Where do I start, that was beyond my wildest imaginations. The area looks fantastic, hands down the best themed coaster in the UK, without a single doubt in my mind. The eye is superb, one of the best theming pieces I've seen anywhere, ever. It was just the nice surprise we needed, along with the inside of the station. (Although there are LOTS of little surprises... I won't ruin them all.) All this with the same great coaster at the heart of it. Honestly, if you didn't know better, you could have been riding the original in it's earlier (smoother) years.
We rode the mine train first, whilst waiting for a few people to catch up. Then we joined the back of the queue, at the mine train entrance!!!! Yes it took 4 hours plus, but every single second of it was a pleasure. Great company, great atmosphere, and extra roaming entertainment put on by Towers. The atmosphere was electric
I don't know what to say really, just brilliant brilliant brilliant.
It doesn't stop there though, operations were good all around the park, with little down time on rides, considering it was opening day and as busy as Towers will ever get outside of fireworks. Any stoppages on Nemesis (except the last) we're dealt with in a matter of single digit minutes. (A staff member told us they had a maintenance team assigned to the ride all day for just that reason. That is forward planning BPB, take note!)
As somebody that visits the park a LOT, it was easy for me to spot the improvements all around the park. And I don't remember a single year where we've come back on day one to so many different little bits of TLC all around the park, actually, I don't remember a year that comes even remotely close. Bianca, whatever you're doing, for the love of Nemesis, please keep doing it. This is what should be achieved every closed season!
Unfortunately, for the final night ride, the heavens opened up hard, I've no idea if it was linked to the rain, I would guess so (we all know how new sensors can misbehave in the rain until they're fine tuned) but the ride stopped, and had to be evacuated from the lift hill, so we were all escorted out of the queue line. No night ride. I was a bit downhearted at first, but honestly, just seeing the area at night was a spectacle enough in it's own right. Rides have teething issues, opening days are mayhem and as far as new rides go, today's issues were few and far between.
The negatives though, no waterfalls or blood... Not going to drag on about this again, but it's a missed opportunity. I also don't like the fact that the main queue no longer passes over the bridge. However, if that means less idiots vandalise the structure's theming, as they wait next to it, then I can live with that. I'm a bit concerned too about the length of the queue at the top, specifically that I don't recall seeing any / many shortcuts for quieter days. I wasn't looking for these though, so perhaps somebody can put my mind at rest here?
All in all, the negatives are insignificant. I think Alton Towers can take a bow this evening, for not only doing justice to one of the UK's greats, but for exceeding almost everybody's expectations with Nemesis and FV, and for beginning to bring the magic back to the towers with their work all around the park... More to do of course, much more, but they're well and truly on the right track under Bianca IMO.
(P.s for those criticising the eye, have you actually seen it in person? Because I cannot fathom how you could have seen it and not been blown away. I don't think I've ever seen so many people waiting to take photos in front of a single theming piece before, it's stunning.)