During a recent event at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, Amusement Today announced the winners of its 2017 Golden Ticket Awards. The awards annually recognize the “Best of the Best” in the amusement industry and are calculated from an international poll. The results come from a survey that is sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world asking them to rate the “bests” in 25 categories.
Knoebels Amusement Resort received the Golden Ticket Award “Best Carousel” for its Grand Carousel, a distinction it’s received every year the award has been presented. Phoenix roller coaster retained its ranking as the second best wooden roller coater in the world, missing first place by only 29 points. In addition to the Grand Carousel and Phoenix distinctions, Knoebels was a finalist in a number of other categories as follows:
· #2 Best Food
· #3 Best Halloween Event
· #3 Best Dark Ride for its Haunted Mansion
· #4 Best Park
· #4 Friendliest Park
· #4 Best Indoor Roller Coaster for its Black Diamond
· #35 and #44 in Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters for Twister and Flying Turns, respectively
It’s worth mentioning that Twister made a significant leap in the rankings, going from #47 last year to #35 this year.
“We’re lucky to have a great team dedicated to the maintenance of all of our rides including our wooden roller coasters, which require great effort to keep them operating just as well as the day they opened,” said Dick Knoebel, President of Knoebels Amusement Resort. “We’re thankful and honored that Golden Ticket Award voters recognize our team’s efforts, and enjoy the good, old-fashioned fun we have to offer.”
At the ceremony in Connecticut, Dick Knoebel accepted the award for “Best Carousel.” The 104-year-old Grand Carousel was purchased by the park in 1941, and has received the top award every year since its inception.
Haunted Mansion moved up a spot in the rankings for Best Dark Ride, and missed second place by only one half of a percent. To provide perspective on Knoebels’ competition in the awards, only Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure trumped Haunted Mansion, which opened in 1973.
“From the cleaning crew who make the place shine, to the operators who provide our visitors with a positive experience, to my maintenance coworkers who help keep the ride running with their skills and knowledge, it is truly a team effort, and I’m glad I’m on this team,” said Drew Kanaskie, ride technician for the Haunted Mansion. “I’m happy that our park is recognized for our focus on great, traditional, fun rides.”
Amusement Today newspaper was founded in 1997 and covers international amusement and water park news and trends. To view past results, please visit: www.goldenticketawards.com. To find information on Amusement Today, visit: www.amusementtoday.com.