Golden Ticket awards announced at SFFT today

[Guest]

They were announced today here is the link:

 

www.amusementtoday.com

 

I don't agree with some, but a lot of it was pretty accurate.

 

Katie

[Coasterlicious]

Mellenium is a good coaster but is it really still number one? ..

 

 

I agree with Cedar Points souveniers... I couldnt decide what to buy when I was there... the merchandise was amazing..

[Stitch]

^ That's because they use the Schwartz . I agree with most of the choices but I feel like Beast needs to go off the list due to it's modifacations.

[SLUSHIE]

I think a lot of the best park stuff should have gone to Disney.

 

Best kids area especialy.

[Not For Sale]

I think a lot of the best park stuff should have gone to Disney.

 

Best kids area especialy.

I second that.

[Meteornotes]

After taking our trip to Europe, it seems the parks there don't get a fair shake in these awards. Balder is not even in the top ten wood coaster list? Or Colossus? Um, OK...

 

Plus, I think Europa Park should rank a bit higher in the categories it was in. I found it to be far superior to the vastly overrated BGW. It really was the most beautiful park I have ever seen. And how does IOA not make the "best food" list, just by the virtue of having Mythos on the property?

 

Seems like some parks win in a certain category, and then just pretty much just stay there. Can anyone honestly say that Ghostrider still belongs in the Top 10 Wood Coaster list? I doubt it...

 

dt

[robbalvey]

These awards seem to get more 'political' every year. I stick with the Mitch Hawker poll for a more acurate 'top coaster' list.

 

--Robb

[DerekRx]

I also find the Golden Ticket more and more political every year. I'm sure a lot of the people who actually get the Golden Ticket aren't as well traveled as they'd like to consider themselves. I find it funny that Hades, Black Anaconda, and Noah's Ark are all ranked coincidentally the same year as the ACE Convention in the same area. Also, some of the parks and rides people who get the tickets probably don't ride. How many recipients actually have been to real "kiddie parks" such as Storyland or Santa's Village in New Hampshire. Is Idlewild really a kiddie park? It seems more to me like a family park with lots of rides for kids. Is Holiday World really always friendly, or just more so during events which is when most ACErs go there? I also believe Mitch's poll is more fair, weighing all the entries and giving more credibility to the well traveled person. Sending 35 Golden Ticket surveys to 35 people living in Cincinnati and getting 35 replies that the #1 wood is Beast, #1 park is PKI, #1 merchandise is PKI, and the #1 steel is Italian Job is no shocker at all.

[Jeezus Juice]

Yeah, Magnum is sooooo a top 3 coaster. And Mean Streak sooooo belongs in a top 50 ANYTHING.

 

How does Master Blaster at Schlitterbahn beat out Crush & Gusher at TL? And how evactly is Zinga different from the other 20 funnels out there?

 

And Zoombabwe is alright, but it is certainly no Behemothbowl.

 

And would somebody please tell me how PKI's kiddie area is somehow better than Gardalands please. I mean honestly....

 

 

Golden Tickets, pffft...

[DRWP2005]

No the award show was today at SFFT, it was being taped for a show that will air on the Travel Channel sometime next year, I believe. Also I'm pretty sure that it isn't mostly people in the coaster community that vote for these awards. I say this because, one I dont think that a lot of people who consider themselves enthusiasts, actually subscribe to AT. Everything that's in AT, the enthusiasts already know about it, by the time they get the paper. So I don't really think that many members of ACE vote...Second to be part of the voting "acadamy" I believe that you have to be picked by AT, they used to say that if you just tell them that you want to vote, that they will include you, but that isn't the case.

 

I also think the Zinga was the first funnel slide ProSlide ever built, and I know that Master Blaster was the first uphill water ride, so I think that the reason the first one always wins is because thats it is was the first one ever, and like mentioned already the rest are mostly just clones of the first one.

 

Jeezus Juice-Mean Streak was ranked 33rd in a 3 way tie with Timber Terror and the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper.

[X]

How dare they put Balder as only #21!

And Expidetion G Force is SO much better than Magnum!

Kevin"Stupid Golden Tickets Award"Bujold

[Jeezus Juice]

It should be in a 3-way tie with used toilet paper and more used toilet paper.

 

The fact that they have Mean Streak on the same page as Timber Terror--sacrilege!!

 

I like Cedar Point too but some people seem to have some kind of freaky personal relationship with the place...creepy.

 

At least they got the Holloween votes right!

 

-The Jerrobbb

[Coasterkid20]

I've always thought that the "Golden Tickets" were a little flawed, but this is seriously f^$#ed up......... Thunderhead as the #1 woodie? I won't even start, but that is just wrong.

[MagnumForce]

Well remember folks that the Golden Tickets are not just enthusiats but more GP type personalities then anyhting.

 

I think that alone explains Millennium Force, but I am weird and would personally put Magnum about where it is on the list.

 

I don't know but I agree with a lot of what is on there.

 

While Mythos is excellent the rest of IOA's food is subpar IMO, Knoebel's has great food everywhere, as does Epcot, as does BGW. Holiday World's employees are really that friendly all the time.

 

MF is still the only coaster I see anywhere that gives the kind of reaction it does as it pulls into the unload station even if I do hate it.

 

Thunderhead is easily the best twister I have ever ridden as any of the rest of my favorite wood are all variations on an out and back aside from Twister.

 

I think the rankings are ok as everyone has there own opinion and most of the people who do the Golden Tickets are not really enthuiasts in the sense that we are.

 

The one thing I do question is Papa Beast on the list, at night it is great, but during the day it is mediocre at best, it's really sad.

Edited August 28, 2005 by MagnumForce

[coasterdave]

The Golden Tickets are mainly used for PR by the said park that has won the Golden Ticket or placed in the top whatever area that the park has won. I am in no way saying that you should take this list or any other Top Ten list to heart. For I have said this a number of times and I will say it again. The only Top Ten list that should matter to you is your Top Ten list not Golden Ticket or any other list that are running around today.

 

There really is no need to complain about a poll that some feel is outlandish or rediculous. Hell I voted in it and I do not agree with some of the listings but afterall it is just a poll and should be treated as a poll.

[robbalvey]

I think the rankings are ok as everyone has there own opinion and most of the people who do the Golden Tickets are not really enthuiasts in the sense that we are.

Really? I was under the impression it was mostly enthusaists or people who had something to do with the industry/enthusiast community. I forget what the actual letter says that comes with our ballot, but I was damn sure it said something to that effect.

 

--Robb

[MagnumForce]

It's industry people, but it's not enthusiasts people last I knew.

 

These people obviously go to parks, but they do it as a job, not like we do.

 

It's not a bunch of ACER's who vote is what I am getting at, although enthusiast do make up a percentage of the vote.

 

In that way it's much different then Mitch's poll.

[coaster1]

Voters are AT subscribers and not all AT subscribers are picked to vote in the Golden Tickets. I wasn't the first 3 years I subscribed, but after meeting Gary and Randy when he was still with them, I eventually got in to vote as well.

 

It's comprised of alot of people, alot of people dont subscribe to AT who are in the clubs actually.

[SharkTums]

Wow, I'm sorry but I felt that list was unbelievably biased and wrong!

 

How can two rides that are at almost EVERY waterpark in the country be the best waterpark ride...oh that's right, because they're at Holiday World!

 

It just seemed that some of that stuff was really, way off. Even if it was 'industry insiders'.

 

Elissa "still really disturbed by that!" Alvey

Edited August 28, 2005 by SharkTums

[DRWP2005]

coaster1- Yeah I explained that in my post on the first page...the people in the clubs don't need to subscribe becuase they know everything that's in the paper by the time they get it thanks to the internet.

 

The people that I imagine that subscribe to AT are mostly the actually parks themselves, like the managers and higher up people.

 

At least hopefully the TV show will be interesting

Edited August 28, 2005 by DRWP2005

[Bob O]

I agree that these polls are very subjectiive but it was nice too see that Hades scored as high as it did, glad too see.

[Real]

Well remember folks that the Golden Tickets are not just enthusiats but more GP type personalities then anyhting.

 

I think that alone explains Millennium Force, but I am weird and would personally put Magnum about where it is on the list.

 

I don't know but I agree with a lot of what is on there.

 

While Mythos is excellent the rest of IOA's food is subpar IMO, Knoebel's has great food everywhere, as does Epcot, as does BGW. Holiday World's employees are really that friendly all the time.

 

MF is still the only coaster I see anywhere that gives the kind of reaction it does as it pulls into the unload station even if I do hate it.

 

Thunderhead is easily the best twister I have ever ridden as any of the rest of my favorite wood are all variations on an out and back aside from Twister.

 

I think the rankings are ok as everyone has there own opinion and most of the people who do the Golden Tickets are not really enthuiasts in the sense that we are.

 

The one thing I do question is Papa Beast on the list, at night it is great, but during the day it is mediocre at best, it's really sad.

 

 

Well said, I agree with most of it. Holiday World employees are scarily happy but alot of it is just that almost all of them that I met LOVE their job. So you know they are treated right and they enjoy the workplace and when that happens, you get happy employees.

 

Magnum is a top 10 coaster, not sure on top 3. I might place it top 5.

 

Thunderhead ISNT a #1 but its darn close. Its an incredible twister that has airtime and laterals as well as one of the crazier layouts out there.

 

 

Oh well. They seem a bit better than past years.

 

 

One more BIG thing to add to that:

 

They list "Best kids area" and I know they mean a specific kids area but as for the BEST park to take kids too...its Holiday World all the way. Along with staff being amazing and the conditions pristine, theres no smoking but in designated areas which people obey (first time I ever saw that) theres modest dress codes and great rules.

 

We were completely amazed that we heard virtually no cussing, saw no spitting, saw little smoking (what was was done where it should have been) and overall an amazing experience. I totally would take kids to the park. I would definatly rather take them there than Disney. Disney is a far cry from the wholesome values of HW and the amazing place they run. THATS for sure.

[CoasterFanatic]

Really? I was under the impression it was mostly enthusaists or people who had something to do with the industry/enthusiast community. I forget what the actual letter says that comes with our ballot, but I was damn sure it said something to that effect.

 

True. Almost everybody I know that votes in the poll is an ACE Member or some sort of enthusiast. I think the real problem is that a lot of people don't vote with their gut, because they think it will just go to waste. I know people who have wanted to vote for something outside of the norm, but it just doesn't make a difference. Kind of like voting "Green".

 

Anyway, if it the truth you seek, do what many have suggested and check this page out:

 

http://www.geocities.com/wcoasterpoll/

 

In the end, I think that most polls are pretty useless but to gather a general opinion. My top 10 is the only one that matters!

[Jew]

Hooray for Haunt!

[COOOOLkid]

WTF? Best Place to ride Go-Karts? Where's the one for "Best Bench: The Ride?"