The Smiler

[EC!]

here is a direct video of part two is ur 2 lazy to click josh's link

[Sidders]

Now I've seen Kelman, I can believe it's official. Great to see him return!

What lovely lovely marketing.

[Coaster]

Not sure I like Doctor Kelman very much

On a serious note, very good marketing from Alton Towers here!

[Mark9]

Any ride that tries to make Submission make sense needs all the praise I can physically muster.

Edit to add - Just watched the first video and actually jumped at the end.

[Pickles]

Still doesn't beat the promotion for Flying Fish, oh wait...

[Kerfuffle]

I've heard the track's now finished, so I wanna see the first few test runs pretty soon, but at least the screen on The Marmaliser's been tested!

Anyone notice the use of SAW - The Ride in the footage? Big mistake AT! The blades in the background give away the whole atmosphere!

[JoshC.]

I think it was mentioned a couple of pages back.

I noticed it was Saw when I saw the dive loop first time I watched it, but I didn't notice the blades; only noticed them after looking at that video twice and just caught them for a second.. I don't think it spoils the atmosphere or anything; they've used footage of a similar ride for a few seconds at a sister park - nothing wrong there whatsoever. I bet most people will just assume it's Smiler and that's it.

[JoshC.]

Slap my wrist I'm double posting, but...

It's official - the world first feature on Smiler is that it has 14 inversions.

[- Michael -]

Where did you find that? And what are those things on the right?

Edit: worked it out, it's krave!

[EC!]

Well thats a pretty naff worlds first, but the true identity of The Disorientator has yet to be revealed, and anyway its only beating Colossus, sure its the first coaster to have 14 inversions but it shouldnt be marketed as wolds first cos in a couple of years there with be a 15 inversion or 20 inversion coaster, then the "world first" will definately look naff!

[JoshC.]

This was found in my local Tesco by the way

As for it being a "naff" world first.. This ride doesn't need a world first - it could easily market itself; imagine an advert showing a train just going through the track, inversion after inversion. Most people would immeadiately think it looks great. Then, include the theming and story, and most people will be drawn in. It's a Secret Weapon, so by definition, it will have some sort of 'first' connected to it.

You say that sooner or later it will be beaten. Think about it this way - the first 7 looping coaster, Goudurix at Parc Asterix, held the title of 'Most inversions' for 6 years, then Dragon Khan (with 8) for 8 years. Colossus then held the title for 11 years. So, I'd expect it will last for several years, if it gets beaten at all. Look, for example, at roller coasters with the steepest drop in the world. When Steel Hawg opened in 2008, it had the steepest drop in the world. Then Mumbo Jumbo opened a year later to steal the record by 1 degree. Then, in 2011, Takabisha blows all the S&S El Loco coasters out of the water and has its 121 degree drop. Doesn't look likely it'll be beaten any time soon really.

With roller coasters, you can only go so far, and I think 14 inversions on a single coaster is pushing towards the limit, unless you want to build a ridiculously long coaster with several brakes, lifts and goodness knows what else just to throw in a few more pointless inversions. The Smiler's record is here to stay for a long while in my eyes, so it is something worth shouting about.

Of course, Wardley did say in the radio interview he gave that 'You'll have to ride it to see what it's about' (well along those lines), so we shall see I guess what else is in store...

[MarkC]

What is actually inside the packaging? o_O

[JoshC.]

What is actually inside the packaging? o_O

Cereal.

[pluk]

Well thats a pretty naff worlds first,

Seriously? It is a legitimate, real and very marketable worlds first and not naff in the slightest. Colossus held its record for 10 years, dragon Khan for a similar amount of time before that. Why would it be broken so soon this time? Some examples of naff worlds firsts could be 'worlds first horror coaster' and 'worlds first psycho-coaster', both of which are things that do not exist in any measurable way.

That is not to say there aren't more surprises or firsts to come from The Smiler, but the inversion record is a big thing on a great looking coaster.

[MarkC]

And the rest of the box... Posted on wednesday by Mabalzich on towerstimes:

[EC!]

I said its slightly naff cos it was slightly predictable, I thought it was meant to be something you'd never guess it would be like Thirteen that's all I'm not trying to slag the Smiler off at all its just one that's not that imaginative in my own opinion, sure its a legit one I'd just rather say it is world beating cos its beating Colossus in an inversion count.

AND WHY DOES THE WORLDS FIRST HAVE TO BE REVEALED ON A CEREAL BOX WEEKS BEFORE IT'S MEANT TO OPEN!!! I thought it was meant to be secret until the day it opens.

[Saz]

'The world's most looping roller coaster' would have been better in all honestly. 'The world's first 14 looping roller coaster' doesn't explicitly say that there are no coasters with more inversions.

[Ryan]

AND WHY DOES THE WORLDS FIRST HAVE TO BE REVEALED ON A CEREAL BOX WEEKS BEFORE IT'S MEANT TO OPEN!!! I thought it was meant to be secret until the day it opens.

I thought it was general knowledge that The Smiler was going to be the world's first 14 looped coaster for ages?

[JoshC.]

I said its slightly naff cos it was slightly predictable, I thought it was meant to be somin u'd never guess it would be like Thirteen thats all I'm not trying to slag the Smiler off at all its just one that's not that imaginative in my own opinion, sure its a legit one I'd just rather say it is world beating cos its beating Colossus in an inversion count.

The only people this will be slightly predictable too was enthusiasts, who make up only a very very small percentage of the park's guests.

To your average guest, this is going to be something surprising, shocking and unexpected. Sure, they've seen it and decided to count how many inversions there are, they won't be surprised by the large number, but will lap up the 'world's first' tagline. It's pretty much exactly the same with Th13teen - many enthusiasts had guessed / found out the secret long before it has opened, but the majority of the public (ie - the ones who didn't watch ITV the day before it opened...) had no clue what to expect.

Edit:

AND WHY DOES THE WORLDS FIRST HAVE TO BE REVEALED ON A CEREAL BOX WEEKS BEFORE IT'S MEANT TO OPEN!!! I thought it was meant to be secret until the day it opens.

It's a lot better than with Th13teen I guess. To be honest, I highly doubt many people are going to take note of this for the time being - most people won't even pay attention to it. It won't be until AT scream and shout about it that people will know about it and think it's only just been 'revealed'.

Also, about below, the Guinness Book of Records now has a specific record for track inversions - http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/largest-number-of-track-inversions-in-a-roller-coaster

Edited May 4, 2013 by JoshC.

[EC!]

Supposidly Eejanaika has the world record with 14 inversions even though its the seats doing that, so with the Guinness book of records concerned its only a joint record, and before you guys say I know Smiler has 14 physical inversions but that is what the Guinness book has said, unless Alton specifically say its the first coaster with 14 physical inversions.

[pluk]

I thought it was meant to be something you'd never guess it would be like Thirteen that's all.

Which everyone guessed looong before opening. You are also forgetting you are on here reading all this stuff. 99.9% of the population have no idea what is going on, when they see that it will be big news to them.

sure its a legit one I'd just rather say it is world beating cos its beating Colossus in an inversion count.

I think the problem they have is the Japanese '4d' coaster actually inverts you 14 times already with its rotating seats and for reasons unknown Guinness have decided these count for a world record, even though that is daft. So careful, and slightly clumsy, wording has to be used.

Edited May 4, 2013 by pluk
Clearly I'm typing too slowly today. On both counts - what they said!

[EC!]

But what is the Disorientator then. I cant be the indoor heartline cos then you could say every single loop would be apart of the disorientator, so its got to be something more.

[JoshC.]

But what is the Disorientator then. I cant be the indoor heartline cos then you could say every single loop would be apart of the disorientator, so its got to be something more.

I reckon The Disorientator is simply the indoor inversion. On The Marmaliser screens, it mentions strobes and something else I think, so it's probably going to 'disoreintate' you in the sense that it will make you feel like you're inverting more or less than you actually are.

But that's just my views - no one really knows what it will be!

[pluk]

But what is the Disorientator then. I cant be the indoor heartline cos then you could say every single loop would be apart of the disorientator, so its got to be something more.

Why does it have to be anything? It is just marketing.

An indoor inversion with a strobe - disorientating. As would be completing the inversion slowly with effects around the room to make you feel like you are not, or a washing machine, or anything else you can think of. We don't know and it may be (but probably isn't) a worlds first too, but it does not have to be anything more.

[EC!]

I don't know pluk why it has to be anything, it would be nice if it was.