Cedar Point wins best park, best steel coaster

Friday, 27 August 2004

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2004 – For the seventh consecutive year, the famed Cedar Point amusement park/resort was voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” and its ultra-popular Millennium Force was rated the “Best Steel Roller Coaster in the World” in the recently announced Golden Ticket Awards, a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper.

Along with the amazing 310-foot-tall, 93-mph Millennium Force, three of Cedar Point’s other steel roller coasters were ranked on the Golden Ticket Award’s Top 10 list, giving the park an unprecedented four of the Top 10 steel roller coasters in the world. In addition to Millennium Force being the No. 1 steel scream machine, the venerable 205-foot-tall, 72-mph Magnum XL-200 came in at No. 3; the skyscraping 420-foot-high, 120-mph Top Thrill Dragster nabbed the No. 7 slot and the 137-foot-high, 57-mph inverted Raptor was voted No. 10 on the roster.

“Cedar Point continues to dominate the ‘Best Park’ category with its special combination of history, resort atmosphere and world-class collection of rides,” says Gary Slade, editor-in-chief and publisher of Amusement Today. “It is truly unbelievable that one park has been the runaway winner for seven years in a row … this speaks volumes about Cedar Point and its commitment to remaining the pinnacle of amusement parks worldwide. And when it comes to coasters, Cedar Point is the industry leader, as the poll clearly indicates.”

The Golden Ticket Awards are presented to the “best of the best” in the amusement industry by Amusement Today, the Arlington, Texas-based publication that covers international amusement and waterpark news and trends. Surveys were sent to a database of experienced park fans around the world, asking them to rate the “bests” in 20 categories, such as “amusement parks,” “roller coasters,” “food,” “waterparks” and “live shows.” This is the seventh annual year for Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards, which are considered the “Super Bowl” or “Academy Awards” of the amusement industry.

Cedar Point is located on a scenic Lake Erie peninsula and is home to the largest collection of roller coasters (16) and rides (67) in the world. With a rich heritage dating back to 1870, Cedar Point is also the second oldest amusement park in North America and has four hotels, two marinas, a beautifully manicured beach and boardwalk, RV campground and cottages and cabins, award-winning live entertainment, Camp Snoopy family playland, children’s areas, Soak City waterpark, activity complex with go-karts and miniature golf courses and much more. Situated on 364 acres, Cedar Point is one of the most visited amusement parks in the country, attracting more than 3 million guests each season.

“The Golden Ticket Awards are a special honor to all of us at Cedar Point,” says Daniel Keller, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Our staff is thrilled and honored to consistently be voted so highly in this prestigious poll by park enthusiasts who travel all over the world seeking out the ‘bests’ in the business. We pledge to uphold our strong commitment of maintaining Cedar Point’s No. 1 standing.”

For more information about Cedar Point, guests can call the park’s general information line at 419.627.2350 or log on to cedarpoint.com. News media may contact Amusement Today at their offices in Arlington, Texas, at 817.460.7220 or log on to amusementtoday.com for a complete listing of winners.