Benin

Smiler is damn fab It's wonderful, not perfect, but just, damn solid and a real hit with everyone... I'll do a full report tomoz... EDIT - REVIEW TIME! It's hard to review something that has had numerous reviews already, without repeating everyone else constantly, but quite simply, the Smiler is a solid coaster that has really brought something to the table that has captured the minds of everyone who visits the park... The GP are just as incredulated by the ride, and who can blame them? If there's one thing Smiler is, it's a construction marvel, such a mass tangle of track in that area is a great feat of engineering... To think 8 years ago Black Hole stood there is ridiculous, and Smiler is just one big twisted sight of metal with the two yellow trains providing a great addition to the darkness... It's certainly a ride designed for off-riders overall... The Marmaliser is certainly more noticeable for near-misses off the ride (though the Inoculator arm is very good on-ride) and indeed, people say there is a lack of thematic elements, but how can you provide that without it detracting from the ride or indeed make it more obvious? IMPOSSIBRUUU! The queue then, it's a concrete cattlepen yes, BUT, do you notice this? I (and many others in the queue) spent the entire time looking up and around at the ride, one thing I had before I rode was a crick in the neck because of 2 hours of this... It can be claustrophobic but it's only till you stand in the queue do you realise why the adjustments to the fencing were required before it opened... The track gets damn close at times... The music, is fab... I can also see why some hate it, but it's so fab and LOTS of people hum it... I want it in my life more... Besides, when the ride gets going, you can't hear it anyway because of the Gerstlauer ROAR <3 The projection mapping room is made of awesome as well... Simple, but effective sums it up... I think this room is the reason why many dislike the clinical plain nature of the station, because of the sheer change in atmosphere... However, I like it, especially the dispatch system... Simple, but effective... So the ride, the first ride, I felt one jolt which was akin to the one on Vampire's straight before the 2nd lift, nowhere near the Cobra Roll, the second ride in the back row, there were 3/4 jolts of URGH (including the Cobra Roll)... However, these aside, it's mental, completely and utterly mental... The near misses with the track and the craziness really help the ride push itself up to the limits... The break at the vertical lift is REQUIRED however, it may result in a 'two rides bolted together' opinion, but without that break, there would be a lot more problems with people feeling sick after the ride... Overall, I would say Smiler is a fantastic addition to the park... Not the best ride on park or a Nemesis beater, but it is a damn solid ride... It's not perfect, but the unique theme (including the fab Candy Cave <3) really provides a great overall experience... There is a worry about it getting rougher in the future, but that's for another day... One final mention, the duelling element is amazing... Like, seriously, both on and off ride... It's a shame it's not constant, but when it DOES happen, it's just made of pure win... The best aspect of the ride right there... 8/10

Lol, massive difference between that roar and the constant awful noises of Spinball's brakes... Especially in the queueline that goes right past them... Spinball is very evidental of the old DIC Tussauds, where things were plonked with no actual thought, hence why I find it a burdenous ride in all senses... Poorly located and as Mark said, a ride with such a low throughput it doesn't fit in well at such a heavily visited theme park (as I'm sure people who have visited Walt Disney Studios can attest to)... It is loud, it is at odds with the surrounding area, it doesn't fit and hasn't done for the 9 years of it's existance... A view that has been quite common amongst many... Seems that my ideals behind how a park should present itself are fairly different to yours... No need, I'm going today... Although pictures WITH audio eh? AND gifs? The future really is now isn't it? Unless you mean you'll take a Vine? In which case I'm sure 7 seconds if enough to demonstrate anyone's point on this random discussion about if Spinball is loud enough to be a burden around the entrance... If they do remove it, Mack Youngstar pls...

Shame you can't hear a picture though... Doesn't have to be visible to be burdenous...

There are a lot of reasons why it's always got the longest queues on park, mainly because it's the first ride people see so instantly go on it (especially families) and it's on a major pathway, meaning near enough every guest in an average day walks past it... I call it the 'Truckers' effect...

Wasn't that relocation earmarked for 'Coaster Corner' at Towers though? The Thorpe link is as Marc said, 2+2=5...

Towerstimes have stated that Towers are apparently looking into it moving... Not the most reliable source these days is it? Especially when the only link to it maybe going to Thorpe is that "THEY'RE CHANGING TO THE FAMILY MARKET!"... We already have the superior UK Spinner down south, and the last thing Thorpe needs is another low throughput coaster... There are a fair amount of options available elsewhere with better throughputs if they really want to get a thrilling family coaster... A GCI perhaps?

What is the best park entrance in the country then? There are much more to theme parks than just rides... Presentation and location is just as important in all senses, Spinball (and Rita, but that's not the focus here) are both a product of the minimal investment, maximum return, with little (to no) thought to their placement, and how they would affect their surroundings... The Americans just focus on rides (for the majority)... And most of those parks are cookie cutter places with minimal atmosphere... Never underestimate the power of using the area beauty to the advantage of the park...

Erm, yeah, Towers might be a theme park, but that doesn't mean that the presentation of the park should be ignored... Indeed, they took their inspiration of Disney's Main Street only with an actual gothic building as the main focus, yet since 2004 we have a loud and brightly coloured distraction that really ruins the setting... Towers has one of the most beautiful settings for a theme park in the country, why not use it to their own advantage? It's something completely unique to them and as they say, first impressions count for everything, and there is something still obscenely brilliant about walking down Towers Street being greeted by the lake and Towers... Best entrance area in the country to be quite honest... LWV isn't comparable as it's just masses of fields... Massive difference to Towers...

I thought I might as well update people on the best water ride in Europe's (unconfirmed) construction... http://www.phantasialand-fans.de/topic/6735-neu-2013-chiapas-baufortschritte/page-23 Absolute

The Pharoah is dead! Long live the Pharoah!

Fits into ruining that gorgeous view from the entrance yes... Towerstimes said this? Well I guess since Smiler has that washing machine element they have no need for a spinning coaster on the park... Silly season isn't meant to start until the parks close...

The one at Tivoli was quite good if quite intense at times with the laterals and the hangtime... Be interesting to see if the 2 seaters are any different...

Goudrix isn't even the worst Vekoma in Paris (Space Mountain takes that honour), or Europe, let alone the entire World...

Nope, it's our old friends Zamperla who are to blame for the second least favourite steel coaster in the entire world (according to Mitch Hawker polls), beaten only by Goudrix (which isn't as bad as it's made out to be really)...

Word of mouth is a big factor, hence why a failed gimmick like Swarm (it was advertised as an intense gimmick, a la Thirteen, and we all remember how that turned out, even if a fair few of us these days actually like Thirteen) hasn't had a decent reception... So looking at it, it's all about how the ride is presented by the park through both real-life and promotions and whether or not people's perceptions agree with the actual ride experience... If the ride had ended parallel to the intense connotations given by the theme and adverts, then it would probably be loved, but as the Wing-Riders are all about the experience rather than intensity (based on some reports off Gatekeeper, this theme is a constant), it didn't match up so wasn't deemed 'good'... Whilst Saw, Stealth and Colossus are pretty much clear what to expect from the ride, and do actual run parallel to these expectations (Saw runs like a death-trap, Stealth and Colossus are Ronseal rides), and are hence more successful... So really, it's all about whether or not the gimmick fits into the ride as a whole and how the park presents it... But I'd much rather see a ride that doesn't rely on such a gimmick and just be damn good and then have that news spread through word of mouth, I dislike how every new thing in the UK has to have a gimmick or be unique or have an IP attached to them and results in a rather poorly thought out ride, it's just a pet annoyance...

So the gimmick hasn't made an improvement? More than likely because the gimmick was done late, as a tacked on and poorly implemented system that hasn't been that well received as a result... Swarm had an issue with not being 'intense' enough in the public eye, especially sitting between Saw and Stealth (and to a degree, Colossus)... Although it's still arguable on the other hand whether or not there were external aspects affecting the drop in attendances... Public view certainly is based upon height and inversions = intensity... It's disappointing...

Wouldn't say a Maurer Sohne one could be considered a 'classic'...

Here's a rendered POV with a few extra features not seen before... Mack

You know what's really bad? I'll be riding two of these things this year at the current time... And Baco... I might as well just give up on coasters at this rate...

It is perfectly possible to challenge AND change public perception... Sometimes (especially if Thorpe aren't doing as well as is said), it's best to take a risk on something, which in this case (rather stupidly but that's the perception) would be for any of the parks to build a solid, fun and re-rideable coaster that doesn't actually require a gimmick to become well known... I can but dream...

No doubt would be built by Intamin and therefore actually not be that good though... Here's a strange idea, let's just build a solid, non-record breaking ride that just makes everyone happy... Let's just build a Wodan for once...

For it's target audience yes, it is thrilling... More thrilling than X, that's for certain...

Not sure that those riders are having 'fun'...