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The Smiler


th13teen

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Tbh the bag system is a shambles and holds up throughput at times on most rides. As good as the idea it is, It isnt cost effective with labour costs. I'm sure the park would be cheaper in the long run to add the mack storage systems.

 

The new system seems worse as it will double the loading time and offers no security between trains unless they plan to add doors to the front like oblivion.

 

 

 

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16 hours ago, RobF said:

The new system seems worse as it will double the loading time and offers no security between trains unless they plan to add doors to the front like oblivion.

The doors were removed off Oblivion and Nemesis’ holds alike a few seasons back I believe. So I imagine this will be no different. As an ex-Ride Host the bag cupboards give endless headaches with doors (thinking Inferno) because people constantly crowd around them or pull the door etc etc. the only one that ever worked was AIR as we locked them into position.

 

I believe Thirteen’s bag room has also been removed, and a fence has been extended around the batch area so fastrack (and maybe disabled?) will go up the right and main queue will queue through on the left. I’ve not seen what the platform set up is now though, but I imagine it’s going to make a three train operation pretty much a thing of the past / pointless moving forward.

 

Universal’s locker system does work... I guess would work better as it isn’t as busy; Dragon’s for example had an awful locker system. Having said that Six Flags also utilise the system and it works well. To my memory X2 had the best set up, locker system at the station platform, but obviously that’s quite a slow loading ride with an entrance and exit together etc etc.

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On 10/03/2018 at 11:36 PM, Matt Creek said:

Great to see progress in our parks. Who needs bag holds anyway, when you can just cram them on a few B&Q shelving units and cut the costs of expensive staff. Clearly much quicker and easier for everyone.

 

Merlin really are pushing and innovating our parks.

 

I hate the bag rooms. Complete waste of money to man and causes silly bottle necks all around the entrances and exits to stations. It only ever really worked at Stealth. At the Smiler, it was my absolute dread as everyone just pushes past through you whilst you wait to put your bag in. My only thing is the awful look they've left it with. But I can deal with the death of the bag rooms.

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Stealth’s works, but it’s pointless given Rita’s cupboard works absolutely fine. Swarm’s I agree with Benin is just painful and unnessecary considering the options implemented on both Raptor and Flug (bearing in mind Raptor’s was changed/updated). And SAW’s really was the only option without using lockers.

 

Nemesis, AIR, Oblivion, Spinball, they’ve all proved that bag rooms aren’t required, so I agree with Mark - good riddance.

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In a perfect world, they’d have those Mack baggage holds, similar to Blue Fire and Silver Star. 

 

These enable a more safer and secure method than open shelving, yet don’t require the extra staff member stuck in a bag room handing out/handing back guest’s belongings. 

 

I think some bag holds work better than others. I think on rides like Thirteen and Stealth, they work rather well, but will say the one for Swarm leaves something to be desired. 

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3 hours ago, AstroDan said:

It was already a challenge to achieve a throughput of even 950pph on The Smiler. With added faff of a bag storage area on the platform, this will plummet further.

I kind of find that hard to believe simply on the basis as an ex-Ride Host of various parks and rides including SAW I can safely say SAW in my time easily hit its 900 expected throughout, so for Smiler to hit only 950 surprises me considering it’s theoretical throughputs were higher.

 

Equally I can’t see it making that much of a difference overall if it’s managed correctly. It would be like saying Nemesis and such could achieve an extra 200+ an hour by having a bag room, it’s doubtful and you’re probably only talking the difference of a couple of trains so even if you’re generous it’s 60 people or so an hour? It’s not worth the hassle of a bag room.

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13 hours ago, AstroDan said:

A lot of the people saying they are glad to see the back of them. I am confused.

 

It was already a challenge to achieve a throughput of even 950pph on The Smiler. With added faff of a bag storage area on the platform, this will plummet further.

I agree. Though I get what people mean about other guests pushing past you at the baggage hold, that couple of people getting ahead is surely better than the whole queue moving slower because every single dispatch is delayed? 

 

Baggage holds seemed like the best of a bad bunch of options to me. 

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Putting bags in the station works on some rides, and others it doesn't.

 

Rides where there's plenty of space (both getting through seats and at the exit area of the station) don't see major issues with placing bags in the station as there's enough room.  B&M inverts are a great example, but also GCIs and Macks too.  Colossus, and presumably Smiler, will be examples where tabt doesn't work so well, simply because it's difficult squeezing through seats.

 

There's no one size fits all approach to storing bags.  But the best way to ensure bag storage doesn't negatively affect operations and guests is to think about it when designing the station / queue and working through it like, rather than retrofitting ideas which definitely won't work years down the line...

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18 hours ago, HermanTheGerman said:

I agree. Though I get what people mean about other guests pushing past you at the baggage hold, that couple of people getting ahead is surely better than the whole queue moving slower because every single dispatch is delayed? 

 

Baggage holds seemed like the best of a bad bunch of options to me. 

 

It wasn't just a couple of people though was it, it could have been up to two trains worth of people when there was issues in the bag hold room. 

18 hours ago, BaronC. said:

Putting bags in the station works on some rides, and others it doesn't.

 

Rides where there's plenty of space (both getting through seats and at the exit area of the station) don't see major issues with placing bags in the station as there's enough room.  B&M inverts are a great example, but also GCIs and Macks too.  Colossus, and presumably Smiler, will be examples where tabt doesn't work so well, simply because it's difficult squeezing through seats.

 

There's no one size fits all approach to storing bags.  But the best way to ensure bag storage doesn't negatively affect operations and guests is to think about it when designing the station / queue and working through it like, rather than retrofitting ideas which definitely won't work years down the line...

 

I don't remember the Smiler carriages being particularly labour-some to walk through and I don't recall the Smiler exit platform being that narrow either. In theory Oblivion is even worse then Smiler but the staff take bags from you there. There's no reason that this couldn't happen on Smiler (although I concede it probably won't).

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Smiler's exit platform is large, but I seem to remember the space between rows is pretty tight.  It'd be especially tight if someone decided to sit down and you tried to get past.  At least with Oblivion there's enough room to get through, albeit a bit awkwardly, when people are sat down.

 

Hopefully staff do assist with bags on Smiler, it'd make sense and solve the problem quite easily.  If not though..

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  • 2 years later...
  • 1 month later...

Went today. Overall I wouldn't say the ride is too bad in shape. The effects on the marmaliser (the lights, and the water needle) were both in full force. Sound effects also louder than ever. Though the TV screens before the vertical lift chain seemed to not work (it was so hot I didn't event want to look at it tbh).

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  • 3 months later...

My Dad is CEO of The Smiler shop and managed to leak some exclusive new merch for the 2021 season. He also managed to tell me that they are adding on ride DVD's! This will be a thrilling addition to the ride imo and something I would really very much enjoy watching at home with a nice big cup of Tetley Tea (who sponser the tea cup ride at the Thorpe Park Resort in Stains accsed by the 446 bus from the train station) and a few caramel hobnobs.

Untitledgoosegame.png

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