Amusement Today is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures, and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in Arlington, Texas, United States, was founded in January 1997 by Gary Slade, Virgil E. Moore III and Rick Tidrow.
In 1997, Amusement Today won the Impact Award in the services category for "Best New Product" from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). A year later, in 1998, the magazine founded the Golden Ticket Awards, for which it has become best known throughout the amusement park industry. On January 2, 2001, Slade bought out his two partners, giving him sole ownership of the paper. The paper has two full-time and two part-time staff members at its Arlington office, along with two full-time writers and several freelance writers in various parts of the world.
Golden Ticket Awards
Every year, Amusement Today gives out awards to the best in the amusement park industry in a ceremony known as the Golden Ticket Awards. The awards are handed out based on surveys of experienced, well-traveled amusement park enthusiasts from around the world. The awards, first presented in 1998, have been featured on the Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel.
2026 winners
Host: COTALAND The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 12, 2026.
Category Rank 2026 Recipient Location/Park Best Park 1 Europa-Park Rust, Germany 2 Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 3 Universal Epic Universe Orlando, Florida 4 Knoebels Amusement Resort Elysburg, Pennsylvania 5 Tokyo DisneySea Urayasu, Japan Best Waterpark 1 Holiday World & Splashin' Safari Santa Claus, Indiana 2 Volcano Bay Orlando, Florida 3 Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, Texas 4 Rulantica Rust, Germany 5 Hyland Hills Water World Federal Heights, Colorado Best Family Park 1 Santa's Village Jefferson, New Hampshire 2 Dutch Wonderland Lancaster, Pennsylvania 3 Legoland Florida Winter Haven, Florida 4 Morgan's Wonderland San Antonio, Texas 5 Story Land Glen, New Hampshire Best Family Coaster 1 Big Bear Mountain Dollywood 2 Hiccup's Wing Gliders Universal Epic Universe 3 Mecalodon Walibi Belgium 4 Bobcat Six Flags Great Escape 5 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Magic Kingdom Breakout Family Entertainment Center 1 Level99 Lake Buena Vista, Florida 2 Universal Horror Unleashed Las Vegas, Nevada 3 Atlas9 Kansas City, Missouri 4 Thrillz Adventure Park Doraville, Georgia 5 Do The Beach North Port, Florida Most Beautiful Park 1 Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 2 Busch Gardens Williamsburg Williamsburg, Virginia 3 Efteling Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands 4 Europa-Park Rust, Germany 5 Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen, Denmark Best Water Ride 1 Chiapas Phantasialand 2 Mission Bermudes Futuroscope 3 Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls Universal Islands of Adventure 4 Valhalla Blackpool Pleasure Beach 5 Jurassic World: The Ride Universal Studios Hollywood Best Kids' Area 1 Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 2 Kings Island Kings Mills, Ohio 3 Universal Epic Universe Orlando, Florida 4 Knott's Berry Farm Buena Park, California 5 Canada's Wonderland Vaughan, Ontario Best New Show 1 Monster Mash Bash Six Flags Fiesta Texas 2 Vinyl to Viral Cedar Point 3 Memories in Motion Six Flags Great America 4 Hollywood Hits Kings Island 5 Twinkling Thru Time Hersheypark Best New Roller Coaster 1 Falcons Flight Six Flags Qiddiya City 2 Tormenta Rampaging Run Six Flags Over Texas 3 Quantum Accelerator Six Flags New England 4 Colossus Six Flags Qiddiya City 5 GalactiCoaster Legoland Florida Best New Family Attraction 1 Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare Kings Island 2 WingZ of Wonder Morgan's Wonderland 3 The Enchanted Greenhouse Six Flags Qiddiya City 4 Bello Bay Cruise Universal Kids Resort 5 Expédition Nautibus Grand Aquarium Saint-Malo Best New Water Park Attraction 1 Aquaticar Aquarabia 2 Power Rapids Aquatopia 3 Presque Isle Plunge Waldameer & Water World 4 Reef Runners Seabreeze 5 Nitro Blast NRH2O Best New Attraction Installation 1 Falcons Flight Six Flags Qiddiya City 2 Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare Kings Island 3 WingZ of Wonder Morgan's Wonderland 4 GalactiCoaster Legoland Florida 5 Junoon Drop Aquarabia Reef Runners Seabreeze Best Guest Experience 1 Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 2 Europa-Park Rust, Germany 3 Holiday World & Splashin' Safari Santa Claus, Indiana 4 Knoebels Amusement Resort Elysburg, Pennsylvania 5 Disneyland Anaheim, California Best Dark Ride 1 Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment Universal Epic Universe 2 Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry Universal Epic Universe 3 Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Disney's Hollywood Studios 4 Danse Macabre Efteling 5 Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure Shanghai Disneyland Best Waterpark Ride 1 Mammoth Splashin' Safari 2 Wildebeest Splashin' Safari 3 Cheetah Chase Splashin' Safari 4 Krakatau Aqua Coaster Volcano Bay 5 Junoon Drop Aquarabia Best New Theme Concept 1 GalactiCoaster Legoland Florida & California 2 Flying Fox Kentucky Kingdom 3 The Enchanted Greenhouse Six Flags Qiddiya City 4 Expédition Nautibus Grand Aquarium Saint-Malo 5 Kyûbi Unchained Parc Spirou Provence Leadership Award 1 Franceen Gonzales Enchanted Parks 2 Ryan Eldredge Six Flags 3 James Harhi Enchanted Parks Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters Rank 2026 Recipient Park Supplier Year 1 Fury 325 Carowinds B&M 2015 2 Jurassic World Velocicoaster Universal Islands of Adventure Intamin 2021 3 Steel Vengeance Cedar Point Rocky Mountain Construction 2018 4 Iron Gwazi Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Rocky Mountain Construction 2022 5 Ride to Happiness Plopsaland De Panne Mack 2021 6 Millennium Force Cedar Point Intamin 2000 7 Zadra Energylandia Rocky Mountain Construction 2019 8 Taron Phantasialand Intamin 2016 9 Voltron Nevera Europa-Park Mack 2024 10 Stardust Racers Universal Epic Universe Mack 2025 11 ArieForce One Fun Spot America Atlanta Rocky Mountain Construction 2023 12 Maverick Cedar Point Intamin 2007 13 AlpenFury Canada's Wonderland Premier Rides 2025 14 Expedition GeForce Holiday Park Intamin 2001 15 Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Epcot Vekoma 2022 16 Phantom's Revenge Kennywood Morgan / Arrow 2001 17 Superman: The Ride Six Flags New England Intamin 2000 18 Pantherian Kings Dominion Intamin 2010 19 F.L.Y. Phantasialand Vekoma 2020 20 Apollo's Chariot Busch Gardens Williamsburg B&M 1999 21 Leviathan Canada's Wonderland B&M 2012 22 Falcons Flight Six Flags Qiddiya City Intamin 2025 23 Top Thrill 2 Cedar Point Zamperla 2026 24 Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Universal Islands of Adventure Intamin 2019 25 Wildcat's Revenge Hersheypark Rocky Mountain Construction 2023 26 Diamondback Kings Island B&M 2009 27 Kondaa Walibi Belgium Intamin 2021 28 Mako SeaWorld Orlando B&M 2016 29 Helix Liseberg Mack 2014 30 Iron Rattler Six Flags Fiesta Texas Rocky Mountain Construction 2013 31 Nitro Six Flags Great Adventure B&M 2001 32 X2 Six Flags Magic Mountain Arrow 2002 33 Time Traveler Silver Dollar City Mack 2018 34 Toutatis Parc Astérix Intamin 2023 35 Eejanaika Fuji-Q Highland S&S Worldwide 2006 36 Taiga Linnanmäki Intamin 2019 37 Hyperion Energylandia Intamin 2018 38 Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point Arrow 1989 39 Lightning Rod Dollywood Rocky Mountain Construction 2016 40 Big Bear Mountain Dollywood Vekoma 2023 Lech Coaster Legendia Vekoma 2017 42 Montu Busch Gardens Tampa Bay B&M 1996 43 Twisted Colossus Six Flags Magic Mountain Rocky Mountain Construction 2015 44 Raging Bull Six Flags Great America B&M 1999 45 Orion Kings Island B&M 2020 46 Alpengeist Busch Gardens Williamsburg B&M 1997 47 Skyrush Hersheypark Intamin 2012 48 Pantheon Busch Gardens Williamsburg Intamin 2022 49 Candymonium Hersheypark B&M 2020 Siren's Curse Cedar Point Vekoma 2025 Top 50 Wood Roller Coasters Rank 2026 Recipient Park Supplier Year 1 The Voyage Holiday World The Gravity Group 2006 2 Phoenix Knoebels Amusement Resort Dinn / PTC / Schmeck 1985 3 El Toro Six Flags Great Adventure Intamin 2006 4 The Beast Kings Island KECO 1979 5 Mystic Timbers Kings Island Great Coasters International 2017 6 Thunderhead Dollywood Great Coasters International 2004 7 GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm Custom Coasters Inc. 1998 8 Ravine Flyer II Waldameer & Water World The Gravity Group 2008 9 Outlaw Run Silver Dollar City Rocky Mountain Construction 2013 10 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce Custom Coasters Inc. 2000 11 Wodan Europa-Park Great Coasters International 2012 12 Wildfire Kolmården Rocky Mountain Construction 2016 13 Balder Liseberg Intamin 2003 14 The Legend Holiday World Custom Coasters Inc. 2000 15 Comet Great Escape PTC / Schmeck 1994 16 Cyclone Luna Park (Coney Island) Baker / Keenan 1927 17 Twister Knoebels Amusement Resort Fetterman 1999 18 Colossos Heide Park Intamin 2001 19 Gold Striker California's Great America Great Coasters International 2013 20 Jack Rabbit Kennywood Miller 1920 21 Boardwalk Bullet Kemah Boardwalk The Gravity Group 2007 22 Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure Custom Coasters Inc. 1998 23 Grizzly Kings Dominion KECO 1982 24 Troy Toverland Great Coasters International 2007 25 Rutschebanen Tivoli Gardens L.A. Thompson 1914 26 Texas Stingray SeaWorld San Antonio Great Coasters International 2020 Prowler Worlds of Fun Great Coasters International 2009 28 Goliath Six Flags Great America Rocky Mountain Construction 2014 29 Joris en de Draak Efteling Great Coasters International 2010 30 Thunderbolt Kennywood Vettel / Miller 1968 31 Flying Turns Knoebels Amusement Resort Fetterman 2014 32 The Raven Holiday World Custom Coasters Inc. 1995 33 Coaster Playland Phare 1958 34 Lightning Racer Hersheypark Great Coasters International 2000 T Express Everland Intamin 2008 36 Cú Chulainn Emerald Park The Gravity Group 2015 37 Bobcat Great Escape The Gravity Group 2024 38 Wicker Man Alton Towers Great Coasters International 2018 39 Racer Kennywood Miller-Mach 1927 40 Zippin Pippin Bay Beach MVR 2011 41 The Boss Six Flags St. Louis Custom Coasters Inc. 2000 42 Comet Hersheypark PTC / Schmeck 1946 43 Hades 360 Mount Olympus Theme Park The Gravity Group 2005 44 Cornball Express Indiana Beach Custom Coasters Inc. 1999 45 White Lightning Fun Spot Orlando Great Coasters International 2013 Wooden Warrior Quassy Amusement Park The Gravity Group 2011 47 Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Prior & Church / Looff 1924 Renegade Valleyfair Great Coasters International 2007 49 Rampage Alabama Adventure Custom Coasters Inc. 1998 50 El Toro Freizeitpark Plohn Great Coasters International 2009
2025 winners
Host: Carowinds The Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 6, 2025.