# 2013 in amusement parks

Part of a series on :
Years in amusement parks :
| ← 2012 | 2013 | 2014 → |
This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2013. These various lists are not exhaustive.

## Amusement parks
### Opening

* India Adlabs Imagica – April 18
* United States Aquatica San Diego – Spring, to replace the former Knott's Soak City water park
* People's Republic of China Euro Park – August 11
* People's Republic of China Fantawild Dream Park – April 28
* Floraland Continent Park
* Hainan Wenchang Space Theme Park
* Happy Kingdom
* People's Republic of China Happy Valley, Tianjin – July 27
* United Arab Emirates IMG Theme Park
* Indonesia JungLeLand
* Jurassic Dream
* Lanzhou Hengda Chinese Ecological Park
* Nantong Adventure Land
* People's Republic of China Ocean Kingdom
* People's Republic of China Qihe Happy World
* People's Republic of China Sino Wonderland
* Philippines Sky Fun Amusement Park – March 2
* Turkey Vialand
* United States Wet'n'Wild Las Vegas – May
* Australia Wet'n'Wild Sydney – December 12
* United Arab Emirates Yas Waterworld – January 24

### Change of ownership

* Knott's Soak City (Palm Springs) – Cedar Fair Entertainment Company » CNL Lifestyle Properties

### Birthday

* United States Aquatica Florida – 5th birthday
* Netherlands Attractiepark Slagharen – 50th birthday
* United States Carowinds – 40th birthday
* United States Disney's Animal Kingdom – 15th birthday
* United States Frontier City – 55th birthday
* Sweden Gröna Lund – 130th birthday
* Germany Heide Park – 35th birthday
* Denmark Legoland Billund – 45th birthday
* England Paultons Park – 30th birthday
* United States SeaWorld San Antonio – 25th birthday
* United States SeaWorld Orlando – 40th birthday
* United States Six Flags America – 40th birthday
* United States Six Flags Discovery Kingdom – 45th birthday
* United States Soak City (Sandusky, Ohio) – 25th birthday
* United States Soak City (Valleyfair) – 30th birthday
* United States Splash Adventure – 15th birthday
* Japan Tokyo Disneyland – 30th birthday
* United States Worlds of Fun – 40th birthday

### Closed

* King Richard's Park – April 14
* Genting Outdoor Theme Park – August 31

## Additions
### Roller coasters
#### New

| Name | Park | Type | Manufacturer | Opened |
| Abyss | Australia Adventure World | Euro-Fighter roller coaster | Gerstlauer | November 1 |
| Crazy Bird | People's Republic of China Happy Valley, Tianjin | El Loco | S&S Worldwide | December 22 |
| Coast Rider | United States Knott's Berry Farm | Wild Mouse roller coaster | Mack Rides | May 25 |
| Eldorado | Italy Etnaland | Steel roller coaster | S&S Worldwide | April 20 |
| Fjord Flying Dragon | People's Republic of China Happy Valley, Tianjin | Wooden roller coaster | Martin & Vleminckx | July 27 |
| Flying Turns | United States Knoebels Amusement Resort | Bobsled roller coaster | Knoebels Amusement Resort | October 5 |
| Freedom Flyer | United States Fun Spot America | Suspended Family Coaster | Vekoma | June 8 |
| Full Throttle | United States Six Flags Magic Mountain | Launched roller coaster | Premier Rides | June 22 |
| GateKeeper | United States Cedar Point | Wing Coaster | Bolliger & Mabillard | May 11 |
| Gold Striker | United States California's Great America | Wooden roller coaster | Great Coasters International | May 31 |
| Hip Hop Coaster | Italy Etnaland | Steel roller coaster | Zamperla | April 20 |
| Juvelen | Denmark Djurs Sommerland | Launched roller coaster | Intamin | May 4 |
| Karacho | Germany Erlebnispark Tripsdrill | Infinity roller coaster | Gerstlauer | July 10 |
| Nitro | India Adlabs Imagica | Floorless roller coaster | Bolliger & Mabillard | October 15 |
| Orkanen | Denmark Fårup Sommerland | Inverted roller coaster | Vekoma | June 15 |
| Outlaw Run | United States Silver Dollar City | Wooden roller coaster | Rocky Mountain Construction | March 15 |
| Rattenmühle | Austria Familypark Neusiedlersee | Steel roller coaster | Gerstlauer | June 15 |
| The Smiler | England Alton Towers | Infinity roller coaster | Gerstlauer | May 31 |
| Storm | Italy Etnaland | Megacoaster | Mack Rides | April 20 |
| Storm Coaster | Australia Sea World | Water Coaster | Mack Rides | December 2 |
| Undertow | United States Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | Spinning roller coaster | Maurer Söhne | October 19 |
| White Lightning | United States Fun Spot America | Wooden roller coaster | Great Coasters International | June 8 |

#### Relocated

| Name | Park | Type | Manufacturer | Opened | Formerly |
| Blazin' Buckaroo | United States Elitch Gardens | Family roller coaster | E&F Miler Industries | May 4 | Marvel Mania at Splash Adventure |
| Boomerang | United States Six Flags St. Louis | Boomerang roller coaster | Vekoma | June 8 | Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas |
| The Joker | Mexico Six Flags Mexico | Spinning roller coaster | Gerstlauer | March 7 | Pandemonium at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom |
| Wild Kitty | United States Frontier City | Family roller coaster | Allan Herschell Company | April 7 | Cactus Coaster at Elitch Gardens |
| unknown | Brazil Beto Carrero World | Dual-tracked roller coaster | Premier Rides | In Storage | Batman & Robin: The Chiller at Six Flags Great Adventure |

#### Refurbished

| Name | Park | Type | Manufacturer | Opened | Formerly |
| Hades 360 | United States Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | Wooden roller coaster | The Gravity Group | May 25 | Hades |
| Iron Rattler | United States Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Steel roller coaster | Rocky Mountain Construction | May 25 | The Rattler |

### Other attractions
#### New

| Name | Park | Type | Opened | |
| 4D Cinema | England Paultons Park | 4D Cinema | March 22 | |
| Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin | United States SeaWorld Orlando | Dark ride/penguin exhibit | May 24 | |
| Aqua Twist | Canada La Ronde | Mack Rides Twist 'N' Splash | June 1 | |
| Barnstormer | United States Silverwood | Barnstormer | June 8 | |
| Battaglia Navale | Italy Rainbow Magicland | Splash Battle | March 31 | |
| Big Wave Racer | United States Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: New Jersey | Multi-lane mat racer | June 21 | |
| Bonzai Pipelines | United States Six Flags America United States Six Flags New England | SplashTacular DownUnder | July 13 June 12 | [36] [37] |
| Cirque Dreams Splashtastic | United States Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | Show | May 25 | |
| Demonia | Italy Rainbow Magicland | Horror House | October 5 | |
| Dinosaurs Alive! | United States Carowinds United States Worlds of Fun United States Valleyfair | Animatronic dinosaur exhibit | March 2 April 20 May 11 | [39] [40] [41] |
| Garden of Wonders | People's Republic of China Hong Kong Disneyland | Walkthrough | May 17 | |
| Gunslinger | United States Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Funtime Sling Shot | March 2 | |
| Hyena Falls | United States Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | 4 inline tube slides | May 10 | |
| IgNight — Grand Finale | United States Six Flags Great America | Nighttime show | June 15 | |
| Kitty's Tea Party | United States Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | Teacups | May 10 | |
| Lakeside Gliders | United States Michigan's Adventure | Flying Scooters | May 22 | |
| Legoland Hotel | United States Legoland California | Hotel | April 5 | |
| Madagascar Live! It's Circus Time | Germany Heide Park Italy Gardaland | Live Show | March 23 March 28 | |
| Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation | United States Busch Gardens Tampa Bay United States SeaWorld San Diego | Live Show | May 18 June 15 | |
| Märchenwald (expansion) | Germany Europa-Park | Themed area | March 23 | |
| Mystic Manor | People's Republic of China Hong Kong Disneyland | Dark ride | May 17 | |
| Pacific Scrambler | United States Knott's Berry Farm | Scrambler | May 29 | |
| Planet Snoopy (expansion) | United States Kings Dominion | Themed area | March 29 | |
| Safari Off Road Adventure | United States Six Flags Great Adventure | Safari ride | May 25 | |
| Screamin' Eagles | United States Great Escape | Flying Scooters | June 6 | |
| Seal Harbour | Australia Sea World | Seal and Sea Lion exhibit | January 25 | |
| Shoreline Sprayground | United States HersheyPark | Water Play Area | May 25 | |
| SkyScreamer | United States Six Flags Over Georgia | Tower swinger | May 24 | |
| SpinCycle | United States Silverwood | SBF Visa inverted swing | May 25 | |
| Star Tours–The Adventures Continue | Japan Tokyo Disneyland | Motion simulator | May 7 | |
| Surfing Safari | United States Noah's Ark Water Park | FlowRider | Unknown | |
| Surfside Glider | United States Knott's Berry Farm | Flying Scooters | May 29 | |
| Tail Spin | United States Wild Adventures | Disk'O | March 16 | |
| Texas SkyScreamer | United States Six Flags Over Texas | Tower swinger | May 25 | |
| Thor's Hammer | Norway Tusenfryd | Motion-based 3D dark ride | June 22 | |
| Tsunami Surge | United States Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: Arlington | ProSlide Tornado Wave | June 22 | |
| Transformers: The Ride 3D | United States Universal Studios Florida | Dark ride | June 20 | |
| Typhoon Twister | United States Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: Arlington United States Six Flags White Water | ProSlide Cannonbowl ProSlide Behemothbowl | June 22 May 24 | [56] [52] |
| Wacky Wheels | United States Wild Adventures | Teacups | March 16 | |
| Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic | England Blackpool Pleasure Beach | Dark ride | April 25 | |
| Whistlestop Park | United States Six Flags New England | Themed area | April 13 | |
| Zombie Evilution | Australia Dreamworld | Laser skirmish | September 13 | |

## Closed attractions and roller coasters

| Name | Park | Type | Manufacturer | Closed |
| AVPX | Australia Dreamworld | Laser Tag | Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company | March 31 |
| Galaxi | United States Indiana Beach | Steel roller coaster | S.D.C. | September 2 |
| Giraffica | United States Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | Shoot-the-Chutes ride | Intamin | October 27 |
| Medusa | Mexico Six Flags México | Wooden roller coaster | Custom Coasters International | August 18 |
| Rim Runner | United States Adventuredome | Shoot-the-Chutes ride | Arrow Dynamics | February 3 |
| Rolling Thunder | United States Six Flags Great Adventure | Dual-tracked wooden roller coaster | William Cobb & Associates | September 8 |
| Sandstorm | United States Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Orbiter | — | June 2 |

## Amusement parks in terms of attendance
### Worldwide

This section list the top 25 largest amusement parks worldwide in order of annual attendance in 2013.
| Rank | Amusement park | Location | 2013 Attendance |
| 1 | Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US | 18,588,000 |
| 2 | Tokyo Disneyland | Tokyo, Japan | 17,214,000 |
| 3 | Disneyland at Disneyland Resort | Anaheim, California, US | 16,202,000 |
| 4 | Tokyo DisneySea | Tokyo, Japan | 14,084,000 |
| 5 | Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US | 11,229,000 |
| 6 | Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris | Marne-la-Vallée, France | 10,430,000 |
| 7 | Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US | 10,198,000 |
| 8 | Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US | 10,110,000 |
| 9 | Universal Studios Japan | Osaka, Japan | 10,100,000 |
| 10 | Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort | Anaheim, California, US | 8,514,000 |
| 11 | Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort | Orlando, Florida, US | 8,141,000 |
| 12 | Ocean Park Hong Kong | Hong Kong, China | 7,475,000 |
| 13 | Hong Kong Disneyland | Hong Kong, China | 7,400,000 |
| 14 | Lotte World | Seoul, South Korea | 7,400,000 |
| 13 | Everland | Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea | 7,303,000 |
| 16 | Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort | Orlando, Florida, US | 7,062,000 |
| 17 | Universal Studios Hollywood | Universal City, California, US | 6,148,000 |
| 18 | Nagashima Spa Land | Kuwana, Japan | 5,840,000 |
| 19 | SeaWorld Orlando | Orlando, Florida, US | 5,090,000 |
| 20 | Europa-Park | Rust, Germany | 4,900,000 |
| 21 | Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris | Marne-la-Vallée, France | 4,470,000 |
| 22 | SeaWorld San Diego | San Diego, California, US | 4,311,000 |
| 23 | Tivoli Gardens | Copenhagen, Denmark | 4,200,000 |
| 24 | Efteling | Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands | 4,150,000 |
| 25 | Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise | Yokohama, Japan | 4,149,000 |

## Poll rankings
### Golden Ticket Awards

The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were held at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California.
| Category | 2013 Recipient | Location |
| Best New Ride (Amusement Park) | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City |
| Best New Ride (Waterpark) | RiverRush | Dollywood's Splash Country |
| Best Amusement Park | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio |
| Best Waterpark | Schlitterbahn | New Braunfels, Texas |
| Best Children's Park | Idlewild and Soak Zone | Ligonier, Pennsylvania |
| Best Marine Life Park | SeaWorld Orlando | Orlando, Florida |
| Best Seaside Park | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | Santa Cruz, California |
| Best Indoor Waterpark | Schlitterbahn Galveston Island | Galveston, Texas |
| Friendliest Park | Dollywood | Pigeon Forge, Tennessee |
| Cleanest Park | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | Santa Claus, Indiana |
| Best Shows | Dollywood | Pigeon Forge, Tennessee |
| Best Food | Dollywood | Pigeon Forge, Tennessee |
| Best Water Ride (Park) | Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls | Islands of Adventure |
| Best Waterpark Ride | Wildebeest | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari |
| Best Kids' Area | Kings Island | Mason, Ohio |
| Best Dark Ride | Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | Islands of Adventure |
| Best Outdoor Show Production | Epcot | Orlando, Florida |
| Best Landscaping | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Best Halloween Event | Universal Orlando Resort | Orlando, Florida |
| Best Christmas Event | Dollywood | Pigeon Forge, Tennessee |
| Best Carousel | Knoebels Amusement Resort | Elysburg, Pennsylvania |
| Best Indoor Coaster | Revenge of the Mummy | Universal Studios Orlando |
| Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction | Noah's Ark | Kennywood |
Top 10 Steel Roller Coasters :
| Rank | 2013 Recipient | Park | Supplier | Points | Last Year |
| 1 | Millennium Force | Cedar Point | Intamin | 1204 | 1 |
| 2 | Bizarro | Six Flags New England | Intamin | 1011 | 2 |
| 3 | Expedition GeForce | Holiday Park | Intamin | 598 | 6 |
| 4 | Nitro | Six Flags Great Adventure | B&M | 596 | 3 |
| 5 | Apollo's Chariot | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | B&M | 542 | 4 |
| 6 | New Texas Giant | Six Flags Over Texas | Rocky Mountain Construction | 512 | 5 |
| 7 | Goliath | Six Flags Over Georgia | B&M | 494 | 9 |
| 8 | Intimidator | Carowinds | B&M | 478 | 7 |
| 9 | Magnum XL-200 | Cedar Point | Arrow | 416 | 8 |
| 10 | Intimidator 305 | Kings Dominion | Intamin | 412 | 12 |
Top 10 Wooden Roller Coasters :
| Rank | 2013 Recipient | Park | Supplier | Points | Last Year |
| 1 | Boulder Dash | Lake Compounce | CCI | 1333 | 5 |
| 2 | El Toro | Six Flags Great Adventure | Intamin | 1302 | 1 |
| 3 | Phoenix | Knoebels Amusement Resort | PTC/Schmeck | 1088 | 3 |
| 4 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | The Gravity Group | 1086 | 2 |
| 5 | Thunderhead | Dollywood | GCI | 923 | 4 |
| 6 | Ravine Flyer II | Waldameer Park | The Gravity Group | 712 | 6 |
| 7 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | Rocky Mountain Construction | 599 | - |
| 8 | The Beast | Kings Island | KECO | 555 | 7 |
| 9 | Lightning Racer | Hersheypark | Great Coasters International | 364 | 11 |
| 10 | Shivering Timbers | Michigan's Adventure | CCI | 304 | 9 |

### Best Roller Coaster Poll

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll were held in early 2014 for the previous year.
Top 10 Steel Roller Coasters :
| Rank | 2013 Recipient | Park | Supplier |
| 1 | Expedition GeForce | Holiday Park | Intamin |
| 2 | New Texas Giant | Six Flags Over Texas | Rocky Mountain Construction |
| 3 | Intimidator 305 | Kings Dominion | Intamin |
| 4 | Bizarro | Six Flags New England | Intamin |
| 5 | Skyrush | Hersheypark | Intamin |
| 6 | Maverick | Cedar Point | Intamin |
| 7 | Kawasemi | Tobu Zoo Park | Intamin |
| 8 | Shambhala: Expedición al Himalaya | PortAventura Park | B&M |
| 9 | Nemesis | Alton Towers | B&M |
| 10 | Iron Rattler | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Top 10 Wooden Roller Coasters :
| Rank | 2013 Recipient | Park | Supplier |
| 1 | El Toro | Six Flags Great Adventure | Intamin |
| 2 | T Express | Everland | Intamin |
| 3 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | Rocky Mountain Construction |
| 4 | Boulder Dash | Lake Compounce | CCI |
| 5 | Phoenix | Knoebels Amusement Resort | PTC/Schmeck |
| 6 | Ravine Flyer II | Waldameer Park | The Gravity Group |
| 7 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | The Gravity Group |
| 8 | Balder | Liseberg | Intamin |
| 9/10 | Dauling Dragon | Happy Valley Wuhan | The Gravity Group |

## Records broken

| Record name | Record attribute | Ride | Amusement Park | Date broken |
| World's steepest wooden roller coaster | 81° | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | March 15 |
| World's tallest roller coaster inversion | 170-foot-tall (52 m) dive drop | GateKeeper | Cedar Point | May 11 |
| World's tallest swing ride | 400 feet or 120 metres | Texas SkyScreamer | Six Flags Over Texas | May 25 |
| World's tallest vertical loop | 160 feet or 49 metres | Full Throttle | Six Flags Magic Mountain | June 22 |
| Most inversions | 14 | The Smiler | Alton Towers | May 31 |