Presented by Amusement Today, the 19th annual Golden Ticket Awards ceremony was held at Cedar Point this past weekend. They had one goal – to honor the best of the best of the amusement industry and encourage them to keep up the good work. Experienced park-goers from all over the country sent in their votes, and the results have now been released.
Top Steel Coasters
For the first time in over five years, Millennium Force was edged out of first place – by Fury 325. The new B&M Giga was voted the favorite steel coaster by a single ballot. Interestingly enough, Carowinds now has two of the top ten steel coasters.
- Fury 325 – Carowinds
- Millennium Force – Cedar Point
- Superman: Ride of Steel – Six Flags New England
- Expedition GeForce – Holiday Park
- Nitro – Six Flags Great Adventure
- Apollo’s Chariot – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Leviathan – Canada’s Wonderland
- Intimidator – Carowinds
- Diamondback – Kings Island
- Phantom’s Revenge – Kennywood
Top Wood Coasters
For the fourth consecutive year, Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce was voted the best wooden coaster. Lightning Rod, for those wondering, came in 11th. Hopefully it will rise on the chart as it becomes more reliable.
- Boulder Dash – Lake Compounce
- Phoenix – Knoebels Amusement Resort
- El Toro – Six Flags Great Adventure
- The Voyage – Holiday World
- Ravine Flyer II – Waldameer
- The Beast – Kings Island
- Thunderhead – Dollywood
- Outlaw Run – Silver Dollar City
- Gold Striker – California’s Great Adventure
- Lightning Racer – Hersheypark
Best New Ride
Lightning Rod at Dollywood left tradition in the dust and became the world’s first launched wooden coaster when it opened this year. Though it struggled to stay open during the summer, the coaster proved its worth as 2016’s best new ride.
Best Amusement Park
For the third year in a row, Europa-Park boasts the title formerly belonging to Cedar Point – The Best Amusement Park in the World. There’s a reason it’s so good. Besides being a full-blown theme park, Europa Park serves as a showcase for rides designed by Mack Rides, one of the world’s leading roller coaster manufacturers.
Additional Winners
| Best Marine Life Park | SeaWorld Orlando |
| Best Seaside Life Park | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk |
| Best Children’s Park | Idlewild & SoakZone |
| Best Kids’ Area | Kings Island |
| Friendliest Park | Dollywood |
| Cleanest Park | Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari |
| Best Landscaping | Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
| Best Food | Knoebels Amusement Resort |
| Best Shows | Dollywood |
| Best Water Park | Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort |
| Best Water Ride | Valhalla |
| Best Water Park Ride | Wildebeest |
| Best New Water Park Attraction | Massiv |
| Best Halloween Event | Halloween Horror Nights |
| Best Christmas Event | Smoky Mountain Christmas |
| Best Dark Ride | Twilight Zone Tower of Terror |
| Best Indoor Roller Coaster | Revenge of the Mummy |
| Best Funhouse/Walkthrough Attraction | Noah’s Ark |
For the full list of Golden Ticket Awards, visit their official website. What do you think of 2016’s winners? Leave a comment below.
Read next: Top New Roller Coasters for 2016
