2012 Best Attraction Tournament: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man vs. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

March 15, 2012, 8:10 AM · Who's ready for a marquee match-up in the 2012 Theme Park Insider Tournament? That's what we've got in store for you today, as a former champion goes up against a perennial number one on the site, one that's just gotten a high-def upgrade that's winning raves.

That's right: It's Tower of Terror versus Spider-Man today. You pick the winner that advances to the semifinals.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - at Universal's Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Tell us in the comments why you voted the way you did, and rally support for your favorite by linking to this post on Facebook and Twitter. Voting is open for 24 hours.


Friday: 1. Waterworld vs. 9. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in the Best Theme Park Show bracket.

Replies (44)

March 15, 2012 at 8:18 AM · I think the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a good ride but I voted for the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride because is totally awesome!!!.
March 15, 2012 at 8:21 AM · One of the two best attractions on the planet vs a REALLY good one. Sorry TOT! :(
March 15, 2012 at 8:34 AM · Even with the new visuals I think Spider-Man is over-rated. Tower Of Terror FTW!
March 15, 2012 at 12:31 PM · To me it's Spider-man FTW! although i do like them both.
March 15, 2012 at 8:43 AM · You mean Spider-Man Dunc!

I'll admit that it's a fun ride and technologically advanced but TOT is thrilling and a lot more fun! IMHO

March 15, 2012 at 8:42 AM · This match-up is just cruel.
March 15, 2012 at 8:43 AM · Said it before and I will say it again.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is the best ride in any park, anywhere. Period..

March 15, 2012 at 8:52 AM · Not too many brackets where I've experienced both (you know, the whole Disney/Universal thing.) I liked Spidey, but loved TOT. That's where my vote went.

Truth to tell, I'm surprised it's winning.

March 15, 2012 at 8:56 AM · Tower of terror has it all : Thrill (over Spider man), Theme (tied if not over Spider man), and what all rides need to have.... a story, that in my opinion is way better then trying to get pictures of spiderman. Personally, whenever I come close to hollywood studios, I can see it towering above the rest of the park, making it Hollywood studios' prime attraction.
March 15, 2012 at 9:03 AM · This one was hard, but.... despite my love of all things Universal, I went with the Tower. It's the only reason I ever go to DHS. The theme is pitch-perfect and the ride is a decent length and lots of fun -- a good value for your stand-in-line buck :-)

Spidey is an amazing ride (no pun intended...), but I've been known to skip it on a visit and I don't expect the new visuals to change that.

I don't know how long ToT can hang onto the lead here, but I've got my fingers crossed!

March 15, 2012 at 9:22 AM · Tower of Terror. Then, now, forever.
(ya hear me Disney? FOREVER!!)
March 15, 2012 at 9:23 AM · Agreeing with Melanie, Tower of Terror is the only reason I would even go to Hollywood Studios.
March 15, 2012 at 9:37 AM · Who on earth put these two together?? Two of my all time favourite rides in the same catagory makes it extremely difficult for me to choose.

I absolutely love Tower of Terror, it has one of the best themes of any ride in any park but I'm sorry, as a lifelong Spidey fan, Spider-Man has to get the vote in this case as it is just such a clever ride. Love it!

Hope the reamining tournaments aren't as difficult to choose as this one was! :o)

March 15, 2012 at 9:46 AM · two of three favorite rides in the world...went with spidey ..this one will be a fun one to watch
March 15, 2012 at 9:52 AM · Well, taking the long view on this one, Spiderman vs ToT, either way, it's a Disney win (considering who now owns Marvel). :)

My vote is for ToT, though. It's a ride I'll go on repeatedly, unlike Spidey.

March 15, 2012 at 9:52 AM · Probably my 2 favourite rides of all time, but I have to go with Tower of Terror due the Twilight Zone theme which I love, the amazing theming along the queue and the many different combinations of drops that it has. Along with Harry Potter it's still the best themed ride I have been on and the thrill of the drops is just enough to make me want to ride it many times in one visit.
March 15, 2012 at 10:04 AM · A brutal choice between my two favorite Florida attractions. But when it comes down to it, my love of the Ol' Webhead is greater than my love of Rod Serling ('cause he was a smoker...ewwwww!).

Spider-Man, despite getting my vote today, it will be sad to see you leave this tournament so soon if you fall. However, there is no shame in losing to the definitive WDW attraction.

March 15, 2012 at 10:08 AM · For me it's Spider-Man, no contest. Spider-Man is one of the best rides ever made and with the new HD makeover, it's on a whole new level! Plus Spider-Man is friendly for almost all ages. I'm not a fan of "drop towers", but I know that Tower of Terror is a great ride and that's why I had to at least walk through the queue the last time I was at DHS. I even voted for it in previous rounds, but Spider-Man is so ground breaking that it has to win! I hope the polls change!
March 15, 2012 at 10:31 AM · I love Tower of Terror, the only drop tower ride I readily encourage everyone I know to try it. It really is a fantastic ride, one of the very best Disney has...

But Spider-Man is better. Spider-Man is one of the very best rides in the world, very few rides can even come close to touching it. As good as Tower of Terror is (and it *is* very very good), Spidey is better. And that was before the upgrades.

Go with your Spidey-Sense, vote Spider-Man!

March 15, 2012 at 10:34 AM · I know ToT is well-liked, but this is pretty shocking...our first upset?? I voted Spidey. Never been on ToT, so not 100% unbiased, but Spidey is imho the best ride in the tourney. Wow.
March 15, 2012 at 10:37 AM · Spider-Man is Universal Orlando's best ride, and I'm judging this by the HD Renovation, so Spidey gets my vote. If Spidey was in it's it's original state, it would of been a toss-up. But Spider-Man has proven to be my favorite ride along with Star Tours 2. I must be a fan of the Sony 4K HD projectors :P
March 15, 2012 at 10:54 AM · I like ToT and think it's a good ride, but Spiderman is one of the best rides in existence. It's a tough one, but I had to pick Spiderman.
March 15, 2012 at 11:30 AM · It takes only once to see ToT, but there is always something new in Spider-Man. It is a challenge.
March 15, 2012 at 11:48 AM · I haven't experienced the snazzy new version of Spidey. Both of these rides are world class attractions, but I have to go with my favorite ride in Orlando, Tower. What a masterpiece of theming, technology and thrills, inside and out.
March 15, 2012 at 12:11 PM · Haven't been on Spider-Man, but I do generally prefer dark rides to drop rides. Tower of Terror, however, is somewhat of a hybrid between a dark ride and a drop ride, and it is one of my top three drop rides, so I voted for it.
March 15, 2012 at 12:26 PM · Hey, 209.234.42.146 :

I'm not an expert on Florida attractions, and maybe someone on here who is can canfirm this for me..I think you have it backwards. I don't believe Spider-Man can provide any variety..the images and motions don't change on a ride-to-ride basis, as far as I know. But Tower of Terror has several different possible ride patterns, with variations on the drops. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance, but I don't think I am.

March 15, 2012 at 12:51 PM · This one should be close, but, Spider Man for the following reasons!

Facet---Winner: Tower of Terror (Creepy is good!)
Queue-Winner: TOT -Creepy Gardens and Hotel Lobby A++
Ride Vehicle—Winner: Spider Man Scoop Mobile
Ride Sets & track pathway: Winner Spider Man
Story---Winner Tower of Terror (Sorry getting a photo of Spiderman kinda lame)
Ride Length---Winner Spider Man
Ending: Winner: Spider Man (Dropping off the tall building is priceless)
Ride Complexity: Winner: Spider Man

March 15, 2012 at 1:03 PM · These are the two finalists from the 2008 tournament.
March 15, 2012 at 1:15 PM · @Mike

I think what 209 means is that there is so much detail in Spider-Man, that you have to ride it multiple times to catch all of them. Or at least that's I think 209 meant. Because you are right, ToT's rides are randomized so it's never the same twice whereas Spider-man goes through the same motions and same screens everytime. Spider-Man is awesome and I can't wait to experience the improvements for myself but my vote went to ToT because Rod Serling. That is all. That and the near infinite number of ride experiences you can have. That too.

March 15, 2012 at 2:40 PM · This was a tough one as these are two of my favorites. I think the Spidey upgrades merit the vote based on the feedback I am hearing. June 2012... can't wait to check it out for myself.
March 15, 2012 at 2:44 PM · Vote for Spidey with the new upgrades!
March 15, 2012 at 3:13 PM · Competition is heating up big time. We have a real battle on our hands, which is what we expect from these two heavyweights!
March 15, 2012 at 4:02 PM · Haven't been on either of these (as usual), but I've been on TOT at DCA. Made me a bit nauseaous (sp?). I do love both Rod Serling and Stan Lee - and yes, I also subscribe to the Nerdist News - so it's a toughie. I went with Spidey.

Just a note - I don't think Spidey v.2 should even be considered here since it's not what got this into the tournament to begin with (was it even open at the beginning?). Yeah, add picky to the nerdy.

March 15, 2012 at 4:27 PM · If this vote ends up too close to call, will there be a recount?
March 15, 2012 at 4:52 PM · I understand the argument against counting Spiderman with its updates.

But you can't punish Splash Mountain and other attractions for their lack of upkeep and also not reward Spiderman for its not just upkeep but great upgrade to one of its parks most popular rides. Regardless of result Unbiversal did take a risk in changing on of the best rides in the world. Much less from what I've seen very few fans of rides like changes to "their" rides.

Which is ironic since TOT has gone thru revamps and now Spidey and all to rave reviews which is unusual

March 15, 2012 at 4:58 PM · My vote for Tower was specifically for WDW's Tower, not DCA's.
March 15, 2012 at 5:05 PM · I wish both could go on... these attractions are undoubtedly exemplary and represent the theme park industry at its best. However, Tower is #1 on my list of best Orlando themed attractions... Spiderman is my #6. So, my vote goes to the Tower of Terror.
March 15, 2012 at 6:32 PM · WDW Tower all the way, DCA not so much. Spider is fun and I haven't been on the re-do, but I'm thinking it's just a bright and shiney version of the same. Again, I'm tired of sitting in front of screens.
March 15, 2012 at 7:13 PM · Wow! Nailbiter!
March 15, 2012 at 7:50 PM · Spiderman!!!!!!!!!! The new enhancements made this amazing ride even more amazing!!!! It's out of this world! :D Spidy all the way :D
March 16, 2012 at 12:09 AM · WHAT?!
Spiderman is losing?
March 16, 2012 at 7:24 AM · I could only base my vote on what I've seen. I haven't seen the updated Spiderman yet ( who has ? ) and so TOT gets the nod based on the earlier incarnation of Spidey at IOA which was looking a little rough around the edges.Maybe next year ??
March 16, 2012 at 1:17 PM · Thanks for making me "Sophie's Choice" two of my favorite rides, Robert.

I am sad Spiderman didn't win. This is actually very upsetting.

March 16, 2012 at 1:39 PM · Again, there is no shame in losing to WDW's best attraction.

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