For years, Walt Disney World had an attraction that seemed nearly impossible for its competitors to beat.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance became the standard for modern dark rides after opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It combined massive physical sets, multiple ride systems, Audio-Animatronics, and familiar characters into an experience that repeatedly earned industry recognition.
Now, the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards have confirmed that Universal Orlando’s victory over Disney wasn’t temporary. For the second year in a row, Universal has taken the top two positions in the Best Dark Ride category.
Disney World has once again been pushed down to third.
Universal Repeats Its Victory Over Disney
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment at Epic Universe earned the No. 1 position for Best Dark Ride in 2026.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry finished second.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance followed in third place, while Danse Macabre at Efteling took fourth. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland rounded out the top five.
The results become more significant because nothing changed at the top from 2025.
Monsters Unchained finished first last year, Battle at the Ministry finished second, and Rise of the Resistance landed third.
That means Universal has now beaten Disney World with two different attractions for two consecutive years.
Rise of the Resistance Once Dominated This Category
Disney’s third-place finish represents a major change from just a few years ago.
Before Epic Universe opened, Rise of the Resistance won Best Dark Ride during four of the five years it was eligible. Shanghai Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure delivered its only loss during that period.
Epic Universe changed that almost immediately after opening in May 2025.
Universal suddenly had two attractions capable of beating Disney's former champion, and the 2026 results show that those victories weren't simply driven by excitement surrounding a brand-new theme park.
Disney also doesn't have another Disney World attraction inside the category's top five.
Disney's Next Attractions Have a Bigger Challenge
The good news for Disney fans is that Disney World isn't sitting still.
Animal Kingdom's Tropical Americas will bring two major attractions when it opens in 2027: Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto and Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
An even bigger test waits farther down the road at Magic Kingdom.
Disney's upcoming Villains Land will include a Magic Mirror dark ride, potentially giving the company its biggest opportunity to challenge Universal for the industry's top spot again.
Universal has established the benchmark Disney's next generation of attractions will inevitably face.
For years, Disney had the ride everyone else was chasing.
The 2026 results confirm that the situation has flipped.
Universal Orlando has No. 1 and No. 2.
Disney World is chasing them from No. 3.
