August
27, 2006
Contacts:
Gary
Slade 817.460.7220
Janice
Witherow 419.357.3520
THE “BEST
OF THE BEST” IN THE AMUSEMENT
INDUSTRY HONORED AT GOLDEN TICKET AWARDS
AMUSEMENT TODAY
ANNOUNCES WINNERS
OF ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL POLL
ARLINGTON,
Texas, Aug. 27, 2006 – In the
world of amusement and waterparks,
what is the best wooden coaster?
Who has the best shows? How about
the friendliest staff? In an awards’ show
today hosted by Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari,
Santa Claus, Ind., Amusement
Today announced the winners of its prestigious
2006 Golden Ticket Awards.
The Golden Ticket Awards are presented
to the “Best of the Best” in
the amusement industry calculated 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
23 categories such as “amusement
parks,” “roller coasters,” “landscaping,” “food,” and “waterparks.” The
2006 winners are …
Best
Amusement Park
Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
Best Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort,
New Braunfels, Texas
Best Children’s
Park
Legoland California, Carlsbad, Calif.
Best Marine Life Park
SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Wooden Coaster
Thunderhead at Dollywood, Pigeon
Forge, Tenn.
Best Steel Coaster
Superman Ride of Steel
at
Six Flags New England, Agawam, Mass.
Best Kids’ Area
Paramount’s
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 - Amusement
Park
Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg,
Va.
Best Landscaping - Waterpark
Schlitterbahn
Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels,
Texas
Best Food
Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg,
Pa.
Best Shows
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio
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
Master Blaster at Schlitterbahn
Waterpark Resort,
New Braunfels,
Texas
Best Dark Ride
Amazing Adventures
of Spiderman
at Universal’s Islands
of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.
Best New Ride of 2006
- Amusement Park
The Voyage at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari,
Santa
Claus, Ind.
Best New Ride of 2006 - Waterpark
Bahari
River, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari,
Santa
Claus, Ind.
Best Capacity
Cedar Point, Sandusky,
Ohio
Best Theming of an Attraction
Dueling
Dragons at Universal’s Islands
of Adventure
Best Concert Venue
TimberWolf Amphitheater
at Paramount’s Kings Island,
Kings Mills,
Ohio
This is the ninth 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 were the topic of a
one-hour documentary on the Travel
Channel in the spring of 2006.
“We
take great pride that the Golden Ticket
Awards have become the Academy Awards
of the amusement industry,” says
Gary Slade, publisher and editor-in-chief
of Amusement
Today. “The winners,
and all of the finalists, in our annual
survey are to be congratulated on their
achievements … these are truly
the ‘best of the best’ as
voted by amusement park fans around
the world.”
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 2006 recipients are the famed State
Fair of Texas, Dallas, for its remarkable
120 years of amusing the biggest fair
crowds in the United States; Pat Thomson
of Western Playland, El Paso, Texas,
for doing the unthinkable and moving
his entire park to a new location;
and WHR, Inc., Cincinnati, headed by
industry marketing guru William Robinson,
for the company’s 45 years of
promoting the business of fun.
For
the second 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 Holiday World, as well
as area amusement park Six Flags Kentucky
Kingdom, Louisville, Ky., as Ms./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, as well
as to spotlight future leaders in the
amusement industry.
Amusement
Today newspaper covers international
amusement and waterpark news and
trends and in its 10-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 2006 winners
and survey results, please log on
to www.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
2006 Golden Ticket Awards Bonus Section
PDF file (14 mb)
