WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — The Golden Ticket Awards were established by Amusement Today in 1998 to shine a spotlight on the amusement park industry and attractions by recognizing the “Best of the Best.” Today, they are among the most recognized awards among theme parks, amusement parks, family entertainment centers and water parks. In 2024, Amusement Today presented awards in 22 categories, as well as special recognition with Publisher’s Picks awards and Legend designations.
On September 7, more than 300 industry professionals gathered at host park Kennywood to enjoy the awards ceremony, network with social activities and behind-the-scenes tours and discuss current trends.
“Amusement Today is thrilled to provide an opportunity for industry colleagues to meet in person,” said Publisher Gary Slade. “We have people traveling from around the world. When so many parks have similar schedules, it can be challenging, but the rewards of being among one’s peers are significant.”
Kennywood is considered to be one of the finest traditional amusement parks in America. Having been around for 125 years, the park opened in 1899. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark.
“It is wonderful to showcase the old-fashioned roots of our industry,” noted Tim Baldwin, Golden Ticket Awards Communications Coordinator. “Kennywood offers such a nostalgic environment with numerous classic rides, but the modern thrillers are great too. The Golden Ticket Awards brings peers together, and to network within such a one-of-a-kind place is really special.”
The biggest winner of the evening was Dollywood, which snagged five Golden Tickets in various categories: Best Family Coaster, Best New Show, Most Beautiful, Best Guest Experience and Best Kids’ Area.
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari was another big winner with three wins: Best Water Park Ride, Best New Innovation and Best New Theme Concept. That latter category was a first-time inclusion into the awards, and the park’s comical take on Thanksgiving dinner surrounding the park’s new family coaster (Good Gravy!) took the prize. The innovation that won gold was the guests’ ability to determine one of the scenes of the nightly drone show via their phones.
A handful of parks won a pair of awards. Europa-Park took the final category, Best Park, as well as Best New Roller Coaster, Voltron Nevera. Silver Dollar City’s new Fire In The Hole won Best New Family Attraction and Best New Attraction Installation. Knoebels Amusement Resort repeated its wins for Best Wooden Coaster (Phoenix) and Best Food.
Best New Water Park Ride went to Mount Olympus Water & Theme Park. The new Rise of Icarus is the tallest waterslide in North America.
Chiapas at Phantasialand won Best Water Ride, a Golden Ticket it had also won in 2021. The multi-level flume ride featured the world’s steepest drop when built in 2014.
Fury 325 at Carowinds won Best Steel Coaster for an eighth consecutive time.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios won Best Dark Ride with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Leadership is a category from industry nominations and voted on by those in the industry and journalists. Morgan’s Wonderland, with its ultra-accessibility for all guests, won the award this year.
Among other park categories, Adventure Park USA won Breakout Family Entertainment Center, Dutch Wonderland took Best Family Park for a fifth time, and the undefeated Schlitterbahn claimed Best Water Park for a staggering 26th time.
Slade presented three Publisher’s Picks this year. Beth Root was honored as Person of the Year for her forward thinking in establishing the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson. The program with World Waterpark Association has grown considerably around the globe and welcomed families for a 15th year in 2024 in efforts to help save lives.
Taking the Renaissance Publisher’s Pick was Alton Towers and the dramatic transformation of one of its most popular rides. Nemesis Reborn captured the essence of the award’s meaning of “new life.”
Europa-Park took home another accolade with the Publisher’s Pick Turnstile Award. The most popular park in Germany accomplished a challenging feat to bring back two rides damaged by fire in 2023, only to add even more things to the attractions to keep the guests coming back for more.
Amusement Today acknowledged more parks and individuals as Legends — recognizing their impact and influence on the industry — than ever before. Before retiring two categories dedicated to holiday festivals, Universal Studios Florida’s Halloween Horror Nights and Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas had each taken the category 15 times. That made a sixth trophy for Dollywood during the evening.
The biggest surprise of the evening was Slade receiving a surprise Legend award.
“The Amusement Today team had to work internally to make this happen, which was not easy,” said Editor John Robinson. “This was a collaboration between friends within the industry and AT. We were thrilled to pull it off.”
Paul Nelson, the past owner of Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, was honored for his lifetime career of dedication and community involvement.
The three founders of American Coaster Enthusiasts (Richard Munch, Roy Brashears and Paul Greenwald) were recognized for starting in 1978 what has become the world’s largest and longest-running enthusiast organization that has grown to more than 7,000 members. The club is dedicated to supporting the industry.
The final award of the night went to John Reilly, CEO of Palace Entertainment, the ownership group to which Kennywood belongs. Reilly’s efforts have brought growth and beautification to the company’s portfolio. It was one of the evening’s multiple surprises.
Amusement Today began publication in 1997, and the award-winning magazine is now a leader in the amusement industry. The Golden Ticket Awards were established in 1998 and are the direct result of votes cast from around the globe. More than 500 experienced travelers, divided equally among the nation as well as internationally, received ballots. Industry journalists and ride suppliers also have categories devoted to professional topics. A free downloadable issue containing the charts and full lists of finalists, as well as an online presentation of the awards, can be found at GoldenTicketAwards.com.
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