Full List Of The 2025 Golden Ticket Award Winners

This past weekend, Amusement industry professionals from across the nation and beyond gathered at Carowinds for the 28th annual Golden Ticket Awards.

Started in 1998, the Golden Ticket Awards were established by Amusement Today to shine a spotlight on the amusement park industry and attractions by recognizing the “Best of the Best.”

Today, they are among the most sought-after awards among theme parks, amusement parks, family entertainment centers and water parks.

The following are the winners of the Golden Ticket Awards 2024:

Golden Ticket Awards 2025 – Best New Attractions:

Best New Roller Coaster: Stardust Racers, Universal’s Epic Universe

Read our review of Stardust Racers!

Best New Attraction: Harry Potter & The Battle at the Ministry, Universal’s Epic Universe

Read our Review of Harry Potter & The Battle at the Ministry!

Best New Water Park Ride:HydroMagnetic LIM Mammoth Coaster, Chimelong

Best New Family Attraction: Danse Macabre at Efteling

Read our thoughts on Efteling’s Best Attractions!

Best New Show: Voodoo Dolls at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Golden Ticket Awards 2025 – Best Rides:

Best Steel Coaster: Fury 325 at Carowinds (9th Consecutive)

Best Wooden Roller Coaster: Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort (7th Consecutive)

Best Family Coaster: Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood

Read our Review of Big Bear Mountain!

Best Dark Ride: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, Universal’s Epic Universe

Read Our Review of Monsters Unchained!

Best Water Park Ride: Mammoth at Holiday World

Best Water Ride: Chiapas at Phantasialand

Golden Ticket Awards 2025 – Best of the Best:

Best Water Park: Universal’s Volcano Bay

Best Park: Europa-Park

Best Family Park: Dutch Wonderland

Best Kids Area: Wildwood Grove at Dollywood

Breakout Family Entertainment Center (FEC): The Funplex, Mount Laurel, NJ.

Read our Small Park Showcase on The Funplex!

Most Beautiful Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Best Guest Experience: Dollywood

Best New Theme Concept: Dark Universe at Universal’s Epic Universe

Golden Ticket Awards 2025 – All Other Awards:

Best Innovation: MACK Rides’ Rocking Boat

Leadership Award: Keith James of RWS.

Renaissance Award (Publisher’s Pick): Family Kingdom Myrtle Beach

Showperson of the Year (Publisher’s Pick):Madison Kissel and Savannah Kissel Seibert of Kissell Entertainment.

Turnstile Award (Publisher’s Pick): Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles

Supplier of the Year: Eli Bridge Co.

Retired Awards:

Knoebels was honored as Best Food Hall of Famer for winning 22 of 25 possible awards, and the award was retired.

The Golden Ticket Awards also includes rankings of the top steel and wooden coasters:

Golden Ticket Awards 2025 – Top 25 Wooden Coasters

1. Phoenix – Knoebels Amusement Park
2. The Voyage – Holiday World
3. El Toro – Six Flags Great Adventure
4. The Beast – Kings Island
5. Thunderhead – Dollywood
6. Mystic Timbers – Kings Island
7. Ghost Rider – Knott’s Berry Farm
8. Boulder Dash – Lake Compounce
9. Ravine Flyer II – Waldameer
10. Wodan – Europa-Park
11. Outlaw Run – Silver Dollar City
12. Wildfire – Kolmarden
13. Balder – Lisenberg
14. The Legend – Holiday World
15. Coney Island Cyclone – Luna Park
16. Shivering Timbers – Michigan’s Adventure
17. Grizzly – Kings Dominion
18. Joris en de Drak – Efteling
19. Jack Rabbit – Kennywood
20. Gold Striker – California’s Great America
21. Boardwalk Bullet – Kemah Boardwalk
22. Prowler – Worlds of Fun
23. (Tie) Rutschebanen – Tivoli Gardens
    Troy – Toverland
25. Twister, Knoebels

Golden Ticket Awards 2024 – Top 25 Steel Coasters

1. Fury 325 – Carowinds
2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster – Universal Islands of Adventure
3. Steel Vengeance – Cedar Point
4. Iron Gwazi – Busch Gardens Tampa
5. Ride to Happiness – Plopsaland De Panne
6. (Tie) Millennium Force – Cedar Point
   Zadra – Energylandia
8. Taron – Phantasialand
9. Voltron Nevera – Europa-Park
10. Expedition GeForce – Plopsaland Deutschland
11. Phantom’s Revenge – Kennywood
12. Maverick – Cedar Point
13. Arieforce One – Fun Spot America Atlanta
14. Apollo’s Chariot – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
15. Leviathan – Canada’s Wonderland
16. Superman The Ride – Six Flags New England
17. Stardust Racers – Universal’s Epic Universe
18. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – EPCOT
19. Diamondback – Kings Island
20. Kondaa – Walibi Belgium
21. Hyperion – Energylandia
22. Mako – SeaWorld Orlando
23. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventures – Universal’s Islands of Adventure
24. Pantherian – Kings Dominion
25. F.L.Y. – Phantasialand

Congratulations to all of the winners of this year’s Golden Ticket Awards. For more, see past year’s Golden Ticket Awards recipients here.