For the 29th year in a row, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced the winners of its well known Thea Awards during the IAAPA convention in Orlando. A total of 19 recipients have geen congratulated and will receive the physical trophy during the Thea Awards Gala in April 2023, hosted in Anaheim (California. For now, we can take a look at the winners on the official website. This year, 3 attractions that received an Thea Award are dark or show rides.
The first price winner in the category of ”Outstanding Achievement – Attraction” is Chasseurs de Tornades at Futuroscope (France). This innovative show ride opened in 2022 and tells the story of a group of researches that try to stop a tornado from destroying the park. It features an extensive queue line and pre-show and a simulator-like main show. 120 guests at once can take a seat on a large platform that can rotate, heave and tilt and is surrounded by screens. The experience was designed and themed by the French AAB while the simulator was built by Dynamic Attractions.
Team DRdb visited Chasseurs de Tornades this summer. Read our report here.
The second recipient of the Thea Award for Attraction is dark ride Jurassic World Adventure at Universal Studios Beijing (China). Designed by Universal Creative and based on the Jurassic Park saga, guests step aboard one of the advanced vehicles to embark on an adventure on the fictional Isla Nublar where they narrowly escape many close encounters with dinosaurs. Jurassic World Adventure opened in 2021.
Finally, the Thea Awards in the category of ”Outstanding Achievement – Attraction with a Limted Budget” goes to Underlandet at Liseberg (Sweden). Based on the park’s green rabbit mascots Kanin and Kanina, guests are brought underground into their world and meet the rabbit family. The 4 minute dark ride was designed by Quarry Fold Studio and features theming by P&P Projects and LifeFormations. The ride system was manufactured by Gosetto.
