously Eurofighter-esque though, which worries me. Just hope they don't ride like Eurofighter trains due to the increased length.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

^I've not been following this for a while. But the original rumors when it's was revealed that it was going to be a Gerstlauer was that it was going to have lapbars only. And since all of the other new eurofighters have lapbars only I don't see a single reason in the world why the Smiler couldn't or shouldn't have lapbars as well?? The lenght and the several inversions only further support the reason why to have lapbars! I just don't get it...
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

spicy said:
Did people seriously expect to have lap bars? This was never going to have lap bars!!
IronShark1.jpg


WHY CANT WE HAVE NICE THINGS?

In seriousness, though. No, I didn't think it would have lapbars. But not for any logical reason, for the "this is looking too good..." suspicion that they will have to do something to make it horrible.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Joey said:
The public are going to love it regardless.

In a bizarre sort of way, that's all I really care about.

Like, I love how it looks, and if it's too rough to ride more than a few times per visit, I'm fine with that. Saw was painful, but not to the extent that I would skip it if I visited Thorpe in the near future.

However if this turns into Infusion levels of roughness, then maybe I'll change my mind.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

The colours are nice but time for a reality check. It's a Gerstaluer. It has Eurofighter trains.

Name a Gerstlaurer with multiple inversions that is still smooth a year on.

You can't can you?

I think The Smilier will be a laugh as it punches through the inversions in quick sucession, but I still don't think it's going to be the best coaster in the world. It's probably going to lack reridability.

People are going to LOVE The Smilier and it will be popular.

And OTSR <3 I was right and don't owe Jake a steak dinner.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I think the reason why Alton opted for OTSR's is because they look more intimidating than a lap-bar. Its all part of playing on and building tension without the guest actually realising. They could have easily gave gone with lap-bars, but it wouldn't look so fearsome.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Alton/Merlin won't build a wooden rollercoaster in this country because, according to their market research, the British public find them unsafe.

If they don't trust a coaster type that has been in use for as long as woodies have, why would they trust lapbars on a coaster with the most inversions on the planet?

They're not just building a ride for us.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

^ Ah I just think thats a ploy to put us off the scent... Merlin say a lot of **** to fob us off / persuade us to their line of thinking. The wooden coasters at blackpool are some of the most popular coasters in the UK, so I have no idea where Merlin plucked their data from..? The reason why we as people ride coasters IS because they look dangerous. Its programmed in us as humans to be curious and danger is a huge stimulus. Pft, if what Merlin say really is the case, then they should have themed Swarm to fairies and cupcakes.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

The OTSRs are a pain, but Aesthetically, it does look good. A very dark, chunky, scientist feel to it, which is very X-sector.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

To be honest, this doesn't bother me. Saw is my favourite coaster :lol:

This isn't the end of the world. It would've been nice for lap bars but hey-ho. If you find it too rough when you ride it for the first time, don't re-ride it. Plus I feel the OTSR add to the fact your locked in and there's no escape.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Joey, remember how you overreacted for four pages about the paint on Oblivion only to be wrong? How about you just wait to see how it rides before getting all upset? Also Iron Shark has like 2 inversions, this doesn't. Sure it could've had the Dare Devil Dive restraints, but that would seriously reduce the number of riders.

So chill, not everyone considers something not smooth as butter to be unbearably rough and garbage. Lines will probably be several hours for the first at least year this is open, probably two or three.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I think it's somewhere in the middle; the public do find them unsafe, but for many that's part of their appeal.

Not sure I'd agree with the BPB woodies being some of the most popular in the UK, maybe in terms of history and nostalgia but for the general public and recent installations around the country i'd suggest they're not all that popular, but of course that's speaking without knowing much of a comparitive cost issue.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I don't mind them tbh but it does have the style of restraints that really hurt me. Still if its smooth etc should be ok.

We won't know until we ride it so there is hope it will be ok :)
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

I hate the box style of them tbh. Front grill looks a bit off.

And hate the visual (**** IVE ACTUALLY FORGOTTEN THE NAME OH WAIT IT'S ILLUSION panic over) illusion backboard that looks a bit cheap. Will look good flying around the track I suppose.
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

To be honest I am not surprised by the design, they are very eurofighter esque and surely thats what we knew they would be like all along. I don't understand why people hate them so much the eurofighter grill may not allow for much customising, but I do love the smiler face on the front and also the yellow bits on the side. Sure they aren't as nice as the trains in the promo images and sure, they may not have lapbars, but they are still nice trains. Hopefully they won't age as badly as saw's have!
 
Re: Alton Towers | The Smiler | Unknown Gerstlauer World's 1

Kim you're killing me!!!

I like the colour scheme, it suggests sciencey hazzardy stuff, and I don't really mind about the OTSRs because that was obviously going to be the case once we saw the extended layout. It just sucks to have the same old style of train that they've been churning out for years...a style which is known to be uncomfortable and rough in the long-term. Fingers crossed it'll be the exception to the rule.

The only thing I can think of is that they wanted it to look as much as possible like Saw, because Saw has been so very popular.
 
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