http://www.themeparkgeekly.com The Community Theme Park Magazine Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:03:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The Community Theme Park Magazine Theme Park Geekly no The Community Theme Park Magazine http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.themeparkgeekly.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/Z94UJOWEqhQ/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/seasoned-pros-list-show-our-top-ten-dark-rides/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:22:12 +0000 TPG Staffer http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=7084 Episode 2 of the Seasoned Pros List Show Podcast &#8211; Our Top Ten Favorite Dark Rides For Episode 2, Doug,...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/seasoned-pros-list-show-our-top-ten-dark-rides/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/Z94UJOWEqhQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/seasoned-pros-list-show-our-top-ten-dark-rides/feed/ 0 Episode 2 of the Seasoned Pros List Show Podcast - Our Top Ten Favorite Dark Rides For Episode 2, Doug, Arthur, & Joel are joined by Robert Niles the man behind Theme Park Insider as they discuss their ten favorite dark rides. Episode 2 of the Seasoned Pros List Show Podcast - Our Top Ten Favorite Dark Rides For Episode 2, Doug, Arthur, & Joel are joined by Robert Niles the man behind Theme Park Insider as they discuss their ten favorite dark rides. The discussion is expanded to also include story-based, themed rides and limited to North America. Their picks cover a wide range of the best indoor themed rides from classic dark rides like Knoebels Haunted Mansion to modern technological wonders like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Download Episode 2 - Top 10 Dark Rides in MP3 or on iTunes. You can also listen to the show with the player below. Read more about The Seasoned Pros The Seasoned Pros List Show is presented and produced by The Season Pass Podcast. Join the discussion! Which of our picks surprised you the most? What do you think are the best themed or dark rides around? Who's top ten matched yours the most? Leave a comment below. Theme Park Geekly no 1:45:47 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/seasoned-pros-list-show-our-top-ten-dark-rides/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/3T0Q-hvoFZA/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/top-6-new-roller-coaster-classes/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:42:04 +0000 Joel http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6967 Last fall I joined thousands of other theme park fans as exciting new rides and roller coasters were announced one...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/top-6-new-roller-coaster-classes/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/3T0Q-hvoFZA" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/top-6-new-roller-coaster-classes/feed/ 2 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/top-6-new-roller-coaster-classes/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/TSKKk47i3kk/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/fun-with-roller-coaster-data/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:42:23 +0000 Nick http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6978 We&#8217;re still in the off-season here in the Midwestern United States (though spring is thankfully right around the corner) and...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/fun-with-roller-coaster-data/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/TSKKk47i3kk" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/fun-with-roller-coaster-data/feed/ 4 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/fun-with-roller-coaster-data/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/gKdWsOdEUWg/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/cedar-fairs-2012-infrastructure-upgrades/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:06:35 +0000 Matt http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=7006 Leviathan, Dinosaurs Alive, and a few Windseekers are the more thrilling additions coming to Cedar Fair parks across North America....<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/cedar-fairs-2012-infrastructure-upgrades/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/gKdWsOdEUWg" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/cedar-fairs-2012-infrastructure-upgrades/feed/ 2 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/cedar-fairs-2012-infrastructure-upgrades/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/JSHKO8bjyWo/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/how-to-handle-the-off-season-blues/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:22:03 +0000 ThrillNetwork http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6964 The winter blues have us all in a funk. Well, at least those of us who don’t live in a...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/how-to-handle-the-off-season-blues/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/JSHKO8bjyWo" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/how-to-handle-the-off-season-blues/feed/ 4 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/how-to-handle-the-off-season-blues/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/JbmsPHLCGzI/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/the-themed-entertainment-associations-thea-awards/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:38:28 +0000 Kurt http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6987 It&#8217;s that time of year again. Time to buy your wife a new dress, put on the tuxedo, rent the...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/the-themed-entertainment-associations-thea-awards/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/JbmsPHLCGzI" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/the-themed-entertainment-associations-thea-awards/feed/ 0 It's that time of year again. Time to buy your wife a new dress, put on the tuxedo, rent the limousine, and head on over to…Disneyland! No, I'm not talking about the park, but rather the Disneyland Hotel. On March 17, It's that time of year again. Time to buy your wife a new dress, put on the tuxedo, rent the limousine, and head on over to…Disneyland! No, I'm not talking about the park, but rather the Disneyland Hotel. On March 17, the Themed Entertainment Association will be hosting the 18th annual Thea Awards. Now, if you're fairly new to the behind-the-scenes side of the themed entertainment world, you might be asking yourself "The what?", just like I did. Therefore, let's take a closer look at what they are and who they go to. The Themed Entertainment Association, or TEA, is "an international non-profit association representing the world’s leading creators, developers, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences." Basically, it's a group of very creative people behind the themed attractions that we all experience and love. Whether it's a whale show at a theme park, an interactive history of space travel at a museum, or a state-of-the-art themed roller coaster, these are the people that dream up the vision and make it a reality. The TEA was first conceptualized in the late 1980's by the small companies that were hired by the likes of Disney and Universal, known as owner/operators, to create unique experiences for their park guests. By joining forces, these smaller companies believed they would be able to help each other out. In 1991, the TEA became official with 30 founding members. Through the use of networking, newsletters, and meetings, members were able to share ideas, help each other find jobs, and further grow their companies. Although TEA started with membership only for the vendors and suppliers of the industry, Disney and Universal led the way in convincing them to eventually allow the owner/operators to join the association as well, and the partnership continues to this day. During the first two years of existence, the TEA hosted a formal gathering to honor an individual for their outstanding contributions to the industry. Based on the success of these events, the TEA decided to expand the event and add other awards for outstanding achievements, and the Thea Awards were born. That explains why even though TEA is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, we are getting ready for the 18th annual Thea Awards next month. The Thea Awards were designed to acknowledge outstanding achievement in the industry, not individuals. There is a window of time in which any TEA member can nominate an attraction or event for a Thea Award. Once that window closes, the nomination committee jumps into action to screen all of the nominees and narrow the list down to that year's winners. This process can take months as they learn everything they can about each nominee, whether through personal experience from someone on the committee, or reviewing photos and/or videos. It's impossible for every committee member to be able to experience every nominated experience first hand. There were roughly 140 submissions made this year alone. In order to keep the awards fresh, there is not a fixed list of awards that are given out each year. Awards are given out to those nominees that the committee feels are deserving. This also prevents them from trying to shoehorn a nominee into a category that it doesn't belong just because that particular award needs a winner. This means that the number of awards given out each year varies. For example, last year there were 15 awards and this year there will be 16 awards presented. There is always a Buzz Price Thea Award, formerly known as the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to an individual for their contribution to the industry. There is also a Thea Classic Award, presented to an attraction that has withstood the test of time. All of the other awards are called Awards for Outstanding Achievement, or AOAs. For more information on TEA, you can visit their web site at: http://www.teaconnect.org/ For a list of the 2012 Thea Award recipients, go to: http://theaawardstea. Theme Park Geekly no 1:04:31 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/the-themed-entertainment-associations-thea-awards/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/LpnfyvIogu4/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/ride-sims-game-review/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:37:13 +0000 Trent http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6972 Ride Sims is a new website created by Theme Park Nerd where you can be the operator of virtual rides....<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/ride-sims-game-review/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/LpnfyvIogu4" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/ride-sims-game-review/feed/ 1 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/02/ride-sims-game-review/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/2-sLMRjzpZ4/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/geek-speak-iaapa-2011-coverage/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:22:03 +0000 TPG Staffer http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6799 &#8220;This year’s event ran Nov. 14-18 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, and it saw a 5-percent increase to 15,300...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/geek-speak-iaapa-2011-coverage/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/2-sLMRjzpZ4" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/geek-speak-iaapa-2011-coverage/feed/ 0 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/geek-speak-iaapa-2011-coverage/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/t_njACp7nAk/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/does-coaster-count-define-you-as-an-enthusiast/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:55:20 +0000 ThrillNetwork http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6764 Before the 2011 coaster season I had set two goals for myself. Those goals for me were to get to...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/does-coaster-count-define-you-as-an-enthusiast/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/t_njACp7nAk" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/does-coaster-count-define-you-as-an-enthusiast/feed/ 5 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/does-coaster-count-define-you-as-an-enthusiast/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~3/o9MWHbTznj4/ http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/why-arent-there-more-parking-garages-at-theme-parks/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:43:01 +0000 Kurt http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/?p=6775 When I moved my family to Southern California in 2005, we spent a lot of time at Disneyland, with a...<br /><a class="more-link" href="http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/why-arent-there-more-parking-garages-at-theme-parks/">Read More &#187;</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThemeParkGeekly/~4/o9MWHbTznj4" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/why-arent-there-more-parking-garages-at-theme-parks/feed/ 7 http://www.themeparkgeekly.com/12/why-arent-there-more-parking-garages-at-theme-parks/