Sally Dark Rides Announces Two of its Dark Ride Attractions Have Been Nominated for USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards

The Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel and Treasure Hunt: The Ride Currently in Running for National Recognition

Sally Dark Rides, the globally recognized leader in creating family dark rides and attractions, is proud to announce that two of its newest dark ride experiences have been nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in two categories. New dark rides on both coasts are part of the annual nominee list with public voting open until December 25, 2023.

Nominated in the Best New Theme Park Attraction category, the Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel opened at Maine’s Funtown Splashtown USA in August. The family-friendly dark ride with a spooky twist debuted at the amusement park – the park’s first new ride in 20 years. Complete with a wicked witch, her pair of magical familiars – including a cat and frog with wings – and a nostalgic nod to the town’s original haunted attraction, the Haunted Hotel has been delighting guests young and old since it first opened its creepy doors in July. Fans of the new dark ride, and Funtown Splashtown, can vote daily at this link.

A cross-country trip takes pirate fans to Treasure Hunt: The Ride. The stand-alone dark ride, developed and created in partnership with Daniel’s Wood Land, Treasure Hunt weaves in local lore of infamous pirate captain Hippolyte Bouchard and takes guests on a modern-day trek for his hidden treasure.

Located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey, California, Treasure Hunt is an interactive ride through “Cannery Row Caverns” that features multimedia, life-like animatronics, and floor-to-ceiling pirate theming. Since June, guests have enjoyed the theme park-caliber attraction again and again as they collect treasure, try to avoid pirate ghosts, and fend off a mighty kraken. Nominated in the Best New Attraction category, fans of Treasure Hunt: The Ride can vote daily at this link.

“We are so excited to see two of our newest dark rides earn nominations from USA Today’s 10 Best editorial team and panel of experts,” shared Lauren Wood Weaver, vice president, marketing and business development, Sally Dark Rides. “This year has been incredibly exciting for our entire team. We are thrilled that both attractions have been recognized for their unique storylines and state-of-the-art dark ride experiences.  We celebrate this news with our partners at FunTown Splashtown and Daniels Wood Land. Of course, the nominations are just the beginning, and we hope to see these incredible new rides earn the top spot in their respective categories.”

The USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards highlight the best of the best. Nominees in all categories are submitted by a panel of experts, and the final set of nominees are selected by 10Best editors. From there, the public decides the winners. Readers can vote once per category, per day. Each year theme parks introduce park goers to new attractions and rides. Treasure Hunt: The Ride and Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel are nominated in two of the most popular award categories. Voting ends on Monday, December 25 at noon ET, and the winners will be announced on Friday, January 5, 2024.

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CLICK HERE to vote for Treasure Hunt: The Ride

CLICK HERE to vote for Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel

Remember, you can vote for both attractions once a day, every day until Dec. 25^th!