Area theme-park rides top survey
Two established rides, a long-running Halloween event and SeaWorld Orlando were Central Florida’s winners in the 2017 Golden Ticket Awards, determined by an Amusement Today survey.
SeaWorld was tabbed as best marine life park. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was named best dark ride
Universal Studios’ Revenge of the Mummy won for best indoor roller coaster, and its Halloween Horror Nights took the top honor in the Halloween event category.
Winners are determined by “experienced amusement park voters around the country,” according to the Amusement Today website. Participants were asked to rate the “bests” in 23 categories.
For the fourth consecutive year, Europa-Park of Rust, Germany, was named best amusement park. Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas, won for best water park.
Almost as interesting to Central Floridians were the also-rans.
In the best new ride category, Flight of Passage, a major attraction of Pandora — the World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, lost to Mystic Timbers, a wooden roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Mine Blower, a coaster at the Fun Spot location in Kissimmee, finished third.
Krakatau Water Coaster at Universal’s Volcano Bay finished just behind Thunder Rapids of Six Flags Fiesta Texas in the best new water park ride category. for sale and selected attractions available, including Star Tours.
The event falls during Disney’s holiday celebrations and the day after the official debut of the film “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” the park.
It’s the kind of prize that money cannot buy. The suite was carved out of unused space about a decade ago. In 2007, a castle sleepover was part of Disney’s Year of a Million Dreams promotion awarded to Disney World guests. It has largely been out of circulation since then, although there have been sporadic reports of celebrities being holed up in the suite.
There is no cost to enter the contest; however, donations increase the number of entries for a participant. For instance, donate $25 and get 250 entries. (A donation of $5,000 results in 50,000 entries.)
The estimated value of the prize, according to the contest’s fine print, is $2,500.
The deadline to enter is Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, you know, right before midnight. The winner will be announced “on or around” Oct. 20.
To enter, go omaze.com/castle.
Give Kids the World Vil- to lage is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee that treats children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to weeklong vacations.