With the industry hurting this year, along with the entire economy, I know that the attention given to this year's winner after the announcement on the Fourth of July weekend will provide a welcome boost to a deserving theme park. But which will it be?
Based on initial reader ratings, I've selected the top five new attraction debuts from the past 12 months. The reader ratings submitted on these new attractions' Theme Park Insider listing pages before June 20 will determine the winner. But I want to get some discussion going about these new rides (and show). Here are several links to the five finalists, including their listing pages, as well as features we've written about these attractions, here on the Blog Flume.
Listing pages (Submit ratings here for ones you've experienced):
Theme Park Insider reviews (Read about them, and sometimes watch):
If you've been fortunate enough to experience any of these attractions, I hope that you will click through on those listing pages and submit a rating and comment. (If you have not been, please do not submit a rating on an attraction you've not experienced first-hand.)
Whether you've been yet on any of these or not, I'd love to hear your initial impressions, based on what you've read or seen here on TPI or elsewhere. So let's put it to a vote, shall we?
Break down this year's race for Best New Attraction by submitting your expert analysis in the comments, please. And have a great weekend!
Not to be missed and should be the frontrunner for best ride of the year.
Manta should be the frontrunner for best ride of the year.
The other attractions don't really seem all the impressive in comparison to Manta and Terminator.
I picked Diamondback. I've had my little girls out to Kings Island 3 times this year, but have not yet ridden it. It's hard for me to tell my wife to watch the girls for about an hour while I ride the Diamondback. The shear size of this thing is incredible. I grew up riding the Beast and it's what I measure all coasters again. I literally dwarfs Beast by about 100 feet and faster by about about 15 mph. Speed can be deceiving though. Wooden coasters always seem faster to me because of the bouncing.
I read about all the others which also look cool, but those two I have the greatest chance of getting on this year.
Thanks for showing up to vote, Kansas City! We probably don't have enough votes to hold off SeaWorld's Manta, but at least we let our voice be heard and put our favorite GCI woodie on the map.
Go Prowler!
The other rides are all coasters and the only way to properly judge one or the other, is by riding them. Since I have yet to have a go on any of them, I must abstain from this vote.
I can't really comment on the rest as I haven't been on them but out of the two I have experienced I'm going for Manta.
Manta is a nice-looking coaster, but its style feels really corporate and generic. It may not be as bad as the super commercialized nature of the Terminator and American Idol rides, but it's there.
Go Prowler! Go KC! We may stink at Baseball and Football, but we have a winner on our hands in the Prowler!
Now close the vote before SeaWorld wakes up! =)
With the exception of the American Idol Experience, every attraction on this list is deserving of winning this award. They are all stand out coasters that represent the latest and greatest in thrills and design. Kudos to all the competitors (except AIE) - I look forward to riding each one in the near future.
As for AIE, I look forward to the day when that building at DHS is used for an attraction worthy of being in a Disney park.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
