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The 2012 Theme Park Insider Best Attraction Tournament

The first round of the 2012 Theme Park Insider Tournament was not traditional head-to-head match-ups. Instead, readers voted on the "best in class" for several categories of theme park rides and shows. Once those were selected, the winners and highest-vote runners-up faced off in traditional head-to-head, single-elimination match-ups to determine the champions. Attractions were selected for inclusion in the tournament based upon the average reader rating in Theme Park Insider's attraction listings, with editor's discretion as a tie-breaker. We declared winners in three brackets: Best Themed Ride, Best Show, and Best Roller Coaster.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Best Themed Ride Champion: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida

The Voyage
Best Roller Coaster Champion: The Voyage at Holiday in Santa Claus, Indiana

Fantasmic!
Best Theme Park Show Champion: Fantasmic! at Disneyland in Anaheim, California; Disney's Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo, Japan

Championships

Championship Friday, March 30
Best Themed Ride Final - 1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey def. 2. Haunted Mansion, 51%-49%
Best Roller Coaster Final - 1. The Voyage def. 2. Incredible Hulk Coaster, 52%-48%
Best Theme Park Show Final - 6. Fantasmic! def. 5. Soarin' Over California 57%-43%

Semifinals

Thursday, March 22
Best Theme Park Show - 5. Soarin' Over California def. 9. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, 73%-27%

Friday, March 23
Best Roller Coaster - 2. Incredible Hulk Coaster def. 3. Manta, 58%-42%

Monday, March 26
Best Themed Ride - 1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey def. 5. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, 50.3%-49.7%

Tuesday, March 27
Best Theme Park Show - 6. Fantasmic! def. 2. It's Tough to Be a Bug!, 74%-26%

Wednesday, March 28
Best Roller Coaster - 1. The Voyage def. 5. Montu, 56%-44%

Thursday, March 29
Best Themed Ride - 2. Haunted Mansion def. 3. Pirates of the Caribbean, 62%-38%

Round Three

Monday, March 12
2. It's Tough to Be a Bug! def. 10. Poseidon's Fury, 63%-37%

Tuesday, March 13
2. Haunted Mansion def. 10. Splash Mountain, 58%-42%

Wednesday, March 14
5. Soarin' Over California def. 4. Mickey's PhilharMagic, 61%-39%

Thursday, March 15
5. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror def. 4. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, 52%-48%

Friday, March 16
9. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular def. 1. Waterworld, 60%-40%

Monday, March 19
1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey def. 8. Toy Story Midway Mania, 70%-30%

Tuesday, March 20
6. Fantasmic! def. 14. MuppetVision 3D, 69%-31%

Wednesday, March 21
3. Pirates of the Caribbean def. 6. Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, 67%-33%

Round Two

Feb 20- Waterworld def. Clyde and Seamore, 57%-43%
Feb 21- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man def. Revenge of the Mummy, 59%-41%
Feb 22- Incredible Hulk Coaster def. Top Thrill Dragster, 74%-26%
Feb 23- Soarin' Over California def. Terminator 2: 3D, 66%-34%
Feb 24- Toy Story Midway Mania def. Test Track, 53%-47%

Feb 27- Mickey's PhilharMagic def. Shrek 4D, 77%-23%
Feb 28- Haunted Mansion def. Tom Sawyer Island, 90%-10%
Feb 29- Manta def. Cheetah Hunt, 67%-33%
Mar 1- MuppetVision 3D def. Lights! Motors! Action!, 65%-35%
Mar 2- Splash Mountain def. Men in Black Alien Attack, 61%-39%

Mar 5- Pirates of the Caribbean def. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, 67%-33%
It's Tough to Be a Bug! def. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, 66%-34%
Mar 6- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror def. Jungle Cruise, 76%-24%
Poseidon's Fury def. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, 60%-40%
Mar 7- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey def. Carousel of Progress, 73%-27%
The Voyage def. Apollo's Chariot, 63%-37%
Mar 8- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular def. Universal's Horror Make-Up Show, 64%-36%
Montu def. Prowler, 66%-34%
Mar 9- Fantasmic! def. Festival of the Lion King, 73%-27%
Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges def. Maharajah Jungle Trek, 74%-26%

Round One

Jan 4- Best Themed Roller Coaster (Revenge of the Mummy)
Jan 5- Best Flume Ride (Splash Mountain)
Jan 6- Best Version of Disney's Tower of Terror (Disney's Hollywood Studios)

Jan 9- Narrated ride (Jungle Cruise)
Jan 10- Playground (Tom Sawyer Island)
Jan 11- B&M Mega Coaster (Apollo's Chariot)
Jan 12- Indoor Boat ride (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Jan 13- Intamin Accelerator (Top Thrill Dragster)

Jan 17- Arcade dark ride (Men in Black Alien Attack)
Jan 18- Traditional wooden roller coaster (Prowler)
Jan 19- Animatronic show (Carousel of Progress)
Jan 20- Rapids ride (Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges)

Jan 23- Animal show (Clyde and Seamore)
Jan 24- B&M Inverted Coaster (Montu)
Jan 25- 2D movie (Walt Disney: One Man's Dream)
Jan 26- Indoor ride (Haunted Mansion)
Jan 27- Live musical (Festival of the Lion King)

Jan 30- B&M Flying Coaster (Manta)
Jan 31- High-speed indoor ride (Test Track)
Feb 1- Hybrid Mega Coaster (Voyage)
Feb 2- 3D movie (Mickey's PhilharMagic)
Feb 3- Stunt show (Waterworld)

Feb 6- Animal exhibit (Maharajah Jungle Trek)
Feb 7- 4D show (It's Tough to Be a Bug!)
Feb 8- Other Intamin coaster (Cheetah Hunt)
Feb 9- Illusion show (Poseidon's Fury)
Feb 10- Single-screen simulator (Soarin' Over California)

Feb 13- Demonstration show (Universal's Horror Make-up Show)
Feb 14- Other B&M coaster (Incredible Hulk Coaster)
Feb 15- Motion-base ride (Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man)
Feb 16- Night show (Fantasmic!)

First round bye: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Previous tournaments

In 2008-2010, Theme Park Insider conducted annual 'Best Ride in America' tournaments.

In the 2010 tournament, readers selected The Voyage from Holiday World as the tournament champion.

  • Best roller coaster champion: The Voyage
  • Best themed ride champion: Haunted Mansion at Disneyland
  • Best live show champion: Fantasmic! at Disneyland
  • Best movie/animatronic show champion: Mickey's PhilharMagic at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

In the 2009 tournament, readers selected Revenge of the Mummy from Universal Studios Florida as the Best Ride Tournament champion.

In the 2008 tournament, readers selected Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World as the best ride in America.

In 2011, Theme Park Insider readers voted for Best Theme Park Event in America, selecting Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas.