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The Smiler

Alton Towers
Wed, 24 June 2026

Wait times through the day

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

ActualClosed
Peak
0m
Average
0m
Uptime
0%

No data available for this date

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Best time to ride

When the queue is usually shortest

For the shortest wait, ride on a Wednesday.

Go
on Wednesdays
Avoid
on Tuesdays

Typical day

Average wait by hour · last 28 days

Not enough history yet to show a typical day

Busiest days of the week

Average wait by weekday · recent weeks

Building up day-of-week history…

Recent trend

Average wait, last 0 days

Gathering recent days…

Compared to the park

30-day average wait vs other rides

Comparison data not available yet

Wait mix

Share of the day at each wait level

No wait data for this day

Weather & crowds

How conditions move the queues at this park

No weather data available

Reliability

Not enough data yet

Busiest days

Highest wait in the last 14 days

No peak records yet
We'll rank the busiest days here as data builds up.

Downtime History

24 Jun 2026

No downtime recorded
The ride ran without interruptions

About The Smiler

The Smiler at Alton Towers held the Guinness World Record for the most inversions on a roller coaster when it opened in 2013, with 14 loops, corkscrews and dive drops over its 1.16km layout. The theming centres on a fictional 'Ministry of Joy' and the trains tilt riders through repeated barrel rolls between station and finale. Top speed 53 mph, ride duration around two and a half minutes.

The Smiler is one of Alton Towers' big four headline rides, so live queue times often top 50 minutes mid-day. The throughput is decent for its complexity but never matches demand on peak days. Ride at opening or pair with a Fastrack. The first row delivers the strongest sense of speed, the back row the most aggressive whips.

The Smiler has averaged about 32 minutes of wait over recent weeks, and is typically busiest around 10:00 and quietest around 17:00. Over the last two weeks it has been open around 96% of the park's operating hours. It's typically quietest on Wednesdays and busiest on Tuesdays.

The Smiler FAQ

What's the current wait time for The Smiler?

The live wait time for The Smiler at Alton Towers is shown at the top of this page and refreshed directly from the park's own ride system. Check live The Smiler queue times.

Is The Smiler open right now?

The live status badge at the top of this page shows whether The Smiler is open or closed right now - it updates automatically from Alton Towers's own ride system. Over the last couple of weeks, The Smiler has been open around 96% of Alton Towers's operating hours. You can also see the live status of every ride at Alton Towers.

What's the best time of day to ride The Smiler?

Based on historical queue data, The Smiler is typically quietest around 17:00. For most rides the queue is shortest in the first hour after the park opens and the last hour before it closes, with midday through mid-afternoon the busiest window.

What is the best day to ride The Smiler?

The Smiler is usually quietest on Wednesdays, and busiest on Tuesdays based on recent weeks - visit on a Wednesday for shorter waits.

How long is the queue for The Smiler usually?

Over recent weeks, The Smiler has averaged about 32 minutes, with queues usually longest around 10:00. Wait times usually build through the morning, peak from midday to mid-afternoon, then ease off before close. Weekends and school holidays run noticeably longer than quiet weekdays. This page shows today's live wait time, the day's average, hourly breakdowns and the full history of peak queues for The Smiler at Alton Towers.

Is The Smiler often closed or broken down?

Over the last two weeks, The Smiler has been running about 96% of the time. We track The Smiler's uptime and downtime automatically - see the "Reliability" and "Downtime History" panels on this page for its full record over the last 30 days, including any current closures and how long they've lasted.

Where can I find The Smiler at Alton Towers?

The Smiler is at Alton Towers - see the park map and full ride list for its exact location. The Alton Towers page also shows which rides nearby have the shortest queues right now.

Can I get queue time alerts for The Smiler?

Yes - create a free alert and we'll notify you when The Smiler's wait time drops below your chosen threshold (for example, "tell me when The Smiler is under 20 minutes"). Great for timing your sprint from across the park.

More rides at Alton Towers

Live wait times and crowd patterns across the park.

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