SteveJ

Well, since it hasn't been completed yet, The Smiler is what it is. Not what people think it is "supposed to be".
The more bombastic, bassy and discordant the music is... the better! I love it!

I like the music... No point basing it off small snippets of it as it could be a very long and variating piece of track (indeed, past records for Merlin music are quite good)... And of course the quality of music recorded through any form of camera ALWAYS fails...
Looks like a typical rush to the finish whilst they sort out the details... Fun times... Look forward to returning to the country with half the enthusiast population killing themselves because this ends up being crap

Or, much more probably, it won't tickle you at all. You fly near something that would tickle you had you touched it, thus invoking the fear of being tickled rather than actually being tickled.
As Benin said, the words of a man trying to persuade children to visit on a childrens program should not be taken as fact.

Congratulations for completely missing the point then.
The fact is, the park has been owned by Merlin since mid 2007. In that time next to nothing has been done to maintain Tomb, Runaway or Falls. It took the near death of a little girl last June for any kind of work to actually start to occur. Tussauds aren't just to blame for what has happened to the park in all that time, Merlin are just as responsible as Tussauds as while Merlin pumped over 30 million into Thorpe and Alton, Chessington got next to nothing levels of investment in new attractions or refurbishing rides that really were past their best.
It's the year when Zufari opens, that the park really had a chance to show what they had to a new audience. Instead these new guests are being treated to naked and ugly rides, decaying theming on Vampire and Bubbleworks and Skyride trains that look like they fell through a time vortex from 1987. I don't see any work happening to Skyway and considering how knackered I know it is I can only assume the only reason it isn't closed for a full on refurbishment is because it isn't seen as dangerous.. yet.
What Merlin are doing isn't actually upsetting me, I'm a grown adult and I've learnt that behind the magic is a management that lack any real power to do anything worthwhile with their park. But its the guests that walk into a park that see things like Tomb and Runaway covered in scaffolding or Falls missing rockwork that is missing out. And I think that's a shame.

Yeah Saw, nice try in upstaging the Smiler.

That voice of the lady speaking with Dr.Kelman, reminds me of the voice of the woman in Oblivion's queue, who says 'Oblivion bekons in T minus 5 minutes. Prepare for embarcation.'

It was actually the radio show host who called it "Candy Holland's baby", but John replied saying that he "taught her the craft over the years" (along those lines).Candy Holland has been involved as far back as Nemesis, I believe, but became more of a leading figure after John Wardley's [initial] retirement. I find most of the recent projects to have very stale, formulaic or sober themes; not the kind of imaginative, exciting ideas from the John Wardley era. Despite that, everything in the last 5 years has been a big improvement from the rubbish era of tacked-on themes and half-hearted rides, like Rita for example.
Thirteen seemed to be a change for the better. It actually had an atmospheric, emotionally rooted concept that suited the history of Alton Towers, but it was executed so badly (scaffolding + dummies = possessed forest?). The Smiler may finally be the moment one of Candy Holland's team's concepts really breaks through - it's original, characteristic and very enjoyable (for me at least). And so far, the concept is actually there in front of you, not hidden behind a fence or displayed on a queueline tv.

First time poster here!
Visited today. The Vampire music now plays at the entrance to the ride, like it used to.
Mexicana has new music, seems more atmospheric.
Also, speaking to someone who works at the park, apparently there is plans to install new area audio in Pirates Cove. They are also adding themed announcements to Seastorm, Buccaneer and Vampire! Apparently due to be completed by July so exciting times!

Remember those fir trees that used to do a DAMM good job, covering up SAW and providing a FRICKEN AMAZING experience on Samurai? What caused them to be cut down? Some say it's health and safety issues, but I didnt see the problem in those trees being there!

Seems to be a general attack on Merlin over the last page or so. Can we keep in mind that for 20 years, Tussauds did next to nothing with Runaway, Falls and Tomb and when they did do something with Falls, they just destroyed the rockwork with no intention of replacing it.
I am sad for the loss of all the fantastic theming but that is nostlagia talking. When we talk of 2012 Runaway for example, decaying rockwork and scaffolding barely standing is not fit for purpose. I truly hope that Merlin are going to do these original rides justice because without them the park wouldn't be where it was in the 90's and the park would be a far worse a place to visit.

Wow, what a difference audio and lighting makes.
I wish they would restore the sound effects for the various characters that remain in Tomb Blaster. The mummy with the axe, for example, just stands there in silence these days and is unconvincing. The caged jackal is obviously much better if you don't hear him start up 10 seconds before you even see him!

I had seen that video a couple of years ago too, but it really is great to see it again. To be honest I think the finale must have made more sense to me as a child than it does now, it's so random! The video also helped make my day as the suggestions after watching included a couple of 5th Dimension videos I had not seen in a while either.

Wow, what a difference audio and lighting makes.
I wish they would restore the sound effects for the various characters that remain in Tomb Blaster. The mummy with the axe, for example, just stands there in silence these days and is unconvincing. The caged jackal is obviously much better if you don't hear him start up 10 seconds before you even see him!

Well as I said before, Nemesis Inferno is not trying to be any of those things. Posting a load of pictures from Google Images means nothing, hence I did it to prove that Nemesis Inferno bears no relation to real volcanoes. You can't really argue than an obviously fake, orange fibreglass rockface structure looks more realistic now that it has moss growing on it and damp damage.

To the vast majority of people it will look ugly and dirty, not real. It's like the argument that Colossus is supposed to look filthy because "it fits the theme" or that Rita's scaffolding is an improvement because it "fits the theme". If theme is about illusion, then this damaged facade is breaking the illusion.

It will go the way of Nemesis' station at Alton Towers if they don't maintain it properly. Or worse, Dragon Falls...

To be pedantic Nemesis Inferno is supposed to be an active volcano, hence the red lights and "smoke" in the tunnel, and all the original adverts depicting red rivers of lava. But obviously Thorpe Park didn't plan to build real rivers of lava..

Well...
Volcanoes look like this:

Not like this:

I doubt it is Nemesis Inferno's ambition to be a well themed ride, the volcano is just a fun 'setting' for the rollercoaster. But it certainly shouldn't be turning mossy and rotty either.
For a quick comparison, here it is in 2003.

Other than the one where guests have said things, I've had some of the show effects start working in the sarcophagus scene (the on where the spike is and the animatronic mummy on the platform that spins round). This was a long time after the ride and show had been e-stopped, we're talking hours. We were doing a deep clean of the ride and were just doing one last walk of the track. When some of those show pieces started moving, me and my friend literally legged it round the rest of the ride, sort of screaming, but sort of cracking up at the same time at each other.Also- the ride is on two main levels due to the various slopes around the ride (you could argue three at one point but it's complicated). I was walking around the ride again, after ride close, and I heard footsteps from above. I looked into the firepit scene and saw torch light illuminating the walls, and the footsteps got closer. Now, bearing in mind that I had let my ride attendants go early and I stayed behind to do evening checks... the ride was locked from every entrance and there was no possible way in which anybody could get in. I got pretty freaked out and decided to call it a night! :)In reality I loved Herman though, and I hope he liked me for looking after his ride!

Well...
Volcanoes look like this:

Not like this:

I doubt it is Nemesis Inferno's ambition to be a well themed ride, the volcano is just a fun 'setting' for the rollercoaster. But it certainly shouldn't be turning mossy and rotty either.
For a quick comparison, here it is in 2003.

Well...
Volcanoes look like this:

Not like this:

I doubt it is Nemesis Inferno's ambition to be a well themed ride, the volcano is just a fun 'setting' for the rollercoaster. But it certainly shouldn't be turning mossy and rotty either.
For a quick comparison, here it is in 2003.

On park right now and have a few updates regarding the park music:
- Colossus is still high pitched.
- Rush's queue line speakers are still silent.
- Saw's queue line speakers are still silent (been like that for 2 years now).
- X has a dead zone in the queue line with no music.
- Lost City is once again playing Chart Music. *sigh*
- Vortex is yet again playing Chart Music, no awesome theme tune.
The thing that I'm confused upon is the fact that in early April and late March, Vortex and Lost City were playing their usual theme music which we all thought "Oh, Thorpe Park have finally fixed it." But now that it's back to Chart Music, what is going on? Can they decide whether to have Chart or Themed music playing?
When I visited on April 2nd, Vortex was playing its themed music and I was very happy that it was, since I hadn't heard it for at least 2 years, plus it suits the ride a whole lot better. But today, its gone again. Not happy one bit.
I don't have a problem with The Noise being played at Thorpe, I really don't. What I do have a problem with is that it plays on the rides, especially ones like Vortex who have one of the best soundtracks Thorpe has to offer.
Keep The Noise to the entrance, dome, bridge and Neptune's Beach. Leave Lost City and Vortex alone Thorpe!

Coaster and I were once again on park today and I must say, in the sunshine, SMILER looks amazing. You turn the corner towards X sector and this sight greets you.

The painting on the maintenance shed is coming along well, the following few pics were taken through out today




The transfer track and the station track were being worked on quite a bit today.

Proof that the spinny wheels spin, here's one of the motors.

The tickler's foot is being added and the red thing in the bottom right of the image is the ride envelope measure.

were still at least a few days off testing, the footers haven't started to be concreted in yet. We also have some black metal things that I am not sure about and also a yellow frame that I assume will hold the cameras at the base of the vertical lift hill as on the game.

Workers at the top of the vertical lift hill looked like they were doing wiring for most of the day.

It looks like they have started adding the normal lift chain. that looks like chain to me at the top of the dog whereas we have none at the bottom

There has been quite a bit of talk about a bit of track still not meeting. This is the joint that they are on about. NOTE this is not one of the rails but the back spine and, more importantly, if you look at the bolts they are fully tight. I think that this is deliberate to allow for movement in the track, rather than a mess up.
Whereas, this joint, I think will be more problematical. This is the joint that I photographed last week when they couldn't get it to join. It is now joined but there is quite a visible step and that is track not spine.
Total NERD shot

The station building is receiving cladding

And further along we have this. I am not quite sure what is happening here.
The games unit has had more paint

My usual overview from the oblivion queue, sorry for the huge rain drop on the lens at this point, we were having one of those April showers that plagued today.

Finally in the car park we have 1 footer left

and 4 concrete stairs (which I assume will be the entrance to the queues)

And I will leave you with one more shot of the ride in the sunlight with a storm cloud behind.

Come across another batch. Unfortunately some ot these are really small, no idea why I had them printed like that and the negatives aren't in the pack.
Another Ramesis in action from what must be about the same time.

Just behind it was the excellent and much missed (by me) rodeo. Who can spot a young thin pluk?

Then off round the park on the less knackered looking Skyride. Easier to spot me this time, I'm the one obeying the no standing rules like a good boy.

No holding on to the crossbars!

What's that in the background, climbing its second lift hill? The original and best Vampire, thats what.

Mmmm, swingy heavy Vampire train

Good ol' days.

25 days worth of testing required apparently...
Still doable to open mid-May (although maybe not the penciled in date of the 18th, looking like the week after (which is Half Term, wahey) atm), as they can still finish the paths/fences/etc (which have already been started) during testing like they did with Swarm (and every other coaster ever)...
Shame it's so late, because quite frankly, it's amazing to look at... But this might give Merlin a little poke in the face to say "Look, this is what happens when you rush massive coaster projects! Unexpected delays happen and cause it to finish/open late and in excess cause issue with guest numbers"...
I think the compact nature of the ride also didn't particularly help construction either as well (in addition to the groundwork trouble, snow, wind, alien beasties rising up from the ground, secret vaults being discovered, curses, etc)... This project is probably the most complex in the UK (the more they built, the more complicated it got to build the rest of it with lack of space, etc), and definitely sits up there with Oblivion and Nemesis for complexity...
Either way, looks like it might be opening when I'm away, which is good, means I can avoid the inevitable descension of goons on the park and the inevitable cries of it being 'crap', 'rough', 'not better than Nemesis', etc.

Thorpe have been pretty darn good with effects the past couple of seasons in my opinion. The only time I've known there to be problems with effects recently is on Swarm when they were tweaking them around a bit last year (and I think the water spray behind the fire engine has been turned off). Don't see any reason why they won't last outright.
Saw had fire effects on top of the shop in 2009 (and there used to be ones by the Asylum's sign as well around that time), don't think they've returned since then though.
The thing with Swarm's fire effect is it was designed to have the fire effect incorporated; it wasn't an after thought. It fits in perfectly. With Inferno, it would have to be shoe-horned in, and I can't see anywhere where it could nicely 'fit in' if you will. Personally, I just don't think it's necessary - unlike other rides with fire effects, it wouldn't add anything to the on ride experience (like it does with Swarm for example), or the spectator experience (like it does with Swarm and did with Tidal Wave).
So whilst there's no reason to stop Inferno having them, there's no reason to have them really..

I went on Tuesday, shutter worked perfectly.
Love thirteen, really really fits into towers.