Wait times through the day
Sunday, 14 June 2026
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Best time to ride
When the queue is usually shortest
For the shortest wait, ride on a Wednesday.
Typical day
Average wait by hour · last 28 days
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Busiest days of the week
Average wait by weekday · recent weeks
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Compared to the park
30-day average wait vs other rides
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Wait mix
Share of the day at each wait level
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Weather & crowds
How conditions move the queues at this park
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Reliability
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Busiest days
Highest wait in the last 14 days
Downtime History
14 Jun 2026
About The Smiler
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 25 minutes of wait over recent weeks, and is typically busiest around 10:00 and quietest around 19:00. Over the last two weeks it has been open around 93% of the park's operating hours. It's typically quietest on Wednesdays and busiest on Saturdays.