The 2012 Theme Park Insider Best Attraction Tournament

The first round this year will not be head-to-head match-ups. Instead, we're going to be voting on the "best in class" for several categories of theme park rides and shows. Once those are selected, the winners will face off in head-to-head match-ups to determine our winners. We will declare winners in four brackets: Best Themed Ride, Best Live Show, Best Animation Show and Best Roller Coaster. 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.

The head-to-head brackets for second-round match-ups and beyond will be released on Feb. 17.

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 (Turtle Reef, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Eagle Ridge, Edge of Africa)
Feb 7- 4D show (Shrek, Tough to Be a Bug, Spellbreaker 4D, Magic Lamp Theater, Sesame Street Presents Lights Camera Imagination!)
Feb 8- Other Intamin coaster (Bizarro, Millennium Force, Maverick, Volcano: A Blast Coaster, Cheetah Hunt)
Feb 9- Illusion show (Mystery Lodge, Turtle Talk, Laugh Floor, Poseidon's Fury)
Feb 10- Single-screen simulator (Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, The Simpsons Ride, Soarin' Over California, StormRider, Back to the Future)

Feb 13- Demonstration show (Universal's Horror Make-up Show, Special Effects Stage, Lights Camera Action Starring Steven Spielberg)
Feb 14- Other B&M coaster (Griffon, SheiKra, Dominator, Riddler's Revenge, Incredible Hulk Coaster)
Feb 15- Motion-base ride (Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Curse of DarKastle, Transformers: The Ride, Dinosaur, Indiana Jones Adventure)
Feb 16- Night show (Fantasmic!, IllumniNations, World of Color, Wishes, Remember)

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.

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• ^* By 2010 attendance

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Readers' Top Themed Rides

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Haunted Mansion

Top Roller Coasters

• Apollo's Chariot
• Maverick
• The Voyage
• Millennium Force
• Manta

Top Live Shows

• Fantasmic!
• Festival of the Lion King
• World of Color
• IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
• Aladdin

Top Movies/Animated Shows

• Impressions de France
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
• It's Tough to Be a Bug!
• The American Adventure

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• What's under construction for 2012?

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