Top of the Park(s)
For movies, it’s the Academy Awards. For music, it’s the Grammy’s. For amusement parks? It’s the Golden Ticket Awards that took place recently in San Antonio, Texas.
And Cincinnati’s own Kings Island took home one of 2022’s top honors – Park of the Year for its 50th Anniversary Celebration season, according to Kings Island’s Director of Communications, Chad Showalter.
Recently, the amusement park’s rides were recognized as some of the best, including The Beast, Mystic Timbers, Orion and Diamondback.
Here’s a look at the park’s honors for this year:
Top Honor: 2022 Park of the Year
Amusement Today, the organizers of the Golden Ticket Awards” said that Kings Island received the ‘Park of the Year’ award “Because of (the park’s) important history and its perfect celebration of it.”
World Class
In addition to offering more than 100 world-class rides, shows and attractions, Kings Island offers a series of special outdoor events each and every year.
More Kings Island Recognition:
In addition to Park of the Year, Kings Island in the following categories:
Ice Dreams
You know you’ve made this face while enjoying the seasonal fav, Blue Ice Cream. YUM!
#2 Best New Show – “Fun, Fireworks, and Fifty Nighttime Spectacular”
#2 Best Kids Area in the World – Planet Snoopy provides families with top kids rides and attractions during their visit to Kings Island.
#4 Best New Show – “Phantom Theater Encore”
#4 Best Guest Experience (up from #5 last year)
Racing for the Win
The Red and Blue racers are a classic, guest favorite.
#5 Best Wooden Rollercoaster – The Beast (One of only two roller coasters that have been on every top 10 list Amusement Today has published)
#6 Best Wooden Rollercoaster – Mystic Timbers (The coaster debuted at #11 in 2017)
Golden Anniversary
“It's moments like these that make me so proud of my park.”
– Chad Showalter, director of communications
#17 Best Steel Coaster – Diamondback Earlier this year, Grace Timmons from Seymour, Indiana became Diamondbacks 20 millionth rider.
#20 Best Steel Coaster – Orion USA TODAY’s Best New Amusement Park Attraction in 2020
“It's moments like these that make me so proud of my park, Showalter adds. “This weekend, at the annual international Golden Ticket Awards ceremony in San Antonio, Texas, Amusement Today awarded the Golden Ticket Award for Park of the Year to Kings Island.”
50 years of fun
The park celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, with special events, honoring memories, fun and traditions.
The park is in the midst of getting ready for Halloween Haunt, opening on Friday, Sept. 23.
Keep an eye out as we take you inside the park and share the spooky and scary happenings!
For more info, click here!
Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards are the amusement industry’s top recognition with amusement park owners and managers, ride manufacturers and other industry officials. One a year they gather to salute the industry’s top parks. Winners are selected by hundreds of well-traveled amusement park enthusiasts, who vote from all corners of the world.