Golden Ticket Awards 2021

The monthly periodical Amusement Today, featuring news, reviews and articles about the amusement park industry, gives out a set of annual amusement park awards called the Golden Ticket Awards (GTA), the first being awarded in 1998.

The awards are based on surveys from a panel of around 500 experienced park enthusiasts split geographically with four regions in North America and one region for the Rest of the World. They vote on a number of different categories, but as expected there tends to be an emphasis towards North America.

Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the theme park industry in 2020, Amusement Today did not make their usual awards in 2020 but with the parks re-opening the awards were once again presented in 2021.

Golden Ticket Award Highlights in 2021

Here is a list of the most important theme park, water park and attraction Golden Ticket Awards for 2021 with details of first places and any Florida related top 5 rankings. Because there was no voting in 2020, the three “New” categories include rides opened in both 2020 and 2021.

In 2021 “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios won three Golden Ticket Awards for Best Dark Ride, Best New Attraction Installation of 2020/2021 and Best New Family Attraction of 2020/2021.

Now in its 24th year, the top Golden Ticket Award for Best Park again went to Europa-Park, Rust, Germany for the sixth time, Universal’s Islands of Adventure took third place with long time previous winner Cedar Point, Ohio in fifth place. Cedar Point won every year from 1998 to 2013, a total of 16 times.

Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels, Texas also continues to be voted Best Water Park with Volcano Bay dropping to fourth place. Schlitterbahn has been voted first in every single year of the awards, an amazing total of 23 times.

Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pennsylvania was named Best Family Park.

In the Best Wildlife/Marine Life Park category, Florida parks again took the top four places with SeaWorld Orlando in the top spot followed by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Discovery Cove in fourth.

This category started out as Best Marine Life Park but in 2019 it became Best Wildlife/Marine Life Park with SeaWorld Orlando winning every year from the first year in 2006 to 2021.

The Breakout Family Entertainment Center award went to Fun Spot America Atlanta, Fayetteville, Georgia. Fun Spot America also run two amusement parks in Central Florida; Fun Spot America Orlando and Fun Spot America Kissimmee.

Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee won Most Beautiful Park of 2021.

In Best Water Ride of 2021, Valhalla, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England took first place. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Universal’s Islands of Adventure was in third place. It has won the award 12 times in the past and has been placed in the top 3 every year since the award was first introduced in 2001.

Best Kids Area of 2021 was Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas won first place for Best Halloween Event of 2020. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with “Howl-O-Scream” was voted into second place, the first time their Howl-O-Scream event has been ranked. Universal Studios Orlando did not rank because they had cancelled their “Halloween Horror Nights” in 2020 due to the pandemic but in previous years they have been placed top every year except one.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas also picked up the top spot for Best New Show of 2021 with “Rock the Night”.

In the Best New Roller Coaster of 2021 category, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Universal’s Islands of Adventure took the top award.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios took first and second place in the Best New Family Attraction of 2020/2021 category with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway respectively.

In the Best New Water Park Ride of 2021 category, Cheetah Chase, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana was placed first with Riptide Race, Aquatica Orlando placed second .

Florida also took the top two spots for Best New Attraction Installation of 2020/2021 with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure respectively.

Best Guest Experience of 2021 went to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Three Florida rides made the top five in the Best Dark Ride of 2021. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was voted first, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Orlando third and Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios fourth.

Wildebeest, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana was first in the Best Water Park Ride of 2021 category with Universal’s Volcano Bay picking up the second spot with Krakatau Aqua Coaster.

In the Best Food award, Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania was placed first. Disney’s Epcot placed fourth equal and has been placed in the top four every year since 2004.

In the Best Christmas Event of 2020, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee received the fourth top place in 2021 and the Gives Kids The World Village in Kissimmee with “Night of a Million Lights” was voted in third place with SeaWorld Orlando in fourth place.

Note that because of the timing of these awards, the Halloween and Christmas event awards relate to the previous year; i.e. 2020.

Top Place Florida Golden Ticket Award Winners for 2021

In 2021 there were a total of 27 Golden Ticket Award categories and five first places went to theme parks and rides in Florida:

• Best Wildlife/Marine Life Park — SeaWorld Orlando
• Best Dark Ride — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Best New Attraction Installation of 2020/2021 — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Best New Roller Coaster of 2020/21 — Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Best New Family Attraction of 2020/2021 — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s Hollywood Studios

in 2021, Walt Disney World picked up three Golden Ticket Awards for first place with a further four top 5 places, Universal Orlando Resort picked up one first place and six further top five places and the SeaWorld Group were awarded one first place and five further top five places.

LEGOLAND Florida has never won a Golden Ticket Award but it is consistently placed in the top five for Best Family Park.

Universal Orlando was also awarded the Publisher’s Pick “Park of the Year” for the way in which it handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Golden Ticket Roller Coaster Rankings for 2021

Each year, Amusement Today also rank the Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters and the Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters.

Top Wooden Coaster went to Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Phoenix was built in 1985.

There are not many wooden roller coasters left in Florida today but White Lightning at Fun Spot America Orlando was voted into 29th place.

In the steel roller coaster category, Fury 325 at Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina took first place. Fury 325 was built by B&M in 2015.

The highest placed Florida steel roller coaster was Mako at SeaWorld ranked 17th. Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure was placed 18th, Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 22nd, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure 33rd tie and Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 41st.

Looking back to the first year of the awards in 1998, no Florida wooden coasters made the top 25 but in the steel roller coaster category, Montu was ranked 3rd and Kumba 4th, both at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Golden Ticket Award Highlights in Previous Years

The whole world was badly affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and Amusement Today took the decision to suspend the regular “Best” categories and instead recognised industry leaders.

GTA 2020 Awards

Pamela Landwirth of Give Kids The World Village was made a Golden Ticket Award Legend. Give Kids The World is a non-profit organisation that helps critically ill children and their families take a week long vacation and fulfil their wishes.

Gatorland received an honourable mention in the Industry Leader: Park Awards for its efforts during the pandemic particularly in keeping all its staff on the payroll and working quickly to provide a safe environment when the park re-opened.

GTA 2019 Awards

In 2019 Amusement Today decided to revamp some of the award categories, adding new categories and dropping some earlier categories.

The best attractions/parks of the dropped awards were presented with a Legend award with the Best Indoor Roller Coaster Legend award going to Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Orlando which won every year for 11 years straight.

The Golden Ticket award for Best Amusement Park went to Europa-Park in Rust, Germany.

Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas was voted Best Water Park with Volcano Bay in second place, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in fourth and Disney’s Blizzard Beach in fifth.

LEGOLAND Florida was awarded fifth place in the Best Family Park of 2019. This award effectively replaced a previous Best Children’s Park award.

In the Best Wildlife/Marine Life Park category, Florida parks took the top four places with SeaWorld Orlando in the top spot followed by Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in fourth.

In Best Water Ride of 2019, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at Universal’s Islands of Adventure was in third place with Infinity Falls at SeaWorld Orlando in fourth and Jurassic Park River Adventure also at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in fifth.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure took fifth place in the Best Kids’ Area of 2019. Universal’s Islands of Adventure has been placed in the top five every year except one since the award first started in 2001.

The first place in the Best Halloween Event of 2018 went to Universal Studios Orlando.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure took second place in the Best New Rollercoaster of 2019 award and first place for Best New Attraction Installation of 2019.

Masters of Flight at LEGOLAND Florida won fifth place in the Best New Family Attraction of 2019 award.

Two Florida rides made the top five in the Best Dark Ride of 2019 with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in second place and Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios third.

Krakatau Aqua Coaster at Universal’s Volcano Bay picked up the second spot in the Best Water Park Ride of 2019 with Ray Rush at SeaWorld Orlando fourth.

Disney’s Epcot took third place in the Best Food of 2019 and SeaWorld Orlando was in fourth place for Best Christmas Event of 2018.

White Lightning at Fun Spot was voted into 22nd place in the Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters.

Mako at SeaWorld Orlando was ranked 15th in the Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters. Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was placed 30th tie, Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was 36th and Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 40th.