''Amusement Today'' is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures and reviews about all things relating to the

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region ...

, United States, was founded in January 1997 by Gary Slade, Virgil E. Moore III and Rick Tidrow. In 1997, ''Amusement Today'' won the Impact Award in the services category for "Best New Product" from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). A year later, in 1998, the magazine founded the Golden Ticket Awards, for which it has become best known for throughout the amusement park industry. On January 2, 2001, Slade bought out his two partners, giving him sole ownership of the paper. The paper has two full-time and two part-time staff members at its Arlington office, along with two full-time writers and several freelance writers in various parts of the world.

Golden Ticket Awards

Every year, ''Amusement Today'' gives out awards to the best of the best in the amusement park industry in a ceremony known as the Golden Ticket Awards. The awards are handed out based on surveys given to experienced and well-traveled amusement park enthusiasts from around the world. The awards, which were first handed out in 1998, have been featured on the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

and the

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...

2022 winners

Hosts: Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan's Wonderland ''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 10, 2022.''

2021 winners

Host:

National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives The National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives ( NRCMA) is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of historic roller coasters and amusement park artifacts and memorabilia. Its goals include t ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 9, 2021.''

2020 winners

2019 winners

Host Park:

Silverwood Theme Park Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in the city of Athol in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, approximately from Spokane, Washington on US 95. Owner Gary Norton opened the park on June 20, 198 ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 9, 2019.''

2018 winners

Host Park:

Silver Dollar City Silver Dollar City is a amusement park in Stone County, Missouri, near the cities of Branson and Branson West. The park is located off of Missouri Route 76 on the Indian Point peninsula of Table Rock Lake. Silver Dollar City opened on May 1 ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 8, 2018.''

2017 winners

Host Park: Lake Compounce ''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 9, 2017.''

2016 winners

Host Park:

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and ope ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 10, 2016.''

2015 winners

Host Park:

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 12, 2015.''

2014 winners

Host Park: SeaWorld San Diego ''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced at a ceremony on September 5, 2014.''

2013 winners

Host Park:

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States. Description ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced at a ceremony held September 7, 2013.''

2012 winners

Host Park:

Dollywood Dollywood is a theme park jointly owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly ...

''The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced at a ceremony held September 8, 2012.''

2011 winners

2010 winners

2009 winners

2008 winners

2007 winners

2006 winners

2005 winners

2004 winners

2003 winners

2002 winners

2001 winners

2000 winners

1999 winners

1998 winners

Publisher's Picks

Host venues

* From 1998 to 2000, there was no Host Park; the awards were announced from ''Amusement Today'' Arlington, Texas, office instead. * The 2020 event was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

that affected the amusement industry. Voting was not held in 2020 and regular categories were not awarded. Instead, a special category of industry leader awards was created along with publisher picks.

Former awards

* Best Carousel (2007-2018) * Best Funhouse/Walk-Through (2008-2018) * Best Indoor Roller Coaster (2007-2018) * Best Seaside Park (2007-2018) -

(2007-2014, 2016–2018),

Morey's Piers Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a classic seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and is currently run by 2nd gen ...

(2015) * Best Shows (1998-2018) -

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park located in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately northwest of Virginia ...

(1998), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (1999-2008),

(2009-2018) ** The award for Best Shows was revamped after 2018, to just showcase a specific new show at a park. * Cleanest Park (1998-2018) -

(1998-1999),

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (known as Santa Claus Land prior to 1984) is a combination theme park and water park located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. The theme park is divided into four sectio ...

(2000–2018) * Friendliest Park (1998-2018) -

(1998-2008, 2010–2011),

(2009),

(2012–2018)

Repeat winners

* Best Amusement Park –

Europa-Park Europa-Park is the largest theme park in Germany, and the second most popular theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Paris. Europa-Park is located in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Rust, south-western Germany, between Freiburg im Breisgau and Strasbo ...

for the last 7 years. * Best Water Park –

Schlitterbahn Schlitterbahn is an American brand of water parks and resorts owned by Cedar Fair. It was previously a company family-owned-and-operated by the Henry family that was based in New Braunfels, Texas. Schlitterbahn opened its first location, Schlitt ...

for all 24 years. * Best Landscaping/Most Beautiful Park –

for 22 years * Best Halloween Event –

Universal Studios Orlando Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Pa ...

for 10 out of the 13 years the award has been given. * Best Food –

Knoebels Knoebels Amusement Resort () is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is America's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wooden ...

for 18 out of last 19 years (tied once). * Best Steel Roller Coaster –

Fury 325 Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened to the public on March 28, 2015. It features a track that reaches a maximum height of , mak ...

for the last 6 years. * Best Shows –

for the last 10 years. * Best Indoor Waterpark – Schlitterbahn Galveston Island for all 8 years the award has been given. * Best Outdoor Production Show – IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at

Epcot Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unre ...

for 12 out of the 13 years the award has been given.

References

External links

Golden Ticket Awards
{{Golden Ticket Awards Amusement parks Professional and trade magazines Magazines established in 1997 Monthly magazines published in the United States Magazines published in Texas American awards