Rise of the Resistance finished third in the Best Dark Ride category at the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards, behind two attractions at Universal’s Epic Universe. Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure took fifth, putting two Disney rides in a top five that Universal led.
The Top Five
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment at Epic Universe won the category for the second consecutive year, with Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry second. That is the same one two finish those attractions posted last year. Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was third, Danse Macabre at Efteling fourth, and Shanghai’s Pirates fifth.
Last year was the first time Universal had beaten Rise of the Resistance in this category.
Who Actually Votes
The Golden Ticket Awards were established in 1998 by the trade publication Amusement Today. The winners are not decided by a public vote. Awards in 22 categories are determined by an international poll of more than 500 ballots sent to people working within the industry, with additional Publisher’s Picks and Legend designations chosen by the magazine’s staff.
This year’s ceremony was held on September 12 in Austin, Texas, presented live from the newly opened COTALand, and honored 28 winners across the evening.
The Disney Placements
Rise of the Resistance opened at Hollywood Studios in December 2019 and spent most of the years afterward at the top of this category, until Epic Universe arrived. Monsters Unchained, which sends riders through the catacombs beneath Frankenstein Manor, opened in 2025 and has now won both years it has been eligible.
Shanghai’s Pirates is the more striking Disney placement. The Pirates franchise has had a strong year in the parks, and Battle for the Sunken Treasure, which opened with Shanghai Disneyland in 2016, continues to place in a category dominated by far newer attractions despite being the hardest ride on the list for most voters to reach.
The Wider Results
Dollywood and Legoland were among the night’s bigger winners. Fury 325 at Carowinds took Best Steel Roller Coaster for the tenth consecutive year, The Voyage at Holiday World won Best Wooden Coaster for the first time since 2011, and Galacticoaster at Legoland Florida and Legoland California took Best New Theme Concept.
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