2021 GTA Winners – The Golden Ticket Awards | Presented by Amusement Today

The 2021 Golden Ticket Awards were presented online from the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives

2021 Print Issue

Golden Ticket LEGEND Award — Larry Bill of The Gravity Group was honored as a Legend, a lifetime achievement award, for his engineering work and involvement on an estimated 75 wooden roller coasters worldwide.

The Golden Ticket Leadership Award — Deno “DJ” Vourderis of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park was recognized with the Leadership Award. His resilience at confronting the pandemic was matched by his compassion for his fellow New Yorkers.

CATEGORY	WINNER
Best Amusement Park	Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
Best Water Park	Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas
Best Family Park of 2021	Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pa.
Best Wildlife/Marine Life Park	SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Best Water Park Ride	Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.
Best Wooden Coaster	Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.
Best Steel Coaster	Fury 325, Carowinds, Charlotte, N.C.
Best Kids’ Area	Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Guest Experience	Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Breakout Family Entertainment Center of 2021	Fun Spot America Atlanta
BestHalloween Event of 2020	Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
Most Beautiful Park	Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Christmas Event of 2020	Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Best Food of 2021	Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.
Best New Show of 2021	Rock The Night at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
Best Water Ride	Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Best Dark Ride	Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Best New Attraction Installation of 2020/2021	Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Orlando, Fla.
Best New Roller Coaster of 2020/21	Jurassic World Velocicoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Best New Family Attraction of 2020/2021	Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Best New Water Park Ride of 2020/2021	Cheetah Chase at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind..
Best Innovation of 2021	The Gravity Group

Personally chosen by Gary Slade, publisher and editor-in-chief of Amusement Today, this year’s Publisher’s Pick Awards were presented in the following categories:

Park of the Year – Universal Orlando was recognized as Park of the Year for its determination and positive direction in the pandemic;
Renaissance Award – Six Flags Over Texas received the Renaissance Award for its reinvestment in two 1960s attractions, attention to detail and a refocus on the park’s storytelling; and
Turnstile Award – Scene75 not only weathered the storm of the pandemic but also a tornado itself. Recovering even stronger and continuing to keep guests coming, the chain of family entertainment centers was honored with the Turnstile Award.

2021’s Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters

RANK	NAME	PARK	LOCATION	SUPPLIER	YEAR
1	Phoenix	Knoebels	Elysburg, Pennsylvania	Dinn-PTC/Schmeck	1985
2	Voyage	Holiday World	Santa Claus, Indiana	The Gravity Group	2006
3	El Toro	Six Flags Great Adventure	Jackson, New Jersey	Intamin	2006
4	Boulder Dash	Lake Compounce	Bristol, Connecticut	Custom Coasters Int.	2000
5	Beast	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	KECO	1979
6	Mystic Timbers	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	Great Coasters Int.	2017
7	GhostRider	Knott’s Berry Farm	Buena Park, California	Custom Coasters/GCII	1998
8	Ravine Flyer II	Waldameer	Erie, Pennsylvania	The Gravity Group	2008
9	Outlaw Run	Silver Dollar City	Branson, Missouri	Rocky Mountain	2013
10	Thunderhead	Dollywood	Pigeon Forge, Tennessee	Great Coasters Int.	2004
11	Lightning Racer	Hersheypark	Hershey, Pennsylvania	Great Coasters Int.	2000
12	Gold Striker	California’s Great America	Santa Clara, California	Great Coasters Int.	2013
13 tie	Cyclone	Luna Park/Coney Island	Brooklyn, New York	Baker/Keenan	1927
13 tie	Jack Rabbit	Kennywood	West Mifflin, Pennsylvania	Miller	1920
15	Troy	Toverland	Sevenum, the Netherlands	Great Coasters Int.	2007
16	Balder	Liseberg	Gothenburg, Sweden	Intamin	2003
17 tie	Raven	Holiday World	Santa Claus, Indiana	Custom Coasters Int.	1995
17 tie	Wildfire	Kolmården	Norrköping, Sweden	Rocky Mountain	2016
19	Thunderbolt	Kennywood	West Mifflin, Pennsylvania	Vettel/Miller	1968
20	Comet	Great Escape	Lake George, New York	PTC/Schmeck	1994
21	Shivering Timbers	Michigan’s Adventure	Muskegon, Michigan	Custom Coasters Int.	1998
22	Boardwalk Bullet	Kemah Boardwalk	Kemah, Texas	The Gravity Group/M&V	2007
23	Wodan	Europa-Park	Rust, Germany	Great Coasters Int.	2012
24	Legend	Holiday World	Santa Claus, Indiana	Custom Coasters Int.	2000
25	Colossos	Heide Park	Soltau, Germany	Intamin	2001
26	Goliath	Six Flags Great America	Gurnee, Illinois	Rocky Mountain	2014
27	Flying Turns	Knoebels	Elysburg, Pennsylvania	Fetterman	2014
28	Giant Dipper	Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk	Santa Cruz, California	Prior & Church/Looff	1924
29	White Lightning	Fun Spot	Orlando, Florida	Great Coasters Int.	2013
30	Renegade	Valleyfair!	Shakopee, Minnesota	Great Coasters Int.	2007
31	Prowler	Worlds of Fun	Kansas City, Missouri	Great Coasters Int.	2009
32	Twister	Knoebels	Elysburg, Pennsylvania	Fetterman	1999
33	Rampage	Splash Adventure	Bessemer, Alabama	Custom Coasters Int.	1998
34	Playland Wooden Coaster	PNE Playland	Vancouver, B.C., Canada	Phare	1958
35	Blue Streak	Conneaut Lake Park	Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania	Vettel/NAD	1937
36	Screamin’ Eagle	Six Flags St. Louis	Eureka, Missouri	PTC/Allen	1976
37	Comet	Hersheypark	Hershey, Pennsylvania	PTC/Schmeck	1946
38	Blue Streak	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Hoover	1964
39	Hades 360	Mount Olympus	Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin	The Gravity Group	2005
40	El Toro	Freizeitpark Plohn	Lengenfeld, Germany	Great Coasters Int.	2009
41	Cornball Express	Indiana Beach	Monticello, Indiana	Custom Coasters Int.	1999
42	Boss	Six Flags St. Louis	Eureka, Missouri	Custom Coasters Int.	2000
43	Cú Chulainn	Tayto Park	Ashbourne, Ireland	The Gravity Group	2015
44	Rutschebanan	Tivoli Gardens	Copenhagen, Denmark	L.A. Thompson	1914
45 tie	Texas Stingray	SeaWorld San Antonio	San Antonio, Texas	Great Coasters Int.	2020
45 tie	Zippin Pippin	Bay Beach	Green Bay, Wisconsin	M&V	2011
47	American Thunder	Six Flags Six Flags St. Louis	Eureka, Missouri	Great Coasters Int.	2008
48	InvadR	Busch Gardens Williamsburg	Williamsburg, Virginia	Great Coasters Int.	2017
49	Grand National	Blackpool Pleasure Beach	Blackpool, England	Paige	1935
50	T Express	Everland	Yonjin-si, South Korea	Intamin	2008

2021’s Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters

RANK	NAME	PARK	LOCATION	SUPPLIER	YEAR
1	Fury 325	Carowinds	Charlotte, North Carolina	B&M	2015
2	Millennium Force	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Intamin	2000
3	Steel Vengeance	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Rocky Mountain	2018
4	Superman The Ride	Six Flags New England	Agawam, Massachusetts	Intamin	2000
5	Candymonium	Hersheypark	Hershey, Pennsylvania	B&M	2020
6	Expedition GeForce	Holiday Park	Hassloch, Germany	Intamin	2001
7	Lightning Rod	Dollywood	Pigeon Forge, Tennessee	Rocky Mountain	2016
8	Leviathan	Canada’s Wonderland	Vaughan, Ontario, Canada	B&M	2012
9	Maverick	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Intamin	2007
10	Taron	Phantasialand	Brühl, Germany	Intamin	2016
11	Apollo’s Chariot	Busch Gardens Williamsburg	Williamsburg, Virginia	B&M	1999
12	Iron Rattler	Six Flags Fiesta Texas	San Antonio, Texas	Rocky Mountain	2013
13	Intimidator 305	Kings Dominion	Doswell, Virginia	Intamin	2010
14	Nitro	Six Flags Great Adventure	Jackson, New Jersey	B&M	2001
15	Phantom’s Revenge	Kennywood	West Mifflin, Pennsylvania	Morgan/Arrow	2001
16	Twisted Colossus	Six Flags Magic Mountain	Valencia, California	Rocky Mountain	2015
17	Mako	SeaWorld Orlando	Orlando, Florida	B&M	2016
18	Jurassic World VelociCoaster	Universal’s Islands of Adventure	Orlando, Florida	Intamin	2021
19	Diamondback	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	B&M	2009
20	Magnum XL-200	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Arrow	1989
21	Alpengeist	Busch Gardens Williamsburg	Williamsburg, Virginia	B&M	1997
22	Montu	Busch Gardens Tampa	Tampa, Florida	B&M	1996
23 tie	Intimidator	Carowinds	Charlotte, North Carolina	B&M	2010
23 tie	Steel Curtain	Kennywood	West Mifflin, Pennsylvania	S&S	2019
25	Mind Bender	Six Flags Over Georgia	Austell, Georgia	Schwarzkopf	1978
26 tie	Time Traveler	Silver Dollar City	Branson, Missouri	Mack	2018
26 tie	X2	Six Flags Magic Mountain	Valencia, California	Arrow	2002
28 tie	Goliath	Six Flags Over Georgia	Austell, Georgia	B&M	2006
28 tie	Top Thrill Dragster	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	Intamin	2003
30	Blue Fire Megacoaster	Europa-Park	Rust, Germany	Mack	2009
31	Orion	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	B&M	2020
32	Nemesis	Alton Towers	Staffordshire, England	B&M	1994
33 tie	Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure	Universal’s Islands of Adventure	Orlando, Florida	Intamin	2019
33 tie	Skyrush	Hersheypark	Hershey, Pennsylvania	Intamin	2012
35	Steel Dragon 2000	Nagashima Spa Land	Nagashima, Japan	Morgan	2000
36	New Texas Giant	Six Flags Over Texas	Arlington, Texas	Rocky Mountain	2011
37	Banshee	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	B&M	2014
38	Behemoth	Canada’s Wonderland	Vaughan, Ontario, Canada	B&M	2008
39	Twisted Timbers	Kings Dominion	Doswell, Virginia	Rocky Mountain	2018
40	Helix	Liseberg	Gothenburg, Sweden	Mack	2014
41	Cheetah Hunt	Busch Gardens Tampa	Tampa, Florida	Intamin	2011
42 tie	Black Mamba	Phantasialand	Brϋhl, Germany	B&M	2006
42 tie	Wicked Cyclone	Six Flags New England	Agawam, Massachusetts	Rocky Mountain	2015
44	Raging Bull	Six Flags Great America	Gurnee, Illinois	B&M	1999
45	Steel Force	Dorney Park	Allentown, Pennsylvania	Morgan	1997
46	Jetline	Gröna Lund	Stockholm, Sweden	Schwarzkopf	1988
47	Shock Wave	Six Flags Over Texas	Arlington, Texas	Schwarzkopf	1978
48 tie	Cannibal	Lagoon	Farmington, Utah	ART Engineering	2015
48 tie	Raptor	Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	B&M	1994
50	Lisebergbanan	Liseberg	Gothenburg, Sweden	Schwarzkopf	1987