In an awards ceremony held Thursday night (Sept. 10) in California, Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, was named as the "Best Amusement Park in the World" for the 12th consecutive year in the prestigious Golden Ticket Awards presented annually by Amusement Today newspaper.
The Golden Ticket Awards are given to the highest rated parks in approximately two dozen categories as ranked by a panel of experienced amusement park fans from around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, Amusement Today is an international publication that covers amusement and waterpark news and trends.
"This year's award means as much to us as the first one and all the ones in between," said John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. "This is a tribute to our overall entertainment package and all of our employees who work hard to make it special for all of our guests."
Cedar Point was also well represented in the "Best Steel Roller Coaster" category, with three of its coasters rated in the Top Ten and two others ranked in the Top 25.
Leading this impressive quintet of coasters was Millennium Force, the 310-foot-tall perennial favorite that was rated second overall. Since its introduction in 2000, Millennium Force has always been ranked first or second in the poll. The Magnum XL-200 (9th) that celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and the 42-story-tall Top Thrill Dragster (10th) were the park's two other Top Ten finalists. In only its third season of operation, the Maverick claimed the 15th spot while the 15-year-old Raptor inverted roller coaster was ranked 22nd.
Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Cedar Point is one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the country. With 75 rides, including 17 roller coasters, the park has more rides and more roller coaters than any park in the world. Built in 1870, Cedar Point is the second oldest park in North America.
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