Canada's Wonderland Trip Report/Tips Thread

[MisterSG1]

Seeing as people on my gondola thread have spoke about trips and upcoming trips to Wonderland, I'm wondering what kind of experiences you had and if I can offer my own advice.

 

DISCLAIMER: Before I start, let me mention that I'm very much in the same boat as the current video blogger "DorkyDude" on Youtube, in that attempting to go on most rides will result in a walk of shame, so my days in the park are sadly watching over people ride, and thus I can't give specific advice for rides.

 

STARTING POINTS:

Canada's Wonderland as it stands is the most visited seasonal theme park in North America, so crowds are something to expect here. But obviously, crowds are generally lighter on weekdays as opposed to weekends. As school is currently still running until the end of June, visiting in the spring when daily operations begin will probably guarantee you the least amount of hassle with crowds. While this park doesn't have that much to offer in terms of star attractions like Kings Island or Cedar Point does, this park is heavily visited because it is practically the only park around and lacks any real competition. There's a border crossing if one would want to go to Darien Lake, and La Ronde, a park that isn't that good from what I hear, is around 5 and a half hours away on a good day, and the main language spoken in that park is French.

GETTING TO THE PARK:

The Toronto Metro Area which is commonly called the GTA (short for Greater Toronto Area) when ranked against metro areas in Canada and the US would be the 4th largest (depending on how you define it), behind New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. As a result of this, the GTA is a very busy place, and is notorious for traffic. Here's a few things to consider when getting to the park.

The most convenient way, unless you are staying in a hotel rather closeby to the park, is to take Hwy 400 NB to Rutherford Road (Exit 33), like at Kings Island when entering the park from I-71 NB, upon exiting, you proceed straight ahead at the traffic light. This will take you onto the Canada's Wonderland access road which will swing around and put you into the parking lot. Note the orientation of the parking lot relative to the park is opposite to how it is at Kings Island, the park itself faces the freeway rather than the other way around at Kings Island. There is also a secondary entrance which requires a left turn on Jane Street, I would only recommend entering from that side if you are staying in that general vicinity.

If you are staying further away, like close to the airport for example, and have to use Hwy 401 to get to Hwy 400 in the morning you intend to come to the park. In the summer months, the section of Hwy 401 between Islington Avenue and Hwy 400 is incredibly busy especially in the morning and evening rush hours, it's actually the BUSIEST section of freeway in North America in the summer months. On the regular roads, the arterials in the City of Toronto itself and York Region (where Vaughan and Wonderland are located) generally follow a grid system in which the major roads are spaced 1 1/4 miles apart. If you need more information about specific directions, just message me.

Parking is currently $30, no kidding. I personally prefer to park on the north side of the lot, past the big green space in the middle of the park by the front gate as I find this side to generally be less crowded. HOWEVER, if you do park on this side, don't be tempted to follow the exit signs as they will lead to Major Mackenzie Drive and you may be confused, it's best to leave the parking lot the same way you came in, on the south side, if you park on the south side simply follow the exit signs and you'll end up back on the access road and back to Rutherford Road and Hwy 400.

INSIDE THE PARK:

If you arrive before rope drop, I believe International Street opens roughly 30 minutes before the opening time of the actual park. When rope drop occurs, I believe most of the guests will make a beeline to either Yukon Striker or Leviathan as those are the two main star rides at this point. Leviathan is fairly close to the entrance just inside the Medieval Faire gate, while Yukon Striker is located at the very back of the park.

It's also worth mentioning that unlike Kings Island, terrain can be tricky at this park, there are a lot of grade changes, notable the long hill leading down from the left side of Wonder Mountain by WindSeeker. The most efficient route to Yukon Striker would be to wait at rope drop in International Festival, that is take the left path on International Street and turn left halfway through, and beyond the big globe, beyond there is where the rope drop generally happens. When the rope drops, follow the path, veer right slightly so you are in between our Wave Swinger and the Crystal Arcade, follow that path all the way down past Coasters and keep to the left, you will pass the Minebuster and you can't very well miss Yukon Striker.

FOOD:

When it comes to something like a unique item here, sadly the best example is Tiny Tom's Donuts, it's a staple of the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) and they are sold here at the park too. They are mini donuts, and come in four flavours, cinnamon, icing sugar, chocolate, and apples/cinnamon. I honestly if you have some people, recommend getting all four flavours for the price they offer. They are located in International Festival close to the Thunder Run exit.

Last season, a new restaurant opened close to Vortex called the Lazy Bear Lodge that is quite large inside, I haven't had it myself yet, but I've heard some say good things about it.

Of course there is always Pizza Pizza at Wonderland, it tastes different in my opinion from what you get outside the park, but there's a certain thing I like about Wonderland Pizza Pizza, I can't describe it.

I can try to be more in depth upon request from anyone.

 

If you need any further questions, I'll be glad to answer them, it would be nice to hear reports from others who went to the park.

[SonofBaconator]

Speaking of Canada’s Wonderland…

[BeeastFarmer]

19 hours ago, MisterSG1 said:

Seeing as people on my gondola thread have spoke about trips and upcoming trips to Wonderland, I'm wondering what kind of experiences you had and if I can offer my own advice.

 

DISCLAIMER: Before I start, let me mention that I'm very much in the same boat as the current video blogger "DorkyDude" on Youtube, in that attempting to go on most rides will result in a walk of shame, so my days in the park are sadly watching over people ride, and thus I can't give specific advice for rides.

 

STARTING POINTS:

Canada's Wonderland as it stands is the most visited seasonal theme park in North America, so crowds are something to expect here. But obviously, crowds are generally lighter on weekdays as opposed to weekends. As school is currently still running until the end of June, visiting in the spring when daily operations begin will probably guarantee you the least amount of hassle with crowds. While this park doesn't have that much to offer in terms of star attractions like Kings Island or Cedar Point does, this park is heavily visited because it is practically the only park around and lacks any real competition. There's a border crossing if one would want to go to Darien Lake, and La Ronde, a park that isn't that good from what I hear, is around 5 and a half hours away on a good day, and the main language spoken in that park is French.

GETTING TO THE PARK:

The Toronto Metro Area which is commonly called the GTA (short for Greater Toronto Area) when ranked against metro areas in Canada and the US would be the 4th largest (depending on how you define it), behind New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. As a result of this, the GTA is a very busy place, and is notorious for traffic. Here's a few things to consider when getting to the park.

The most convenient way, unless you are staying in a hotel rather closeby to the park, is to take Hwy 400 NB to Rutherford Road (Exit 33), like at Kings Island when entering the park from I-71 NB, upon exiting, you proceed straight ahead at the traffic light. This will take you onto the Canada's Wonderland access road which will swing around and put you into the parking lot. Note the orientation of the parking lot relative to the park is opposite to how it is at Kings Island, the park itself faces the freeway rather than the other way around at Kings Island. There is also a secondary entrance which requires a left turn on Jane Street, I would only recommend entering from that side if you are staying in that general vicinity.

If you are staying further away, like close to the airport for example, and have to use Hwy 401 to get to Hwy 400 in the morning you intend to come to the park. In the summer months, the section of Hwy 401 between Islington Avenue and Hwy 400 is incredibly busy especially in the morning and evening rush hours, it's actually the BUSIEST section of freeway in North America in the summer months. On the regular roads, the arterials in the City of Toronto itself and York Region (where Vaughan and Wonderland are located) generally follow a grid system in which the major roads are spaced 1 1/4 miles apart. If you need more information about specific directions, just message me.

Parking is currently $30, no kidding. I personally prefer to park on the north side of the lot, past the big green space in the middle of the park by the front gate as I find this side to generally be less crowded. HOWEVER, if you do park on this side, don't be tempted to follow the exit signs as they will lead to Major Mackenzie Drive and you may be confused, it's best to leave the parking lot the same way you came in, on the south side, if you park on the south side simply follow the exit signs and you'll end up back on the access road and back to Rutherford Road and Hwy 400.

INSIDE THE PARK:

If you arrive before rope drop, I believe International Street opens roughly 30 minutes before the opening time of the actual park. When rope drop occurs, I believe most of the guests will make a beeline to either Yukon Striker or Leviathan as those are the two main star rides at this point. Leviathan is fairly close to the entrance just inside the Medieval Faire gate, while Yukon Striker is located at the very back of the park.

It's also worth mentioning that unlike Kings Island, terrain can be tricky at this park, there are a lot of grade changes, notable the long hill leading down from the left side of Wonder Mountain by WindSeeker. The most efficient route to Yukon Striker would be to wait at rope drop in International Festival, that is take the left path on International Street and turn left halfway through, and beyond the big globe, beyond there is where the rope drop generally happens. When the rope drops, follow the path, veer right slightly so you are in between our Wave Swinger and the Crystal Arcade, follow that path all the way down past Coasters and keep to the left, you will pass the Minebuster and you can't very well miss Yukon Striker.

FOOD:

When it comes to something like a unique item here, sadly the best example is Tiny Tom's Donuts, it's a staple of the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) and they are sold here at the park too. They are mini donuts, and come in four flavours, cinnamon, icing sugar, chocolate, and apples/cinnamon. I honestly if you have some people, recommend getting all four flavours for the price they offer. They are located in International Festival close to the Thunder Run exit.

Last season, a new restaurant opened close to Vortex called the Lazy Bear Lodge that is quite large inside, I haven't had it myself yet, but I've heard some say good things about it.

Of course there is always Pizza Pizza at Wonderland, it tastes different in my opinion from what you get outside the park, but there's a certain thing I like about Wonderland Pizza Pizza, I can't describe it.

I can try to be more in depth upon request from anyone.

 

If you need any further questions, I'll be glad to answer them, it would be nice to hear reports from others who went to the park.

Backlot cafe had good spaghetti and meatballs.  But it took forever and had no drinks available. 

[Oldiesmann]

I definitely want to make it up there at some point but have no idea when. It's only a seven and a half hour drive for me (about the same drive time as to other parks I've been to) and I also want to see Niagara Falls while I'm on that side of the border, but I keep finding other trips to take (going back to PA next summer for Dorney's new coaster and KD's 50th is in 2025, so maybe in 2026?)

[johnjniehaus]

I'm going tomorrow so I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks for all the info! 

[DJSkyFoxx]

I hope you have a great time. I haven't been to CW since 2008. I have family up there and they are passholders, so I suppose I need to make a return visit at some point myself.

[MisterSG1]

I forgot to mention, I’ll edit the part about getting there, but try to avoid Hwy 407 ETR, it’s a very expensive private electronic toll road. It was the first electronic toll road in the world, and you can see the controversy already as many roads throughout the US switch to that format.

If you were to use the 407, this the kind of costs you would incur for one trip.

Firstly is the toll rate per distance, different sections and different times of the day the toll rate fluctuates, but at its most expensive, the 407 charges 62 cents per kilometre, give or take that’s about $1 per mile.

Secondly, there’s a trip charge just for entering the 407, that’s $1.00

Thirdly, as you won’t have their transponder, they add another $4.20 camera charge per trip.

Fourthly, although you’re only using it once, they’ll charge $3.95 for a monthly account fee.

And to top it all off, on the bill that comes in the mail, they actually charge HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) on the toll which comes out to 13% on top of the toll charge itself.

So yeah, it’s literal highway robbery, you can see for yourself the price structure here.

https://www.407etr.com/en/tolls/tolls/rate-chart-light.html

Hwy 407 isn’t a conventional toll road, it’s more or less priced at an economic model to keep the road moving at practically all times of the day. Only an accident or bad weather like snow are the only times the 407 has any serious traffic problems.

[MisterSG1]

I’m actually at the park right now and went to Lazy Bear Lodge and was pleasantly surprised. The food was good, and all the drink machines were working.

I got a season refillable drink and I noticed so far today and it’s been a good experience so far.

I should notice there are a fair amount of school aged kids who appear to be here on end of the year trips, so that might be a minor issue tomorrow.

 

Theres a great view outside the Lazy Bear Lodge, it’s slightly a rainy day today, but here it is.

[johnjniehaus]

Just a few pictures from yesterday. Lines weren't super long. Probably 30-45 for leviathan and 20 or less for everything else. Got quite a few rides in -

Wilde Beast 4x, Behemoth 3x, Minebuster 3x, Vortex 3x, thunder Run 3x, wonder mountain guardian 3x, Vortex 3x, Sledge Hammer 3x, Yukon Striker 2x, Dragon Fyre 2x, Leviathan 2x, Backlot Stunt Coaster 1x, The Fly 1x, Wilde knightmares 1x, time warp 1x, flight Deck 1x, ghoster Coaster 1x, The Bat 1x, jokeys Jalopies 1x, Skyhawk 1x. 

My only complaint is I could never find a location that gives out the free mini cups of water... didn't have it at Coke places, beer places, counter service restaurant places. I was told they could charge me for a drink at one place. Is the free water not a thing at this park? I just decided to use water fountains the entire day. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

Thanks for the pics. Always cool to see another park.

[MisterSG1]

First I heard of that thing about getting a free water. Every bathroom has water fountains to my knowledge outside of it, so I guess the better option would be to bring your own cup into the park and refill with water as you need it from the water fountains.

Jokey’s Jalopies….it’s just an antique car ride on a track, but apparently, does the guest have an element of control with the cars at Kings Island?

Wonder Mountain’s Guardian, I’ve always thought that ride was kind of a bust, and yes I have ridden it myself before. The ending of that ride when you don’t know about it is something you can only get away with once.

I noticed you got the Ghoster Coaster in, you should have also got the brand new Snoopy’s Racing Railway in as well, on Thursday, my nephew went on that ride 4 times straight.

As for Time Warp, that was originally called Tomb Raider and even 20 years later I’m still bitter about that ride. We lost our Eyerly Monster and Mack Sea Storm to put that in.

[johnjniehaus]

26 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

First I heard of that thing about getting a free water. Every bathroom has water fountains to my knowledge outside of it, so I guess the better option would be to bring your own cup into the park and refill with water as you need it from the water fountains.

Jokey’s Jalopies….it’s just an antique car ride on a track, but apparently, does the guest have an element of control with the cars at Kings Island?

Wonder Mountain’s Guardian, I’ve always thought that ride was kind of a bust, and yes I have ridden it myself before. The ending of that ride when you don’t know about it is something you can only get away with once.

I noticed you got the Ghoster Coaster in, you should have also got the brand new Snoopy’s Racing Railway in as well, on Thursday, my nephew went on that ride 4 times straight.

As for Time Warp, that was originally called Tomb Raider and even 20 years later I’m still bitter about that ride. We lost our Eyerly Monster and Mack Sea Storm to put that in.

So yeah I ended up just using water fountains. It was just so strange that the staff kept pointing to the next food location and saying I could get water there but once I got there they didn't have it either. 

Jokeys Jalopies...so I just have a thing for car rides no matter what type they are. Yes the one at KI the guest has control (gas powered not electric or self powered)

So I tried to ride Snoopy's Racing Railway and was told I couldn't ride without a kid by the operator working the que so that ended that venture real quick. 

And yeah I'd be mad about losing anything for time warp. That coaster sucked. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

On 6/14/2023 at 8:34 PM, SonofBaconator said:

Speaking of Canada’s Wonderland…

Wonder why KI doesn't do an event like this. It would be an awesome event at KI for kids. Is licensing a little different in Canada, but I believe a few years ago KD did this exact event so idk. 

[MisterSG1]

I should also mention, that I basically grew up in the park so to speak. I remember going to Hanna-Barbara Land since the early 1990s, and remember eventually going on all the more serious rides as I got older, although I was a coward at first.

Basically, I know quite a lot about Wonderland history.

Some parts of the park today look to be in bad shape in my opinion, and that's the areas traditionally known as International Festival and Grande Worlde Expo.

While it was true that Paramount basically killed the theming in World Expo, they did however keep all the buildings occupied. The Moroccan building used to house a clothing shop for many years under the Paramount days and beyond, this year, that building is abandoned. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, this is the same building where one checks in to ride the Xtreme Skyflyer. The presentation of the midway games just seems kind of run down in this area, I just can't describe it.

International Festival, same as before, just the way the games are set up makes me cringe. How one such building instead of it being a midway game is a mini convenience store of sorts. In the main "square" of International Festival there is almost no action, the huge "hi-striker" is gone. And what was the recording studio back in the 1990 and 20-aughts is now a Multi-Faith Prayer Space. I'm not saying that having this space is bad, but it should be located more closer to a bathroom in my opinion, and not in like a main midway area. 

If anyone has visited, I'm sure they will know what I'm talking about.