Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

[scw55]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

From the last promo video they say something along the lines:
"Will you be smiling at the end?"
which could refer to the scaremaze only.

I think it's too early to condemn.

It is unfortunate that the name MoJ is reminiscent of that tripe of an ITV morning show.

 

[TarinMaria]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this ride at the moment. Guess I'll find out when some more information is released. I can see the appeal of getting excited about it, because it's so mysterious, but if it IS a Gestlauer, have we all forgotten the burden that is Saw: The Ride?! If not, then most of me doubts it will be the new Nemesis. Or anywhere near as good.
I'm not being a hater, just being realistic...

 

[Lofty]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I don't just think its you that's debating this coaster being as good as Nemesis, but, it's comparing an old-school B&M to a Gerstlauer, I don't really think its much of a comparison…

 

[TarinMaria]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Finally, someone with sense... I'm just not as excited for this as I was for Swarm...

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

If it is a Gerstlauer, we can but hope that they don't build it like Saw, and more like every other Eurofighter (include the set square turns of Mystery Mine) because Saw is quite easily the worst one I've ridden...

One bad ride does not a company make...

It won't be a new Nemesis though, that's just overtly optimistic, and if people are gonna go to opening day with that mindset, we'll have a Thirteen all over again...

 

[Kebab]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

It's gonna kick ass! Judging by the plans, this will be by far the most messed up coaster to come out of Alton. I'm really hoping this will be the one now, Alton have gave us a lot of crap since AIR (since Oblivion for some), and this is sure to be a breath of fresh air. I also don't judge it by it's company, no-ones complained about Fluch or Mystery Mine, and if this has cars like on Dare Devil (with lapbars, yes!), I reckon this would make a really quite excellent Gerstlauer, not saying it will be, but 90% most likely. Be honest though, I'd even go as far to say that Gerstlauer has been one of the most innovative manufactuerers in the past several years, sure B&Ms are fancy and ride sensationally smooth, but they are so **** boring lately, it's taken them about ten years to build something vaguely interesting again in my opinion, and that was Raptor!

Thankfully this looks like a unique, and genuinely interesting concept (unlike over-hyped Th13teen), and like I said, it'll kick-ass.

 

[TarinMaria]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Chris, honestly, I think you're getting far too excited for this. Somehow I doubt it will be as brilliant as people think. And if I keep a low opinion maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised IF it is good. Which I'm doubting. Stop hyping guys, the better you think it will be, the more chance you'll have of disappointment.

 

[Uncle Arly]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Chris, honestly, I think you're getting far too excited for this. Somehow I doubt it will be as brilliant as people think. And if I keep a low opinion maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised IF it is good. Which I'm doubting. Stop hyping guys, the better you think it will be, the more chance you'll have of disappointment.

Exactly. I didn't ride Thirteen until it's second year of operation, and because of all the **** that coaster received I went in with fairly low expectations but actually enjoyed it.

I'd rather be pleasantly surprised by something than disappointed.

 

[Kebab]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

The last time I hyped up a coaster was probably Saw: The Ride, I wasn't impressed until it actually started going up and I caught a glance of the indoor section, before that, the plans looked appealling at most. I still had digs at the ride despite the fact i hyped it up, like the indoor section was obviously better than the outdoor, I thought the theme was dreadful (not a fan of the whole branding crap), the name was even worse and as a whole it felt generally sluggish and underwhelming.

I'll still dig at this, but at the moment theres nothing to dig about, apart from dirt (ha!), the plans just look impressive to me, all I see is a mess of track, tons of inversions, launches and tight transitions. This is what Altons needed since AIR, but we were given Rita and Th13teen instead, which bring the park down for me. Not that they're awful coasters, they're just generic and boring, and the magic is lost. Bring on 2013 anyway, really hoping this is them going back to their old roots!

 

[TarinMaria]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I refuse to get excited. And for your information I LIKE Thirteen *blows raspberries*

 

[the king]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

A image of the site today. Rebar has been placed for the station walls, and for the foundations for the possible world's first portion.

Image taken from The Alton Towers Guide's facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/thealtontowersg ... owersguide

Anyway, while looking over the picture, I didn't understand why that portion of earth has stayed in between the main hole and the station area. But I thought that those gaps in the earth could be for a type of tranfser track system. I created a edited picture of the original to show what I'm talking about.

A picture of transfer track rails, incase some of you don't understand what I'm talking about.

That is just what I see so far. But well, lets see what happens.

 

[scw55]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I just find it enjoyable to speculate. For me, I'm never going to ride it. I just enjoy the visual impact.
What, you can still be a Coaster Enthusiast without actually riding them?
It's just like Train-spotting.

I'm enjoying trying to work things out from the little information we have. We know the majority of the layout and very likely the coaster car and manufacturer. Just there's still quite significant unknowns which are exciting.

 

[Martyn B]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

There is no way this can end up as another Thirteen situation. We've seen the plans, and we've seen at least 8 inversion - this is going to be a thrilling coaster.

 

[loveagiga]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I have waited since I was 13/14yrs old to go to Alton Towers. My friends think I am insane that Id wanna go to Alton over any US park cause "we have better rides" But I will say I totally disagree. I went to Alton Towers on Sept. 21st & it WAS everything I ever imagined it to be & better. I feel you guys look at AT's coasters as rubbish because theyre gimmicks, which I can understand to a degree. But you guys are "blessed" with the amazing themeing & storylines the US just cant get away with cause were so bloody censored over here its actually quite sad!! (is that a swear word, cause everyone says it so Im not sure sorry!! haha) The US would never build a coaster so far underground & tell its guests the ride isnt safe, but it safe as it does with the mind screwing of Oblivion. They would never build a coaster based off an ancient burial ground & wandering into the woods alone as Th13teen does... My point is to you, it may be simple or even lame but, to me its dramatic & powering that these rides have such great storylines that they take me away from the fact Im at a theme park. They take me into the story. I LOVED the whispers in Th13teens station. I loved the simplicity that ride gently races through the woods makin you feel this is just fun, not scary, kinda dull but fun...then it does its ONE unique aspect & drops you into a crypt with air blasts & a backwards launch. It was simple & great. I KNOW its not an amazing coaster, trust me. but it was its story, its theme & overall environment that made me respect it & love it so. This is how I felt with every major attraction at Alton. The only one that felt out of place was Rita, but was still a good coaster.

I dont need 456ft to make me scream. Oblivion took my breathe away & it does one thing, but that one thing well. I would much rather have parks like Alton Towers where their rides may have one trick ponies in them or gimmicks but at least they take their restrictions & turn them into magic!!

I am very excited about this coaster, as I have with everything Alton has created. i know the themeing & story will be crazy or even absurd but tis that absurdity that makes AT unique. You guys are lucky to have such a wonderful park, be happy!

 

[TarinMaria]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I'm just not gonna get hyped up about something I know nothing definite about. I would rather be all excited about a ride I know a lot about. The ideas for the theme sound quite interesting though, would like to see if they make that work with the X-Sector theme.
P.S Rita is an awful ride. It's rough, painful, and flings you into your restraint with the first overbank turn. Aside from that, and how mediocre I find Air, I love Alton Towers. The stories behind the coasters are brilliant. I'm not complaining about Alton Towers, I'm just saying there's no point being so excited about this particular coaster.

 

[Smithy]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Ok, we get it, you're not going to get hyped up about it, now can we get back to some pictures of mud please.

 

[Intricks]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Loveagiga, I wouldnt say the US is too censored of a place to involve the immense themeing and background that Alton does, just look at Disney and even Universal. (they arent the greatest of rides, but the stories involved with them can be immense (mainly Disney)), it is just we dont have the same restrictions that they have to deal with.

At worst, our height restrictions are based on relative distance to an Airport (Six Flags over Georgia, ands that only in certain areas still), local height restrictions (Hershey and Carowinds (to an extent)), and I also believe we have some noise and environmental restrictions as well (Hershey for environmental, not really sure on sound).

Ontop of that, we (the US) dont really need to use a theme/story to pull in our customers, the coasters do all the talking for us.

 

[loveagiga]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

Our coasters do the talkin for us cause all they aim after is height, speed, or size half the time. Most of them are over concrete or grass with nothin but a mess of track. There are many themed coasters here in the US, yes of course. I love parks like Busch for the themeing alone Im just sayin, AT has a huge height restriction & they make such interesting rides with that restriction... I mean 110ft (?) underground is pretty cray cray ;D haha

I feel were extremely censored here compared to the UK... did we ever get Griffon condoms for a B&M dive coaster, no haha! The fact there's an end of the world apocalyptic themed coaster at Thorpe that shows guests limbs ripped off on a map or a horror movie themed coaster with a dead body in the que are those "simple" things the US will never do!! Death on a coaster...? Its just a part of the storyline, but the US would have a lawsuit on their hands with a storyline like that! Sad but true.

 

[michaellll]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

As off-topic as this is, loveagiga has a point.

I can't think of one coaster over here in the U.S. that has a theme as dark as some of the ones over at AT. We have good examples of well themed coasters from Disney/Universal/Busch, but they don't go the "scary" route. It's almost a shame.

 

[fretboardpyro]

Re: Alton Towers | SW7 | Unknown (Gestlauer?) World's 1st

I just thought I'd stick my nose in here. I thought the mass debate on if it was a gerstlauer was over and it was decided it was.

Anyhow I can confirm it IS DEFINATLEY A GERSTLAUER after working there repairing the Hydraulic Motor fluid chiller on Rita. I know as one of there Senior Mech's let slip after I posed the simple question. "How's construction going on with that new Gerstlauer?". Of which he just replied "Yeah its going well, it should be a good addition to the park."

He then realised the error of his ways and started to talk about How B&M and Intamin are great to work on and repair. Also got some interesting pictures of crap that had fell out of peoples pockets on Rita, The pulley cables and my car underneath it.

Whilst I'm here, make sure you all make sure there's no chance of anything falling outta yer pockets, off yer head or owt else for that matter. It really knackers the coils up on my chiller!!