Certain Golden Ticket Awards get three-year
format
Each year, the Golden Ticket Awards rotate
a few categories while introducing some new
ones. On our three-year rotation in 2005 is
Park with Best Souvenirs, Park with Best Games
Area, and Best Place to Ride Go-Karts.
Cedar
Point takes top honors on the first two categories.
Their selection of shirts, mugs, postcards,
magnets, and other collectables has found favor
with our panel. In 2005 the park has given
their games area a whole new look, with a particular
revamped makeover at night with spotlights,
theatrical motion lighting and pulsating LED
lights.
Knoebels vast assortment of souvenir
goodies places them in second, while Magic
Kingdom’s selection rounds
out the top three. Other top picks were Disneyland,
particularly driven by 50th anniversary merchandise,
and Islands of Adventure.
Paramount’s
Kings Island’s Coney
area placed them second in Games, and the top
five is completed with Kennywood, Six Flags
Great Adventure, and Six Flags Great America.
Every
now and then, the Golden Tickets create a category
that is an absolute rout. Never before have
we had such a triumphant victor as with this
year’s new Best Place
to Ride Go-Karts. With 86 percent of the vote
trumpeting Mount Olympus Water & Theme
Park, it was almost a struggle to have any
other park place at all. Mt. Olympus’ thematic
approach to go-kart riding has evidently found
favor with the public.
