Story courtesy of Theme Park Insider.
Each year, on the Fourth of July U.S. Independence Day holiday, the readers of ThemeParkInsider.com honor the world’s best in theme parks.
The winners of the 2017 Theme Park Insider Awards are:
- Best theme park: Efteling
- Best new theme park: Volcano Bay
- Best new attraction: Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Best new roller coaster: Krakatau Aqua Coaster at Volcano Bay
- Best new show: Mickey and the Magician at Walt Disney Studios Paris
- Best quick-service restaurant: The Three Broomsticks at Universal Studios Hollywood
- Best full-service restaurant: Tiffins at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Best hotel restaurant: Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World
- Best hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
Voting for the Theme Park Insider Awards is conducted over a 12-month period. Registered users of the site may rate attractions, restaurants and hotels on a scale from 0 to 10. Readers may vote only once on each location. ThemeParkInsider.com tallies those ratings and computes averages for each location. The locations with the highest average among those with a determined minimum number of votes were awarded the Theme Park Insider Awards in each category. The attraction with the highest average among those that debuted in the 12 months before June 30, 2016 and that has at least a minimum number of votes received the best new attraction honor.
About Theme Park Insider
Theme Park Insider reaches more three million readers a year, according to Google Analytics. The readers of ThemeParkInsider.com collectively spend nearly $4 billion each year on theme park visits and vacations, according to a random-sample survey of site visitors.
Theme Park Insider has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and has been a finalist for the Webby Award for best overall Guide/Ratings/Reviews site. In 2001, Theme Park Insider was the first travel-related website to win the prestigious Online Journalism Award, presented by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and the Online News Association.
Here are the previous winners of the Theme Park Insider Awards:
2016
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best new attraction: Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland
- Best new show: Frozen Live at the Hyperion at Disney California Adventure
- Best new roller coaster: Mako at SeaWorld Orlando
- Best quick-service restaurant: The Three Broomsticks at Universal Studios Hollywood
- Best full-service restaurant: Magellan’s at Tokyo DisneySea
- Best hotel restaurant: Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World
- Best hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
2015
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best new attraction: Justice League Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis
- Best new family attraction (no height restriction): Hogwarts Express at Universal Orlando
- Best new roller coaster: Thunderbird at Holiday World
- Best themed ride: Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea
- Best roller coaster: El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure
- Best show: Aladdin at Disney California Adventure
- Best full-service restaurant: Monsieur Paul at Epcot
- Best quick-service restaurant: The Leaky Cauldron at Universal Studios Florida
- Best hotel restaurant: Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World
- Best hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
2014
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best new attraction: Banshee at Kings Island
- Best themed ride: Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo DisneySea
- Best roller coaster: El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure
- Best show: Fantasmic! at Disneyland
- Best full-service restaurant: S.S. Columbia Dining Room, Tokyo DisneySea
- Best quick-service restaurant: Miss Lillian’s Chicken House at Dollywood
- Best hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
2013
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best new attraction: Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland
- Best theme park restaurant: S.S. Columbia Dining Room, Tokyo DisneySea
- Best theme park hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
2012
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best new attraction: Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Hollywood
- Best theme park restaurant: Bistro De Paris, Epcot
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland Resort
2011
- Best theme park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best new attraction: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Best theme park restaurant: Bistro De Paris, Epcot
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland Resort
2010
- Best theme park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best new attraction: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best theme park restaurant: Bistro De Paris, Epcot
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World
2009
- Best theme park: Disneyland Park
- Best new attraction: Manta at SeaWorld Orlando
- Best theme park restaurant: Les Chefs de France, Epcot
- Best theme park hotel: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando
2008
- Best theme park: Disneyland Park
- Best new attraction: The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood
- Best theme park restaurant: Mythos Restaurant at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World
2007
- Best theme park: Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Virginia
- Best new theme park attraction: Mystery Mine at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Best theme park restaurant: Mythos Restaurant at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
2006
- Best theme park: Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Virginia
- Best new theme park attraction: Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Best theme park restaurant: Mythos Restaurant at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida
- Best theme park hotel: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
2005
- Best theme park: Tokyo DisneySea
- Best theme park for kids: Legoland California
- Best attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best new attraction: Curse of DarKastle, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Best restaurant: Mythos Restaurant, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best hotel: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Walt Disney World
2004
- Best theme park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best theme park for kids: Legoland California
- Best attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best new attraction: Revenge of the Mummy, Universal Studios Florida
- Best family attraction: Festival of the Lion King, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Best restaurant: Mythos Restaurant, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best hotel: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Resort
2003
- Best theme park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best theme park for kids: Legoland California
- Best attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best roller coaster: Incredible Hulk Coaster, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best restaurant: Mythos Restaurant, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best hotel: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Resort
2002
- Best theme park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Best attraction for kids: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
- Best restaurant: Blue Bayou Restaurant, Disneyland
- Best hotel: Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando
