Register or Login to Hide This Ad for Free!

Nicole

and Team / Co
Administrator
Jul 22, 2013
11,651
31,952
280
Arlington, VA
Busch Gardens Williamsburg said:
BUSCH GARDENS® CONTINUES PRESTIGIOUS STREAK AS “WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL AMUSEMENT PARK”

Busch Gardens® Williamsburg wins award for 27th consecutive year.

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (Aug. 7, 2017) – Busch Gardens® Williamsburg continues a prestigious annual tradition by being crowned “World’s Most Beautiful Amusement Park” for the 27th consecutive year.

The National Amusement Park Historical Association recently bestowed the honor upon Busch Gardens, extending an impressive streak that dates back to 1990.

“Being recognized as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Amusement Park’ for 27 consecutive years is a tremendous achievement we’re all very proud of,” said Busch Gardens Williamsburg President David Cromwell. “This award reflects our unparalleled, collective excellence, which is demonstrated daily through a tireless commitment to quality, attention to detail and ownership of the guest experience.”

The award was part of the 31st annual NAPHA Amusement Park and Attractions Survey, the oldest of its type.

The NAPHA is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, documentation and enjoyment of the amusement and theme park industry—past, present and future.
 
To be nitpicky/math police:
Wouldn't that make it 28 years, 1990 - 2017? The first award was delivered in 1990, this one delivered in 2017, that's 28 awards. FWIW, last year they called it the 26th. I don't know "new math", but they should have 28 certificates on the wall with this newest one just announced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zachary and jornor
I kinda read the thread title like, :Sigh, we won again: Maybe they should send the intern to pick it up this time?
 
whanna said:
To be nitpicky/math police:
Wouldn't that make it 28 years, 1990 - 2017? The first award was delivered in 1990, this one delivered in 2017, that's 28 awards. FWIW, last year they called it the 26th. I don't know "new math", but they should have 28 certificates on the wall with this newest one just announced.

It's 27 years, this award is for the 2016 season. The awards are given the summer after the season they were awarded for, ie 2014's award was given August 2015; 1999's award was given August 2000, etc etc.
 
Nicole said:
Don't confuse my thread title with the park's press release.

I was implying that perhaps they won it because they always do, not necessarily because they objectively deserve it.

This!

I hade the same thought. Its not just their above average landscape Busch has on its side, but also a 26 (and now 27) year streak. How impressively landscaped and themed would an amusement park have to be to deserve to take the title from from a park that's won 26 consecutive times?

On the flip side, Busch is the most beautiful theme park of the few I've visited, and I'm sure it outshines many others.
 
Shane said:
It's 27 years, this award is for the 2016 season. The awards are given the summer after the season they were awarded for, ie 2014's award was given August 2015; 1999's award was given August 2000, etc etc.
And that's what I thought it may be, but they received an award in 1990, based on the admittedly tiny research I did. That means it would have been for 1989 performance.

It doesn't really matter, it's my favorite park (and I drive past Hersheypark twice a day). Just one of those things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor
I feel like this topic of conversation comes up every year when the Golden Tickets or the NAPHA awards are presented in relation to how a category's legacy winners are always the winner.

The big problem with the NAPHA Awards is that the pool of survey participants is stagnant and many participants have not been to the parks they are casting a ballot for in many years. This isn't just a problem for the Beautiful Park category, but really all of the categories. It is not only is an problem with the NAPHA Awards, but also Amusement Today's Golden Tickets and really any of the other top Amusement Industry polls.

The issue is really that the candidates are spread across the globe, and it is virtually impossible for the respondent to experience all of the nominees in a category every year. Now I am not saying that the Oscars and awards or their caliber don't have their own problems, that is a whole other topic for debate, but unlike the Oscars or Golden Globes where you can basically be stationary and experience all of the contenders over a comparably shorter period of time, it's not plausible that all poll participants will have the time and financial resources to travel the globe and experience every park in every category every year.

I can't remember which of the two (Amusement Today or NAPHA), but I know in recent years they have attempted to diversify the voting pool, but I really don't think it has or will make that much of a difference. The only way we are going to see another park take this award from Busch Gardens Williamsburg is for a prospective park to not only surpass BGW in "beauty" but to do so in a really big way that may even require a specialized marketing campaign focused on this theoretical park's landscaping and beauty. That is what allows some of the other categories to change from time to time. A park can draw a lot of attention when they open a big, huge new ride, and the perceived change is noticed immediately. Something like landscaping is much more gradual and not readily apparent to the infrequent visitor as it's not something that a poll respondent would except to change very much or at all.
 
netdvn said:
Ehh I've gone to quite a few theme parks the past few years and the only parks I can think of that are as pretty as BGW are Legoland FL (which is attached to a historic garden from the start) and Epcot (probably the closest park to BGW in terms of landscaping and theming in Orlando).

I have to agree that Epcot is similar to BGW (obviously) but my god. The theming! It's so beautiful! If Busch had Disney money I can't even imagine what BGW park would look like. If only...

Srsly Epcot is gorgeous.
 
netdvn said:
Ehh I've gone to quite a few theme parks the past few years and the only parks I can think of that are as pretty as BGW are Legoland FL (which is attached to a historic garden from the start) and Epcot (probably the closest park to BGW in terms of landscaping and theming in Orlando).

Funny, when I think of Epcot I think of lots and lots concrete...
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor
Consider Donating to Hide This Ad