SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cedar Point is earning big recognition yet again as the Sandusky roller coaster oasis has just been ranked #3 among the world’s best amusement parks by Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards.
With Dollywood climbing to the #2 spot this year, it’s the first time Cedar Point has fallen to third place since the Golden Ticket Awards began in 1998.
Cedar Point was ranked at #1 from 1998 until 2013 before it was bested by Europa Park in Rust, Germany, which has held the top spot since 2014.
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The top five parks for 2019 are:
#1 Europa-Park: Rust, Germany
#2 Dollywood: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
#3 Cedar Point: Sandusky, Ohio
#4 Disneyland: Anaheim, Calif.
#5 Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Williamsburg, Va.
The Golden Ticket Awards are among the most-coveted honors within the amusement park industry.
For 2019, Cedar Point also had five of its rides ranked among the top 25 steel roller coasters:
#2 Millennium Force
#3 Steel Vengeance
#13 Maverick
#18: Magnum XL-200
#21: Top Thrill Dragster
The #1 roller spot was earned by Fury 325 at Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C.
But how are these prestigious awards decided? Amusement Today explains the process as follows:
The Golden Ticket Awards are presented annually to honor the ‘Best of the Best’ in the amusement industry and are calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today. The survey asked experienced amusement park voters around the country and world to rate the 'bests' in 22 categories. This year, to keep the awards current and relevant, voters not only included industry fans, but also -- in some categories -- industry suppliers, manufacturers and journalists.