Golden Ticket Awards 2024 Winners and Analysis

See which roller coasters and amusement parks were the big winners at the 2024 Golden Ticket Awards.
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[@alkankondo89]

LOLOL, that dig at Mt. Olympus at 14:10, that it's a fine park to visit "as long as you don't mind possibly DYING" -- had me dying with laughter over here! 🤣🤣

[@katashworth41]

I’ve not ridden Voltron, but Hyperia is the best new ride for me, got the best possible experience on my first ride (back row, right hand side, non rough car) and it was insane.

[@dindog22]

looks awesome on video. Coaster Studios approves

[@BeachcliffStudios]

From those who have ridden both we’re hearing voltron is better but it’s all opinion

[@ellexking9136]

Wait until the Single Buzzer Lap Bars are switched out with Racheting Lap Bars on Phoenix. THEN LET'S SEE HOW IT'S RANKED!! Twister 2 has Racheting Lap Bars, So why do Phoenix Trains still have Buzzer Lap Bars??

[@JRRusseau]

Knoebels is a family owned park so they have more leeway with this sort of thing. It is highly unlikely they will change anything. Phoenix is perfect as is. Besides Buzz bars are on more rides than Phoenix.

[@tenfourguy]

It would be fun to watch a Video of you 2 rearranging, speculating where you would rank the same roller coasters they have listed for the top 25 wooden roller coasters and the top 25 steel roller coasters

[@BeachcliffStudios]

That could be interesting

[@alantrotter2077]

A few things to remember: The voters will rank their top 10 wood and top 10 steel coasters which will explains ties after all of the votes are calculated. Historically an issue with the GTA has been the lack of international coasters on the Top Steel and Top wood. This year voters were replaced with people who went to Europe specifically to ride coaster mostly around the ACE international trip. I was one of those people. So the countries that were on our trip were Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Germany which is why you see a lot of coasters from those parks but not say Spain or Finland, etc. It still has a long way to go in this area as we made up a smaller percentage of the voters so I think the opportunity exist to get more international flavor. Next thing is a lot of the voters have been voting for a very long time and frankly if they haven't traveled overseas you will see them rank a lot of the same coasters (ie- Millennium Force, Superman, etc). Also if you noticed the voters really value different things, again this is shown by rides like Hagrids and Guardians in the Top 25 steel, which they probably aren't. For me I ranked Ride to Happiness as my #1 steel and I can tell you another member of the group made that her 1000th coaster and it was too much for her so everyone is different which again is why I think people fall back onto the coasters they know for many years. Finally with wood coasters I think Phoenix and Beast probably appeared on the majority of submissions (I didn't have the Beast in my top 10 and Phoenix was like 9th.). With less than 200 wood coasters in the world if you are making onto everyone's list it is going to help you in the rankings. Oh and Troy is like Thunderhead but it runs more rough than Thunderhead. They need to give it some TLC and it would be at Thunderhead's level.

[@Frankenberry]

Big bear mountain is definitely the best family coaster. It's super fun .. tame enough for the smaller ones.. but exciting enough for the rest. It's a super long ride to boot.

[@mjsucf09]

Enjoyed this video. Ghostrider at night in the back is top tier. Currently my #1 coaster.

[@richardmorgan1588]

Every time I watch one of your videos, it’s an education! I always thought Golden Ticket was associated with enthusiasts! I thought it meant something! You’ve opened my mind that their rating system really doesn’t conform to reality in at least some cases.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

We’re glad you enjoy. But yeah, these awards are just kind of going through the motion.

[@chadenglish4169]

I went 2yrs in row to Christmas at Dollywood. The lights are so pretty especially the ones that down vertically. It almost feels like you are walking thru them.

[@KeyDash753]

I just went to look at the full top 50 lists, and it's pretty absurd. I've haven't ridden much, only having been to Hersheypark and BG Williamsburg any time recently. Here are their coasters in the steel top 50, in highest to lowest order: Apollo's Chariot, Skyrush, Candymonium, Wildcat's Revenge, Alpengeist. That's it. No Pantheon. Apollo highest among both parks, when it was closed all year (so I couldn't ride it), but I'm guessing it wouldn't make my top 5 between the parks.

[@DaviesFuture]

Great vid

[@dodybrown6726]

Thanks for the information. Interesting 🤨

[@bfrancioso]

Millennium Force was #4😢. Lowest she's been on the list in her history 😢. In terms of wooden coasters, I rode Phoenix just 2 weeks ago, and while a great coaster(I LOVED the buzz bars), not a #1 to me. I think Mystic Timbers is slightly better. While I havent rode Voyage yet, it deserves the #1 spot.

[@patrickd.3681]

At least she is still in the top 5.

[@bfrancioso]

@patrickd.3681 true!

[@urbex_coasters]

Obviously I'm not going to agree with them on everything but...I'm honestly insulted the voters who have clearly been to Europa Park chose the new Fire in the Hole over Voltron for best new ride. Either Voltron or Hyperia deserved best new ride I'd say. With Voltron getting "best new coaster" (seems leas prestigious) I'd say Hyperia should've gotten it.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Voltron won best new coaster so that’s big

[@urbex_coasters]

@@BeachcliffStudios I agree. I also think it's also a far better overall attraction than spending $30 million for a replica of something already there given how it has solid theaming and a good coaster experience. If Fire in the Hole can get 2 "best new" awards, Voltron would've been a better fit for "overall attraction". Hyperia should've gotten "best new coaster". In a year that wasn't great for new coasters, Mach had a great year and produced 2 coasters in their top 5 all time (in no particular order, Flash clones, DC Rivals, Hyperia, Voltron, and Ride to Happiness I'd estimate to be their top 5 coasters).

[@SlimFury]

How Phoenix beats El Toro is beyond me. Fury 325 is the only one I can agree on. Candymonium higher than Wildcat's Revenge? I take most rankings with a grain of salt.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Ranking is very difficult.

[@triadrailfanproductions]

I was at carowinds and Chiz fury’s ride op was so happy and i am so proud for carowinds and him… Even though Steve and 305 are better coasters.

[@tenfourguy]

Getting closer and closer to Milos 2024 top 25

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Tick tock

[@samuelloso7022]

if they had ties they prolly had like less than 50 voting members

[@coastercat112]

Every year they bring out this list and it's so frustrating. How can they even compare Pheonix and Voyage? They aren't even close to the same level. Pheonix isn't even in my top 10 woodies

[@Paolo8772]

Correction: Cyclone is good in the back CAR, not back row.

[@dindog22]

seems like the fix is in. is there a category for best lawn ornament so TT2 can get something? lol

[@BeachcliffStudios]

They need to add one obviously. Flash, steel curtain, and tt2 would battle it out

[@chitlins73]

Yeah these awards are voted on by people who have not even been on all the coaster to compare. These are just people voting for favorites.

[@KingWill04]

So my take on the best woodies; I like Phoenix but there are coasters that are far superior . One of those being the voyage. Who votes on these?

[@IanSokolnik]

It a “good ol’ boys” list. Nobody that matters, it’s really just the industry hyping itself up. Please, for the love of god, take the GTA with a grain of salt.

[@mikemett1038]

Thanks for the vid! I rode rise of Icarus a few weeks ago, it was fun but unfortunately the top slide is not a speed slide😢. Definitely a sus park though, I literally saw an op cross the track while Hades was running 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦

[@BeachcliffStudios]

🤣

[@robrineer6013]

What number is wildcats revenue and twister?

[@jay-dubb.dubb.68]

What do the Golden Ticket Awards even mean at this point?!? Who is casting these votes? I demand a re-count!! 😅🤣😂 Riggor-Morris!! 😮🎉

[@BoomerBaskins]

“Who is Morris, girl?” 😂😂😂

[@bfrancioso]

Plus, as ElToroRyan said in one of his videos: "their's no exact science to determine what makes a coaster great." Aka, it's all personal preference. For example, I rank Millennium Force as my #1, and my friends do not

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Well yeah, of course it’s personal opinion for individuals but for awards? It should be more of a general consensus. While millennium is definitely a favorite for many people, if you polled 1000 people most wouldn’t have it in their top 10.

[@bfrancioso]

@BeachcliffStudios I agree

[@jamesm7517]

Awesome content guys. I don't agree with the Golden Ticket Awards. I get some rides/coasters keep winning the award, but I agree that they seem to get lazy with the Awards. Superman ROS @ SFNE definitely deserved the award before the butchering of the T bar restraint. Have a great week gentlemen.

[@rollercoaster359]

What makes Halloween Horror Nights the best?

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Movie studio level theming, great actors, number of houses and scare zones, movie level decorations….it’s “universally” accepted as the best Halloween event. The crowds being the only true downfall

[@davecoasterdudew1206]

I think Millennium Force gets a gold ticket

[@triplea9209]

9:24 No offense you're entitled to your opinion, but this is sacrilege to me. I even have Fury above Steel Vengeance but it's a lot closer. I've got Pantheon above VelociCoaster. Idk, it just didn't do much for me.

[@DuecePiece]

Phoenix is absolutely one of the best coasters in the world imo. There is no such thing as "factually" the best, because its all personal opinion. And your hate on The Beast is wild, you both must be new to coasters or have no nostalgia for classic coasters.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

we never once said we hate The Beast, we love that ride. and saying that Phoenix is factually not the best was very obviously a joke

[@deneanrobinson3099]

Dollywood has the best food.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

The way people line up for their cinnamon bread that’s hard to argue with many people

[@Peachie10120]

So yall how much do you think Dollywood paid to pass Busch Gardens in most beautiful park?

[@BeachcliffStudios]

$1

[@Peachie10120]

@BeachCliffStudios my point is I’ve been to Dollywood and I don’t think it’s prettier than Busch Gardens. But at the same time I’ve heard that the park is running down, like they can’t even frickin’ keep Verbolten’s theme up

[@Frankenberry]

I think thunderhead deserves its spot too ... HIGHLY under rated gci

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Thunderhead is amazing

[@Frankenberry]

@@BeachcliffStudios Absolutely... It's honestly probably my favorite woody right now. Everybody talks about Mystic Timbers, and it is a good ride. But, for the wild, out of control GCI experience... For my money, Thunderhead is superior. Even now, as old as it is Their maintenance team has done an amazing job with it the last few years.

[@Duffster115]

the halloween event award and Christmas event award have been disconituned and the winners aka Halloween Horror Nights at Universal and Dollywood's Smoky mountain Christmas have now been reconsider as Legends as the ones that been wining so Manny years that when adding some new cattagroies they decided to remove those ones and mark the winners as legends. I watched Amusement Todays live stream of the event held at my home park Kennywood so that's how I know this.

[@JLWGames]

The golden Ticket Awards aren't as special anymore. they broke up best new ride into like so many categories now. They always make new awards just so a new ride can win. With just one award it's way more special because that 1 ride beat out every new attraction that year. Now if you build a new coaster they make sure you somehow win an award. Fire in the Hole is fun but it doesn't need 2 Golden Ticket Awards. There's also so much bias towards certain rides every year and imo they should let everyone vote. I guarantee you the results would be way different.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Yeah, two awards for an indoor stroll through some animatronics is a bit much

[@mightycreatesplanco5064]

Penguin trek was a let down. Weak and very rattly rode it this past August.

[@BeachcliffStudios]

That’s too bad

[@mightycreatesplanco5064]

@@BeachcliffStudios ya we where really hoping for it to be good as we also waited 95 minutes. Like the turns are sweeping but I can’t say I come out of my seat in the slightest.

[@mightycreatesplanco5064]

Kentucky flyer is a better ride.

[@IanSokolnik]

I can’t even with the golden tickets anymore. It’s a glorified “good ol’ boys” list.

[@RobertSwickard-o1w]

BEST NEW P.O.S. OF 2024 TOP THRILL 2 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@iluvhousemuzic]

Lol when you include foreign Parks, particularly those in Europe or in Japan. You can't rate American Parks very highly you can't rate American parks very highly. They totally miss the mark. Even Disney parks abroad look better than the ones here if you ventured outside of the US. Not knocking us Parks. We have a lot of standout parks. But as a total experience we wouldn't rate that highly on the list. Dollywood is probably the closest to deserving this most recently. For a long time Busch gardens Williamsburg was at the top

[@phill93]

This thing serve for publicity too, disney didn't need publicity! Europa park win a lot of time too europa park is very small and cant compare whit a massive park! But I agree with you guys

[@BeachcliffStudios]

Europa park is the opposite of small. You must be mistaken it for another park.

[@austinmillis4825]

Where top thrill 2

[@BeachcliffStudios]

They only count rides open for more than 12 hours. 🤣

[@austinmillis4825]

Is there a comeback of the year award