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Golden Ticket Awards 2019 Winners

Gotta love Steel Curtain getting best new coaster... seeing is how it was only open *5 days* before ballots were due.
But that's not really a shock considering a water ride won once, that opened after the ballots were due...
 
The fact they think Untamed is in Walibi Belgium just goes to show how hilariously out of touch these people are.

How many people must have seen that list for NOT ONE of them to notice that.

****ing amateurs. :p
 
I'm suprised that they didn't say that Canada's Wonderland was in Michigan. BTW GTA, It's the UK not England - This isn't the World Cup or the European Championships.

Seriously, does this competition have any non-USA representatives?
 
Some of the winners are interesting, I must admit! I wasn't expecting Hagrid's to win Best New Ride, but it's a great choice, in my opinion!

Out of interest, what is The Zenith at Mega Parc, which was the 5th highest ranked new ride of the year? Is it something I should probably know about; I don't remember it getting mentioned at all on the forums?
 
Some of the winners are interesting, I must admit! I wasn't expecting Hagrid's to win Best New Ride, but it's a great choice, in my opinion!

Out of interest, what is The Zenith at Mega Parc, which was the 5th highest ranked new ride of the year? Is it something I should probably know about; I don't remember it getting mentioned at all on the forums?
Its a Ferris wheel in Quebec - https://www.mega-parc.com/en/attractions/zenith-2/
 
Here's the rundown on Top 50 Wood and Steel Coasters. We've discussed Golden Tickets' weird scoring system that leads to their often out-of-touch results; it's interesting, really, to see how tropes and roller coasters that were popular 10+ years ago somehow still ping to the top of this list, yet don't on any other listing:

2019 Top Wood
RankNameParkLocationSupplier
1Phoenix Knoebels Elysburg, Pa.Dinn-PTC/Schmeck
2Voyage Holiday World Santa Claus, Ind. The Gravity Group
3El Toro Six Flags Great AdventureJackson, N.J.Intamin
4BoulderDash Lake CompounceBristol, Conn.Custom Coasters
5Beast Kings Island Mason, OhioKECO
6GhostRider Knott’s Berry Farm Buena Park, Calif.Custom Coasters
7Lightning Rod Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tenn.Rocky Mountain
8Outlaw Run Silver Dollar CityBranson, Mo.Rocky Mountain
9Ravine Flyer 2 WaldameerErie, Pa.The Gravity Group
10Mystic TimbersKings Island Mason, OhioGreat Coasters Int.
11Thunderhead Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tenn.Great Coasters Int.
12Gold Striker California’s Great America Santa Clara, Calif.Great Coasters Int.
13Balder LisebergGothenburg, SwedenIntamin
14Lightning Racer Hersheypark Hershey, Pa.Great Coasters Int.
15Shivering Timbers Michigan’s AdventureMuskegon, Mich.Custom Coasters
16Wildfire KolmårdenNorrköping, SwedenRocky Mountain
17Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Santa Cruz, Calif.Prior & Church/Looff
18Thunderbolt Kennywood West Mifflin, Pa.Vettel/Miller
19Comet The Great EscapeLake George, N.Y.PTC/Schmeck
20Jack Rabbit KennywoodWest Mifflin, Pa.Miller
21Raven Holiday World Santa Claus, Ind.Custom Coasters
22White Lightning Fun SpotOrlando, Fla.Great Coasters Int.
23Wodan Europa-Park Rust, GermanyGreat Coasters Int.
24Renegade Valleyfair Shakopee, Minn.Great Coasters Int.
25Troy Toverland Sevenum, the NetherlandsGreat Coasters Int.
26Legend Holiday World Santa Claus, Ind.Custom Coasters
27Goliath Six Flags Great America Gurnee, Ill.Rocky Mountain
28Cyclone Luna Park/Coney Island Brooklyn, N.Y.Kennan/Baker
29Prowler Worlds of FunKansas City, Mo.Great Coasters Int.
30Colossos Heide Park Soltau, GermanyIntamin
31Boardwalk Bullet Kemah Boardwalk Kemah, Texas The Gravity Group
32Playland Wooden Coaster PNE Playland Vancouver, B.C., Canada Phare
33Flying Turns Knoebels Elysburg, Pa.Fetterman
34Rampage Alabama Adventure Bessemer, Ala.Custom Coasters
35Cú Chulainn Tayto Park Ashbourne, Ireland The Gravity Group
36Boss Six Flags St. LouisEureka, Mo.Custom Coasters
37T ExpressEverland Yonjin-si, South Korea Intamin
38Blue Streak Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio PTC/Hoover
39American Thunder Six Flags Six Flags St. Louis Eureka, Mo.Great Coasters Int.
40Blue Streak Conneaut Lake Park Conneaut Lake, Pa.Vettel /NAD
41InvadR Busch Gardens Williamsburg Williamsburg, Va.Great Coasters Int.
42Screamin’ EagleSix Flags St. Louis Eureka, Mo.PTC/Allen
43Hades 360 Mount OlympusWisconsin Dells, Wis.The Gravity Group
44Megafobia Oakwood Pembrokeshire, Wales Custom Coasters
45 tieRutschebanan Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen, Denmark L.A. Thompson S. R. Co.
45 tieTwister KnoebelsElysburg, Pa.Fetterman
47El Toro Freizeitpark Plohn Lengenfeld, GermanyGreat Coasters Int.
48Twister Gröna LundStockholm, Sweden The Gravity Group
49Switchback ZDTsSeguin, Texas The Gravity Group
50Grizzly Kings Dominion Doswell, Va.Taft

2019 Top Steel
RankNameParkLocationSupplierYear
1Fury 325 Carowinds Charlotte, N.C.B&M2015
2Millennium Force Cedar PointSandusky, OhioIntamin2000
3Steel VengeanceCedar PointSandusky, OhioRocky Mountain2018
4Superman: The RideSix Flags New EnglandAgawam, Mass.Intamin2000
5Expedition GeForce Holiday ParkHassloch, GermanyIntamin2001
6Twisted Colossus Six Flags Magic MountainValencia, Calif.Rocky Mountain2015
7Iron Rattler Six Flags Fiesta TexasSan Antonio,TexasRocky Mountain2013
8Apollo’s Chariot Busch Gardens WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Va.B&M1999
9Leviathan Canada’s WonderlandVaughan, Ontario, CanadaB&M2012
10NitroSix Flags Great AdventureJackson, N.J.B&M2001
11Intimidator 305Kings DominionDoswell, Va.Intamin2010
12Phantom’s RevengeKennywoodWest Mifflin, Pa.Arrow/Morgan2001
13Maverick Cedar PointSandusky, OhioIntamin2007
14Diamondback Kings IslandMason, OhioB&M2009
15Mako SeaWorld OrlandoOrlando, Fla.B&M2016
16NemesisAlton TowersStaffordshire, EnglandB&M1994
17Taron PhantasialandBrühl, GermanyIntamin2016
18Magnum XL-200 Cedar PointSandusky, OhioArrow 1989
19Helix LisebergGothenburg, SwedenMack2014
20Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa LandNagashima, JapanMorgan2000
21Top Thrill Dragster Cedar PointSandusky, OhioIntamin2003
22Time Traveler Silver Dollar CityBranson, Mo.Mack2018
23 tieBlue FireEuropa-ParkRust, GermanyMack2009
23 tieX2 Six Flags Magic MountainValencia, Calif.Arrow2002
25Mind Bender Six Flags Over GeorgiaAustell, Ga.Schwarzkopf1978
26New Texas GiantSix Flags Over TexasArlington, TexasRocky Mountain2011
27Skyrush Hershey, PennsylvaniaHershey, Pa.Intamin2012
28Intimidator CarowindsCharlotte, N.C.B&M2010
29Behemoth Canada’s WonderlandVaughan, Ontario, CanadaB&M2008
30 tieGoliath Six Flags Over GeorgiaAustell, Ga.B&M2006
30 tieMontu Busch Gardens TampaTampa, Fla.B&M1996
32Alpengeist Busch Gardens WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Va.B&M1997
33BansheeKings IslandMason, OhioB&M2014
34Yukon Striker Canada’s WonderlandVaughan, Ontario, CanadaB&M2019
35TRON Lightcycle Power Run Shaghai DisneylandShanghai, China.Vekoma2016
36Cheetah Hunt Busch Gardens TampaTampa, Fla.Intamin2011
37Twisted Timbers Kings DominionDoswell, Va.Rocky Mountain2019
38Verbolten Busch Gardens WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Va.Zierer2012
39Wicked Cyclone Six Flags New EnglandAgawam, Mass.Rocky Mountain2015
40Kumba Busch Gardens TampaTampa, Fla.B&M1993
41Cannibal LagoonSalt Lake City, UtahIn-house/ART Eng.2015
42Steel Curtain KennywoodWest Mifflin, Pa.S&S2019
43Black Mamba PhantasialandBrϋhl, GermanyB&M2006
44Whizzer Six Flags Great AmericaGurnee, Ill.Schwarzkopf1976
45Full Throttle Six Flags Magic MountainValencia, Calif.Premier2013
46Raging Bull Six Flags Great AmericaGurnee, Ill.B&M1999
47 tieLisebergbanan LisebergGothenburg, SwedenSchwarzkopf1987
47 tieSuperman Ride of Steel Six Flags AmericaLargo, MarylandIntamin2000
49 tieGoliathSix Flags Magic MountainValencia, Calif.B&M2000
49 tieTatsuSix Flags Magic MountainValencia, Calif.B&M2006


Other hot takes in reviewing the list:
  • Cedar Point continues to slide as most popular park, down to #3 with Dollywood moving up to #2. Curious how much the top Dollywood billing on customer service and kiddie area played into that as well.
  • Steel Curtain is deserving of the #1 new coaster slot, but as others mentioned, seeing Untamed rank so low is laughable in comparison.
  • Was there a recent ACE trip to Knott's? Ghostrider has shot up like a rocket into the top 10. The GCI retrack is phenomenal, but interesting to see it jump up so much.
  • RMC rankings are very interesting, and pretty counter the consensus on how Schilke stacks up. Twisted Colossus at #2 overall? Twisted Timbers at #5? No Storm Chaser at all?
 
These voters don't travel much outside of the US or the top tier of the Cedar Fair chain (that's always been the case). Also, coasters that are part of recent enthusiasts events always get a bump, as well as the nerdy faves like Dollywood and Holiday World.

We complain every year, but we should all know this by now.
 
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