Jammy3112

Unfortunately, most theme parks use ride videos as a huge marketing campaign. They show 30 seconds of you on the ride, then fill the next 2 1/2 minutes up with nonsense. Like Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit at Universal Studios spends more time with effects then it does with the video of you riding! Whereas at least Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens has a story and fits your ride video in with it.

Thanks TPJames We're travelling all the way from Portsmouth for our 2 day trip, so hoping it's relatively quiet and we don't have to worry about queues! Hahaha!

I'm off to Alton Towers on the 2nd & 3rd of September. Am I right in thinking that most schools go back on and around these dates? So, I'm hoping for a relatively quiet trip?

That's a pretty good shout! If that's what it is, then I hope that they stay on the ball with this one. Well themed ride DVD's with plenty of ride coverage would sell pretty well. Oh, and reasonably priced! (I can dream!!!)

I'm thinking some sort of Twitter competition to give people Fast-track tickets for the Smiler.

One Size Fitz Hall is me Thought I'd join in! I'm ready to get battered every week!!!

"Uno Mas?" - Jackie Chan in Shanghai Noon "I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter" -Walt Disney "Oh, I don’t know. What do you say you start her on 20 CCs of 'It’s not my problem anymore!'" - Dr. Cox from Scrubs.

Ellie...Where did you get that background?! I love it!!!

Ok, so I've been out the country a long time, and haven't had much chance to catch up on news, but heard something happened to the Smiler whilst away. Is it now open? Guaranteed that it shuts when I go up on the 2nd & 3rd of Sept!

The weather over here is a complete lottery hahaha My local news paper (Inspiringly called "The News"), had two coupons the other day for 2-4-1 entry entitles at Alton, Chessington and Thorpe for the entirety of this season (excluding Fright Nights and MOS Nights). Not sure if other locals newspapers were doing them?

Two words ---> Secret Element.

You have a valid point there! Must admit, I had this vision that everyone looked directly at the ride camera Well, either way, no matter what it is or is not, I cannot wait to ride this when I go back in September and shall be donning my Smiler hoody!!!

Or...You get your ordinary ride photo...then a ride photo of your face "Marmalised"...Not sure if plausible/world's first/worth it!!! But would be a pretty cool little extra.

I find that the unpredictability of log flumes is what makes them so great! One ride, you could be completely dry, the next - absolutely soaked through. Does Loggers have a bag hold now or not? Last time I went on, they told me I had to take my bag with me, and it got soaked.

That picture from the telegraph make it look all kinds of crazy! Hopefully they'll have lighting like that during Scarefest! Although, I do wonder why they used red instead of yellow? I love the official teaser video as well! I cannot wait to get on this! But my next trip isn't until September

It's like the time a woman tried to sue Nike for not putting "Remember to tie your shoelaces" on their boxes... ...after tripping up on her untied shoelaces and breaking her nose. Most of the time common sense should dictate what people do but in the case of some riders at theme parks...apparently not.

I prefer Swarms restraints. I actually find them quite comfortable

To be fair, if the indoor inversion with strobe lights is the "secret" then those who played the game knew about that ages ago... I just want to ride the thing, and as far as I'm concerned, it's got a clear theme, with some excellent marketing, and I'm more than happy to take a trip back up there just to ride it!

Like Michael said above, it needs to be rolled out more. Would it be plausible to play short Smiler videos in places like Waterloo Station or ? Kinda like they did with the smiley faces?

When I went on both times this past week, everything was fine with Th13teen and there wasn't a single problem. The friends I went with had never been to Alton Towers before, and we a bit confused about the theme of Rita, and think that Th13teen should have been used to re-theme the entire area properly.

I went on Tuesday & Wednesday and I was completely awestruck by the sheer enormity of The Smiler! Unfortunately, the banners were still up, and so never quite got a full view. However, I was suckered into buying the Smiler hoodie, like the guy in the picture above! The amount of advertisement and curiosity that this ride is generating is really good, and I saw a few people have quite in depth chats with staff members about when it would open etc etc...I for one was called a geek by one of the Smiler staff, just because I was wearing my hoody hahaha!

What's the deal on the USB bracelets? I saw some around last year, and I'm not too clued up on what they are/do?

This track is like someone put headphones in their pocket, pulled them out all tied up and thought "What a rollercoaster that would make!" I love it!!!

I love the constant advertisement I do wonder how much You Me At Six are getting for the use of the song though (I know it was done in collaboration with Thorpe, but they must get a cut?)

Please tell me there's more leg space! I can't really see in the photos!