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Golden Ticket Awards

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The results are in!

GOLDEN TICKET AWARD WINNERS
ANNOUNCED AT INDUSTRY EVENT HOSTED BY
BUSCH GARDENS WILLIAMSBURG

ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL POLL REVEALS
THE “BEST OF THE BEST”
IN AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY

ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 11, 2010 – The envelope, please … and the Golden Ticket Award goes to … In an awards’ show hosted this evening by Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, Amusement Today announced the winners of its prestigious 2010 Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented to the “Best of the Best” in the amusement industry.

Calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today, the Golden Ticket Awards are the results of a detailed survey that is sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world – in balanced geographical regions – asking them to rate the “bests” in 25 categories such as “amusement parks,” “roller coasters,” “shows,” “landscaping” and “water rides.” The 2010 winners are …

Best Amusement Park
Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

Best Children’s Park
Idlewild and SoakZone, Ligonier, Pa.

Best Marine Life Park
SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Best Seaside Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Best Wooden Coaster
The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Steel Coaster
Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Kids’ Area
Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio

Friendliest Staff
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Cleanest Park
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Halloween Event
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla..

Best Landscaping
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va.

Best Christmas Event
Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood,
Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Food
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.

Best Shows
Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Outdoor Night Show Production
IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth
at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.

Best Water Ride
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Waterpark Ride
Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Dark Ride
Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Indoor Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas

Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction
Noah’s Ark at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pa.

Best Carousel
Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort,
Elysburg, Pa.

Best Indoor Roller Coaster
Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando,
Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Amusement Park
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Waterpark
Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

This is the 13th annual year for Amusement Today’s coveted Golden Ticket Awards, which are the most sought-after awards in the business of amusements and attractions. This year’s host park, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, has won the Best Landscaping title since the poll has been in place.

“We are very proud of the men and women who maintain Busch Gardens’ landscaping. The park’s landscaping complements the park experience for our guests. It’s something we take great pride in, so this award is especially meaningful,” says John Reilly, president of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. “We are thrilled to host this year’s Golden Ticket Awards and welcome the industry to our park.”

Personally chosen by Gary Slade, publisher and editor-in-chief of Amusement Today, the Publisher’s Pick Awards are presented in three categories: Park, Individual and Supplier. Respectively, the 2010 recipients are Beech Bend in Bowling Green, Ky., for its perseverance in overcoming unexpected health and flooding challenges; Jeff Novotny of Larson International in Plainview, Texas, for his donation of land and labor to make the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives a reality; and Environs in Jacksonville, Fla., for its generous $650,000 gift of a scenic ship to Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Fla.

The honoree of this year’s Legends Series, which pays tribute to an amusement legend who has impacted the industry in a unique way, is the late Will Koch of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Ind. Koch was a true visionary, leader and dear friend to the industry. His genuine spirit, brilliance and laughter touched all who had the pleasure to know him. Will passed away at the young age of 48 in June, and Amusement Today honors his legacy with this special award.

For the sixth consecutive year, Amusement Today recognized college students who plan to pursue a career in the amusement industry and are employed by the ceremony’s host park of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and neighboring park, Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg as Ms. and Mr. Golden Tickets. These individuals exemplify the spirit and integrity of the amusement park industry by promoting the cornerstones of safety, service, courtesy and cleanliness at the highest level, while consistently exceeding job expectations. This is an annual designation by Amusement Today to promote education in the field of hospitality and amusement.

Amusement Today newspaper covers international amusement and waterpark news and trends and in its 14-year history is a five-time winner of various awards from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
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http://www.goldenticketawards.com/

Typical Golden Tickets but meh. Here they are.
 
MF instead of Bizarro. The Millie fanboys are back on top! Let the bickering begin...
I know these awards mean
icon_censored.gif
all to us enthusiasts, but personally I think they ruined a perfectly great coaster with that awful re-theme & I'm glad that they won't be able to add another banner to the station wall. Superman: Ride of Steel was #1, but Bizarro isn't.
 
^Well from what I've heard it deserves it. I heard it was absolutely fantastic. I could see why it won it.
 
See, I had heard it was mediocre, but if it was actually good, then I take it back. I love how there is really never any new steel coaster that is number one, it seems like they flip a coin and they decide that is who is number one. From personal experience, I didn't find Millennium Force to be earth shattering, as it doesn't even crack my top ten.
 
^I've actually heard pretty good things about Harry Potter too. As for Millennium Force, I agree! The drop was great, and the rest of the ride was good, but nothing exceptional. Also, how the **** did Voyage beat El Toro and Boulder Dash?!

These awards are a bit silly.
 
I have only heard good things as well, with regards to theming and the invention off new drinks etc.

Plus they have what is meant to be the best new dark ride in the world.

Please tell me what you think is a better new attraction?
 
load of bollocks said:
Calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today, the Golden Ticket Awards are the results of a detailed survey that is sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world – in balanced geographical regions
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Really? Who? What a load of complete bull ****. Yeah, ok we know these awards are garbage, but I hate the way they make them out to be "international" when they blatantly aren't. Once again, "The World" = America.

**** ing ridiculous.
 
I was gonna say "Let me get the "OMFG ITS ALL ABOUT AMERICA AND NOT THE WORLD!" post out of the way because we all know it is bull****.. like the entire award process.. but Gavin beat me to it.

In other words.. bull****.. we all know it.. no point in posting it over and over. Where is the Mitch Hawker?
 
Just out of curiousity, who are the "experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world?"

Oh, and MF as top steel is just silly.
 
CMonster said:
Just out of curiousity, who are the "experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world?"

Oh, and MF as top steel is just silly.
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Most likely Americans who live abroad. I know a few guys who have received these votes before and they simply laugh as they knew it was paid for bull****.
 
Even though it's only american judges who decide which coaster is the best, it's a little bit awkward that only one coaster (EGF) out of the 20 coasters listed on both top wood and steel coasters is located outside of the us. I mean they sure must have heard of coasters like T Express, Balder, Katun, Goliath (Walibi) and Kawasemi/Piraten??

It's also strange that the top 9 steel coasters are all hypers/gigas/megas (or whatever you like to call them). There are no loopers, inverts, flyers etc on the list at all..
 
I saw an immense amount of tweets from American based theme park community sites which made me realise how biased these awards are.

Yeah, ok, maybe there is a bit of jealously here but I cannot believe that the judges are that well travelled for America to sweep the boards.
 
Well those results could not have been anymore predictable really.

If you're going to be that biased towards America then at least do like CF does and have different categories for different continents. They're either too stupid to think of any park, or too up their own arses to appreciate any park outside of America.

I know my perspective is biased also, but those 'awards' really cannot be a reflection on the industry at an international level.
 
Has anything actually changed from last years results?
Or the year before that?
Or the year before that?
Etc...

Actually, I do see one difference in Wildebeest winning best water park ride. Well deserved in my opinion!
 
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