Courtesy Photos / Morgan's Wonderland
Gordon Hartman (left) and Richard Pretlow of Morgan's Wonderland received an industry leadership award for their work to improve amusement park accessibility.
The annual Golden Ticket Awards presented its 2024 Leadership Award to Morgan's Wonderland founder Gordon Hartman and President Richard Pretlow on Friday in recognition of their innovation in advancing accessibility and inclusion.
The entire Morgan's Wonderland park is completely accessible to people with special needs. Since opening in 2010, the attraction has welcomed 3 million guests from all 50 states and 123 counties.
"Morgan's Wonderland was built on the belief that everyone deserves to be included and have fun together," Hartman said in a statement. "This award reaffirms our mission to remove barriers and motivates us to continue pushing boundaries in creating a more inclusive world."
Established by theme park trade monthly Amusement Today, the Golden Ticket Awards are among the most recognized honors in the industry. More than 500 experienced travelers, industry journalists and ride suppliers cast their votes from around the globe.
"We are deeply honored to receive this 2024 Leadership Award," Pretlow said in a statement. "This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and passion of our entire team, as well as the incredible support from our community."
Hartman sold his homebuilding business in 2005 with the vision of opening up a theme park for children with special needs after a group of kids wouldn't allow his daughter, Morgan, to play with them. She suffers from physician and cognitive challenges.
This past season, the ultra-accessible theme park unveiled $6 million in new attractions, including a 4D cinema, a passenger boat ride, a four-seat zip line, and a wheelchair-accessible ride called Jette's Magic Bikes.
In other San Antonio-area Golden Ticket Awards, New Braunfels' Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort was recognized as the World’s Best Water Park for an unprecedented 26th time.
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