The 2025 Golden Ticket Awards honor 27 winners, presented live from Carowinds

The Golden Ticket Awards were established by Amusement Today in 1998 to shine a spotlight on the amusement park industry and attractions by recognizing the “Best of the Best.” Today, they are among the most recognized awards among theme parks, amusement parks, family entertainment centers and water parks. In 2025, Amusement Today presented awards in 22 categories, as well as special recognition with Publisher’s Picks awards and Legend designations.

 

On September 6, more than 300 industry professionals gathered at host park Carowinds to enjoy the awards ceremony, network with social activities and behind-the-scenes tours, and discuss current trends.

“Meeting in person — connecting with one another — is so important,” said Publisher Gary Slade. “It is exciting for us at Amusement Today to provide that opportunity, those special moments, to gather and share. Being among your peers is invaluable. The attendees find the benefits significant.”

The event was also a time of celebration. Winners were on hand from around the globe to accept awards and enjoy the Networking Event of the Year.

2025 saw a big winner during the evening — Universal Orlando Resort. Its new Universal Epic Universe park walked away with four wins: Best New Roller Coaster (Stardust Racers), Best New Attraction Installation (Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry), Best New Theme Concept and Best Dark Ride. Those latter two categories centered around the park’s Dark Universe area and its anchor attraction, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. The resort’s water park, Volcano Bay, also made a major upset by unseating a 26-year winner of Best Water Park.

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

Dollywood was also a big winner with three awards: Best Guest Experience. Best Kids’ Area and Best Family Coaster.

Host park Carowinds, which uniquely straddles a state line between North Carolina and South Carolina, is now part of the Six Flags chain, following Cedar Fair’s merger with the company in 2024. It continued to hold on to Best Steel Coaster with Fury 325 making nine wins. Sister parks Six Flags Fiesta Texas took Best New Show with “Voodoo Dolls,” and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles received the Publisher’s Pick Turnstile Award for its an immersive transformation of the park during its 30th anniversary.

Two other Publisher’s Picks presented by Slade. The first was the Renaissance Award going to the owners of Family Kingdom in Myrtle Beach, Corky Powers and Bill Prescott, for giving that park a new life and not letting it close down. Supplier of the Year  went to the Eli Bridge Company, which has been providing Ferris Wheels, Scramblers and more for 125 years.

A new category introduced this year was Show Person of the Year, which recognizes notable people in the carnival industry. For its inaugural year, the award went to two people, sisters Madison Kissel and Savannah Kissel Seibert of Kissel Entertainment. Their forward-thinking initiatives have been a leader on the fairground circuit.

Keith James of RWS was recognized with the Leadership Award for his decades of experience and execution in numerous aspects of the amusement industry.

Mack Rides won the Best New Innovation with its long-in-development Rocking Boat water ride concept, the first of which opened to rave reviews this year at Futuroscope.

In other voting categories, The Funplex in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, took Standout Family Entertainment Center, Chimelong Waterpark won Best New Water Park Ride with HydroMagnetic LIM Mammoth Coaster, and Danse Macabre at Efteling took Best New Family Ride.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg reclaimed Most Beautiful Park after it had slipped from its grasp last year. Another award being snatched back was Best Water Park Ride. Mammoth had taken it in 2023 from its sibling, Wildebeest, at Splashin’ Safari. The two attractions have now engaged in a four-year tug-of-war.

Chiapas at Phantasialand won Best Water Ride, Dutch Wonderland won Best Family Park, and Europa-Park took the last category for Best Park, all repeat winners from 2024. As Europa-Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, this was a celebratory milestone of 10 wins since 2014.

Knoebels Amusement Resort lengthened its record for Best Wooden Roller Coaster with its classic Phoenix.

The park also took the first Legend award of the night. To make space for the carnival Show Person of the Year, Amusement Today retired the Best Food category. Knoebels had taken that award 22 times, so AT acknowledged this amazing achievement with a Legend.

The final Legend presentation went to Ron and Beverly Burback of Funtastic Shows. Championing safety within the amusement industry, the pair have blazed an exemplary trail of accomplishments for 40 years.

“There was so much change to the awards this year,” said Baldwin. “After a quarter century, our final undefeated original category was dethroned. Combined with the impact of new attractions and parks, nothing is ever truly guaranteed. Nothing is predictable.”

Amusement Today began publication in 1997, and the award-winning magazine is now a leader in the amusement industry. The Golden Ticket Awards were established in 1998 and are the direct result of votes cast from around the globe. More than 500 ballots were distributed among experienced travelers, divided equally among the nation as well as internationally, industry journalists and ride suppliers. The latter two groups have categories devoted to professional topics. A free downloadable issue containing the charts and full lists of finalists can be found at GoldenTicketAwards.com.