Best Amusement Industry Highlights of 2010?

[SharkTums]

Hey everyone!

 

With 2010 quickly coming to a close, and the "biggest disappointments" thread getting so much activity, let's talk about some of the 'HIGHLIGHTS' that happened in the Amusement Industry this year and see what you think was the best of 2010!

 

This is quite subjective and there are tons of options, I'll list out here what everyone has posted! Please feel free to add more! I'll keep the list updated!

 

--Elissa

 

2010 Highlights of the amusement industry

- INTIMIDATOR 305... un-trimmed and trimmed, kicks butt either way

- Intimidator down at Carowinds

- Adventure Mountain at Dollywood

- How well Expedition GeForce was running once they overhauled the train

- Busch Gardens Tampa - Finally anouncing their "long rumored" new coaster

- Blue Streak at Conneaut reopening

- SFMM 2011 Announcement

- Wildebeest at Holiday World

- The return of the water vortex and Triceratops Encounter to IOA

- TPR visits Olympia Looping twice in one year

- TPR Bashes make it across the US (East Cost Bash and Midwest Bash)

- Opening of Th13teen

- Busch Gardens Williamsburg expansion plans

- More coasters announced for Italy in 2011 (Rainbow Magicland, X-Raptor, Master Thai)

- SFGAm rebuilding the Little Dipper

- Ed Hart taking the lead with Kentucky Kingdom

- Wizarding World of Harry Potter

- World of Color

- Houndini's Great Escape being open for the season at SFGAdv

- World's tallest Star Flyer at Wiener Prater

- Texas Giant construction update

- The new Ghost Ship at Morey Pier's, longest permanent haunted walk through built in the US in recent years

- Legoland's first waterpark

- Prince Desmond

Edited December 27, 2010 by larrygator

[Intimidator305]

1) INTIMIDATOR 305... un-trimmed and trimmed, kicks butt either way, my #1 by far.

2) Getting 10 new credits.

3) Intimidator down at Carowinds. Best hyper I've been on but after the MCBR, its very weak. Probably my #11.

4) Adventure Mountain at Dollywood. I would have never guessed I would actually of enjoyed it... but I loved it!

5) Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion! It blew me away this year! Much better than BGW's Howl-O-Scream.....

[robinschroder]

How well Expedition GeForce was running once they overhauled the train, got rid of the first trim, and opened back up to the public! The best it has ever run in all my years of visiting Holiday Park!!

[LoopLover]

1. School Talent Competition

2. Riding Mumbo Jumbo

3. Disneyland and Universal Studios

4. Hairspray!

[montezooma]

- Olympia Looping front seat at night, in the rain and shloshed...followed by a chaser of Alpina Bahn!

[redfoot12]

1) Marathoning Intimidator 305 opening weekend (pretrim)

2) Lakeside Cyclone in Denver!

3) East Coast Bash I305 ERT

4) Finally going to Knoebel's (awesome park!)

5) Night time marathon of Phoenix!

6) Finally going to Hershey

[gci2011]

-Going from 53 credits to 107!

-Riding I305, no wait

-Finally getting to Knoebels

[Big-M]

-Finally riding Bizarro (SFNE) , Boulder Dash , and Phoenix .

-13 new credits!

[Maximo37]

1. Getting to a "new" park for me... Have never been to Six Flags Great America (nor ever been to Chicago)... went on a cold and rainy (which kept the crowds light for the first half of the day) Saturday in September (I think it was 9/11)... got to ride some great coasters... highlights being Raging Bull, Viper and Wizzer... ummm Giant Drop... American Eagle... Condor... and many more rides... awesome day...

 

2. Chicago - never been to Chicago... amazing city... very clean... GREAT food... saw Billy Elliot... loved it... can't wait to go back...

 

3. Busch Gardens Tampa - Finally anouncing their "long rumored" new coaster... and getting to watch its progress (and continues too) is great... Can't wait until Spring (I'm guessing May... like SheiKra and Manta debut...)

[KDcoasterMAN]

1. Intimidator 305

 

2. First trip to Cedar Point

[B-RadG]

1. Skipping school to go to Intimidator 305's opening day and being a first rider.

2. East Coast Bash

3. Cedar Point/Kings Island trip

4. Carowinds trip

5. Pushing my count up by more than 50.

[CoasterGuy06]

1.) Having never been to a park on opening day (except for working), going to both Carowinds and Kings Dominion's opening day

2.)Both Intimidators....one powerful and intense and the other one is just plain fun

3.)Finally getting to Holiday World and Cedar Point

4.) 53 new credits.....so far

5.)Finally crossing the 100 coaster barrier

6.) Solo rides on Beast, Adventure Express, and Invertigo at Kings Island

7.)Spending a few hours working the front gate during some of our busiest days. Nice change of pace from only working rides my first six seasons.

[Airtime&Gravity]

1. Going to Dollywood

2. Going to Holiday World

3. TPR Day at SFGAM

4. Going to World of Coke and trying the horrific Beverly

[tiger01]

Going to Alton Towers for the first time and riding my first Bolliger & Mabillard. Three of them aswell!

 

And getting a new favourite Roller coaster...NEMESIS!

[kidcoaster 2]

Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park reopening

Edited December 25, 2010 by kidcoaster 2

[Jerrykoala2112]

-Visiting all the theme parks I visited this year

-Got 40 new credits (Goal was 25)

-Having a kick awesome time at parks with all my TPR Friends

[Ccron10]

1. Going to Six Flags Great Adventure and riding El Toro, GASM before it was removed, and Kingda Ka. This park was great and even though they need more flat rides, it's worth the return trip in 2011 for Green Lantern. On my second trip I got to meet some PBA bowlers which was cool.

 

2.Having several guys in labcoats from Ride Intstitute of Technology approach me at Hersheypark back in October. That was fun.

 

3.Knoebels and their pool. Out of the countless number of years that I've been going there, I've never tried out the pool and after doing so this year, it was worth it.

 

4. Getting many more new credits thanks to my SFGadv trip.

[XII]

1. TPR's Middle America Trip

2. Bay Area Bash

3. West Coast Bash

[mwm1444]

1. Enjoying Th13teen, despite the hype, positive and negative - getting to ride it 4 times on opening weekend.

2. The UK trip - particularly all the new friends, old ones, and Splash Landings ERT!

3. The IntimidaTour - new friends, and all the time spent in Tennessee.

4. Showing Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World co-author/Touringplans.com programmer/podcaster Len Testa around Chessington World of Adventures.

5. The MEI-Mousefan Travel/WDWToday Reunion event at Walt Disney World this month - especially all the new friends, and Toy Story Mania!/Osborne Lights ERT.

[braztaz]

1. Riding i305 50+ times!

2. First trip over to Cedar Point

3. East Coast Bash!

4. First time getting a QuickQueue at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

5. When BGW/WCUSA announced their two-year expansion plan!

[wiyoh1984]

1. I-305 (pre-trim)

2. My first trip to Cedar Point

3. My first Haunt experience at Knott's

[rcdude]

1. First TPR Trip (IntimidaTour)

2. Both Intimidators

3. Finally getting to visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Dollywood

4. West Coast Bash

5. SFMM 2011 Announcement

[robbalvey]

Hey George T,

 

Sorry to take over the thread, but your original post said that you were doing this in contrast to Elissa's "Biggest Disappointments" post, but the major difference is that she asked about AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY disappointments, and yours was asking for people's personal highlights.

 

I've re-named the thread and first post to keep it more in line with the one Elissa did.

 

Hope that makes sense...

 

So everyone...what do you think were some of the biggest industry HIGHLIGHTS of 2010?

 

--Robb

[Airtime&Gravity]

1. SFGAM's Hurricane Harbor Expansion Announcement

2. SFGAM reopening Little Dipper

3. Santa's Village reopening(not big for the industry, but big for Chicago)

4. Six Flags emerging from bankruptcy

5. Ed Hart taking over Kentucky Kingdom

[ABW]

1. First trip to Cedar Point

2. First trip to Knott's Berry Farm

3. First trip to California's Great America

4. Getting 30 new credits in 2010