The 2010 Golden Ticket Awards have been announced and for the 10th year Kings Island receives award for best Kids Area. Other notable awards was the special Legends Series award presented in honor of the late Will Koch of Holiday World. Link to the article with further detail Here.

The Awards

Best Amusement Park

Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Waterpark

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

Best Children’s Park

Idlewild and SoakZone, Ligonier, Pa.

Best Marine Life Park

SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Best Seaside Park

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Best Wooden Coaster

The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Steel Coaster

Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Kids’ Area

Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio

Friendliest Staff

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Cleanest Park

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Halloween Event

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla..

Best Landscaping

Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va.

Best Christmas Event

Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood,

Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Food

Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.

Best Shows

Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Outdoor Night Show Production

IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth

at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.

Best Water Ride

Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Waterpark Ride

Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Dark Ride

Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Indoor Waterpark

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas

Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction

Noah’s Ark at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pa.

Best Carousel

Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort,

Elysburg, Pa.

Best Indoor Roller Coaster

Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando,

Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Amusement Park

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Waterpark

Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

I know many of you can cream me on this list, but I thought it was interesting that due to my latest trek to Orlando, I've experienced most of the attractions on this list:

Best Amusement Park

Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Waterpark

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, New Braunfels, Texas

Best Children’s Park

Idlewild and SoakZone, Ligonier, Pa.

Best Marine Life Park

SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Best Seaside Park

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Best Wooden Coaster

The Voyage at Holiday World, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Steel Coaster

Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

Best Kids’ Area

Kings Island, Kings Mills, Ohio

Friendliest Staff

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Cleanest Park

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Halloween Event

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla.. (Near miss! They had just removed it days before I got there!)

Best Landscaping

Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va.

Best Christmas Event

Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood,

Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Food

Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pa.

Best Shows

Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Best Outdoor Night Show Production

IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth

at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, Orlando, Fla.

Best Water Ride

Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Waterpark Ride

Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Best Dark Ride

Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best Indoor Waterpark

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas

Best Funhouse/Walk-Through Attraction

Noah’s Ark at Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pa.

Best Carousel

Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort,

Elysburg, Pa.

Best Indoor Roller Coaster

Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando,

Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Amusement Park

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Fla.

Best New Ride of 2010 - Waterpark

Wildebeest at Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Ind.

Go Millenium Force! Finally number one! And, of course, congrats to KI for best kids area again! Less than 3 weeks till our next trip to KI!

Hmmm.... I seem to remember some members (I was definitely not one of them) on here predicting that KI would lose the Golden Ticket for Best Kid's Area with the Peanuts re-theme... Guess they were wrong!

I also remember quite a bit of negativity towards KI's new,"Planet Snoopy,".

^

Very true Gator. Would love to hear their thoughts today on this matter, then again not too many still banging that drum.

Did you notice that there was not a single Golden Ticket for the parks that number their flags. I guess they didn't feel like buying any advertisements in Amusement Today. You can see by my signature what I think the #1 coaster is.

Cool that KI still has the best kids area after the switch to Planet Snoopy. Also pretty cool that Millennium Force is back on top!

EDIT: I guess the hype for Intimidator 305 has dropped. It isn't the #1 steel, nor is it the best new ride for 2010.

^You could say the hype was trimmed.

Obviously the Six Flags did not contribute money into this.

MF is not the best coaster at CP even.

Obviously the Six Flags did not contribute money into this.

MF is not the best coaster at CP even.

yep Junior Gemini beats it out

Does anyone on here get Amusement Today? Do you notice a drop in Six Flags ads?

I've always wondered if there was a correlation there...

Does anyone on here get Amusement Today? Do you notice a drop in Six Flags ads?

I've always wondered if there was a correlation there...

Yes I have been a member for 4 years now. and yes I have noticed that with Flags. Note Kinzel was at Busch Gardens last weekend to pick up his Golden Tickets. Its mighty funny how the parks already know the winners way before its anounced to the voters.