ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal Orlando Resort received national recognition at the 32nd Annual TEA Thea Awards, the most prestigious awards ceremony in the theme park industry.

▶ LISTEN TO ORLANDO’S MORNING NEWS EXPRESS PODCAST ON WDBO

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)’s Thea Awards aim to “celebrate the professionals and organizations whose work brings to life outstanding achievements, bold innovation, and the world’s most immersive experiences.”

READ: Epic Universe projected to bring $2 billion boost to Central Florida economy

Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe received the Outstanding Achievement – Attraction award for Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the flagship attraction for Epic Universe’s Dark Universe Section.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry was awarded the Outstanding Achievement – Ride Experience Award, while the immersive How to Dragon Your Dragon – Isle of Berk received the Outstanding Achievement – Theme Park Land award.

Epic Universe itself was awarded the Outstanding Achievement award in the Theme Park category.

“We received nearly 200 impressive and diverse submissions from around the world,” said Marc Zachary, Chair of the Thea Awards Judging Committee and President of Experiential Advisors. “These entries demonstrate the imagination, ingenuity, expertise, and passion across the themed entertainment industry. Every year, the Thea Awards Judging Committee spends countless hours reviewing, discussing, and selecting that year’s outstanding and most-deserving projects. Today we celebrate these extraordinary projects and the teams that brought them to life.”

The 32nd Annual Thea Awards Gala is set to take place on May 2, 2026. For the first time, the event will be hosted right here in Orlando, at the JW Marriott Grand Lakes.

Registration, sponsorship packages, and table and ticket sales will be available beginning in January.

Click here to download our free news, weather and traffic app. And click here to subscribe to our daily 3 Big Things newsletter.

©2025 Cox Media Group