Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards 2014

I know how much we just LOVE to discuss these, so, here they are in one thread!

Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award Winners 2014

Click here for the full results - www.goldenticketawards.com/#

Best Park - Europa Park

Best Seaside Park - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Best Children's Park - IdleWild & SoakZone

Best Marine Life Park - SeaWorld Orlando

Cleanest Park - Holiday World

Friendliest Park - Dollywood

Best Landscaping - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best Food - Dollywood

Best Dark Ride - Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure

Best Indoor Roller Coaster - Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Orlando

Best Fun House / Walkthrough - Noah's Ark at Kennywood

Best Carousel - Grand Carousel at Knoebels

Best Water Ride in an Amusement Park - Dudley Do-Right at Islands of Adventure

Best New Attraction at an Amusement Park - Flying Turns at Knoebels

Best Kids Area - Planet Snoopy at Kings Island

Best Waterpark - Schlitterbahn New Braunfels

Best Indoor Waterpark - Schlitterbahn Galveston Island

Best Ride in a Water Park - Wildebeest at Splashin' Safari

Best New Attraction at a Waterpark - Verrückt at Schlitterbahn Kansas City

Best Shows - Dollywood

Best Outdoor Show Production - IllumiNations at EPCOT

Best Halloween Event - Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando

Best Christmas Event - Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood

Best Wooden Coasters:

#1 - Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce

#2 - El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure

#3 - Voyage at Holiday World

#4 - Phoenix at Knoebels

#5 - Thunderhead at Dollywood

#6 - Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer

#7 - Gold Striker at California's Great America

#8 - Beast at Kings Island

#9 - Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City

#10 - Balder at Liseberg

Best Steel Coasters:

#1 - Millennium Force at Cedar Point

#2 - Bizarro at Six Flags New England

#3 - Expedition GeForce at Holiday Park

#4 - Diamondback at Kings Island

#5 - Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure

#6 - Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland

#7 - Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

#8 - New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas

#9 - Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia

#10 - Intimidator [232] at Carowinds

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Yeah, this one's a doozy. Let's see here -

Flying Turns won the best new attraction handily - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts placed fourth behind it, Banshee and Goliath.

Parks such as Islands of Adventure, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo DisneySea placed behind Disneyland and Knoebels in the Best Park category.

Blackfish who? The amusement press continues to support SeaWorld Orlando, with it taking more than half of the vote for best marine life park.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey took home the best dark ride award again. Haunted Mansion at Knoebels and the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man tied this year, and both placed behind Radiator Springs Racers. Does that even really count as a dark ride?

Notable wooden coasters absent from the Top 10 list are: Dauling Dragon, Fireball, Goliath, T-Express, Troy, and Wood Coaster (Knight Valley). I'm surprised of how low Outlaw Run placed considering all the praise it's got, and also that Goliath didn't place on the list at all.

Notable steel coasters absent from the Top 10 list are: Bizarro, Intimidator 305, Iron Rattler, Katun, Maverick, Medusa Steel Coaster, any of the Mega Lites, Nemesis, Shambhala and Skyrush. Diamondback snuck its way up to fourth place out of complete nowhere, and Intimidator 232 actually placed in the top 10 - above Intimidator 305! How does that even work?!?

Again, here's the site with the full results - www.goldenticketawards.com/#

I have not been on flying turns, but could the historical factor play into the decision vs. Gringotts?

That's a possible factor, another one could be that they finally built it after seven years. It seems as though the Golden Ticket panel appreciates attractions with historical significance more than others. Flying Turns is wicked fun but I feel like Escape from Gringotts and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are both pushing theme parks forward into the future (in different ways).

I just can't understand... Nearly nothing make sense

I am shocked that Outlaw Run did not move up in the polls this year. Its ridiculous that the Beast beat it.

Was Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts not considered in the best dark ride category?

That steel list is even more ridiculous than the wooden one.

Is there a place where I can see the full Top 50 lists for wooden and steel coasters? I looked all over the website but couldn't find it.

I'm pretty sure the Top 50 lists are even more ridiculous than the Top 10s.

Was Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts not considered in the best dark ride category?

I'm guessing that it technically counts as a steel coaster. Revenge of the Mummy wasn't in the best dark ride category either. Gringotts would have gone in the best indoor roller coaster category but it didn't even place.

The top three or five of each category is pretty decent, after that it gets a little weird. I'll have to look at the top 50. Also Bizarro is not absent from the list.

More to the point - a park NOT in the USA has won the best park category.

Europa-Park! <3

Yeah, I'm not buying Flying Turns as the "Best New Attraction." It was OK, but I think this win was more about how much trouble the park went to in constructing the ride rather than the ride itself.

But it's good to see Europa Park in the top spot.

IMO the coaster polls are the most messed up. Outlaw Run should have been top 5 no problem. 3 of the coasters above it should probably not even be top 10 either. The steel poll is better, but I do not agree with some of the B&Ms passing Intamins.

Speaking of Europa Park, I'm surprised that the Arthur ride is nowhere to be seen. Wasn't that supposed to end up being one of the best dark rides ever or something?

It's like a lifetime achievement award, since it took so long to open.

Anyone have the real reasons why the voters vote the way they do in some places? They are all over the map (except overseas of course).

Flying Turns is a pretty blah ride experience for all that was done for it, so I wouldn't quite reward that. Seven Dwarves has some great features and a eyegasmic (short) animatronic section but the ride itself is weaker than most rollerskaters. Gringott's could've won, though it's not the best ride at the resort even when the effects work. Goliath could've won but maybe not as good of a ride as the other RMCs. Banshee obviously didn't deserve to win, a weaker coaster by that manufacturer than rides built 20 years ago. Arthur was never going to win since it's in another country, though it seems to have been enough to push Europa over the top and finally knock out CP.

My vote would have gone to Lightning Run, an amazing, really cheap, revitalizing coaster for that park. It hits on all levels and deserves recognition.

Sorry Knoebels fans, but seriously, Flying Turns is GTA's best new ride of 2014? That should have gone to Banshee or Goliath. Also, technically, it opened last year, so why it's considered new for this year is a bit confusing. I know GTAs aren't centered around thrill rides, but still...

 

Sorry that this is off topic, but I agree...I haven't ridden Flying Turns or any of the other new for 2014 rides, but still I think it should have gone to Harry Potter's Gringott's Bank ride. Hooooow did that not win? Or was it not considered since it basically just opened?

if you "haven't ridden" ANY of the rides that were nominated, then, honestly? How could your opinion on what should have won be valid in the least?

I *have* ridden "Flying Turns" and tho it was enjoyable, it wasn't very thrilling, and I expect at least one of the other options should have beat it.

Yeah.. Knoebel's got an award for finally getting this thing open. But so what? Good for them, and the publicity they get out of it.

Speaking of Europa Park, I'm surprised that the Arthur ride is nowhere to be seen. Wasn't that supposed to end up being one of the best dark rides ever or something?

I don't recall Arthur being on the ballot and being a write-in winner is almost impossible. Even if it was on the ballot how many people voting would have ridden it before ballots were due last month.

The poll this proves that you really never leave to leave the Eastern US if you are an enthusiast!

Props to Europa Park for taking top prize because a lot of seasoned international traveled probably voted for DisneySea.

How is Flying Turns best new attraction? And how is Outlaw Run down in 9th,quite unrealistic really.

^The Amusement Today poll raises questions like this each year.

They completely forgot about Helix, Medusa Steel Coaster, Parrot Coaster, Nefeskesen, Alpina Blitz, Altair and Flug Der Dämonen. I thought Helix or Medusa would be the definitely winner for new ride of 2014 but I was wrong, actually I ignored Flying Turns completely.

The Golden Ticket Awards are really nothing more than glorified awards for the amusement industry. When marketed correctly by parks, they can be used to help enhance the image of the park to the general public. Perfect examples of this would be Holiday World, Cedar Point, ext. In my opinion, this is the sole reason this poll even exists and will continue to each and every year.

Since Holiday World is my home park, I will say Wildebeest deserved best waterpark ride, so at least that doesn't seem questionable. Other than that, I really don't know what to think about it.

 

Since Holiday World is my home park, I will say Wildebeest deserved best waterpark ride, so at least that doesn't seem questionable.

I have no argument with this result, either.

I really don't know where to start... what I'm most shocked about is that Intimidator 232 is on the top ten list when I305 is nowhere to be seen. Flying Turns is certainly a very unique attraction, but I would not at all consider it to be the best new attraction. It's amazing to see how screwed up this poll is each year.

Sorry Knoebels fans, but seriously, Flying Turns is GTA's best new ride of 2014? That should have gone to Banshee or Goliath. Also, technically, it opened last year, so why it's considered new for this year is a bit confusing. I know GTAs aren't centered around thrill rides, but still...

 

Sorry that this is off topic, but I agree...I haven't ridden Flying Turns or any of the other new for 2014 rides, but still I think it should have gone to Harry Potter's Gringott's Bank ride. Hooooow did that not win? Or was it not considered since it basically just opened?

 

if you "haven't ridden" ANY of the rides that were nominated, then, honestly? How could your opinion on what should have won be valid in the least?

 

 

I *have* ridden "Flying Turns" and tho it was enjoyable, it wasn't very thrilling, and I expect at least one of the other options should have beat it.

 

Yeah.. Knoebel's got an award for finally getting this thing open. But so what? Good for them, and the publicity they get out of it.

Im sure anyone who has seen a video of Gringotts, or even read a basic review on it, can recognize and appreciate how much of an achievement it is in immersion, scale, and technology. You dont have to ride it to realize how much of a technical marvel it is. The other 2014 additions were just basic roller coasters. So yeah, Id say he has every right to his opinion.

They completely forgot about Helix, Medusa Steel Coaster, Parrot Coaster, Nefeskesen, Alpina Blitz, Altair and Flug Der Dämonen. I thought Helix or Medusa would be the definitely winner for new ride of 2014 but I was wrong, actually I ignored Flying Turns completely.

I didn't really think about Flying Turns as a 2014 addition. They soft opened in 2013 after weeks and weeks of teasing its opening.

Millennium Force is overrated, I think that Skyrush and Millennium Force should swap positions.

Millennium Force is overrated, I think that Skyrush and Millennium Force should swap positions.

MF should switch to wherever i305 is.