ABOUT THIS RIDE
What The Smiler is
Opened in 2013 and built by Gerstlauer, The Smiler is still the ride most people mean when they search for Alton Towers’ most intense coaster. Published figures put the top speed around 85 km/h, with a 33-metre peak and a track packed with 14 inversions — a record count that is the whole point of the layout.
The station and queue sit in the park’s X-Sector, the old industrial corner that also holds Oblivion. Trains roll out into a compact plot of twisted steel rather than a long out-and-back course, so the ride feels busy from the first drop through to the brakes.
It is a Marmite attraction: some riders come to Staffordshire specifically for the inversion count, others skip it after watching the POV. Use the video on this page to decide before you queue. Height, health and restraint rules are set by the operator and can change, so check Alton Towers on the day.
What to expect
The layout stacks rolls, dive loops and a cobra roll into a small footprint. There is little recovery time between elements, which is why the ride has a reputation for being more intense than its speed suggests.
Front and back rows feel different. The front shows the next inversion arriving; the back adds extra whip through the same elements. If you only ride once, the front row is the clearer introduction.
