C M Y K SEPTEMBER 2005 B All about the BUSINESS of FUN! Amusement Today’s 2005 Golden Ticket Awards Tim Baldwin aware that it is more than just Amusement Today a business about hardware and ticket sales. It is finding Each summer Amusement that formula of providing the 2005 Today locates hundreds of customer with a great, enter- well-traveled enthusiasts to taining experience that makes form a “panel of experts” for them want to return over and our Golden Ticket Awards. over again. The heart and soul of the With each park capital- GOLDEN TICKET amusement park aficionado izing on its strengths and is peppered with devotion, improving in areas where admiration, and love for the they need to grow, our survey AWARDS industry. panel has a challenging task to Together, they can form a narrow their observations to a V.I.P. collective voice as they share single park that exceeds above their expertise and knowledge the rest. But when the parks BEST OF THE BEST! with us at Amusement Today, make it difficult for our par- and through us to the industry ticipants, the industry is truly and world at large. Originated headed in the right direction. in 1998, the Golden Ticket As witness to the monu- INSIDE Awards have since become mental experience of our sur- the “Oscars of the Amusement vey participants, parks from Industry,” and thanks to these eight countries outside of the PAGE 2 PAGE 11 PAGE 19 dedicated folk who continue U.S. can be found on our 2005 New Categories, Park & Ride Best Coasters of 2005 to share their time and effort, charts. Amusement Today and we can annually recognize the the industry are indebted to Awards Winners • Best of the Best. the park enthusiast for keep- for 2005 • PAGES 22-23 Parks today are focusing ing us on our toes by being • PAGE 12 2005 on customer service and guest our harshest critic and our satisfaction. They have become biggest fan. PAGES 3 Three-Year Top 50 Wooden Best Parks Format Awards Roller Coasters • • • PAGES 6 PAGE 17 PAGE 24 Best Staff, Publisher’s Picks Golden Ticket Landscaping Park of the Year Awards Supplier of the Year and Food Person of the Year make TV show • • • PAGES 7 PAGE 18 PAGE 26-27 Best Dark Ride, Werner Stengel’s 2005 Host Park Water Ride, Ten Favorite Top 50 Steel 2005 Golden Ticket Awards Waterpark Ride and Coasters Roller Coasters August 27, 2005 Kid’s Area A N O T H E R Thank you GREAT YEAR! Amusement Today! . 2005 . P 1 Golden Ticket! P I. KNOEBELS I. V KNOEBELS #4 WOOD V Phoenix ranked #4! BEST FOOD C M Y K 2B AMUSEMENT TODAY September 2005 Two new categories, 3 total awards added in 2005 edition What’s new? Two new categories this year are Stunt Track taking third. Closing out the finalists massive wavepool at Splashin’ Safari and Funnel of Best New Ride for 2005, both in an amusement park is a three way tie between maXair at Cedar Point, Fear at Michigan’s Adventure. and waterpark and Best Halloween Event. Powderkeg at Silver Dollar City, and SheiKra at Each year, it’s almost a tradition at Amusement It’s undeniable that anticipation for new attrac- Busch Gardens Tampa. Today for one category to come right down to the tions builds excitement. Already speculation for The Best New Ride in a Waterpark for 2005 also wire. 2005 was no exception, as once again an award 2006 is starting its whispered rumors throughout the is found in Wisconsin Dells. Noah’s Ark introduced was decided by the last envelopes opened. When enthusiast community. But our panel has spoken. Black Anaconda, the longest uphill water coaster on they say “every vote is important,” they aren’t kid- The Best New Ride in an Amusement Park for 2005 planet earth. Built by ProSlide, Black Anaconda has ding. Our new category, Best Halloween Event, was a is Hades, Mount Olympus Water & Theme Park’s six uphill sections using a fast-moving conveyor tech- “chilling” neck-and-neck battle to the finish between exhilarating new wooden coaster. Designed by The nology. Typhoon Lagoon’s Crush ‘N Gusher, a triple Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios Florida. Gravity Group, Hades plunges riders in Wisconsin slide uphill water coaster from NBGS, places second At the final tally, the west coast took the Golden Dells into the netherworld in the world’s longest for WDW. Six Flags New England places third with Ticket. Behind Knott’s and Universal, Kennywood underground tunnel on a coaster. Also rating highly their uphill water coaster, also from ProSlide, called takes a third place grab. Knoebels and Cedar Point is Six Flags Great Adventure’s Kingda Ka in second, Typhoon. Hm. Do we detect a trend here? Closing round out the finalists respectively. with Paramount’s Kings Island’s new Italian Job out the category is a tie between Bahari, the new –Tim Baldwin AT photo / Gary Slade AT photo / Tim Baldwin While diving to the netherworld, Hades rises high on the charts as Black Anaconda at Noah’s Ark wins Best New Ride in a Waterpark for Best New Ride for 2005 in an Amusement Park. 2005, a category originating this year in the Golden Tickets. New awards in 2005 Best New Ride for 2005 (Amusement Park) Hades Mt. Olympus Theme Park 45% Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure 16% Italian Job Paramount’s Kings Island 8% maXair Cedar Point (tie) 6% Powderkeg Silver Dollar City (tie) 6% SheiKra Busch Gardens Tampa (tie) 6% Best New Ride for 2005 (Waterpark) Black Anaconda Noah’s Ark 21% Crush ‘N Gusher Typhoon Lagoon 17% Typhoon Six Flags New England 14% Bahari Splashin’ Safari (tie) 9% Funnel of Fear Michigan’s Adventure (tie) 9% Best Halloween Event Knott’s Berry Farm Knott’s Berry Farm Buena Park, Calif. 25% “eeeeks” out a first place 2005 Universal Studios Orlando, Fla. 24% GOLDEN TICKET win for Best Halloween Kennywood West Mifflin, Pa. 10% Event, a new category to V.I.P. AWARDS Knoebels Amusement Resort Elysburg, Pa. 9% our Golden Ticket survey. BEST OF THE BEST! Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio 6% Photo courtesy Knott’s Berry Farm C M Y K September 2005 AMUSEMENT TODAY 3B Cedar Point, Schlitterbahn, Legoland win Best Parks Staying on top is an intim- also resides in a small town. idating task, whether it be pro- New Braunfels is no over- ducing a TV show, maintain- whelming metropolis. Still, ing a professional sports team, the waterpark continues to or keeping musical hits on the dominate the top spot as Best charts. Our Best of the Best Waterpark year after year. park winners face a similar Terri Adams, C.O.O. of challenge. When you’re at the Schlitterbahn Parks, com- top, there is frighteningly only ments, “Schlitterbahn has one way to go. Dick Kinzel, become an annual tradition for CEO of Cedar Fair, talks to our families. Our new custom- Amusement Today about Cedar ers are coming for the first time Point’s success. because they’ve heard about “It’s great that our collec- us and the wide variety we tion of coasters and proper mix offer. It’s the combination of of rides is something the judg- the newest rides with the clas- es see each year. We’re the sec- sic tube chutes. It’s humbling ond oldest park in the nation and exciting to see people and Cedar Point comes with a come back year after year.” lot of tradition. Our manage- With the waterpark ment team keeps that tradition industry surging each year, it and enthusiasm going.” Kinzel becomes a tougher feat for this also observes about the top out-of-the-way oasis stationed rated park, “Cedar Point has along the Comal River to stay AT photo / Tim Baldwin its own personality. It’s basi- on top of our charts. Cedar Point’s legendary thrills and variety of entertainment make the Lake Erie des- cally on an island surrounded After winning the new tination Best Park with our panel of experts. by water. When you drive over category last year, Legoland the causeway and see the sail- California once again claims public relation department robotic technology that allows Estrada further explains how boats, the lake, and the steel Best Kid’s Park for the second tells Amusement Today, “Our the guests to choose the ride guests are surprised that there skyline of coasters – it’s really year. This California themer attractions are fun and interac- intensity levels making it a are so many unusual rides and something. I never get tired of boasts an atypical mix of rides, tive and let the guests create unique guest experience you attractions. “I think it is what seeing it.” diverging from the regular their own experience.” Estrada can’t find anywhere else in draws people here. We’re dif- Like Cedar Point tucked variety you’d see at most kids’ illustrates this fact with one North America.” ferent. Plus families can go on away in the small city of parks. of their newest attractions. While the Lego brand- almost all our rides together.” Sandusky, Ohio, Schlitterbahn Julie Estrada of Legoland’s “Knights Tournament uses ing is unique for the guests, –Tim Baldwin Photos courtesy Legoland California and Schlitterbahn Families flock year-after-year to Schlitterbahn (above), the Golden Ticket winner for Best Waterpark. At left, 2005 GOLDEN TICKET two girls admire the detailed craftsmanship of one of V.I.P. AWARDS Legoland’s unique sculptures. Legoland was voted Best BEST OF THE BEST! Kid’s Park for the second year in a row.