I have a great idea!

[erhswimming]

Let's have our very own Atari Forums American Theme Park Industry Awards! I always get mad that the other websites make biased picks and such so I think we should have our own. We can make nominations for each category and then make a poll to vote on each one. Here's what categories I think should be included: Best Steel Coaster, Best Wooden Coaster, Best Dark Ride, Best Water ride, Best New Ride. Of course I might add/take out categories and accept new nominations for each category. Here's what I think should be nominated for each category (of course, these are only tentative and I will definitely be adding more rides to each list as more people voice their opinions):

Best Steel Coaster:
Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point)
Milleneum Force (Cedar Point)
The Incredible Hulk (Islands of Adventure)
Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
Kraken (Sea World Orlando)

Best Wooden Coaster:
The Raven (Holiday World)
Ghostrider (Knott's Berry Farm)
The Beast (Paramount's Kings Island)
Shivering Timbers (Michigan's Adventure)
Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce)

Best Dark Ride:
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's California Adventure)
Amazing Adventures of Spiderman (Islands of Adventure)
Pirates of the Caribbean (Disneyland and Magic Kingdom)
Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland)
Men in Black Alien Attack (Universal Studios Orlando)

Best Water Ride:
Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls (Islands of Adventure)
Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-rat Barges (Islands of Adventure)
Splash Mountain (Disneyland and Magic Kingdom)
Grizzly River Run (Disney's California Adventure)
Jurassic Park River Adventure (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Hollywood)

Best New Ride:
Scream (Six Flags Magic Mountain)
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney's California Adventure)
Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando)

Please add more ideas!

[Harpo]

Some items to add:

Best Steel Coaster: Raptor (Cedar Point)
Wild Thing (Valleyfair)
Steel Force (Dorney Park)

Best Wood Coaster: Wildcat (Hersheypark)
New Mexico Rattler (Cliff's Amusement Park)

Best Dark Ride: Revenge of the Mummy (Universal -- yes, it's a coaster, but it's also a dark ride)

Best Water Ride: (The one I would have added is now closed and is being removed by Silver Dollar City. Oh well.)

Best New Ride: Timberline Twister (Camp Snoopy)
Half Pipe (Elitch Gardens)


Note: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is not identical in the two locations. They actually have quite a few differences, although based on the same theme. I've only been on one of the Revenge of the Mummy rides, so I can't say if the same situation exists there.

[raptorrvnge4928]

Harpo: If the ROTM version you had ridden was at Universal Hollywood, perhaps we can compare notes on that one when I get back from Florida. Plan to hit that one down there. Only 8 days and counting... Woo hoo!


Last trip before graduation :D

[Harpo]

Yep, I rode the one in Hollywood.

I'd like to recommend comparing in private, however, so as to avoid spoiling the surprises for others! :D I already know that the facades are different, as I saw the outside of the one in Orlando in February (but the ride wasn't running yet).

Have a super trip!

[leonardofury]

It has to be American themeparks doesn't it.:rolleyes: Maybe someday I'll get over there.
EDIT what about the Jack Rabbit @ Kennywood

[RollerC]

Here are some other items you should add

Best Steel:
Dominator(Geauga Lake)
Phantoms Revenge(Kennywood Park)
X-Flight(Geauga Lake)
Storm Runner(Hershey Park)

Best Wood:
The Villain(Geauga Lake)
Thunderbolt(Kennywood Park)
Big Dipper(Geauga Lake)
Lightning Racers(Hershey Park)
Wild Cat(Hershey Park)

[Joshua H]

Adds:

Best Steel:
Nitro (SFGAdv)
Dueling Dragons (IOA)

Best Dark:
Rock-n-roller coaster (Disney/MGM Studios)

[alpengeist04]

Here are a couple more to think about:

Best steel:

Alpengeist (BGW)
Superman-ROS (SFNE)

[erhswimming]

Hey great ideas guys but especially in the steel coaster category there is waaayyy to many rides. I'm not sure how many you can post on a poll (what is the limit anyways?) but we might have to do this in "heats," at least for the steel and wooden coasters. And what's the limit of times you can vote on a poll? Because it would be a lot better if everybody could vote 3 times since it's so hard to pick just one coaster/ride. Soon I'll probably start having the preliminary voting starting with the steel coasters but first I wanted to receive more ideas. One other request, please spell out some of these Six Flags parks, I'm not too good with their abbreviations. And somebody mentioned Superman: Ride of Steel, are they meaning the one at Darien Lake?

[alpengeist04]

I was talking about the superman ride at Six Flags New England. It has a different layout than the two other superman-ROS coasters at Darien Lake and America(Maryland).:)

[RCT2head]

BS: Apollo's Chariot (BGW)
BW: Gwazi (BGT)
BD: Montu (BGT)

[Squid2]

I can't believe people are leaving out the Coney Island Cyclone or Thunderhead at Dollywood for the Best Wooden Coaster.

And for water rides, I'd add White Water Canyon at Paramount King's Dominion.

Squid2

[alpengeist04]

I agree with squid on the cyclone at Coney Island. There's around 5 or 6 copies of this coaster around the world. I've never been on Thunderhead, so I really can't say.
As far as White Water Canyon at PKD, its the best rapids ride I have ever been on.

[RCT2head]

i think best water ride would be Escape from Pompeii, because it combines fire and water

[jonnyrocks]

UK UK!!

nemesis at alton towers and colossus at thorpe park, you cant miss out the world record and a legendary inverted!

[leonardofury]

World record? Dragon Khan has more inversions I believe.

[goliath]

Where's Giant Dipper at the Beachboardwalk? That is the BEST woodie I've been on in my life! SOB looks good too! I think TTD should be taken out for best Steel coaster because its just a straight runaway with an enormus top hat.

[erhswimming]

Well, if you want to see Top Thrill Dragster out, Don't vote for it! It's as simple as that. Remember, it has to WIN its preliminary competition to make it to the finals and it has some tough competition from other Cedar Point coasters and Geagua Lake (its preliminary is only Ohio steel coasters). As for the ride Giant Dipper, what boardwalk is it at exactly? 'Cuz there's a lot of boardwalks with a lot of generic wooden coasters like that. Son of Beast is definitely going to be included in the wooden coasters voting too. I'm just not sure when its preliminary will be held (probably with the other Ohio/Indiana wooden coasters) so keep checking back!

[Harpo]

Since Beach Boardwalk was mentioned, I'm guessing it's the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which is a very good old wood coaster. Giant Dipper at Belmont Park is another very good old coaster.

[RCT2head]

hey, didn't they model that in the RCT1 and 2 Scenarios of Bumbly Beach?

[Harpo]

I'm not sure if the Bumbly Beach coaster was supposed to be based on either of the Giant Dippers in California. The Bumbly Beach location (crossing the main park entrance) would be similar to the location for Belmont Park's Giant Dipper, but, other than that, the Bumbly Beach coaster wouldn't be a particularly good representation of these two Giant Dippers.

Both Santa Cruz's and Belmont's start in a tunnel before coming to the lift. Santa Cruz's run in the tunnel is a bit faster and more exciting.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Bumbly Beach picture with me right now, so I'm working from memory. But, I think the Giant Dipper coasters have more twists and turns that Bumbly Beach's coaster.

[goliath]

I don't think the Giant Dipper has a model even close to the one in Bumbly Beach because the Bumbly Beach version has a ten foot lift, then a drop then the big lift. A few hills later, it has one of thse curving hills. The Giant Dipper in California has the curving turnaround right after the big drop. Also, the on ride photos are in different areas.

Items to add:

Best new ride:
Borg Assimilator
Tomb Raider the Ride@Paramount's Canada Wonderland

Best Steel:
TOP GUN @PGA!!!
Magnum XL 200
Nitro
Goliath
Phantom's Revenge

[erhswimming]

A couple things for goliath:
I'm not sure if the Borg Assimilator should really be counted as a new ride since it was rebuilt just at a different location. ToT at DCA is completely new with different rooms and look.

As for the rides you mentioned in Canada, I'm sorry, but this is only for American rides. Adding in Canada would mean the Brits would get mad, then I would have to add in all their rides, so on and so on. Maybe after this we can take the top American rides up against other rides from around the world! But for right now, it's just America.

All of the steel coasters you mentioned have already been taken into consideration and you can actually vote for Magnum right now in the steel coaster prelims #2!:)

[Harpo]

Originally posted by erhswimming
As for the rides you mentioned in Canada, I'm sorry, but this is only for American rides.

Being that my father was born and raised in Canada, I feel I've got to comment here. Just to clarify first, however, NO I'm really not that sensitive to the issue, but, if I can help with "spreading the word," that's good, too.

Canada actually is part of North America, hence anything in Canada is part of the two American continents, hence it could be viewed as American. It's just not part of the United States.

Now, most Canadians I've met have no problem with the U.S. being referred to as America, and stuff in the U.S. as American. But, I've also encountered some Canadians that are very sensitive about it and get upset when people refer to only stuff in the U.S. as American. (Heck, the American League even has a team in Toronto!)

My point: For the sake of those who are sensitive (which doesn't include me -- I'm not offended, but I know people who would be, if they were to read it), please use some care when removing Canada from consideration due to not being "American," as that may offend some people, especially on an internationally-available message board. Limiting the scope of the voting to one country (in this case, the U.S.), however, is certainly acceptable as a means of trying to keep the voting manageable.

Thanks!

[RCT2head]

hey,
what about the Montreal Expos, eh?
I believe that you still have them, but not for long if they relocate to U.S. territory.

[erhswimming]

Okay, at first I was going to make this strictly American (after all, I've only been out of the country once), but since there are people who are kind of ticked off, we will have an international competition. But it will be after the American one. We will have polls for each major region (probably England, Europe, Canada, etc.) then take all the best rides and put them in the international finals with our favorite American rides. That way everybody will be happy and we can find out our favorite ride out of the whole world! But before we can start the international one, we need nominations for all the categories so please tell me what your favorite rides are outside of America! Sorry if I offended anyone earlier.

[leonardofury]

For Britian

Best Woodies

Grand National (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
Megaphobia (Oakwood park)


Best Steel

Nemesis (Alton Towers)
Collosus (Thorpe Park)
Pepsi Max Big One (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
Shockwave (Drayton Manor)
Air (Alton Towers)
Ulitimate (Ligh****er Valley)


Best Water Ride

Hydro (Oakwood Park)
Nightmare Niagara (American Adventure)
Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
The Flume Unplugged by Imperial Leather (Alton Towers)


Best Dark Ride

Duel (Alton Towers)
X (Thorpe Park)
Black Hole (Alton Towers)
Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)


Best New Ride

Spinball Whizzer (Alton Towers)
Pandamonium (Drayton Manor)
Bling (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
Dragon's Fury (Chessington World's of Adventure)

Erm thats it for now

[Harpo]

Originally posted by RCT2head
hey,
what about the Montreal Expos, eh?
I believe that you still have them, but not for long if they relocate to U.S. territory.

They're in the National League. I picked the Blue Jays strictly because they were in the American League.

Hmmm, I guess National League doesn't actually specify which nation, does it? At least American League pretty much covers a hemisphere.

[AssMonkey69]

What About record braking classics like Revolution, the fist looping coaster built.EVER

[RCT2head]

ok, in that case, what about the loch ness monster, which was the first steel interlocking loop coaster.

[erhswimming]

Isn't revolution that really unsafe coaster built way back when where you had a 50% chance of snapping your neck? Retired coasters aren't considered so sorry.

EDIT: Oh, never mind, I saw a revolution post on another thread and found out it was at SFMM. You could have voted for that coaster though. You could have written it in in the steel coaster preliminary #6 while it was still accepting votes. But it isn't anymore so I guess you snooze you lose!