Cedar Point Dethroned: Golden Ticket Awards 2014!

Paying off reviewers isn't a new theory. It's been around in the video game industry for years. Everytime a popular game gets a high score everyone on GameFAQs thinks the reviewers were paid

That Crazy Dan said:
Even compared to Pittsburgh there's not a whole lot of interesting regional food that stands out in NE Ohio. Even Pittsburgh has more quirky local things. CP has the lake perch, which is fine as a token item, but again, not everyone eats seafood.

My buddy lives in Cranberry (n.of Pittsburgh)and I went to visit the restaurants/Kennywood there last year. I'll pass on the Isley's(?)chip-chop ham any day and as for Primanti Bros? Very overrated. Mediocre food and bad service.

I DO think the Bacon/Cheddar fries at Kennywood's Potato Patch were a tad better than CP's. I'd get them again.

As for food that stands out in NE Ohio? Next time you're in the Cleveland area, go to a little suburb called Lakewood and you'll find some of the best food that really stands out in NE Ohio, all within a mile radius of each other. Check out Angelo's for pizza, Barocco Grill for some unique Columbian food/arepas, Greek Village for some great gyros,etc, Melt Bar & Grilled for some unique grilled cheese sandwiches, Joe's Deli (in Rocky River), and Barrio (Mexican) for some great queso and tacos.

Back on subject, as for the Golden Tickets, I had a bad feeling about this year after the C&P bathroom fiasco but CP will reclaim the title next year, don't worry.

noggin said:

WishfulThinker83 said:

I love knoebel's, but c'mon LOL they're nothing but a collection of carnival rides!

The results, according to AT's website, reflect the "database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world" they send surveys to. Knoebel's has lots of fans. Knoebel's get lots of Golden Ticket love.

Guess I'm a Knoebels "fanboy" myself. Glad to see the love for my favorite park!!

I've only had the pleasure of visiting Knoebel's once, but I was charmed by the place. Knoebel's does its own thing, and does it well.

Yes. Knoebels gives me the kind of experience that I used to get at CP as a kid back in the 70s. Still love CP and what it offers, but I do feel more satisfied after a Knoebels visit.

Jeff said:
Those parks aren't very close together. Do you live equidistant from them?

No they're not. I don't have the luxury of having world class amusement parks in my backyard... I suppose, technically I live closer to Kennywood, but I go to Knoebels, Dorney and Hersheypark more frequently. I honestly think Knoebels gets its food recognized so much because it's good **and inexpensive. Also, I know I've said this before, but their "Phoenix" roller coaster is definitely a huge factor of Knoebel's success. So are the sky ride through the trees and and the "old-school, woodsy" atmosphere that is incorporated in the food.

IMO, Cedar Point's food is just as good (though it's more expensive) even though CP's food is less "authentic" but it has way more of a variety (especially compared to Hersheypark). CP's restaurants are more fun and enjoyable and their food is excellent IMO. What about the waiters at Johnny Rockets? or Breakwater Café's/Perkins' breakfast? or the customized food truck? or the giant snow cones and elephant ears? or the freestyle machines? or Panda Express and Tomo Hibachi?

WishfulThinker83 said:
I love knoebel's, but c'mon LOL they're nothing but a collection of carnival rides! I'm sorry it's a nice park and a good overall experience, but as runner-up in the same conversation as Cedar Point?? LOL

How does Flying Turns one-up Banshee?? Nice addition to Knoebel's but once again does not belong in the same sentence as Banshee, or any state-of-the-art B&M!

Knoebel's has it's section as a family park in the GTA's, but being in the sentence for Best Park?

I couldn't agree more to be honest. As far as Knoebel's new flying turns ride goes, it's nothing special...at all...trust me. Knoebels is a great park (even one of my favorites because I grew up going there), but CP is the holy grail of amusement parks. I wouldn't drive 8 hours to any other park.

I don't mean to sound like a broken record or anything (...and I know I'm starting to ramble at this point) when talking about Knoebel's Phoenix (and maybe Kennywood's "Jackrabbit"), but I suggest that all of you who are reading this post should ride it (IN PERSON, not on YouTube). All this discussion over the years about CP getting a good wooden coaster-- I really think if CP could capture Phoenix's unique, "out-of-control craziness" and make it a CP-quality coaster, it could easily make the top 5 list for wooden coasters. The Phoenix (and maybe the Jackrabbit at kennywood) takes advantage of the gap between the seat and lap bar to give you airtime you will never forget. You will, honestly, redefine the meaning of airtime after you ride it :) The Phoenix also has a real tunnel in that it is literally pitch black (actually dark) for a good 20 seconds of time--not just a 1/2-second of minor light-blockage.

Jack Rabbit is the only coaster that has ever actually scared me. The first time I rode Jack Rabbit was the first time I'd ever ridden a coaster with a double down element. Between that and the loose restraints the ride had at the time ... scared the crap out of me.

Of course, once back in the station and with a few minutes to process the experience ... I was back in the queue for another go.

I think you are all putting too much credibility in the advertising payoff theory of Golden Ticket awards.

I can't be the only one who has noticed how nicely the Golden Ticket awards track the major activities of certain major coaster organizations (including but not limited to ACE and other TLAs). Coaster Con was in New England in 2013, and in 2014 Boulder Dash is suddenly the world's greatest wood coaster. Last year ACE did a tour of Central Europe, and Europa Park gets awarded for it. It will be interesting to see if GhostRider and the two Giant Dippers get ratings boosts next year.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

You're talking about the influencing of the results. I don't think they even matter as much as the fact that they likely sell more ad pages for that issue than any other annual issue.

I'd be curious to see how many votes were cast to begin with..Apparently some parks were separated in as little as two votes I heard. So either good competition, or small pool of votes, I believe the latter.

Regardless..I still foresee me visiting CP more than I do Europa :P

Well either way Millennium Force's reign will soon be coming to an end next year... The al mighty Knoebel's is getting a steel coaster!

Kudos!! Very good point and far from a rant...

This is a loose comparison but I will make it anyway...

People enjoyed (or atleast were tricked into believing they enjoyed) Disaster Transport when it first "opened" due to the extra "effects" (being used loosly here) in the queue area helping them to forget to some extent, how long they were in line waiting.. it added something extra. However when they were yanked out.. you realized immediately how boring the ride would be even before you got on the ride.

Same here.. add extra elements in the queue, not just a sometime dj playing music at way too loud levels and tvs with spiderwebs and faded screens showing nothing of intrest and that makes your wait in line seem even longer than it probably actually is.

"...tricked into believing they enjoyed..."? How do you "trick" someone into believing they enjoyed a ride? Either they enjoy a ride or they don't.

What do queue elements have to do with determining whether a ride is boring or exciting? Witches' Wheel has a pretty dull queue but I always enjoy the ride.

So in essence we are all tricked into liking Dismey rides due to their theming in the queue?

I knew it! I knew Tower of Terror was a terrible ride!

My apologies,

apparently I should've said "the WHOLE experience was more enjoyable when there were things in the queue that added to somewhat of a storyline and helped time to pass, versus just standing in a empty building or outside in the sun"

better?

In case you were wondering, here's Cedar Point's reaction to moving to #2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GezAMXPjE4

To capture Phoenix's craziness, you would need buzz bars. CP never should have neutered Blue Streak, which was perfectly safe for 30 or so years.

Dispatch Master said:
...(or at least were tricked into believing they enjoyed)...

I'm still unclear as to what you mean by "tricked into".

! said:
In case you were wondering, here's Cedar Point's reaction to moving to #2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GezAMXPjE4

The fact that they won't commit to dismantling Mantis totally proves the ride isn't going anywhere.