Golden Ticket Awards 2009

THE GOLDEN TICKET AWARDS HONOR
THE “BEST OF THE BEST” IN AMUSEMENT INDUSTRY

AMUSEMENT TODAY ANNOUNCES WINNERS
OF ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL POLL

ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 10, 2009 – Who has the best amusement park food? What about the friendliest staff or how about the best kids’ area in an amusement park? The ballots have been tallied, and in an awards’ show hosted this evening by LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad, Calif., Amusement Today announced the winners of its prestigious 2009 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 25 categories such as “amusement parks,” “roller coasters,” “shows,” “friendliest staff” and “water rides.” The 2009 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 Seaside Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.

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

Best Steel Coaster
Bizarro
at Six Flags New England, Agawam, Mass.

Best Kids’ Area
Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio

Friendliest Staff
Silver Dollar City, Branson, Mo.

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
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 2009 - Amusement Park
Prowler at Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Mo.

Best New Ride of 2009 - Waterpark
Congo River Expedition at Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

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

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

Best Indoor Waterpark
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas

Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction
Frankenstein’s Castle at Indiana Beach, Monticello, Ind.

HPCrazy wrote:Wonder what the first best Christmas event is? Would it be WDW's Very Merry Christmas Party perhaps? I was wondering after seeing about HP's CCL being mentioned as fifth best.