Disneyland Turned 50. Kingda Ka Turned Off.

Whew, what a year! With moviegoers and box office receipts in a freefall, Hollywood may have been singing the blues in 2005. But all was not lost for the out-of-home entertainment industry as theme parks did just fine this past year. According to an annual report by the trade publication Amusement Business and the research firm Economics Research Associates, estimated attendance at North America's 50 most popular parks rose a healthy 4.2% this past season. As park operators pop the champagne corks and celebrate their good fortune, let's take a look back at the year that was and raise a toast to parkdom's top-ten stories, events, and developments of 2005.