Carlsbad Amusement Park Among 20 Best In U.S. In New Ranking

CARLSBAD, CA — There are still a few weeks of summer left to enjoy the thrills of amusement parks, and Carlsbad is home to one of the best, according to a new ranking.

Tripadvisor, an online travel research and review company, recently announced its Travelers' Choice Awards based on a high volume of "above-and-beyond reviews and opinions" over the past 12 months.

Of 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve the "best of the best" milestone, according to TripAdvisor.

Legoland California ranked as the seventh-best amusement park in the country and the best in California. The Carlsbad-based theme park topped Disneyland, which ranked 11th. Universal Studios Hollywood ranked 14th and Six Flags Magic Mountain ranked 20th.

Dollywood, the brainchild of singer Dolly Parton who grew up in the surrounding Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, topped the elite list. Here's the full ranking:

1. Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
2. Magic Kingdom Park, Bay Lake, Florida
3. Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
4. Disney's Hollywood Studios, Bay Lake, Florida
5. Universal Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida
6. Fun Spot America, Kissimmee, Florida
7. Legoland California, Carlsbad, California
8. Universal Studios Florida, Orlando
9. Silver Dollar Studios, Branson, Missouri
10. Whale's Tale Waterpark, Lincoln, New Hampshire
11. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, California
12. Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
13. Noah's Ark Water Park, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
14. Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles
15. Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort, Erie, Pennsylvania
16. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
17. Legoland New York Resort, Goshen, New York
18. Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania
19. Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina
20. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Clarita, California