Woodbury, Universal lead this year's Thea Award honorees
It's time for a little housekeeping, as we recap some more of the news from last week's IAAPA Attractions Expo.
First, the Themed Entertainment Association announced the winners of its 25th annual Thea Awards, which will be presented on April 13, 2019 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Universal's Mark Woodbury won the Buzz Price Thea Award, recognizing a lifetime of distinguished achievement in the field. Woodbury is the Vice Chairman of Universal Parks & Resorts and the President of Universal Creative. (Here is our 2011 interview with Mark.)
Dollywood won this year's Thea Classic award, given to an enduring attraction that has a lasting influence on the industry. The TEA's other awards are Awards for Outstanding Achievement, which are given to projects that the TEA considers worthy of honor rather than fitting into a set line-up of fixed categories.
This year's winners include Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay, which we will feature later this week on the Building the World's Best Theme Parks podcast. Other honorees from major parks were:
- Universal Spectacle Night Parade – The Best of Hollywood at Universal Studios Japan for Live Show Spectacular
- Justice League: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags Magic Mountain for Attraction
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider at Tokyo DisneySea for Repurposed Attraction
Other winners were:
- Intel Shooting Star Drone System for Outstanding Technical Innovation
- Fantawild Oriental Heritage in Xiamen, China for Theme Park
- SlideWheel at Chimelong Water Park in Guangzhou, China for Attraction
- Bazyliszek at Park Legendia in Chorzow, Poland for Attraction, Limited Budget
- Legend of Camel Bells at Huaxia Cultural Tourism Resort in Xi’an, Shanxi Province, China for Live Show Spectacular
- Fantastic Journey, Majestic Princess from Princess Cruises for Live Show Spectacular, Limited Budget
- MORI Building Digital Art Museum – teamLab Borderless in Tokyo for Connected Immersion – Digital Art
- Lego House in Billund, Denmark for Brand Center
- The Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas for Museum, Limited Budget
- Be Washington: It’s Your Turn to Lead at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia for Museum Experience, Limited Budget
- Illuminations: human/nature at Banff National Park in Alberta and Rouge Urban National Park in Toronto for Connected Immersion – Digital Overlay Experience, Limited Budget
In addition, IAAPA named its 2018 Brass Ring Award winners, including SeaWorld San Diego for its Sesame Street Party Parade, Pets Rule and Cirque Electrique shows, the Disney Cruise Line for its Beauty and the Beast show, and Tokyo Disneyland for its anniversary Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland show. Dynamic Attractions also won a Best New Production Concept award for the Duel Power Coaster we showed you last week and that's coming to 20th Century Fox World in Malaysia next year.
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