The Alton Towers season has now started, and what a start it was. With the reopening of a freshly re-tracked Nemesis, now Nemesis Reborn, it was truly a spectacular start. I woke up about 5 am, not by choice, but then I was just TOO excited to get back to sleep. So after about an hour of scrolling, up I got to have a shower then off I went, getting to the park about 7 am… earlier than I ever did when I worked there.
Now, as I’m still getting used to this, I failed to take many pictures or many notes but I did get a few things. Walking into the park at 7 am there was a real buzz already, a couple hundred people were already here and more kept coming thick and fast. Everything was well until 3 security came along for 6 lines and a mass pile in through the empty sheds occurred, but only to the turnstiles, where we were, of course, held until 9 and finally then let in! The first few sprinted off, of course, but in general, a fast walk was the general feel of the crowd… thankfully!
The first thing we came too is a clever new entrance portal for Forbidden Valley I completely missed it at first, Phalanx Facility is just what I thought it said with the veins covering it, admittedly we were rushing to the ride. The next thing was the usual tank and THEN a massive STUNNING helicopter. A lot of us saw the drone footage of it, but I had no idea it was SO BIG! A couple of easter eggs on there, one of my FAVOURITE things in areas and there are plenty more! Lots more improvements in the area with rebranding including the entrance to the ride. Now the new rerouted queue line gives some amazing views of the ride and some great theming points, including a very large gun that charges up and shoots as the train goes past that part of the track and a bit of a preshow, more easter eggs here but there is a lot of the surrounding area is really really not ready. The station has also had a massive overhaul with a heartbeat and looks more like you’re actually inside the beast! All very spectacular and beautiful! The ride itself was great although it has developed a bit of a bounce, especially towards the end, hopefully, it beds in eventually. With 4-hour queues, we didn’t really attempt another ride until the end of the day for a night ride, where we were spited of another ride when it got stuck at the top of the lift hill. It was wet and cold so we decided to call it a night, many many more chances to come over the season.
Another piece of themeing I can’t not mention is the eye, the new Nemesis eye, just WOW! Reacting to the train, especially when going into the zero-g roll above the station it’s amazing, the teeth/claws/eyelashes do look a bit robotic (they are) but apparently they are gonna be sorted soon.
We tried to get on a few other rides but things kept going down but we did eventually manage to get on Wicker Man, it’s running INSANE considering it’s the start of the season and was early afternoon. Smiler was rough, I never usually have much of a bad word to say about it but christ that was bad. Unfortunately, we didn’t get down to the Dark Forest, but I’m back in a few days to get some serious riding in and take lots more pictures!
