Best Theme Park
For the second year in a row, Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida wins the Theme Park Insider Award as the world's best theme park. Powered by the debut of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure recaptured the crown last year, and Harry Potter's continued popularity allowed it a second straight award in 2011.
Runners-up in for Best Theme Park were two newcomers to the awards in this category, Busch Gardens Tampa and Disney California Adventure. While Busch Gardens' Williamsburg has been a perennial reader favorite, the Tampa park has moved up in the ratings thanks to popular new shows and roller coasters over the past few years. Once one of the lower-rated theme parks in our annual survey, California Adventure has vaulted toward the top of the list over the past two years, thanks to an ongoing $1 billion-plus makeover of the park.
Best New Attraction
The Force was with the Walt Disney theme parks this spring, as Theme Park Insider readers voted Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios as the Best New Theme Park Attraction of 2011 by a wide margin.
Two roller coasters claimed the runners-up spots for Best New Attraction: Cheetah Hunt, Busch Gardens Tampa's new Intamin launch coaster and Texas Giant, the reconstruction of Six Flags Over Texas' classic wooden coaster.
Best Restaurant
Orlando-area restaurants dominate again as Epcot's Bistro de Paris wins its second straight Theme Park Insider Award for Best Theme Park Restaurant, as Theme Park Insider readers honored it for its world-class cuisine and service.
Runners up included long-time Theme Park Insider reader favorite Mythos Restaurant at Universal's Islands of Adventure, as well as a newcomer, Via Napoli, the new Patina Group Italian restaurant at Walt Disney World's Epcot.
Best Hotel
The Disneyland Resort in California captures its second Theme Park Insider Award of the year as Disney's Grand Californian Hotel reclaims Theme Park Insider readers' honor as the world's best on-site theme park hotel.
Readers voted Universal's Portofino Bay Hotel and Disney's Beach Club Resort as their runners-up in this category, honoring three hotels not only known for their world-class service and amenities, but also for being within walking distance of their respective theme parks - something valued by readers eager to get away from their cars while on vacation.
About the Site
ThemeParkInsider.com is an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 200,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines, and is a former Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Associated and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
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I'm looking forward to Despicable Me, but next year's going to be tough in the Best New Attraction category with Transformers at Universal Studios in Singapore and Hollywood and Radiators Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. And that's before we get all the official announcements of new coasters at the regional parks for next spring.
I'm really looking forward to next year!
My wife and I have dined there twice and each time the wait staff was horrible! Not mean or rude, just "Duh where do I go now George" horrible!
The food quality was a joke! Gino's Pizza on Orange Ave in Orlando is a THOUSAND times better than this crud. It was "Take and Bake" quality at best.
To add insult to insult...We ordered the "Kool Aid" mix of the day and both had refils and were charged like $5 for each refil of this swill.
Each time we pleaded our case with the Manager (not complained heatedly in front of people or threw a tourist fit) and each time we received a shrug and nothing off our check.
This place is TRASH in my book! First Disney ruined Alfredo's and now they created a Mouse Ear version of Domino's.
Either evil lightning struck twice for myself and my wife or something went terribly wrong with the voting!
Now that I'm thinking about it, I'll have to think about when I'm going over there next! It won't be tomorrow (it's supposed to be 103 degrees), though!
But, when you think about it, look at all of the changes over the past ten years.
Eisner and his cheapskate cohorts are gone.
California Adventure is becoming a real theme park.
IOA is finally a full day park.
Fantasyland is getting a much-needed upgrade.
and Six Flags may have actually figured out how to provide thrills and good customer service.
Its a good time to be a theme park enthusiast.
BTW. Congratulations on the site, Robert.
I feel so much more encouraged as a theme park fan than I did when we started these awards 10 years ago, for all the reasons that you mention. Here's hoping the improvements continue.
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Happy that Universal Orlando gets recognition for a second straight year and also happy to see California Adventure come in third place. The park seems like it's come a long way already.
I also agree that the Grand Californian is just a spectacular hotel. Pricey beyond hell but you literally could not be more immersed in two of the best theme parks in the world.