CodyDL Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Kings Island brings home two awards. #1 Best Kid's Area of 2011 #7 Top Wood Roller Coasters of 2011 (The Beast) Full list of awards can be found here, http://goldenticketa..._park_ride.html or the PDF here, http://goldenticketa...ket_section.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 And, grudgingly, the New Texas Giant got Best New Ride. Why grudgingly, you might ask? Six Flags doesn't buy many ads from Mr. Gary Slade, proprietor of Amusement Today. Meanwhile, Cedar Point got Best Amusement Park in the World. 14th straight year.... Golden Tickets have almost the credibilty and importance of Motor Trend's Car of the Year award. Almost..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodyDL Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 New Texas Giant was also a top ranked steel coaster. So it isn't considered a wooden coaster? I know it was re-tracked but so much it became a steel coaster? Maybe they need a new hybrid category for next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 New Texas Giant is no longer a wooden coaster. It does not have laminated wood track. Son of Beast, and its loop, were wood. Texas Giant was wood. New Texas Giant is no more a wooden coaster than is Gemini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 New Texas Giant was also a top ranked steel coaster. So it isn't considered a wooden coaster? I know it was re-tracked but so much it became a steel coaster? Maybe they need a new hybrid category for next year Right. It was re-tracked in steel. So it's a steel coaster. "Hybrid" is really just a classification that arose from human's longing to classify things. The track is either steel or wooden, and that's all that matters from the point of view in consideration. Adventure Express is a steel coaster, period. Voyage is a wooden coaster. And the New Texas Giant is steel. Though the supports holding up Son of Beast's loop were steel, the track was made of wood, so it was a wooden coaster with a loop. That's not to say a "hybrid" structure can't influence the ride experience, because I imagine Son of Beast would've been much sturdier (and almost certainly safer) had it been supported by steel. But again, from the point of view in question, only the track composition matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 ^ I agree totally about the classification bit. I wonder, though, how people will/do classify wooden coasters that get Rocky Mountain Construction's topper track. After all, the track is then made of both steel and wood... (If you're not familiar: Wooden coaster track is usually made of seven or eight layers of wood stacked on top of each other, the top two or three of which are wider and are what the train actually travels on. Topper track is prefabricated steel that takes the places of those two or three top layers. It's different from the Iron Horse track used on The New Texas Giant and has been installed on at least SFFT's Rattler and SFNE's Cyclone, with positive results. I've heard rumors that Holiday World will be installing some on Voyage next year to accompany the new Timberliners.) One other thing... The perfectionist engineer in me has to point out that there's zero guarantee that Son of Beast, had it been designed with steel supports, would have been safer. If you read the accident report from 2006, the problem was not with the ride's wood. The problem was in the design, which did not account for certain loads. I don't know why the problem didn't present itself sooner, but something about the way the trains shuffled that day caused extra lateral loading to the outside of the helix. The loading was transferred to the bent, which was unprepared for that amount of stress and therefore sheared itself essentially in half vertically along some of the outside beams. Even more, a lot of the wood in that bent was new; the design was just flawed. I'm willing to bet that RCCA could have just as easily made a mistake with steel... You simply have to account for all forces under any circumstance in which the ride (or any machine, for that matter) will operate. It's a bit short-sighted to just say that steel would solve the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorGuy Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 The Golden Tickets lost credibility several years ago. I really question if votes are really counted. All the parks get the same awards every year. It's almost a given that CP gets best park and KI gets best kids area, and Schlitterbahn is best water park, although that's probably true. The only variances I see and have seen in the last 5 years is best new rides. Those are obviously different. I have to question quite a few of the awards. The only one that really bothers me a lot is Knoebels getting best food. That absolutely is NOT true! They don't even have a sit down table service restaurant! I can't stand their pizza, it's almost as bad as CiCis! Best food definitely belongs to Dollywood. They have the tastiest food of any park I've been to. They need to think these things over again. Same parks shouldnt be getting same awards every year, just because they always have. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan73 Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 With Kings Island being the only "major" park that I've ever been to, I must be a little ignorant. I think that Kings Island's kids' area, on its own, would make a good amusement park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Kings Island's area is indeed lovely, and has lots and lots of rides for kids. But better than Fantasyland at Disneyland? Better than Seuss Landing at Universal's Islands of Adventure? According to this publication, apparently it is. Who can say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 You pays your money and you gets your award Or sumthin' like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Yep. And how many awards did Six Flags win? And did Cedar Fair's full page spread in last years Amusement Today Golden Ticket issue assist them at all this year? I didn't see any full page ads sponsored by Disney, and as coincidence would have it, their parks didn't seem to win much of anything despite universal recognition and acclaim... Hmmm... Speaking of universal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 As I have said in other threads I give little weight to the validity of the Golden Ticket Awards as if it is a true and fair assessment of the parks being judged. I do not mean to take away from any parks achievement they work hard to continue/try to win certain classifications, I as well as the guests in general appreciate their efforts. I would just like to see before hand what the classifications are in each award classification and how they are to be judged and by whom. Anything short of that at this point from Amusement Today will only fortify my belief that the Golden Ticket Award is not worth the paper it is printed on. I mean for Kings Island to give validity to the Golden Ticket Award then they would also need to accept that Holiday World ranks within the top 10 parks and they rank further down the list from them. I believe Kings Island kids area is one of the best if not the best and in my heart as much as I like Holiday World dry park (I really do) I can not accept them being ranked over Kings Island as well as others. Congratulations Kings Island I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Crunch Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 It is surprising to see it won the Golden Ticket again. The only way I think they can keep it up is to add a new ride to the area. Nothing big, but just something. Those rides have been there forever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Probably more effective to buy more advertising in Amusement Today. Cheaper, too'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodyDL Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 What other kids area has 3 roller coasters and a water ride... plus all of the smaller rides, they do deserve this award year after year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Kings Island has a wonderful kids area as well as Cedar Point, Dollywood and Universal Studios to just name a few. The thing is I have never thought a great Kids area had to do so much with rides as it does for the whole experience to include entertainment, staff interaction and friendliness.. I guess it is up to each family to decide what they like in a family area. Kings Island should be proud of their Kids area and should advertise how great it is. I just do not need a Golden Ticket Award to tell me it is as in my opinion it means little. So CodyDL are you saying Holiday World is a better park than Kings Island with 3 wooden coasters 3 water rides, 1 dark ride other flats and shows? Just sayin, I do not think anyone is questioning Kings Islands Kids area being a world class attraction area. but rather who is deciding it and how they are doing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodyDL Posted September 19, 2011 Author Share Posted September 19, 2011 I just think out of all other kids areas in other parks KI has the most to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorGuy Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Not trying to knock on Planet Snoopy, it is a good kids area, but I have to say, if I could do it, I would much rather spend more time at Suess Landing, than Planet Snoopy. I think the Cat In The Hat ride is way better than Boo Blasters! It is more family friendly and better themed than BB. The Suess Carousel is way better than the kiddie Carousel in Planet Snoopy. So, not sure if I can say it's better. Kings Island's kids area was way better when it was Hanna-Barbera. That is what it was when it first was winning that award. I would say it was the best then. Planet Snoopy, not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I just think out of all other kids areas in other parks KI has the most to offer. And that is the logic by which the awards are chosen (and probably one of the reasons their validity is so contested). Take Cedar Point... It is crowned the "best amusement park on Earth" yet again. But by the Golden Ticket Awards' own admission, Cedar Point does NOT have the best new ride of 2011, the best entertainment of 2011, the friendliest employees of 2011, the cleanest park of 2011, the best dining of 2011, or the best landscaping of 2011. In fact, the ONLY category it wins in is "best amusement park." Now, isn't that counter-intuitive? Shouldn't the "best amusement park in the world" sweep those categories at best, or come out on top of at least at few at worst? But it doesn't... It does not have the best new ride, the best dining, the best entertainment... but still ends up as the best amusement park. Again, the ONLY thing is has is more roller coasters. By Amusement Today's logic, that is enough to crown it the best amusement park. And so, by extension, yes: Kings Island's Planet Snoopy is the best kid's area simply in terms of it having more kid's coasters and more kid's rides than anywhere else. That appears to be their logic. But what I'm asking is, in practice, does Planet Snoopy beat any of the half-dozen Fantasylands, Seuss Landing, Mermaid Lagoon at DisneySea, Flik's Fun Fair...? I mean, really... Top five? Absolutely. Top three? I'd say so. But the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 In other news, Kings Island's Halloween Haunt was knocked off the list of best Halloween events, according to the list. Interesting to see that both Kennywood, Knoebels, AND a park in Germany beat both Howl-O-Scream events at the Busch Gardens parks, Uni Hollywood's HHN, as well as our own Haunt. Also interesting that Eruopa Park's event only got 5% of the vote to make it into the top 5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenageninja Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Kennywood's Haunt deserves to be on the list. no questions asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I wonder if I bought enough advertising for my Roller Coaster Tycoon park with Amusement Today if I could get an award? Chances are very likely I could. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSalsa Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 WOW. Diamondback is no longer a Top 10 Steel Coaster. Didn't see that coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsrattler Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 WOW. Diamondback is no longer a Top 10 Steel Coaster. Didn't see that coming. And to one man (or a few) Diamondback is their top coaster of all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenageninja Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 And to that argument, some would say Magnum is the best steel coaster in the world. It's all about opinions. If you don't like their opinions, don't read. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-lo775 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 What other kids area has 3 roller coasters and a water ride... plus all of the smaller rides, they do deserve this award year after year. Canada's Wonderland has 3 coasters and a water ride in their kids area and has much more landscaping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gad198 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Agreed. I would also argue that Canada's Wonderland has cooler looking buildings in their kids area. Their whole kids area just seems fresher and more lively than KIs. How their kids area isn't even mentioned in the Golden Tickets is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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