Justin wrote:

Unfortunately, the queueline was not pleasant at the weekend. Dan took a photo of the stairs and it was not nice. There was lots of rubbish...

Sounds about right.

Justin wrote:

... and bundles of hair

How?

The protocol for basic cleaning of the queues seems to be for the ride-ops to do it as part of the ride shutdown process in the evening. Long days and the hot weather and I can see that job not being done properly. A sad lack of care from management, who coincidentally are often the only people frequently walking around the park with litter pickers. Maybe they should be made to walk the queue lines daily.

That photo is absolutely shocking, Dan.. It's shocking just how bad some areas of that queue really are! 

lewis97:
Will be sure to channel thoughts of installing flat rides, reinstating SRQs, and longer opening hours on my next visit

Please do

I think they should close the ride for a day and give everything a deep clean, jet wash and repaint. I don't go often to AT, and I was surprised at how shabby and how much the exit queue line needed a repaint as well.

The hair is ridiculous! Surely someone at Alton must realise something must be done if it's at that state... Wow. I really wish TLC would take the Smiler as their next project.

I think it has been joked about us spending a day helping to get it back into top condition, but I'd honestly do it!

Justin wrote:

I think it has been joked about us spending a day helping to get it back into top condition, but I'd honestly do it!

I'd be in to help! Could use the community service hours haha

Who’s the main older male operator? He’s brilliant, my favourite member of staff. Always get some interaction off him. Today he gave me some stick for wearing my Icon hoodie on smiler   Made my son’s day, he was even looking for a smiler hoodie to buy for our next reride, as he’s definitely team smiler. Anyway great member of staff, wish I knew his name. 

Think I know the chap you mean, he's great. Shakes your hand if you've got Smiler merch on

Yes! He interacted with me and my family in the projection room. Such a fantastic member of staff and told me to get that Wickerman hoodie off as it’s a family ride. He also made crazy laughing sounds and freaked everyone out. He made the whole experience so much better.

Have noticed, eagle eyed as I think I am, he checks each seat from the op cabin one by one before he despatchs, then waves each train off... Can’t say I’ve noticed other ops that religiously do this. 

nicky.borrill wrote:

Who’s the main older male operator? He’s brilliant, my favourite member of staff. Always get some interaction off him. Today he gave me some stick for wearing my Icon hoodie on smiler   Made my son’s day, he was even looking for a smiler hoodie to buy for our next reride, as he’s definitely team smiler. Anyway great member of staff, wish I knew his name. 

I always get a cheeky wave from him on the dispatch and return -  what a legend! He seems so friendly to all his hosts as well!

On my last visit there was a young scared guest at the station with her dad, and some hosts were trying to encourage the girl that the ride is fine. She made her mind up she did not want to ride. I was on the second to last train of the day and on the last train of the day her dad and some of the hosts went on with him to show his daughter the ride is perfectly fine. And after the last dispatches they all went out to where the transfer track was to look at all of the ride. I thought this was a really special moment the hosts gave the family. Team Smiler this year are in my good books!

Are we talking about below average guy, on the small build size, short hair? I think you are talking about Dave? He used to work on Oblivon

Not sure what you mean by “below average guy” but he’s the gentleman that sits in the op cabin... Every single time I’ve ridden this year it’s been him operating 90% of the time, or a lady, presumably when he’s on his break / day off. 

Justin wrote:

I think it has been joked about us spending a day helping to get it back into top condition, but I'd honestly do it!

As long as we get fasttracks for The Smiler after!

nicky.borrill wrote:

Not sure what you mean by “below average guy” but he’s the gentleman that sits in the op cabin... Every single time I’ve ridden this year it’s been him operating 90% of the time, or a lady, presumably when he’s on his break / day off. 

I meant build wise in height and stature, he is a lovely guy.   I don't want to post private pics of other people on here without permission, but I'll pm the photo of who I think you are talking off

Rode Smiler today, and it’s still kind of rough. However I think that the roughest part is now the inversion on the 1st drop. 

The Fastrack and Special Access queues are no longer linker together anymore. Instead there is a host at the bottom of the stairs, who does the usual of letting some of the main queue up the stairs and then a group or two of the Special Access queue up. The Fastrack queue still uses the old Single Rider stairs, but it would feel right if they put it back to normal. Maybe the host present is them getting back to how it used to be. The baggage hold area feels right and not as crowded now, which is a plus.

i hope that during the closed season the entire ride is fixed and it is all cleaned

I've been to Towers loads of times this year, for me The Smiler has been the most reliable coaster on the park, in stark contrast to the first few years.

I don't find it rough either, apart from a couple of jolts. I hope it stays in it's sweet spot. only negative for me is the indoor queue section. That strobe is awful - and if a lot of fastrackers arrive at once, you can be in there for quite a while.  The stairs need a pressure watch and repaint too.