Cedar Fair Parks Take Top Honors in Annual Poll

SANDUSKY, Ohio, Sept. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to its roller coasters, attractions, nighttime entertainment and excellent guest services, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN) has earned three top honors from Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards. Cedar Point amusement park/resort won "Best Amusement Park in the World" and "Best Steel Roller Coaster in the World," and for the 13^th year running, Kings Island amusement park received recognition for the "Best Kids' Area."

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"We are proud of the role we play in providing families and friends with the fun experiences that are so precious these days," said Matt Ouimet, Cedar Fair's president and chief executive officer.  "Receiving these Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today speaks volumes about the dedication and focus of our Cedar Fair team.  We appreciate everyone who took the time to vote for one of our parks and are thankful for your continued support."

Cedar Point, the Company's flagship park in Sandusky, Ohio, earned the coveted spot as the Golden Ticket Award winner for "Best Amusement Park in the World" for an unprecedented 16 consecutive years.  In addition, Cedar Point earned a second Golden Ticket Award as its Millennium Force roller coaster was voted the "Best Steel Roller Coaster in the World." Building upon its legacy for being known as the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World," Cedar Point dominated the "Best Steel Roller Coaster in the World" category with six of the world's top 30 steel coasters.  The park's newest record-breaking coaster, GateKeeper, earned a third place finish for "Best New Ride."  Rounding out the entertainment offering, Cedar Point's HalloWeekends placed fifth in the "Best Halloween Event."

Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park, California, was awarded the "Publisher's Pick Turnstile Award," given for the makeover of the 50-year old Timber Mountain Log Ride and moving the park's turnstiles.  This makeover also moved the ride to third place in the "Best Water Ride" category.  Additionally, Knott's legendary Halloween Haunt placed second in the "Best Halloween Event." 

Cedar Fair roller coasters earned 11 of the top 30 spots in the "Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters in the World" category:

1.   Millennium Force at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio) 
8.   Intimidator at Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina) 
9.   Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio) 
10. Intimidator305 at Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia)
12. Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
14. Diamondback at Kings Island (Mason, Ohio)
15. Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland (Toronto, Canada)
17. Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland (Toronto, Canada)
22. Maverick at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
28. GateKeeper at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
30. Raptor at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)

The thundering new Gold Striker at California's Great America - the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Northern California - also earned a fourth place finish in the "Best New Ride" category. 

Six Cedar Fair wooden coasters were voted into the "Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters in the World" category, with The Beast from Kings Island at No. 8, Shivering Timbers at Michigan's Adventure at No. 10, Prowler at Worlds of Fun at No. 12, Gold Striker at California's Great America at No. 26, Blue Streak at Cedar Point at No. 27 and GhostRider at Knott's Berry Farm at No. 29.

Catering to thrill seekers and families alike, Cedar Fair's Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, again won the "Best Kids' Area," with an expansive collection of PEANUTS-themed rides and attractions for every age, including more kids' roller coasters than any other amusement park in the world inside its Planet Snoopy.  Additionally, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and Kings Dominion in Richmond, Virginia had a two-way tie for the fifth place finish for "Best Kids' Area."

Gilroy Gardens also placed second in the "Best Landscaping" award category.

About the Golden Ticket Awards

This is the 16^th year for the prestigious Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually to the "best of the best" in the industry, and are calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today, an Arlington, Texas-based publication that covers amusement and water park news and trends. 

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio.  The Company, which owns and operates 11 amusement parks, three outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels, is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world.  Its parks are located in Ohio, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario.  Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract.  Cedar Fair's flagship park, Cedar Point, has been consistently voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" in a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper. 

This news release and prior releases are available online at www.cedarfair.com.

Contact: Stacy Frole, (419) 627-2227

SOURCE Cedar Fair Entertainment Company