August
27, 2005
Contacts:
Gary
Slade 817.460.7220
Janice
Witherow 419.357.3520
PRESTIGIOUS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS HONOR THE
“BEST OF THE BEST”
IN THE
AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY
AMUSEMENT TODAY ANNOUNCES
WINNERS
OF ANNUAL GOLDEN TICKET AWARDS
ARLINGTON,
Texas, Aug. 27, 2005 – They
are considered the “Super Bowl” or “Academy
Awards” of the amusement industry,
and in a ceremony today hosted by
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Amusement
Today
announced the winners of its prestigious
2005 Golden Ticket Awards.
The Golden Ticket Awards are presented
to the “best of the best” in
the amusement industry resulting from
an
international poll conducted by Amusement
Today. Surveys were 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
22 categories such as “amusement
parks,” “roller coasters,” “shows,” “food,” “friendliest
staff” and “waterparks."
This
is the eighth annual year for Amusement
Today’s coveted Golden Ticket
Awards, which are the most sought
after awards in the business of amusements
and attractions. The awards have become
the subject of much discussion by park
aficionados the world over and have
garnered mentions in such notable media
outlets as USA
TODAY and the Chicago
Tribune, by venerable radio newsman
Paul Harvey and will be the topic of
a unique one-hour documentary on the
Travel Channel tentatively scheduled
to air in the spring of 2006.
“The staff of Amusement Today congratulates the 2005 class of Golden
Ticket Award winners and all the parks
that rated highly in our survey,” says
Gary Slade, publisher and editor-in-chief
of Amusement Today. “It is with
great
pride that we are able to present these
awards to worthy leaders within our
industry and are honored that the poll
has evolved to represent the true spirit
of excellence among amusement and water
parks worldwide.”
Personally chosen by Slade, the Publisher’s
Pick Awards were introduced in 2003
and are presented in three
categories: Park, Individual and Supplier.
Respectively, the 2005 recipients are
Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., for its
50th
anniversary celebration and trend-setting
innovations; Nick Laskaris of Mt. Olympus
Water & Theme Park, Wisconsin
Dells, Wis., for his ingenuity in transforming
his family park into a total resort
destination; and prominent German roller
coaster engineer Werner Stengel for
his company’s remarkable 40 years
of thrill ride design.
New this year, Amusement Today recognized
five college students who plan to pursue
a career in the amusement
industry and are employed by area amusement
parks in the ceremony’s host
city of San Antonio – Six Flags
Fiesta Texas, Schlitterbahn Waterpark
Resort, Sea World and Splashtown – as
Mr./Ms. 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 will be an annual
designation by Amusement Today to
promote education in the field of hospitality
and amusement, as well as to spotlight
future leaders in the amusement industry.
Amusement Today newspaper
covers international amusement and
water park news and trends and in its
nine-year history is a five-time winner
of various awards from the International
Association of Amusement Parks and
Attractions.
For a detailed outline of the 2005
winners and survey results, please
log on to amusementtoday.com. News
media may also call the Amusement
Today offices at 817.460.7220
for interviews or more information
about the Golden Ticket Awards.
View
the complete list of winners!
Click here to download
2005 Golden Ticket Awards Bonus Section
PDF file (4.6 mb)
