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Dolly Parton's Dollywood rates high in Golden Ticket Awards

By April MacIntyre Sep 20, 2011, 14:20 GMT

08/31/2011 - Dolly Parton - Dolly Parton in Concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena - August 31, 2011 - Liverpool Echo Arena - Liverpool, UK © Solarpix / PR Photos

Dolly Parton's theme park Dollywood scored in top categories for Best Shows, Best Christmas Event Categories at Amusement Today's 2011 Golden Ticket Awards.

Dollywood won its third consecutive trophy for Best Shows and a fourth consecutive award for Best Christmas Event at Amusement Today's 2011 Golden Ticket Awards ceremony on Sept. 17, 2011, at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind.

For the 14th consecutive year, Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, was named as the "Best Amusement Park in the World" in the prestigious Golden Ticket Awards presented annually by Amusement Today newspaper.

According to the Golden Ticket Awards, Dollywood was a finalist in seven additional categories:

Best Park--fourth place

Cleanest Park--third place

Friendliest Park--second place

Best Food--third place

Best Landscaping--fourth place

Best Water Ride--Slidewinder, sixth place

Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters in the World--Thunderhead--fifth place

"Well, a girl could sure get used to this," Dolly Parton said. "It's very humbling for me that folks come see us at Dollywood and then take the time to vote for us in the Golden Ticket Awards, especially for our live entertainment and our Smoky Mountain Christmas festival. This is a huge honor for Dollywood, and I share it with my Dollywood family who makes me shine bigger and brighter than any rhinestone ever could!"

The Golden Ticket Awards are presented to the amusement industry and calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today magazine.

Surveys were sent to fans around the world asking them to rate the "bests" in 25 categories such as amusement parks, roller coasters, shows, friendliest staff and water rides.

Amusement Today newspaper covers international amusement and water park news and trends and in its 15-year history is a five-time winner of various awards from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry's most prestigious honor which recognizes management, operations and creative accomplishments that have inspired the industry with its foresight, originality and sound business development.