Full List of Winners of the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards

This past weekend, Amusement industry professionals from across the nation and beyond gathered at in Austin, Texas at COTALand and Kalahari Resorts for the 29th 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 2026:

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Attractions 2026

Best New Attraction Installation, Best New Roller Coaster: Falcon’s Flight – Six Flags Qiddiya City

Six Flags actually claimed the top four places in the best new roller coaster category, with Tormenta: Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas, Quantum Accelerator at Six Flags New England, and Colossus – also at Six Flags Qiddiya City – rounding out spots 2-4.

Best New Family Attraction: Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare – Kings Island

Read our review of Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare here!

Best New Water Park Ride: Aquaticar – Aquarabia

Read our 2017 Interview with SubSea Systems that might have predicted this win!

Best New Show of 2026: Monster Mash Bash at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Best New Theme Concept of 2026: Galaticoaster – LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND California

Golden Ticket Awards 2026: Best Rides

Best Steel Coaster: Fury 325 – Carowinds (10th consecutive)

Best Wooden Coaster: The Voyage – Holiday World (first win since 2011!)

Best Family Coaster: Big Bear Mountain – Dollywood (second consecutive)

Read our Review of Big Bear Mountain!

Best Dark Ride: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment – Universal’s Epic Universe (second consecutive)

Read Our Review of Monsters Unchained!

Best Water Park Ride: Mammoth – Splashin’ Safari (Holiday World)

Best Water Ride: Chiapas – Phantasialand

Golden Ticket Awards 2026: Best of The Best

Best Water Park: Splashin’ Safari (First Win!)

Best Park: Europa Park (11th win of the last 12 Golden Ticket Awards for this category)

Best Family Park: Santa’s Village (Jefferson, NH) – First Win!

Best Kids Area: Wildwood Grove, Dollywood

Breakout Family Entertainment Center (FEC): Level 99, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Most Beautiful Park: Dollywood

Best Guest Experience: Dollywood

Golden Ticket Awards 2026 – All Other Awards

Best Innovation: WingZ from Zamperla

Park of the Year Award (Publisher’s Pick): Knoebels

Person of the Year Award (Publisher’s Pick): Matt Hughey, COTALand

Showperson of the Year (Publisher’s Pick): Sandy Schmidt, T.J. Schmidt & Company

Turnstile Award (Publisher’s Pick): Kentucky Kingdom

Supplier of the Year: Vekoma

Leadership Award: Franceen Gonzales, Enchanted Parks

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

Top 50 Wooden Roller Coasters 2026

1. The Voyage – Holiday World
2. Phoenix – Knoebels
3. El Toro – Six Flags Great Adventure
4. The Beast – Kings Island
5. Mystic Timbers – Kings Island
6. Thunderhead – Dollywood
7. GhostRider – Knott’s Berry Farm
8. Ravine Flyer II – Waldameer
9. Outlaw Run – Silver Dollar City
10. Boulder Dash – Lake Compounce
11. Wodan Timburcoaster – Europa-Park
12. Wildfire – Kolmarden
13. Balder – Liseberg
14. The Legend – Holiday World
15. Comet – The Great Escape
16. Cyclone – Luna Park (Coney Island)
17. Twister – Knoebels
18. Colossos – Heide Park
19. Gold Striker – California’s Great America
20. Jack Rabbit – Kennywood
21. Boardwalk Bullet – Kemah Boardwalk
22. Shivering Timbers – Michigan’s Adventure
23. Grizzly – Kings Dominion
24. Troy – Toverland
25. Rutschebanen – Tivoli Gardens
26. (Tie) Texas Stingray – SeaWorld San Antonio
    (Tie) Prowler – Worlds of Fun
28. Goliath – Six Flags Great America
29. Joris en de Drak – Efteling
30. Thunderbolt – Kennywood
31. Flying Turns – Knoebels Amusement Resort
32. The Raven – Holiday World
33. Wooden Roller Coaster – Playland
34. (Tie) Lightning Racer – Hersheypark
    (Tie) T Express – Everland
36. Cú Chulainn – Emerald Park
37. Bobcat – The Great Escape
38. Wicker Man – Alton Towers
39. Racer – Kennywood
40. Zippin Pippin – Bay Beach
41. The Boss – Six Flags St. Louis
42. Comet – Hersheypark
43. Hades 360 – Mount Olympus Theme Park
44. Cornball Express – Indiana Beach
45. (Tie) White Lightning – Fun Spot Orlando
    (Tie) Wooden Warrior – Quassy Amusement Park
47. (Tie) Giant Dipper – Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
    (Tie) Renegade – Valleyfair
49. Rampage – Alabama Adventure
50. El Toro – Freizeitpark Plohn

Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters 2026

1. Fury 325 – Carowinds
2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster – Universal Islands of Adventure
3. Steel Vengeance – Cedar Point
4. Iron Gwazi – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
5. Ride To Happiness – Plopsaland De Panne
6. Millennium Force – Cedar Point
7. Zadra – Energylandia
8. Taron – Phantasialand
9. Voltron Nevera – Europa-Park
10. Stardust Racers – Universal Epic Universe
11. ArieForce One – Fun Spot America Atlanta (but soon Six Flags!)
12. Maverick – Cedar Point
13. AlpenFury – Canada’s Wonderland
14. Expedition GeForce – Plopsaland Deutschland
15. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Epcot
16. Phantom’s Revenge – Kennywood
17. Superman: The Ride – Six Flags New England
18. Pantherian – Kings Dominion
19. F.L.Y. – Phantasialand
20. Apollo’s Chariot – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
21. Leviathan – Canada’s Wonderland
22. Falcon’s Flight – Six Flags Qiddiya City
23. Top Thrill 2 – Cedar Point
24. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motor Bike Adventure – Universal Islands of Adventure
25. Wildcat’s Revenge – Hersheypark
26. Diamondback – Kings Island
27. Kondaa – Walibi Belgium
28. Mako – SeaWorld Orlando
29. Helix – Liseberg
30. Iron Rattler – Six Flags Fiesta Texas
31. Nitro – Six Flags Great Adventure
32. X2 – Six Flags Magic Mountain
33. Time Traveler – Silver Dollar City
34. Toutatis – Parc Astérix
35. (Tie) Eejanaika – Fuji-Q Highland
    (Tie) Taiga – Linnanmäki
37. Hyperion – Energylandia
38. Magnum XL-200 – Cedar Point
39. Lightning Rod – Dollywood
40. (Tie) Big Bear Mountain – Dollywood
    (Tie) Lech Coaster – Legendia
42. Montu – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
43. Twisted Colossus – Six Flags Magic Mountain
44. Raging Bull – Six Flags Great America
45. Orion – Kings Island
46. Alpengeist – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
47. Skyrush – Hersheypark
48. Pantheon – Busch Gardens Williamsburg
49. (Tie) Candymonium – Hersheypark
    (Tie) Siren’s Curse – Cedar Point

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