Universal Epic Universe Dominates 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, Including Some Upsets

Universal has dominated the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, a top honor for the themed entertainment industry. Universal picked up five Golden Ticket Awards, thanks in very large part to their brand new Epic Universe theme park. Universal had a number of top-five rankings in addition to their wins. Overall, the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards were dominated by Universal. Here’s the latest!

“It was Universal’s year, unquestionably,” said Tim Baldwin, Golden Ticket Awards Communications Coordinator. “There was so much build-up to [Epic Universe’s] opening, dating back before the pandemic. And they pulled it off. The awards alone demonstrate that Universal really delivered the goods.”

Here are the categories that Universal Orlando won Golden Ticket Awards for in 2025.

BEST NEW ATTRACTION INSTALLATION
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry claimed the top spot for Best New Attraction Installation. According to Amusement Today, Best New Attraction Installation is geared toward rides that have impact, either on their park or on the amusement industry.

Amusement Today said that Battle at the Ministry is a one-of-a-kind attraction that dazzles from the moment guests step into the queue. Inside, the theming is immersive, and the ride system almost defies the description.

“Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry builds upon the incredible ride innovation Universal is known for and is the most ambitious attraction we’ve ever built,” said Eileen Stephens, senior director/projects, Universal Creative. “Just the sheer scale of this attraction is unbelievable and unlike anything else. The adventure begins from the moment you travel via Métro-Floo from wizarding Paris to the British Ministry of Magic to enter the queue, which is an attraction unto itself. You encounter so much in this ride — massive, breathtaking environments, unprecedented ride technology, lifelike animated figures and so much more — all while trying to bring Dolores Umbridge to justice. This ride is a true gamechanger and so far, our guests have been blown away.”

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry tied with Monsters Unchained for the top spot in our own Epic Universe ride rankings. Battle at the Ministry is a fully immersive experience that is as good as any attraction we’ve ever been on. The ride is stunning. It blends digital and physical in an unbelievably realistic way. The Audio-Animatronics on the ride are the best we’ve ever seen, not only at Universal Orlando, but they’re better than anything we’ve seen at Walt Disney World as well.

In what will be a recurring theme, Universal not only took the Golden Ticket Award for the top spot in this category, but they also had other attractions place in the top five. Right behind Battle at the Ministry was Stardust Racers at #2 and Constellation Carousel took fourth place in the category.

BEST NEW ROLLER COASTER
While Amusement Today says that the task of picking the best new roller coaster is typically a difficult one given how many great roller coasters debut yearly, this year’s choice was a clear one: Stardust Racers at Epic Universe.

Amusement Today said that the ride was built by Mack Rides, but bedazzled by Universal Creative. Stardust Racers is a mesmerizing attraction featuring racing trains that intertwine in fascinating ways. They call Stardust Racers a masterpiece in Universal’s portfolio. Similarly, our review of Stardust Racers called it the best roller coaster at Universal Orlando Resort.

“It is a huge honor to be named Best New Roller Coaster, and we’re so excited that Stardust Racers has earned this recognition,” said JC Loward, assistant director/executive producer, Universal Creative. “Our team set out to create an ‘out-of-this-world’ dual-launch coaster that feels like you’re riding aboard a comet, and to see the positive guest reactions since we’ve opened has been amazing. Reaching speeds up to 62 mph and heights up to 133 feet, Stardust Racers is definitely a must-do for any thrill seeker visiting Epic Universe.”

“Stardust Racers was in development for several years — a true passion project,” added Maximilian Roeser, Mack Rides. “The fusion of our launch coaster system with Universal’s spectacular design is simply stunning. The attention to detail and immersive theming make this coaster a benchmark for what’s possible when great engineering meets visionary storytelling.”

BEST DARK RIDE
When you’re talking about the best dark ride in 2025, nothing compares to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. The new ride tied for the top spot in our own Epic Universe ride rankings, and it picked up the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Dark Ride.

“Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is one of the most thrilling and terrifying attractions we’ve ever built,” said Pete Carsillo, senior creative director, Universal Creative. “There are so many innovative elements that come together to bring this attraction to life, including an original story featuring new and classic characters, state-of-the-art ride technology, massive sets and the most technologically-advanced, life-like animated figures that we’ve ever created. A lot of the creative team behind the attraction are monster fans themselves, and it feels amazing to create such a unique experience that allows guests to encounter the Universal monsters in a whole new way.”

When you combine physical sets and a buffet of Audio-Animatronics, with a high-capacity (reliable) attraction that has an average wait time of less than 30 minutes in the afternoon and evenings, Monsters Unchained will absolutely be the attraction that we experience the most at Epic Universe.

As was the case for the Best New Attraction Installation category, Universal Epic Universe also grabs the #2 spot this year for Best Dark Ride. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry grabs the second-place spot from Amusement Today (just like our own ride rankings).

The massive news this year is that Epic Universe dethroned Walt Disney World’s Rise of the Resistance in the Best Dark Ride category. Previously, Rise of the Resistance had won the Golden Ticket in this category in four of the five years that it was eligible, only losing to Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure in 2022 before reclaiming the top spot the next year.

Not only did Universal push Disney off the top spot in the Best Dark Ride category, but they also relegated Rise of the Resistance to third place, and Sunken Treasure moved to fourth place. This is a massive win for Universal Orlando Resort, and a shift in the wind when it comes to Universal’s best beating out Disney’s best. This is another great example of how the two theme park giants will continue to push each other in the years to come, creating attractions that push the industry forward and create amazing guest experiences.

BEST NEW THEME CONCEPT
This is a new category, introduced in 2024 and back again for 2025. Best New Theme Concept acknowledges new ideas in the theme park space, regardless of budget. The winner this year is the Dark Universe land within Epic Universe.

“Universal’s earliest blockbusters were the classic monster films, and to be able to continue that legacy has truly been an epic experience. The village of Darkmoor within Dark Universe is the place where the stories of the Universal monsters come together and come to life — and our guests can actually be a part of it,” said Pete Carsillo, senior creative director, Universal Creative. “We’re bringing these timeless monsters and stories to the present day within this ravaged village that has so much mystery and thrill throughout. The positive reactions from our guests, regardless of where they fall in monster fandom, have been really cool to see and are a testament to how special these characters and stories are and how this world truly is for everyone.”

Universal also takes the #2 spot in this category with the Donkey Kong roller coaster called Mine Cart Madness. Amusement Today called the storytelling of the Donkey Kong video games, translated to the illusion of coaster cars jumping the track, was visually clever.

BEST WATER PARK
Stepping outside of the gates of Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort claimed its fifth Golden Ticket Award in 2025 with an upset! Volcano Bay has dethroned Schlitterbahn in the Best Water Park category, a massive upset that has been years in the making. Schlitterbahn held the title for a staggering 26 years and was the final undefeated park in the original Golden Ticket Award categories. Volcano Bay has been inching up the rankings since it opened in 2017, and it wins by less than one percentage point this year.

“We’re thrilled that Universal Volcano Bay has been recognized as the Best Water Park and is the first new winner in this category in 25 years — what an honor!” said Lisa Hall, senior director and general manager. “Volcano Bay was designed to take the water park experience to the next level in every aspect, from the inventive food guests can savor during their visit to the innovative attractions to the immersive theming throughout the entire park. Our guests continue to enjoy the perfect balance of thrills and relaxation that can only be found at Volcano Bay.”

Beyond the Golden Ticket Award wins, Universal Orlando Resort placed in the top five in a number of categories. In a somewhat surprising move, Epic Universe grabbed second place in the “Best Park” category, right on the heels of 10-time Golden Ticket Winner Europa-Park. Epic Universe is poised well to compete in this category for years to come, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take the top spot as they settle into normal operations and expand the current lineup of offerings.

Universal also competed well in the “Best New Family Attraction” category, with Battle at the Ministry (#2), Monsters Unchained (#3), and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge (#4) sitting behind Danse Macabre from Efteling at the top spot.

Universal also placed second in the “Best New Family Coaster” category with Hiccup’s Wing Gliders from the wonderfully themed Isle of Berk section of Epic Universe.

Somewhat surprisingly, Epic Universe took third place in the “Best Kids’ Area” category. While I’m not sure I would say that Epic Universe is an overly kid’s friendly park (especially if you run up against height restrictions), I’m sure that SUPER NINTENDO WORLD ended up tipping the scales to earn Epic Universe a top-3 finish. Interestingly, the inclusion of Epic Universe on the list in this category ended up kicking off the other two Universal Orlando Resort theme parks, which sat at #4 and #5 last year.

Overall, Universal Orlando Resort had a phenomenal year, picking up a number of Golden Ticket Awards thanks to the all-new Epic Universe theme park. 2025 was the year of Universal, with the company executing the opening of Central Florida’s first major theme park in 25 years. Universal Orlando placed a two-page ad in the Amusement Today Golden Ticket edition (pictured below), offering thanks for their five Golden Ticket Awards.

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