Universal Epic Universe kept its grip on the theme park industry’s top dark ride honor at the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment finished first, with Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry right behind it in second, the same order the two attractions finished in last year. Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance came in third, and Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure rounded out the top five. Here’s the latest.
Universal Dominates Dark Rides Again at 2026 Golden Ticket Awards
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Monsters Unchained and Battle at the Ministry repeated as the top two Best Dark Ride finishers
- Rise of the Resistance and Shanghai’s Pirates of the Caribbean placed third and fifth
- Both winning attractions previously topped our own Epic Universe ride rankings
Universal’s Back-To-Back Best Dark Ride Sweep
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment took the top spot in Best Dark Ride for the second consecutive year. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry landed right behind it in second place. Danse Macabre at Efteling placed fourth, sitting between Rise of the Resistance and Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure on the list.
We gave the Battle at the Ministry the top spot in our own Epic Universe ride rankings. Monsters Unchained came in just behind it. Amusement Today’s voters see it the other way, but they remain the best two dark rides in the world. The two rides have now finished in this exact order for Best Dark Ride two years running. As we reported when Universal dominated the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, last year marked the first time Universal had beaten Rise of the Resistance in this category. This year’s results show that win was no fluke.
Monsters Unchained sends riders through the catacombs beneath Frankenstein Manor in Epic Universe’s Dark Universe land. The ride mixes physical sets with a large cast of Audio-Animatronic monsters. In our full review of Monsters Unchained, we called out the sheer number of Audio-Animatronics as the ride’s biggest strength. Some of the staging and set finishes still left something to be desired. That said, Monsters Unchained clearly shows that Universal is comfortable producing a world-class dark ride experience.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry anchors Epic Universe’s Wizarding World land. The ride blends physical sets with high-resolution screens and Audio-Animatronic Death Eaters. The story takes riders on a chase of Dolores Umbridge through the Ministry of Magic. Our review of Battle at the Ministry called it the best queue we had experienced at any theme park. An on-ride Audio-Animatronic Erumpent stood out as one of the ride’s best moments, and the Death Eaters were the most lifelike Audio-Animatronics we’ve ever seen.
Disney Faces an Uphill Battle, All Eyes on Villains Land
Rise of the Resistance won Best Dark Ride in four of the five years it was eligible before Epic Universe opened. Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure handed it its only loss during that stretch. Now Rise of the Resistance sits in third place for a second straight year. Sunken Treasure sits two spots further back at fifth. Disney does not have another dark ride in this year’s top five.
That said, the entire entertainment industry will have all eyes on the upcoming Magic Mirror dark ride coming to Villains Land in the coming years. But we may be getting ahead of ourselves. We expect both Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto and Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent to be strong attractions when Tropical Americas opens in 2027 at Animal Kingdom.
Beyond dark rides, Universal Epic Universe also placed third in Best Park this year. Europa-Park and Dollywood have historically led that category, so a rising Epic Universe is worth watching. Many of the same attractions driving its Best Dark Ride wins will likely decide whether that climb continues.
Story So Far
- May 2025: We ranked our favorite attractions at the newly opened Epic Universe, giving Battle at the Ministry a slight edge over Monsters Unchained
- May 2025: Our full review of Monsters Unchained praised the ride’s Audio-Animatronics while noting some unfinished staging
- May 2025: Our review of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry called it the best attraction at Epic Universe
- September 2025: We reported on Universal’s five wins at the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, including Monsters Unchained and Battle at the Ministry’s first Best Dark Ride sweep over Rise of the Resistance
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