Golden Ticket Awards Announced (Amusement Park Awards)

[klj27]

When we were at Holiday World I was sceptical of the Cleanest and Friendliest ranking until I saw it! My son was riding a small childrens ride and there was no one in line after him. As we were walking away I saw the teenage worker pick up a broom and clean his ride area.

 

[mamacatnv]

Love love love Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels - we took our kids there 3 years ago, best family vacation ever, yes including WDW.
We had a blast!

 

[HelenePA]

Knoebals is awesome. Maybe the awards will shake the powers to be up (I doubt it). Disney food is terrible and getting worse.

I was so excited about going to disney after hearing about all the great food... we got there and amost everything is covered in sauce, heavily seasoned, dressing on all salads... I was very let down. I couldn't wait to come home and eat something normal! Anyone up for a dis meet at knoebels? lol Opening day is usually mid-may with b1g1 free handstamps! haven't missed that in 8 years!

 

[Spinning]

Knoebel's is the best!I remember the first time we went my son was 6 months old. One of the workers said "You will be back every year!" Guess what he was right we go every year! This was our 13th year~! LOVE IT! best deal for the money and the food...YUM This year we found the potato cakes...oh my gosh! SO good! I am sure I lost at least a year or two off my life! But yum!

 

[Buckalew11]

Dollywood shows and Dollywood at Christmas time is beautiful! Happy they wons those awards!

Maybe only winning one thing will get Disney on thier toes again.

 

[indimom]

I was surprised Disney only received one, but NOT surprised that Holiday World got a couple. Fantastic park! Free parking, free drinks, free sun block. VERY clean. Of course that probably has something to do with the fact that you will see the owners IN the park on a regular basis.

We like KI in Ohio too. Great coaster park if you are thrill junkies, which we are. No where near as clean as other parks we've been to, but the rides rock. We're going to do their Halloween Haunt next month. Lots of fun and all the ride lines are non-existant!!! Woo Hoo!

 

[SondraC]

Question about Knoebels? How are their rides for pooh sized people? Disney is great for that, actually the best for people of all sizes fitting on their rides.

 

[HelenePA]

Question about Knoebels? How are their rides for pooh sized people? Disney is great for that, actually the best for people of all sizes fitting on their rides.

Well, my dad was a man of size.. He didn't have trouble with any of their rides that I can remember. a pooh size person probably wont fit on most of the kiddie rides.. my 9 yr old has a hard time fitting on some of those maybe the "old" train but not the "newer" train... the old one is very uncomfy and small, along with the "swings' I dont know what they are really called..

 

[I Am What I Am]

I saw a Travel Channel show on Schlitterbahn. It looked awesome. I want to go there someday.

 

[SondraC]

Well, my dad was a man of size.. He didn't have trouble with any of their rides that I can remember. a pooh size person probably wont fit on most of the kiddie rides.. my 9 yr old has a hard time fitting on some of those maybe the "old" train but not the "newer" train... the old one is very uncomfy and small, along with the "swings' I dont know what they are really called..

Thanks for the reply!

 

[donaldduck352]

What a great list! Love that Universal appears quite a few times!

5times to be exact!!

 

[Inigo]

I was surprised Disney only received one, but NOT surprised that Holiday World got a couple. Fantastic park! Free parking, free drinks, free sun block. VERY clean. Of course that probably has something to do with the fact that you will see the owners IN the park on a regular basis.

We would go to Holiday World a lot when the kids were little since it's less than an hour away. On one trip we got rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of us. The car was drivable, just crunched front and back, and we were almost there so we went on to the park. Will Koch (HW president) was at the gate greeting people as they arrived, and he asked how our drive was. I mentioned the wreck, and he walked us to first aid to have us checked out, sent workers out to check our car to make sure it was safe to drive, and gave us meal vouchers for the whole day. He and his family made sure to check on us a couple times during the day.

He passed away earlier this summer, and will be missed by everyone who ever met him. Everyone else in his family seems to be just as nice and caring, especially his mother. She'll be the attractive older lady saying hi to you as you arrive.

 

[Troiandan]

I grew up in South Central Indiana, and back in the 60's and 70's Holiday World was Santa Claus Land. Back then it was - well, not what it is today. When I visited then it really looked like it was on its last legs and about to go out of business. I am SOOO glad it became a World Class, friendly, enjoyable entertainment venue! I need to get back up there to visit some day.

 

[GraysMom]

Knoebels food.. OMG to die for! Disney was a major disappointment! I can't wait to go up there and eat one last time for their halloween nights! YUMMMMMM!!!

Helene, if you go up for the Covered Bridge Festival they have a lot of the park stands open, plus some of the stands from the Bloomsburg Fair (Folk's Fried Veggies, Bissingers Apple Dumplings, Penn State Creamery, Benton Cider Mill). I think of it as extending my fair experience

 

[GraysMom]

I was so excited about going to disney after hearing about all the great food... we got there and amost everything is covered in sauce, heavily seasoned, dressing on all salads... I was very let down. I couldn't wait to come home and eat something normal! Anyone up for a dis meet at knoebels? lol Opening day is usually mid-may with b1g1 free handstamps! haven't missed that in 8 years!

Me! That's a great idea Helene!

 

[novajeanjellybean]

I see lots of my faves on that list.

Kennywood- I grew up on that.

Cedar Point- Same for them and their coasters.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Beautiful!!!

Schlitterbahn Galveston- One of the best lazy rivers IMHO (its not lazy at all)

Idlewild- Great, great place for little kids. I hope its still around when I have kids. Storybook Forest is unique to say the least.

Disney- I mean of course I love Disney.

.......And I'm planning to go to the big Schlitterbahn and Universal Studios in the very near future!!!!

 

[DenMig]

We would go to Holiday World a lot when the kids were little since it's less than an hour away. On one trip we got rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of us. The car was drivable, just crunched front and back, and we were almost there so we went on to the park. Will Koch (HW president) was at the gate greeting people as they arrived, and he asked how our drive was. I mentioned the wreck, and he walked us to first aid to have us checked out, sent workers out to check our car to make sure it was safe to drive, and gave us meal vouchers for the whole day. He and his family made sure to check on us a couple times during the day.

He passed away earlier this summer, and will be missed by everyone who ever met him. Everyone else in his family seems to be just as nice and caring, especially his mother. She'll be the attractive older lady saying hi to you as you arrive.

That is a great story. Holiday World is awesome. Their water park can hold its own with anyone. Some good coasters too. Previous posters have mentioned about the freebies, but in addition the food is reasonably priced, not priced as if it is a monopoly. It's a lot smaller than any Disney Park, but its a great family friendly amusement park. I'm in central IL and have Holiday World, Six Flags Chicago, and Six Flags St. Louis all roughly equidistant, and Holiday World blows either Six Flags away IMHO.

 

[Hillbeans]

Knoebels food.. OMG to die for! Disney was a major disappointment! I can't wait to go up there and eat one last time for their halloween nights! YUMMMMMM!!!

Agreed! We went to Knoebels this past August for a family reunion and I couldn't believe the variety of food they had for sale in the park. Much more variety than i'd ever seen at any other park before.

 

[KellyWasHere]

Wow, love lots on this list. Kennywood, Idlewild, Cedar Point ... yippee!

And Universal and Disney of course.

 

[danielephant]

I live on the Roller Coast

Cedar point that is....so other parks that i have been to do not thrill me at all, cause i have had season passes in the past...and we would go at least once a week. Super fun, for the first 6 times in the summer but after that the lines get long and it is no fun. The last time i had a pass was the summer before we got pregnant with our daughter, and i have only been three times since. Take a look at the newest ride they are building...talk about crazy scary!!!! it is not a roller coaster, i love love love rollercoasters, it is like the swings that go in a circle...BUT it goes up a 300 foot poll, makeing it to where you are swinging a few feet lower than the millenium force's tallest hill!!!!!! I would be sooooo freaked out!