Thea Recipients
1st Thea Award (1994)
Harrison “Buzz” Price (Lifetime Achievement Award)
2nd Thea Award (1995)
Marty Sklar (Lifetime Achievement Award)
3rd Thea Awards (1996)
Monty Lunde (Outstanding Individual)
Ocean Base Atlantic, New Jersey State Aquarium (Aquarium & Zoo)
Wild Arctic, Sea World Florida (Aquarium & Zoo)
Waterworld, A Live Sea War Spectacular, Universal Studios Hollywood (Live Show Presentation)
Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas (Spectacular)
Rainforest Café, Schaumburg, Illinois (Themed Restaurant)
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Epcot (Attraction)
Indiana Jones Adventure, The Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Disneyland (Attraction)
Mystery Lodge, Knott’s Berry Farm (Attraction)
Space Mountain, From the Earth to the Moon, Disneyland Paris (Attraction)
4th Annual Thea Awards (1997)
Don Iwerks (Lifetime Achievement)
Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland (Classic)
Terminator 2:3D, The Battle Across Time, Universal Studios Florida (Attraction)
Villa Volta, Efteling, Holland (Attraction)
Daytona USA, Daytona Speedway, Florida (Visitor Center)
Apollo/Saturn V Center, KSC, Florida (Visitor Center)
Warner Bros. Studio Store Expansion, NYC (Themed Retail)
Niketown New York, NYC (Themed Retail)
Caesars Magical Empire, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas (Themed Restaurant)
The Intergalactic Circus Spectacular, Lotte World, Seoul, Korea (Spectacular)
Rock’n Robin, Cinema World, Kamakura City, Japan (Excellence on a Limited Budget)
Dark Castle, Fantasy Pointe, Nasu Highlands, Japan (Excellence on a Limited Budget)
5th Annual Thea Awards (1998)
John Hench (Lifetime Achievement)
Calico Mountain (The Mine Train Ride), Knotts Berry Farm (Classic)
Ripley’s Aquarium, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Aquarium)
Star Trek: The Experience, Las Vegas (Attraction)
Space Quest Casino, Las Vegas (Casino)
New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas (Casino/Hotel)
The Power of Houston (Event Spectacular)
Coney Island Emporium in the New York-New York Hotel (Family Entertainment Center)
Masquerade Show in the Sky, Rio Suite Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas (Live Show)
Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds UK (Museum)
Adventure Slots (Excellence on a Limited Budget – Casino)
Encounter at LAX, Los Angeles International Airport (Excellence on a Limited Budget – Themed Restaurant)
UFO Encounters (Excellence on a Limited Budget– Touring Walk- Through Attraction)
12th Annual Thea Awards (1999)
Bob Gurr (Lifetime Achievement)
The Haunted Mansion, Disneyland (Classic)
“It’s Tough to be a Bug,” Animal Kingdom (Attraction)
Journey to Atlantis, Sea World Orlando (Attraction)
Animal Kingdom (Theme Park)
Disney Quest, Orlando (Entertainment Center)
American Girl Place, Chicago (Total Retail Experience)
Acquamatrix Show at the Lisbon World Expo ’98 (Live Event Spectacular)
Café Odyssey, Mall of America (Restaurant)
“O”, Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas (Live Show)
Viejas Outlet Center & Legend of Nightfire Fountain Show (Total Entertainment – Retail)
DVP Server Pro (Technical Breakthrough)
Titanic Official Movie Tour (Touring Attraction)
Robot Zoo, Toronto, Canada (Touring Attraction)
M&M’s Academy, Las Vegas (Excellence on a Limited Budget – Attraction)
Hotel Gasten, Liseberg, Sweden (Excellence on a Limited Budget – Attraction)
7th Annual Thea Awards (2000)
Tivoli Gardens (Classic)
The Stone Forest (Attraction)
Trial by Fire (Excellence on a Limited Budget)
The Palmach Museum, Israel (Museum)
“The Year 2000 Starting Signal” Millennium Pyro Ballet (Event Spectacular)
Richmond Sound Design Ltd.’s AudioBox (Breakthrough Technology)
James Cameron’s Titanic: The Experience (Attraction)
COSI Columbus (Visitor Experience)
FiestAventura at Universal Studios Port Aventura, Spain (Live Event)
Test Track Presented by GM (Corporate Branding Experience)
Gold’s Gym presents HEROES – Health, Fitness and Beyond (Lifestyle)
Animator’s Palate (Themed Restaurant)
Atlantis, Paradise Island (Resort Hotel)
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Orlando (Attraction)
8th Annual Thea Awards (2001)
Tony Baxter (Lifetime Achievement)
Silver Dollar City (Classic)
Millennium Village Event (Attraction)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle of the Buccaneer Gold (Attraction)
Sydney 2000 Olympics: Opening Ceremony (Event Spectacular)
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument (Visitor Center)
Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator (Attraction)
Men in Black: Alien Attack (Attraction)
Discovery Cove (Marine Park)
Lights of Liberty Show (Interactive Sound and Light Show)
HollandRama, Holland (Visitor Center)
Kid’s City/La Ciudad de los Ninos (Theme Park)
Desert Passage (Themed Retail)
Volkswagen Autostadt, Germany (Corporate Land)
Exploration in the New Millenium (Achievement on a Limited Budget)
L’Oxygenarium, France (Achievement on a Limited Budget)
Stealth – World’s First Flying Coaster (Breakthrough Innovation)
Disney’s FASTPASS (Breakthrough Innovation)
9th Annual Thea Awards (2002)
Jon Jerde (Lifetime Achievement)
Universal Studio’s Tram Tour (Classic)
The Sherman Brothers (Special Achievement)
Les Mysteres de la Mer, France (Aquarium)
The London Eye, United Kingdom (Creating an Icon)
Animal Celebration, Universal Studios Japan (Attraction)
Disney Animation, Disney’s California Adventure (Attraction)
Soarin’ Over California, Disney California Adventure (Attraction)
FDNY Fire Zone, New York (Limited Budget)
Star of Destiny Theater, Texas State History Museum (Museum Attraction)
Busch Gardens: Ireland (Retheming to Create a New Land)
Media Pro 4000 (Technology)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando (Themed Hotel)
Tokyo DisneySea & Entertainment Program (Theme Park)
Chicano Now: American Expressions (Traveling Exhibit)
Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, Texas (Waterpark)
Texas Wild!, Ft. Worth Zoo (Zoo)
10th Annual Thea Awards (2003)
George Millay (Lifetime Achievement)
Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt (Classic)
Legoland Parks (Special Achievement)
Cine’Magique, Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland Paris (Attraction)
Templo del Fuego, Universal’s PortAventura, Spain (Attraction)
Tomb Raider: The Ride, Paramount’s Kings Island, Cincinnati (Attraction)
Stitch’s Photo Phone, Walt Disney Imagineering (Creative Technology)
Haunted Mansion Holiday, Disneyland (Effective Re-Theming)
2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies, Salt Lake City (Event Spectacular)
Cerritos Library, City of Cerritos, CA (Library)
The Great Barn, Stone Mountain, GA (Limited Budget)
Luz y Voces del Tajin, Mexico (Live Show)
The Grove, Los Angeles, CA (Themed Retail)
Die Glaserne Manufaktur Dresden, Germany (Visitor Center)
The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland (Visitor Center)
(Note, the Thea Award Gala was moved from fall to spring, skipping 2004)
11th Annual Thea Awards (2005)
Barry Upson (Lifetime Achievement)
Efteling Park, Holland (Classic
Revenge of the Mummy, Universal Orlando (Attraction)
The Challenge of Tutankhamon, Walibi Belgium (Attraction)
Mission: SPACE, Walt Disney World, Orlando (Attraction with Technological Breakthrough)
Lucky the Dinosaur, Walt Disney Imagineering (Technology)
Aladdin, Disneyland (Live Show)
Freedom Rising, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia (Museum Attraction)
The Imagination Workshop, Temecula, CA (Children’s Museum on a Limited Budget)
The Spy Museum, Washington DC (Museum)
The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Dearborn, MI (Visitor Center)
uShaka Marine World, Durban, South Africa (Marine Park)
Jurassic Park Institute Tour, Japan (Traveling Exhibit)
Action! An Adventure in Moviemaking, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (Traveling Exhibit, Limited Budget)
Health Royale, The Avampato Discovery Center, WV (Museum Exhibit, Limited Budget)'
Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI (Extreme Makeover)
12th Annual Thea Awards (2006)
Yves Pépin (Lifetime Achievement)
Disneyland (Classic)
Olympic Spirit Toronto (Branded Visitor Center)
Ice Age Adventure! Bremen Germany (Limited Budget / Refurbishemnt)
Images of Singapore at Sentosa Island (Reinvention of a Cultural Heritage Center)
Athens 2004 Olympics Opening Ceremony (Live Event Spectacular)
Dodge Wild Earth at the Philadelphia Zoo (Limited Budget)
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum (Museum)
The Churchill Lifeline Table, London, UK (Exhibit)
Remember...Dreams Come True (Show)
MagiQuest Technology (Development of Interactive Technology)
Curse of DarKastle: The Ride (Attraction)
Fear Factor Live, Unviersal Studios Hollywood (Live Show)
13th Annual Thea Awards (2007)
Bob Rogers of BRC Imagination Arts (Lifetime Achievement)
Madame Tussauds, London UK (Classic)
Toyota Pavilion, Expo 2005 Japan
U-505, MSI Chicago
Zoomazium, Woodland Park Zoo
The Great Glass Elevator, Alton Towers UK
Kidspace Museum, Pasadena, CA The Real Cost Cafe, Monterey Bay Aquarium, CA
Robots, MSI Chicago
Ski Dubai, Dubai
Ashes & Snow, Tour
Believe, Sea Worlds
Boudin at the Wharf, San Francisco
Expedition Everest, Disney's Animal Kingdom
Georgia Aquarium, USA
14th Annual Thea Awards (2008)
Jack Rouse (Lifetime Achievement)
SeaWorld (Classic)
Cosmos at the Castle, Ireland
Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Florida
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Disneyland CA Songs of the Sea, Sentosa Singapore
Awakening of the Temple, Aztec Theater Texas
Peter Pan's Neverland, Universal Studios Japan
Battle Stations 21, US Navy
CSI, Fort Worth Museum Texas
Discover the Real George Washington, Donald Reynolds Ed Center
Cleveland Avenue Time Machine, Rosa Parks Museum Alabama
Ka Floating Stages, Las Vegas
Kim Possible World Showcase Playtest, Epcot
Noah's Ark at the Skirball, CA
Walking With Dinosaurs - The Live Experience, Tour
The Chain of Generations Center, Jerusalem
15th Annual Thea Awards (2009)
Robert L. Ward, (Lifetime Achievement)
Epcot (Classic)
Museum of the Marine Corps
Operation Spy, an Interactive Adventure at the International Spy Museum The Newseum
Forces of Nature at the Arizona Science Center
Audubon Insectarium
Air Force One Discovery Center at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Finding Nemo The Musical
The Legend of Mythica
Muppet Mobile Lab
2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies
Wynn Macau's Tree of Prosperity
Jungala at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Florida
BeWILDerwood
Molenheide The Forgotten MineOetken
The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood
16th Annual Thea Awards (2010)
Mark Fuller, WET Design (Lifetime Achievement)
Coal Mine, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (Classic)
Toy Story Midway Mania, California Adventure and Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World (Attraction)
Dragon’s Treasure Show, City of Dreams, Macau (Attraction)
Disaster! Universal Studios Florida (Attraction Rehab)
The Museum at Bethel Woods, New York USA (Museum)
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia USA (Museum)
America I Am: The African American Imprint (Traveling Exhibition)
Skyscraper! Achievement & Impact, Liberty Science Center, Liberty State Park, Jersey City USA (Science Center Exhibit)
McNeil Avian Center, Philadelphia Zoo (Zoo Attraction on a Limited Budget)
Tea Show @ OCT East Resort, Shenzhen, China (Live Show)
Heineken Experience, Amsterdam (Brand Experience)
17th Annual Thea Awards (2011)
Kim Irvine (The Buzz Price Thea Award - Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements)
The Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA (Classic)
Along the River During the Qingming Festival, China Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 (Expo Pavilion Exhibit)
The National Infantry Museum, Columbus, Georgia USA (Museum)
The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, USA (Museum)
Science Storms, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago USA (Museum/Science Center Exhibit)
Beyond All Boundaries, Solomon Victory Theater, National World War II Museum, New Orleans USA (Museum Attraction)
Glasnevin Museum, Dublin, Ireland (Museum)
World of Color, Disney California Adventure, Anaheim USA(Nighttime Spectacular)
ICT Mobile Device, Information and Communications Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010(Integration of Technology and Storytelling)
"Flynn Lives," ComiCon 2010 San Diego, Calif. USA (Promotional Event)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (New Theme Park Land)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Thematic Integration of Retail, Food & Beverage Experiences)
"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Feature Attraction)
"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Technical Achievement)
18th Annual Thea Awards (2012)
Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering (The Buzz Price Thea Award - Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements)
Puy du Fou: Le Grand Parc and Cinéscénie, Vendée, France (Classic)
Space Fantasy The Ride at Universal Studios Japan (Attraction)
Barnas Brannstasjon (Children’s Fire Station) at Kongeparken, Norway (Attraction on a Limited Budget)
Arthur, L’Aventure 4D at Futuroscope (Attraction)
Star Tours - The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World (Attraction Refresh)
Fernbank NatureQuest at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta (Museum Exhibit)
YOU! The Experience at Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (Museum Exhibit)
The Changing Climate Show at Science North (Science Center Attraction on a Limited Budget)
The Ghost of the Castle at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol (Cultural Heritage Attraction on a Limited Budget)
Crane Dance at Resorts World Sentosa (Show Spectacular)
The Magic, The Memories, and You! at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (Show Spectacular)
Yo México, Celebration of the Century of the Mexican Revolution, Mexico City (Live Show Event Spectacular)
The House of Dancing Water at City of Dreams, Macau (Live Show Spectacular)
FoodLoop at Europa-Park (Themed Restaurant Experience)
Animation Magic in the Animator’s Palate Restaurant aboard Disney Cruise Line’s Ship - Disney Fantasy (Ingenious use of Technology)
