I'm too lazy to look up the voter selection process or debate whether it is biased or not but I'm interested in the results in what is a very subjective topic.
I've seen Fury 325 in the past on video, but never ridden. It looks pretty insane and relentless, both in its sharp but smooth banking and its airtime hills.
I only ever saw the Tower of Terror on a Pirates of the Caribbean dvd bonus disc that I remember watching when I was about 7, and it wasn't good quality and you couldn't see much of it, but visually it does seem to be outstanding (on the outside and inside), so I can definitely understand that one.
Europa Park is unusual given the American nature and preference of the other choices. I can well understand this choice as well, though it's definitely a tough call given the other amazing theme parks out there. Perhaps it's telling that despite their preferred choice of American parks, EP is that good that it impresses even them. Never been there either, but want to go
Steel Vengeance.. well... I mean, just looking at that thing tells you why it's won that award...
Valhalla. Well last week I went to Pleasure Beach for the first time, and it was my first ride that I went on there, and boy did it give me good impressions, and this is despite my awareness of its operational problems. The facade is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen, and the scale of everything inside effects wise is so fantastically large. It really feels like a journey the whole way through, and isn't overly absorbed in a complex story, it lets your imagination do a lot of the work to see what's going on around you, it still has brilliant scenes and backgrounds, but it doesn't force anything upon you. I mean, of course, there could animatronic vikings dotted all over the place , and that would certainly be the modern Disney method, but is that really necessary given the nature and deliberate simplicity of the ride story? A few more viking animatronics would be cool, and they should definitely set a long term strategy in bringing back old and now redundant effects when finances are in a better state, but I overlooked all of this during my ride experience of it, and I can say it quite comfortably is one of if not the best ride I have ever been on. Well deserved I think
Interesting that you say that
@Matt N Pleasure Beach, I went with somewhat low expectations of both the town and modest expectations of the PB, and I was heavily impressed with both, which have clearly had intense periods of rejuvenation recently. It's a fantastic place, good value IF you are staying at the BB hotel
I'm pretty sure the owner of PB came and set really close to us when we were in the hotel and she appeared to be having a chat with staff which I thought was quite nice too.
One ride I really want to do now is ROTM. I vaguely know what happens, but I know it's one of those highly themed indoor coasters which I think is something that has to be experienced.
