Canada's Wonderland is a 330-acre (130 ha) theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, a suburb directly north of Toronto and owned by Six Flags. When Canada's Wonderland first opened in 1981 under Kings Entertainment Company ownership, there were 26 attractions. Today, there are 69, including the attractions inside Splash Works, a water park adjacent to the main theme park. [1] Since the opening of the amusement park, at least one attraction has been added every year except 2009 and 2013. [2] In addition, SkyRider closed permanently in 2014; it was the only roller coaster to close in the park's history and was relocated to Italy. [3] SkyHawk, a Sky Roller by Gerstlauer Rides, and Flying Eagles from Larson International opened in 2016. The 2017 additions include Soaring Timbers and Muskoka Plunge and the 2018 additions include Lumberjack and Flying Canoes; Soaring Timbers, Lumberjack, and Flying Canoes are flat rides, while Muskoka Plunge is a water ride.
Up until 1992, Canada's Wonderland did not have a water park. Eleven years after the park opened, Splash Works was constructed in the area surrounding the Mighty Canadian Minebuster. [2] Original plans and park maps during construction of the park show that the area that is now Splash Works and formerly White Water Canyon was originally planned to be a themed area called "Frontier Canada", a section of the park devoted to the Canadian wilderness. [4] [5] [6] Although this section became realized in 2019, albeit under Cedar Fair management, several of the elements that were to be included are scattered across the park before then. [4] Yukon Striker, a dive coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, was added in 2019 in the Frontier Canada section to replace SkyRider.
For safety, Canada's Wonderland uses a ride rating system that classifies the attractions based on the intensity of the ride. The ratings vary from 1, for rides that are calm and gentle, to 5, for rides that have high speeds, aggressive forces, and rapid elevation changes. A separate set of ride ratings criteria is used for attractions inside Splash Works, though the rides are still rated on a scale from 1 to 5. [7]
Ride | Image | Ride manufacturer | Type or model | Location | Ref(s) | Thrill Level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antique Carrousel | ![]() | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | Carousel Ride | Grande World Exposition of 1890 | [8] | 1 |
Backlot Stunt Coaster | ![]() | Premier Rides | Launched roller coaster | Action Zone | [9] | 5 |
The Bat | ![]() | Vekoma | Boomerang roller coaster | International Festival | [10] | 5 |
Beagle Brigade Airfield | Zamperla | Flying Tigers | Planet Snoopy | [11] | 2 | |
Behemoth | | Bolliger & Mabillard | Hypercoaster | Action Zone | [12] | 5 |
Blast Off! | S&S Worldwide | Frog hopper | KidZville | [13] | 2 | |
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill | Sally Corporation | Interactive dark ride | Planet Snoopy | [14] | 2 | |
Character Carrousel | ![]() | Chance Rides | Carousel | Planet Snoopy | [15] | 1 |
Dragon Fyre | ![]() | Arrow Dynamics | Steel roller coaster | Medieval Faire | [16] | 5 |
Drop Tower: Scream Zone | ![]() | Intamin | Giant Drop | Medieval Faire | [17] | 4 |
Flight Deck | ![]() | Vekoma | Suspended Looping Coaster | Grande World Exposition of 1890 | [7] [18] | 5 |
The Fly | ![]() | Mack Rides | Wild Mouse roller coaster | International Festival | [19] | 4 |
Flying Canoes | Preston & Barbieri | Avio | Frontier Canada | [20] | 2 | |
Flying Eagles | Larson International | Flying Eagles | KidZville | [21] | 3 | |
Frequent Flyers | Bradley & Kaye | Balloon | KidZville | [22] | 2 | |
Ghoster Coaster | ![]() | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | Wooden roller coaster | Planet Snoopy | [23] | 4 |
Joe Cool's Dodgem School | Lusse Brothers Incorporated | Bumper cars | Planet Snoopy | [7] [24] | 2 | |
Jokey's Jalopies | ![]() | Bradley & Kaye | Antique cars | Planet Snoopy | [25] | 2 |
Jumpin’ Jet | Zamperla | Crazy Bus | KidZville | [26] [27] | 2 | |
KidZville Station | Mack Rides | Train ride | KidZville | [28] | 1 | |
Klockwerks | Huss | Swing Around | International Festival | [29] | 3 | |
Krachenwagen | ![]() | Lusse Bros. | Bumper cars | International Festival | [30] | 4 |
Leviathan | ![]() | Bolliger & Mabillard | Giga coaster | Medieval Faire | [7] [31] | 5 |
Lucy's Tugboat | Zamperla | Rockin' Tug [32] | Planet Snoopy | [33] | 2 | |
Lumberjack | Zamperla | Hawk 48 | Frontier Canada | [34] | 5 | |
Maplepark Treehouse | — | Children's playground | KidZville | [7] | 1 | |
Mighty Canadian Minebuster | ![]() | Canada's Wonderland Rides Company / TAFT Rides Company | Wooden roller coaster | Frontier Canada | [35] | 5 |
Wilde Knight Mares | Huss | UFO | Medieval Faire | [36] | 4 | |
PEANUTS 500 | Zamperla | Speedway | Planet Snoopy | [37] [38] | 2 | |
Psyclone | ![]() | Mondial | Frisbee/Revolution | Grande World Exposition of 1890 | [39] | 5 |
The Pumpkin Patch | ![]() | SBF Visa Group | Air balloons | Planet Snoopy | [40] [41] | 2 |
Riptide | ![]() | Mondial | Top Spin | Medieval Faire | [42] | 5 |
Sally's Love Buggies | Preston & Barbieri | Eureka | Planet Snoopy | [43] | 2 | |
Shockwave | ![]() | Mondial | Top Scan | International Festival | [44] | 5 |
Silver Streak | ![]() | Vekoma | Suspended Family Coaster | KidZville | [7] [45] | 4 |
SkyHawk | Gerstlauer Rides | Sky Roller | Action Zone | [21] | 5 | |
Sledge Hammer | ![]() | HUSS | Giant Jump 2 | Action Zone | [46] | 5 |
SlingShot | ![]() | Funtime | Sling Shot | Action Zone | [47] | 5 |
Snoopy's Racing Railway | ![]() | ART Engineering | Family launch coaster | Planet Snoopy | 4 | |
Snoopy's Revolution | Zamperla | Children's ferris wheel | Planet Snoopy | [48] | 2 | |
Snoopy's Space Race | Intamin | Mini Enterprise | Planet Snoopy | [49] | 2 | |
Snoopy vs. Red Baron | Bradley & Kaye | Jump Around [nb 2] | Planet Snoopy | [50] | 2 | |
Soaring Timbers | Mondial | Inferno | Frontier Canada | [51] | 5 | |
Speed City Raceway [nb 1] | | J&J Amusements | Go-kart track | Medieval Faire | [52] | 4 |
Spinovator | Mack Rides | Teacups | Medieval Faire | [53] | 3 | |
Sugar Shack | Zamperla | Teacups | KidZville | [18] | 2 | |
Swan Lake | Bradley & Kaye | Swan ride | Planet Snoopy | [54] | 1 | |
Swing of the Century | ![]() | Zierer | Wave Swinger | Grande World Exposition of 1890 | [55] | 3 |
Swing Time | Zamperla | Children's swing | KidzVille | [7] [56] | 1 | |
Taxi Jam | E&F Miler Industries | Children's roller coaster | KidzVille | [57] | 2 | |
Thunder Run | ![]() | Mack Rides | Powered roller coaster | International Festival | [58] | 4 |
Timberwolf Falls | Hopkins Rides | Shoot-the-Chutes | Frontier Canada | [59] | 4 | |
Time Warp | ![]() | Zamperla | Volare | Grande World Exposition of 1890 | [60] | 5 |
Treetop Adventure | Caripro Amusement Technology | Tram | KidZville | [61] | 2 | |
Tundra Twister | Mondial | Avalanche (Swinging pendulum ride with free-swinging gondolas) | Frontier Canada | 5 | ||
Viking's Rage | ![]() | HUSS | Pirate Boat | Medieval Faire | [62] | 3 |
Vortex | ![]() | Arrow Dynamics | Steel suspended roller coaster | Frontier Canada | [63] | 4 |
White Water Canyon | ![]() | Intamin | River rapids ride | Frontier Canada | [7] [64] | 4 |
Wilde Beast | Taft Broadcasting | Wooden roller coaster | Medieval Faire | [65] | 4 | |
WindSeeker | ![]() | Mondial | Wind Seeker | Action Zone | [66] [67] | 4 |
Wonder Mountain's Guardian | ![]() | Triotech | 4D interactive dark ride | International Festival | [68] [69] | 4 |
Woodstock Whirlybirds | SBF Visa Group | Satellite | Planet Snoopy | [70] [71] | 3 | |
Yukon Striker | ![]() | Bolliger & Mabillard | Dive Coaster | Frontier Canada | [72] | 5 |
Splash Works opened in 1992, eleven years after Canada's Wonderland opened. [2] Four years later, Canada's Wonderland expanded the water park by adding Whitewater Bay (a wave pool), The Pump House (an interactive children's playground), and The Black Hole (an enclosed water slide). [2] There were two more expansions in 1999 and 2002, introducing new slides and attractions to the water park. [5]
12 years later, the park announced that Splash Works would receive a new water slide, Typhoon, and an interactive aquatic playground, Splash Station. [73]
In 2017, Muskoka Plunge opened, replacing the former Body Blast. 2018 saw the addition of two new children's slides & the renovation of the Splash Island Kiddie Pool, transforming the area into Lakeside Lagoon. The 2020 season introduced Mountain Bay Cliffs, a cliff-jumping attraction featuring platforms of various heights that guests can jump off of into a large pool. The opening of the attraction was delayed to the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some attractions require a personal flotation device (PFD; "lifejacket") in order to ride.
Ride Name | Ride Manufacturer | Type/Model | Year Opened |
---|---|---|---|
Barracuda Blaster | ProSlide Technology | Bowl water slide | 2002 |
The Black Hole | ProSlide Technology | Enclosed water slide | 1996 |
Lakeside Lagoon | — | Children's pool and water slides | 2018 |
Lazy River | Water Technology | Lazy river | 1992 |
Moosehorn Falls | WhiteWater West | Boomerango-style raft slide | 2024 |
Mountain Bay Cliffs | — | Cliff jumping-style attraction | 2021 |
Muskoka Plunge | SplashTacular | 4 trapdoor-style speed slides | 2017 |
The Plunge | ProSlide Technology | Family raft water slide | 1999 |
The Pump House | Specialized Component Supply Co. | Interactive aquatic playground | 1999 |
Typhoon | ProSlide Technology | Tornado 12 | 2015 |
Riptide Racer | ProSlide Technology | 8-lane mat racer water slide | 2002 |
Sprayground | — | Interactive water playground | 2002 |
Splash Island Waterways | ProSlide Technology | Children's raft water slide | 2002 |
Splash Station | — | Interactive aquatic playground | 2015 |
Super Soaker | ProSlide Technology | Family raft water slide | 1999 |
Whirl Winds | ProSlide Technology | 2 intertwining speed slides | 1992 |
Whitewater Bay | Aquatic Amusements Associates Ltd. | Wave pool | 1996 |
Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States, owned and operated by Six Flags. It opened in 1870 and is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US behind Lake Compounce. Prior to the merger with Six Flags in 2024, Cedar Point served as the "flagship park" of the Cedar Fair amusement park chain and hosted the corporate headquarters. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features 17 roller coasters, which ranks third among amusement parks in North America behind sister parks Canada's Wonderland (18) and Six Flags Magic Mountain (20).
Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park was built by Taft Broadcasting and opened in 1972. It was part of a larger effort to move and expand Coney Island, a popular resort destination along the banks of the Ohio River that was prone to frequent flooding. After more than $300 million in capital investments over the years, the park has grown to feature over a hundred attractions including fifteen roller coasters and a 33-acre (13 ha) water park.
Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a 330-acre (130 ha) amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life Assurance Company, it was the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. Cedar Fair purchased the park from Paramount Parks in 2006, and they have owned and operated the park since then. In 2019, it was the most-visited seasonal amusement park in North America with an estimated 3.9 million guests. The park still retains this record, with an estimated 3.8 million guests in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kings Dominion is an amusement park in Doswell, Virginia, United States, twenty miles (30 km) north of Richmond and 75 miles (120 km) south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the 280-acre (1.1 km2) park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island near Cincinnati, and the nickname for the Commonwealth of Virginia, "Old Dominion."
Valleyfair is a 90-acre (36 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park opened in 1976 and features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the original company.
Carowinds is a 407-acre (165 ha) amusement park primarily located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park first opened to the public on March 31, 1973. Carowinds straddles the state line between North and South Carolina, adjacent to Interstate 77, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The park has a sign telling guests where the state line lies. It was constructed at a cost of $70 million following a four-year planning period led by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall. Carowinds also features Carolina Harbor, a 27-acre (11 ha) water park that is included with park admission. Annual events include the Halloween-themed SCarowinds and the Christmas-themed WinterFest.
Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The pier opened in 1932 and formerly extended approximately 300 ft (91 m) into the Atlantic Ocean from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula, including approximately six blocks within Seaside Heights.
Worlds of Fun, is a 235-acre (95 ha) theme park located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, it was founded by American businessmen Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman under the ownership of Hunt's company, MId-America Enterprises in 1973. Oceans of Fun is a water park that opened in 1982 and is next to the amusement park. Admission to Oceans of Fun is included with the price of admission to Worlds of Fun. MId-America Enterprises sold both parks to Cedar Fair in 1995 for $40 million.
Michigan's Adventure is a 250-acre (1.0 km2) amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon and Whitehall. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Six Flags since 2024. The park was previously owned by Cedar Fair from 2001-2024. As of 2024, Michigan's Adventure has over 60 rides, slides and attractions, more than any other park in the state.
Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, known as Magic Springs, is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 miles (80 km) from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park was opened in 1978, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Premier Parks, LLC.
Splash Works is a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park located within the park boundaries of Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Entry is free with park admission. Splash Works is home to "Whitewater Bay", the largest outdoor wave pool in Canada, and is today home to 16 waterslides. Splash Works operates during the summer months of May through September.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Allentown. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park features 64 rides, including eight roller coasters, several thrill rides and kiddie rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides.
Hopkins Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Palm City, Florida. The company has produced amusement rides for over 45 years and currently focuses on water rides.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a 135-acre (55 ha) animal theme park located in Vallejo, California, off of Interstate 80 between San Francisco and Sacramento. The park includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has been part of the Six Flags chain of amusement parks since 1999.
Tusenfryd is an amusement park at Vinterbro, Norway. The park is located 20 kilometers south of Oslo. Two of the longest motorway corridors in Norway, E6 and E18, meet nearby Tusenfryd and the park is located on the west side near where they meet. SpeedMonster, SuperSplash, ThunderCoaster and SpaceShot make the park visible from the motorway. The park was officially opened on 11 June 1988, after a construction period of 18 months. The park is owned by Parques Reunidos S.A., located in Madrid, Spain. Bjørn Håvard Solli is the park's CEO. The park has 34 attractions and has 500,000 visitors per year.
Ghoster Coaster, is a junior wooden roller coaster located at Canada's Wonderland whose name was shortened to just "Ghoster Coaster" for the 2010 season, as part of the transition to Planet Snoopy.
Through its history, Hanna-Barbera has operated theme park attractions, mostly as a section in Kings Island, Carowinds, California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and, recently, Six Flags Great America.
Originally themed around the Middle Ages, Medieval Faire is a section of Canada's Wonderland, a theme park in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. As such, early attractions created under Kings Entertainment Company were named after knights, Don Quixote, Vikings, dragons, bats, and beasts. Throughout the Paramount Parks era, the section's new attractions lacked appropriate theming. The introduction of the Leviathan roller coaster to Medieval Faire in 2012 was the first major investment in the section since 2000; the park is now under ownership of Six Flags. The section includes four roller coasters and six other rides.
This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that have occurred in 2012. These various lists are not exhaustive.