The Simpsons Ride wins the the 2008 THEA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT -  ATTRACTION.  For those not in the know, that’s the equivalent of winning an Oscar in the theme park biz.

The awards are given out by the Themed Entertainment Association, a non-profit association representing the world’s leading creators, developers, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences.

From the press release:

The prestigious Thea Awards recognize and honor excellence in the creation of outstanding visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places,” said Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) President Nick Farmer of Farmer Attraction Development, Leicester, UK. “Truly international in their recognition of outstanding productions, the Thea Awards focus international attention on innovation within the Themed Entertainment and Experience Design Industry.” The Awards will be formally presented March 7, 2009 at the 15th Annual Thea Awards Gala sponsored by Economics Research Associates, a lavish, black-tie dinner event at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA.

As TEA continues to rise in stature – the association is an increasingly valuable resource to the entertainment development community and its many intersecting lines of business – the Thea Award becomes more prestigious. The Thea Awards Nominating Committee evaluated more than 120 nominations in order to recommend the current slate of 17 Thea recipients, with final approval by the TEA International Board of Directors.

Recipients – 15th Annual Thea Awards

Thea Lifetime Achievement Award:  Robert L. Ward
Thea Classic Award: EPCOT, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement (AOA)
Attraction: The Simpsons Ride, Universal Studios Hollywood CA & Orlando, FL
Attraction Limited Budget: BeWILDerwood, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
Attraction Limited Budget: The Forgotten Mine, Molenheide, Belgium
Museum: The Newseum, Washington DC, USA
Museum: National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, VA, USA
Museum Exhibit: Operation Spy, International Spy Museum, Washington DC, USA
Museum Exhibit, Limited Budget: Forces of Nature, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix AZ, USA
Learning Experience: Air Force One Discovery Center, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum, Simi Valley CA, USA
Technical: Muppet Mobile Lab, Hong Kong Disneyland, China
Science Center: Audubon Insectarium, New Orleans LA, USA
New Theme Park Land: Jungala, Busch Gardens, Tampa FL, USA
Event Spectacular: 2008 Summer Olympics, Opening Ceremonies, Beijing, Chiina
Live Show: Finding Nemo, The Musical, Walt Disney World, FL, USA
Live Show: Legend of Mythica, Tokyo DisneySeas, Japan
Casino Attraction: Tree of Prosperity, Wynn Macau, Macau, SAR, China

I want to congratulate every member of the Universal Creative Simpson’s team in both Orlando and Hollywood, for all the hard work in creating a truly world class attraction.

The Simpsons™, The Simpsons™ Ride and all Simpsons characters and elements are ™ & © 2008 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

There’s a lot of tooting our own horn this month. First MERCY wins an award , now:

ThemeParkInsider.com’s readers have voted The Simpsons Ride , the Best New Attraction of 2008 .

From the article:

"These twin rides debuted on consecutive days in May and wowed fans with their mix of irreverent humor and physical thrills. Theme Park Insider readers said that The Simpsons Ride is ‘hilarious, thrilling, and visually astounding,’ and that even ‘the waiting is enjoyable.’
Mark Woodbury, President, Universal Creative, Universal Parks & Resorts said of the honor, ‘The Simpsons Ride represents what Universal does best – which is to take pop culture’s blockbuster entertainment concepts and bring them to life in wildly entertaining theme park experiences. We appreciate the recognition and share it with our partners at Fox Licensing and Gracie Films, who helped us create a truly authentic Simpsons experience.’ "

More than 75,000 votes were cast picking the Simpsons Ride over some Tough competition like Disney’s Toy Story Mania. It’s always fulfilling to have been a part of something that people truly enjoy.

Today was the Grand Opening of the new Simpsons™ Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood!  After two years of development, design challenges, production, and construction, all our hard work paid off.  People really seem to be enjoying the entire attraction experience, from the details on the queue to the in-jokes during the ride.

The reviews have also come in:

• LA Times
• Jo Blo
• Coasterdom
• The Coaster Critic
• About.com
• Ultimaterollercoaster.com
• Theme Park Insider
• Mice Age

Congratulations to the entire team.

[View with PicLens]

 

Synopsis:

The Simpsons™ are visiting Krustyland, the low-budget theme park created by famed TV personality and shameless product huckster Krusty the Clown!

You are there right alongside Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as you enter through the carnival-like midway. Once you board your vehicle you’re in for one surprise after another as you embark on a wild, over-the-top ride through the park… flying, floating, and more or less crashing your way through Krustyland’s kiddie attractions, stunt shows, and thrill rides.

How we were involved:

Not Afraid! founder Paul Cuoco spent two years working with digital projection specialists to create and build the world’s first 4K resolution 60 frame per second, 85 foot dome projection system as the main attraction to this fun and funny motion simulator attraction.

To learn more about the ride visit: http://www.simpsonsride.com/

The Simpsons™, The Simpsons™ Ride and all Simpsons characters and elements are ™ & © 2008 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.