General discussion about the Alton Towers Resort.

I'm doing Air this year can't wait!

As of March 23rd, I shall become known as:

Ilovecoastersbutnottheonesthatgoupsidedownorritaoroblivion

Ilovecoasters wrote:

I'm doing Air this year can't wait!

As of March 23rd, I shall become known as:

Ilovecoastersbutnottheonesthatgoupsidedownorritaoroblivion

I don't want to be pedantic ILC but Air does technically go "upside down" 3 times

Dan.N wrote:

Ilovecoasters wrote:

I'm doing Air this year can't wait!

As of March 23rd, I shall become known as:

Ilovecoastersbutnottheonesthatgoupsidedownorritaoroblivion

I don't want to be pedantic ILC but Air does technically go "upside down" 3 times

I said this when I was given the nickname, but they wouldn't listen...

Although, I thought it was 2 times.

I said this when I was given the nickname, but they wouldn't listen...

Although, I thought it was 2 times.

I could be wrong but I think the fly-to-lie and lie-to-fly count as seperate inversions

It's generally accepted that it has two inversions. Fly-to-lie and lie-to-fly are effectively coming in and out of the same inversion, with you only being turned onto your back once during the element.

Just been on alton towers online and found that a smiler fast track this season could be £10 alone!

TheSmilerMan wrote:

Just been on alton towers online and found that a smiler fast track this season could be £10 alone!

This is worrying. Where on the website did you find this?

TheSmilerMan wrote:

Just been on alton towers online and found that a smiler fast track this season could be £10 alone!

Well they saw the queue length last season and know if guests want to not queue for upto 2 hrs then they either not ride or pay £10 to jump the queue.

I do wonder the max any guest would pay to jump any queue?

You have to go right through to the ticket selection process and select The Smiler fastrack before you find the price. This link should take you to it.

Personally I think £10 for a single fastrack for just one ride is too much, even if The Smiler is the latest addition to the park. A Fastrack Scream for 3 rides is just £2 more at £12. I don't normally use Fastrack, if there are large queues I tend to use single rider, typically it's much quicker than the main queue (although you have to judge it as sometimes single rider does take longer). However, as Themeparksandy1981 said, there is usually someone willing to pay to skip a 2-4 hour queue.

It will be interesting to see if this price remains for the season, or if it reverts to the £7 it was for a single Smiler fastrack last year.

Just save for a bit and buy the best fast track. It makes you feel both rude and important. Plus if you are only there for a day then at least you can get on everything at least once, maybe twice.

They have probably had to so this in order to start making their money back. They must have gone well over budget with the late opening and extra work needed over closed season so it doesn't really suprise me

I agree that while £10 for a single ride may be a tad much, I'm completely for price hikes on Fastracks. They're a premium product and should have a premium charge to go with them so as to not effect general guests experiences.

As much as £10 is ridiculously expensive, if I was only visiting once a year I would pay it (or even do as Dom said and save for a platinum fastrack)

I paid for one Smiler fastrack last year when I went with my brother, so I wanted to make sure we got on it without spending a large proportion of the day queueing, but generally I don't touch them as I tend to use the SRQ's.

Yep, the less people using fast track the quicker the normal queue moves, so higher prices to keep it a limited premium product are a good thing.

The biggest problem I have is the prices Merlin charge for the gold package. Universal Studios express pass is the same price but as the exchange rate $1.58 to the £1, the Universal ticket works out to be cheaper and the rides are 100 times much better.
Even Disney spend £1bn on the magic bands, fastpasses+ and ticketless machines to enhance guests' enjoyment. They listen to their guests and now most of the queues are interactive.

Good to see blivvy on it

I like this very much.

Good to see another thrill ride on there this season, but it will be interesting to see if they keep the same layout of ERT as the end of last season (entrance by Battle Galleons) as that will mean anyone heading to Oblivion will have to go all the way round the lake...

Im happy with it, before only nemesis was good, at least now you have another decent ride on.

If they keep people at the barriers this year, you will get a good few goes on them.

Also you can get in the queue first for the smiler

£10 for The Smiler Fast Track started last year?  It was an additional cost on top if you wanted to ride front row however.