I’ve been taking Kyle to Canada’s Wonderland since he was just under two years old. At the time I didn’t realize this but there were so many rides he was able to enjoy independently. That’s when I decided to get a season pass for the following summer and we have every year since. Part of our Wonderland ritual includes me taking the boys out of school once in May or June for some one-on-one time. I was especially excited to do that this year with Kyle as he’s over 48″ tall which means he can do most of the bigger rides in the park.
While Kyle does enjoy a good roller-coaster, he does have his limits. Specifically, he didn’t want to go on any rides that were a loop (like Dragon Fire) or where they went too up high (like the Windseeker). I figured we would start in Action Zone and make a trip around the park and go on as many rides as we could / that he wanted to.
Tip: arrive at the park right when they open as most rides won’t have a line up yet and you can do at least 3 or 4 rides quickly before line ups start to form. Go to the most popular rides first (i.e. Leviathan).
Some of the rides that we wanted to go on were actually closed that day but during our five hour visit, we managed to go on all of the rides that we planned on. Here is a short list of our favourites:
- Backlot stunt coaster – it has some vertical / side loops but Kyle still really enjoyed this ride. In fact, we went on it twice.
- Swing of the century – more low key but still lots of fun!
- Mighty Canadian Minebuster – lots of big drops! A more thrilling experience than Ghoster Coaster located in Kidzville.
- White Water Canyon – one of my favourites as a kid and perfect for hot summer days. We went on it three time (no line up for this ride now I’m assuming because of Splash works).
- Flying Canoes – one of the new 2018 rides. Kyle did this one on his own.
- The Fly
- The Rage
- The Spinovator
Since Dragon Fire is one of my favourite rides of all times, and there was no line up as we walked by it, I really wanted to go and ride it. Kyle was hesitant (due to the loops), so he just waited for me behind the exit gate at the top of the ride.
Tip: Download the Canada’s Wonderland app to receive access to ride wait times and the interactive map so you can plan out your visit. There’s FREE wi-fi at the park too 🙂
Of course a trip to Wonderland wouldn’t be complete without some food. This year we tried out the All-Season Dining Plan ($92.99) and I actually really enjoyed it. With the exception of Subway (which has limited options for the dining plan), you can pretty much get anything that’s available on the menu at any of the participating dining locations. Kyle enjoyed a hot-dog at Timbers BBQ while I had a chicken burger at Muskoka Craft Burger and Beer. Right before we left, we also grabbed some pizza (with garlic bread & chips) from Pizza Pizza at Planet Snoopy. However, enjoying some sweet treats at Wonderland is part of the experience too. So while it wasn’t included in the Dining Plan, we enjoyed some treats at Mountainside Bakery and Cafe and a slushy from KidZville area.
Tip: Use your season pass to get discounts off your purchases – including food.
What tips or experiences would you add to my list?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Canada’s Wonderland. In exchange for this post, I have received family season passes and other perks. All opinions on this blog are my own.