FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 17 September, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Werne, 812-937-5209; fun@holidayworld.com

VOYAGE & WILDEBEEST NAMED TOP RIDES
GOLDEN TICKET AWARDS FOR CLEAN & FRIENDLY

SANTA CLAUS, IND.----- For the fifth year in a row, Holiday World’s Voyage roller coaster is named the #1 Wooden Coaster on the Planet. This top honor was announced this afternoon by Amusement Today magazine, which presented the results of its annual survey of the “best of the best” in the amusement park industry during the annual Golden Ticket Awards ceremony.

During the event, the park’s Wildebeest water coaster was named the world’s #1 Water Park Ride for the second year in a row.

“With so many amazing rides around the world, it’s an incredible honor to have our Voyage and Wildebeest named the very best,” says Holiday World & Splashin' Safari’s president, Dan Koch. “We hosted this year’s event and enjoyed our time with park and industry folks from 19 states and five countries.”

Presented by Amusement Today publisher Gary Slade, the industry’s “Academy Awards” include theme, amusement and water parks from around the world.

For the twelfth consecutive year, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari were named the #1 Cleanest Park, outranking such parks as Disney World, Kings Island, Dollywood, and Cedar Point. The parks also received the designation of being the #1 Friendliest Park for the thirteenth time.

“For these awards, we humbly thank our wonderful Hosts and Hostesses,” says Koch. “It was a hot summer and they all worked together to keep smiling and keep cleaning.”

During the 90-minute ceremony, the audience of 350 honored the memory of the park’s early developer, Bill Koch, who passed away 10 years ago today at the age of 86.

Amusement Today is an international monthly trade journal for the amusement and water park industries, based in Arlington, Texas. The Golden Ticket Awards are determined by surveys submitted by well-traveled park enthusiasts from around the world.

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari will be closed to the public Sunday, September 18. Holiday World-only will be open weekends from September 24 through October 9. For more information about the parks, visit www.HolidayWorld.com or call 1-877-463-2645.