Jump to content

Your 2013 Amusement / Theme Park Awards.


PhantomTheater
 Share

Recommended Posts

Each year McSalsa has a topic devoted to allowing the community to choose there own Golden Tickets. I shall continue this tradition by starting this years thread. The one thing I ask is to be civil, everyone's opinion differs.

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point


Best Theme Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Wood Coaster - Voyage, Holiday World
Best Steel Coaster - Millennium Force
Best Flatride - Skooter Bumper Cars, Knoebels
Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper, Cedar Point
Best Park Food - Dollywood
Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Water Ride - Mountain Sidewinder, Dollywood
Best Waterpark - Splashin Safari
Best Park Staff - Idlewild
Best Kids Area - Idlewild
Best Live E - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Cleanest Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Halloween Event - Phantom Fright Nights, Kennywood
Best Carousel - Grand Carousel, Knoebels Grove
Best Dark Ride - Curse of DarKastle, Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg
Best Walk Through - Confusion Hill, Idlewild
Best Park Rail Road - Dollywood Expresss
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point
Best Christmas Event - Smoky Mountain Christmas, Dollywood
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

(best new ride is the best ride you experienced for the first time this year. It does not have to be built in this century.)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll preface this with the disclaimer that the only parks I have been to this year are KI, CP, and HW, and I do not remember much from my big Florida trip last year.

Best Amusement Park: Cedar Point

Best Waterpark: Disney's Blizzard Beach

Best Wood Coaster: The Voyage (Holiday World)

Best Steel Coaster: Maverick (Cedar Point)

Best Flat Ride: Drop Tower (Kings Island)

Best Water Ride: Journey to Atlantis (SeaWorld Orlando)

Best "New" Ride: Kitty's Tea Party (Holiday World) [don't laugh; this, GateSleeper, and Howler at HW are the only non-waterpark rides new to me this year]

Best Park Food: Epcot

Most Beautiful Park: Busch Gardens Tampa

Best Park Staff: Holiday World

Cleanest Park: Holiday World

Best Dark Ride: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Islands of Adventure) [this is saying something since I don't like Harry Potter in general]

Best Ride Operations: Cedar Point

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only made it to Cedar Point and Kings Island this year, so my list will be limited. Actually, just a comparison of the two parks :P

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point

Best Wood Coaster - Mean Streak
Best Steel Coaster - Maverick
Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper
Best Park Food - Kings Island (Reds HOF Grille)
Most Beautiful Park - Cedar Point
Best Waterpark - Soak City (Cedar Point)
Best Park Staff - Kings Island
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point

Best Theme Park - Islands of Adventure
Best Wood Coaster - El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
Best Steel Coaster - Maverick
Best Flatride - The parachute drop ride at Great Adventure (I don't know the real name)
Best "New" Ride - El Toro - Great Adventure
Best Park Food - Dollywood
Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Water Ride - Wildebeest - Holiday World
Best Waterpark - Splashin Safari
Best Park Staff - Busch Gardens Williamsburg :)
Best Kids Area - No Idea
Best Live E - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Cleanest Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Halloween Event - Halloweekends at Cedar Point
Best Carousel - Cedar Downs - Cedar Point
Best Dark Ride - Spiderman - IoA
Best Park Rail Road - Dollywood Expresss
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are all based on parks I have been to and rides I have been on, basically it is fair... unlike the golden tickets.

Best Amusement Park - Six Flags Magic Mountain

Best Theme Park - Disney Sea

Best Wood Coaster - Son of Beast (with loop), Paramounts Kings Island
Best Steel Coaster - Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland

Best Flatride - Tomb Raider: The Ride, Paramounts Kings Island
Best "New" Ride - Takabisha, Fuji-Q Highland

Best Park Food - Dollywood
Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Tampa
Best Water Ride - Mountain Sidewinder, Dollywood
Best Waterpark - Splashin Safari
Best Park Staff - Tokyo Disney Resort
Best Kids Area - Disney Seas Ariel's Grove
Best Live E - Californias Adventure
Cleanest Park - Tokyo Disneyland
Best Halloween Event - Kings Island (only Halloween event I have been to)
Best Carousel - Caravan Carousel, Disney Sea
Best Dark Ride - Transformers: The Ride, Universal Holiwood
Best Walk Through - Noahs Ark, Kennywood
Best Park Rail Road - Dollywood Expresss
Best Ride Operations - Tokyo Disney sea

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

These will be based off Cedar Point, Kings Island, Six Flags Great Adventure, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney's Magic Kingdom, and Universal (both Universal Studios and Island of Adventure).

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point
Best Wood Coaster - El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure
Best Steel Coaster - Millennium Force, Cedar Point
Best Flatride - Drop Tower, Kings Island
Best "New" Ride - Diamondback, Kings Island
Best Park Food - Universal Islands of Adventure (Butter Beer!)
Most Beautiful Park - TIE: Epcot/Cedar Point
Best Park Staff - Disney's Magic Kingdom
Best Kids Area - Planet Snoopy, Kings Island
Cleanest Park - Disney's Magic Kingdom
Best Halloween Event - HalloWeekends, Cedar Point

Best Outdoor Night Show Production - TIE: IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, Epcot; Luminosity, Cedar Point

Best Carousel - Cedar Downs, Cedar Point
Best Indoor Roller Coaster - Revenge of the Mummy, Universal Studios

Best Dark Ride - Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Universal Islands of Adventure
Best Park Rail Road - CP&LL RR, Cedar Point
Best Ride Operations - Kings Island
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point

Best Theme Park - Busch Gardens Tampa

Best Wood Coaster - Voyage, Holiday World
Best Steel Coaster - Bizarro, Six Flags New England
Best Flatride - Skooter Bumper Cars, Knoebels
Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper, Cedar Point
Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Tampa
Best Park Staff - Dollywood
Best Kids Area - Seuss Landing, Islands of Adventure
Best Live E - Dollywood
Best Dark Ride - Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Each year McSalsa has a topic devoted to allowing the community to choose there own Golden Tickets. I shall continue this tradition by starting this years thread. The one thing I ask is to be civil, everyone's opinion differs.

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point

Best Theme Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best Wood Coaster - Voyage, Holiday World

Best Steel Coaster - Millennium Force

Best Flatride - Skooter Bumper Cars, Knoebels

Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper, Cedar Point

Best Park Food - Dollywood

Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best Water Ride - Mountain Sidewinder, Dollywood

Best Waterpark - Splashin Safari

Best Park Staff - Idlewild

Best Kids Area - Idlewild

Best Live E - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Cleanest Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best Halloween Event - Phantom Fright Nights, Kennywood

Best Carousel - Grand Carousel, Knoebels Grove

Best Dark Ride - Curse of DarKastle, Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg

Best Walk Through - Confusion Hill, Idlewild

Best Park Rail Road - Dollywood Expresss

Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point

Best Christmas Event - Smoky Mountain Christmas, Dollywood

Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

(best new ride is the best ride you experienced for the first time this year. It does not have to be built in this century.)

Wow, someone actually did this before me based on my old topics. I am actually kind of suprised...and pleased with this. ;)

I'll try to do my own, but...I've only been to Kings Island, Indiana Beach (Back in 1999 so you won't see anything from it here) and Holiday World, and my only so my choices are very limited here...BUT I WILL STILL TRY! :P

Best Amusement Park: Holiday World by a hair

Haven't been to any true theme parks... :wacko:

Top 5 Wooden Coasters:

#1-Beast, Kings Island

#2-Legend, Holiday World

#3-Voyage, Holiday World

#4-Raven, Holiday World

#5-Racer, Kings Island

Top 5 Steel Coasters

#1-Diamondback, Kings Island

#2-Flight of Fear, Kings Island

#3-Vortex, Kings Island

#4-Flight Deck, Kings Island

#5-Adventure Express, Kings Island

OMG Kings Island DOETH A COMPLETE SWEEP!!! :P (If I ever even manage to get to CP though, I have a feeling this list would likely get butchered)

Best Flatride: Delirium, Kings Island

Best Water Ride (Non-Waterslide): Giraffica, Holiday World

Best Waterslide: Wildebeest, Holiday World

Best "New" Ride: Mammoth, Holiday World

Best Dark Ride: Gobbler Getaway, Holiday World

Best Park Food: Kings Island

Cleanest Park: Holiday World

Best Park Staff: Tie- Kings Island & Holiday World

Best Show: Dive Show, Holiday World (wins by default as it is the only show I have ever seen at any park!)

Best Kids Area: Kings Island

I still really need to get to more parks. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep in mind guys, I have not been to that many parks so these opinions may vary.

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point


Best Theme Park - Islands of Adventure
Best Wood Coaster - Voyage, Holiday World
Best Steel Coaster - Millennium Force
Best Flatride - Drop Tower, Kings Island
Best "New" Ride - White Lightning, Fun Spot America
Best Park Food - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Water Ride - Mile High Falls, Kentucky Kingdom
Best Waterpark - Dolly's Splash Country, Dollywood
Best Park Staff - Holiday World
Best Kids Area - Planet Snoopy, Kings Island
Best Live E - Dollywood
Cleanest Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Best Halloween Event - Halloween Haunt, Kings Island
Best Carousel - Grand Carousel, Kings Island
Best Dark Ride - Curse of DarKastle, Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg
Best Park Rail Road - CP&LE Railroad, Cedar Point
Best Ride Operations - Dollywood
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best Amusement Park- Cedar Point

Best Theme Park- Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best "New" Park- Knoebels

Best Wood Coaster- El Toro, SFGA

Best Steel Coaster- Millennium Force, Cedar Point

Best Flat Ride- Skooter's Bumper Cars, Knoebels

Best "New" Wood Coaster- Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce

Best "New" Steel Coaster- Bizarro, SFNE

Best Dark Ride- Harry Potter, IoA

Best Kid's Area- Seuss Landing, IoA

Best Live Entertainment- Dollywood

Best Food- Poutine fries, Canada's Wonderland

Best Cow Themed Ride- The Rodeo, SFA

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the 2013 season only:

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point

Best Theme Park - none
Best Wood Coaster - EL Toro
Best Steel Coaster - TTD
Best Flatride - Houdini- great adventure
Best "New" Ride - Outlaw run silver dolla city
Best Park Food - none
Most Beautiful Park - Hershey park
Best Water Ride - Shoot the rapids Cedar Point
Best Waterpark - Soak City
Best Park Staff - CP
Best Kids Area - CP
Best Live E - Silver Dollar City
Cleanest Park - CP
Best Halloween Event - CP Halloweekends
Best Carousel - Carousel, SFGAM
Best Dark Ride - none
Best Walk Through - None
Best Park Rail Road - CP
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point
Best Christmas Event - None
Best Observation Tower - WindSeeker CP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best Wood Coaster - EL Toro

Best Steel Coaster - TTD

Not surprising.

Best Water Ride - Shoot the rapids Cedar Point

Really? The best water ride of the year is the one that almost killed about half a dozen people?

Best Waterpark - Soak City

Which one?

Best Kids Area - CP

Again, which one?

Best Observation Tower - WindSeeker CP

WindSeeker is not an observation tower. I would define an observation tower as a non-thrilling ride which anyone can participate in and allows guests to take pictures of the surrounding area while on the ride. WindSeeker incorporates an element of thrill (sitting in an open seat with feet dangling while spinning 300 feet up), which fails the "non-thrilling" test; has a minimum height requirement, which fails the "anyone can participate" test; and does not allow on-ride photography, which fails the "allows guests to take pictures of the surrounding area while on the ride" test.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, YoungStud, what's the deal with liking the above post but not responding to the questions I asked of you? Once again, you confound me.

For that is the way of the troll Jon, he likes questions he does not wish to answer.

Best Wooden Coaster: Beast (Best coaster Ever!)

Best Water Ride: Splash Mountain WDW

Best Water Park: Blizzard Beach (Wait till next year, BB may topple BB)

Best Steel LIM: Flight of Fear

Best Steel Invert: Flight Deck

Best Themed Steel: Expedition Everest

Best Steel: Diamondback

Best Themed Wooden Coaster: Beast

Best Water Slide: Kamikaze Run, Beach WP

Best Park Restaurant: Rainforest Cafe, Animal Kingdom

Best Theme Park: Epcot

Best Amusement Park: Cedar Point

Best Hybrid Coaster: Outlaw Run

Eh this is getting too long for me, keep calm and carry on the topic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The parks I went to this year are as follows: Kings Island, Cedar Point, Islands of Adventure, Sea World, Disney's Hollywood Studio, and Universal Studios Orlando.

Best Amusement Park - Kings Island

Best Theme Park - Islands of Adventure


Best Wood Coaster - The Beast
Best Steel Coaster - Manta
Best Flatride - Skyhawk
Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper, Cedar Point
Best Park Food - Islands of Adventure
Most Beautiful Park - Islands of Adventure
Best Water Ride - Doodly Doo Ripsaw Falls
Best Park Staff - Islands of Adventure
Best Kids Area - Kings Island
Best Live E - Disney's Hollywood Studios
Cleanest Park - Sea World Orlando
Best Halloween Event - Kings Island's Haunt
Best Dark Ride - The Revenge of the Mummy
Best Park Rail Road - Kings Island
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out of Camden Park*, Cedar Point*, Coney Island Cincinnati, Coney Island New York, Conneaut Lake Park*, Dollywood, Hersheypark, Holiday World*, Indiana Beach, Jungle Jack's Landing at the Columbus Zoo*, Kennywood*, Kings Dominion, Kings Island*, Michigan's Adventure, Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, the Six Flags of Great Adventure, Great America*, and St. Louis*, Stricker's Grove*, and Waldameer*, where asterisks indicate that I visited that park this year:

Best Theme Park - Kings Dominion.

Best Amusement Park - Six Flags St. Louis.
Best Wood Coaster - Boss, SFStl.
Best Steel Coaster - Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion.
Best Flatride - Falling Star at Michigan's Adventure/Indiana Beach OR the Flying Scooters at Stricker's.
Best "New" Ride - Boss or Mr. Freeze at SFStl. Props to Haunted House at Camden Park for scaring the bejabbers out of me for all the wrong reasons.
Best Park Food - Dollywood.
Most Beautiful Park - Dollywood/Six Flags St. Louis.
Best Water Ride - Race for Your Life Charlie Brown, Kings Island. I was also really, really impressed with the Dinosaurs Alive equivalent at the Columbus Zoo, but I don't know if that counts.
Best Waterpark - Splashin' Safari.
Best Park Staff - Dollywood/Six Flags St. Louis.
Best Kids Area - Waldameer.
Best Live E - Eh... Besides, Holiday World last year, I've only seen shows at the corporate parks, and they may as well have been identical. So we'll give it to Holiday World.
Cleanest Park - Waldameer, Dollywood, or Kennywood.
Best Halloween Event - Halloween Haunt, Kings Island (Still the only one I've ever been to!)
Best Carousel - Grand Carousel at Kings Island.
Best Dark Ride - Scooby Doo: Mystery of the Scary Swamp at SFStl. VASTLY underrated.
Best Walk Through - Noah's Ark, Kennywood.
Best Park Rail Road - Dollywood Express.
Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point.
Best Christmas Event - Wildlights, Columbus Zoo. And yes, I've been to Dollywood's Christmas event, though I've never seen any of the shows.
Best Observation Tower - Eiffel Tower, Kings Island/Kings Dominion.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...