When I got the show request to perform at a music festival in Toronto, my mind went to one thing and one thing only: CANADA'S WONDERLAND.
Having last visited the park in 2025 and painstakingly watched AlpenFury testing (only for it to open mere days after I flew home) I had vengeance in my mind. Technically, the steel kind. But not the Steel Vengeance kind.
Hahaha, I gleefully chuckled, while WestJet threw my guitar into the baggage hold with wreckless abandon. Now is the time! I will finally be riding the coaster that causes the most incredulous reaction amongst enthusiasts:
"THAT is a Premier Rides Sky Rocket?!"
"You mean, this big, beautiful, duck-egg blue coaster with an innovative layout?!
...IT'S A SKY ROCKET?!?!"
Now, admittedly, I am a Sky Rocket 2 apologist at heart. Where some thoosies view them as an oversaturated, cookie cutter addition that blighted American parks between 2012 - 2019, I think they pack loads of fun sensations into a very short footprint.
I genuinely rejoice when a park has one.
But I rejoice even harder when it has a lengthy, custom, double-launch one, built inside a mountain, entwined around 3 other coasters, boasting exotic inversions like the Banana Roll and the elite and elusive Barrel Roll Down Drop.
But let's get personal for a second. Between working in the games industry and performing in a touring band, I...do not have a lot of free time.
Therefore my hare-brained Canada's WonderPlan was as follows:
FRIDAY
- Arrive Heathrow 5.30am
- Depart Heathrow 8am
- Land Toronto 11am
- Leave all my instruments for the other guys to carry to the hotel like the total diva I am
- Uber straight to Canada's Wonderland from Toronto airport by myself
- Stay at Canada's Wonderland til 10pm close
SATURDAY
- Perform at festival in Toronto
SUNDAY
- Fly home overnight
- Back to work 9am on Monday
I got a hearty 2 hours sleep the night before. And the cozy clutches of Pokemon Pokopia prevented me from sleeping on the plane.
I expected to feel worse when I landed, but the excitement of a nice big Cedar Fair, oops I mean Six Flags, park to enjoy buoyed my energy levels.
Dumped my guitars with the guys and hopped into a Uber straight from the airport to Canada's Wonderland, for the reasonable price of $30. I was greeted by the towering turquoise track of Leviathan within 25 minutes.
Now, I've done solo trips to theme parks before. Often popping into Thorpe by myself or cred running a park in an hour whilst on tour. But I'd never done a full day at a big foreign amusement park by myself.
Uh, band dynamics
, mean I tend to end up spending a lot of time by myself on the road anyway, but I wondered how it would be specifically at a park, without anyone to turn excitedly to throughout the day.
Turns out, it's actually pretty great. You can do whatever you want, you can take as many photos as you like without ever having to say "sorry do you mind if I wait for the next train?"
You can ride the beautifully re-tracked woodie, Mighty Canadian Mine Buster 5 times in a row! You can buy an ultimate fast lane pass! You can buy an all day dining wristband and eat every 90 minutes! (It was my birthday a few days after this, so I rationed that this was a special treat gift to myself)
You can read a book in the fast lane line for AlpenFury!
And that I did. Because on my first ride, the fast lane for AlpenFury took over an hour. In the baking sun. The ride doesn't have great capacity as it is, plus it kept going down.
Finally made it to the station, bid farewell to my belongings as they precariously shuffled around a suspended cred all their own, and nabbed a front row ride.
This ride is a work of art.
It's has the single greatest sequence of elements I've ever experienced: Launch - into drop into tunnel - into face-melting second indoor launch in the dark - then bursting out of the mountain into a stunningly disorientating inverted top hat - then veering wildly to the left as it drops out, yanking your body in many directions before you've even processed leaving the ride station.
I let out a yelp of joy. The ride continues at breakneck speed: flipping, diving, twisting and dipping, doing everything within its power to take your breath away.
As we hurtle back towards the brake run, the whole train is screaming with delight at every element. It's a thing I find happens on Volton too, and it gets me every time. Hearing an entire train of riders in unanimous agreement that: YEAH, THIS THING RULES.
Despite the annoyingly long Fast Lane line, I immediately ran back round for another go. Well, after barging my way through the tightly knit scrum to collect my loose articles from the box dangling and swaying in the station, of course.
This time, I waited a less frustrating 40 minutes in the Fast Lane and the ride was surprisingly even more enjoyable. Sometimes knowing a ride after one ride and expecting that initial elation from it, can take the shine off subsequent rides. But AlpenFury gets even better even when you know what to expect.
After my second ride on AlpenFury, it was time to put the dining wristband to use, and I admittedly struggled to figure out which places accepted which band. There's 2 versions of the All Day Dining plan, and I opted for the regular one. Turns out it was quite restrictive for choice, especially when a lot of the food places weren't even open. (Why not?! The park was, predictably, rammed!)
Opted for spicy honey chicken noodles, sat by the waterfall
and conversed with the locals
Fancied a nice go on the Intamin 2nd gen Drop Tower after this, and was disappointed to see this sign.
Had it been open, I would have ridden this at least 5 times.
Alas, Leviathan is right next to it and a 306ft B+M giga coaster makes for a decent consolation prize.
In contrast to the AlpenFury Fast Lane faff, I waltzed up the Fast Lane to Leviathan and was put on the very next train.
Good old row 2 (said no one, ever)
And that's when I realized how windy it really was. Leviathan was struggling. Crawling through the layout, battling against the wind. Usually I quite like this coaster but it was a one and done for me on this day, in these conditions.
I did, however, purchase an absolutely hideous t-shirt to wear onstage the next day:
Honestly this shirt is louder than my band.
I remembered absolutely howling with laughter on the parks' unique flat ride: Sledge Hammer last year, so headed over to that one.
Further disappointment. But Sledgehammer seems to be a delicate beast so I'm just grateful I got a ride on it last year.
Next, I jumped on Mighty Canadian Minebuster - a classic PTC woodie from 1981 that had received a full retrack and reprofiling from Gravity Group.
Oh my. This ride is now up there with the wooden coaster kings: Wodan, The Voyage, The Legend, Raven, Troy, Grizzly, Beast (at night)
It has so much airtime. And it doesn't feel too smooth, if you know what I mean. One of those coasters that's so fun you can help but keep coming back for more. And that I did, totting up a healthy 5 laps on it before @Slamming Coastercore called to see how I was getting on.
"I've just ridden Mighty Canadian Minebuster 5 times and now I'm eating my 5th snack and looking at some ducks!"
I was having a great time.
It got even better when I rode Behemoth, a hyper I previously ranked in the mid category. But for some reason it was absolutely hauling on this day, chucking me out of my seat on every hill.
So I lapped Behemoth too, with a hearty 5 rides. Pleased to finally experience what everyone else raves about. Behemoth was on top form.
I mooched around for a bit taking photos, deliberating whether to ride Yukon Striker. It went down so I opted for pulled pork and potatoes with a view instead.
Following this, I rode Vortex as the sun started to go down. I love an Arrow Suspended coaster and this one, with its cloned layout of my beloved Bat at King's Island always hits. Some of those turns are blindingly forceful and the swinging gets ridiculous towards the end.
The day was drawing to a close. I hadn't expected to spend all day in the park on 2 hours sleep, having also done an 8 hour flight on the same day. I thought I would hit a wall and trundle back to my hotel at around 7pm.
But here I was, smiling and raring to go at 9pm, in line for my 3rd ride on the glorious AlpenFury.
The coaster looked stunning against the pink sky.
So I took some proper time to take nice photos of it
I always find the final hour of a theme park being open is a golden time for shorter lines, and today proved no exception. This time I only waited 2 trains worth in the Fast Lane before somehow nabbing another front row ride.
As our train launched out of the mountain, a gorgeous upside-down sunset burst into view and I let out another squeal of joy. What a way to witness the beauty of the world, whilst hurtling through an inversion.
I had 2 more rides on AlpenFury, bringing my ride count to a rather interesting:
AlpenFury x5
Mighty Canadian Minebuster x5
Behemoth x 5
Vortex x1
Leviathan x1
Admittedly, this was my fourth visit to Canada's Wonderland overall, and being on my own meant really listening to myself and riding the rides I was in the mood for, as opposed to riding what the entire group wants to ride.
Slowly walked out of the park, soaking in the cool ambience of the entrance plaza at night.
I like this park. And turns out, I like it just as much by myself. So if you're debating whether to do a solo park trip, let this be your encouragement to go for it!
With AlpenFury, Behemoth and Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Canadas Wonderland has a heck of a lineup (and that's not even including all the fabulous flats and Yukon Striker)
Canada's Wonderland is a real Cedar Fair gem in the tyrannos Six Flags crown.
Thanks for reading! Canada's Wonderland Giant Gift Shop Bear says: Be brave. Do the things you love even if it means doing them by yourself!
Thanks for reading!
Having last visited the park in 2025 and painstakingly watched AlpenFury testing (only for it to open mere days after I flew home) I had vengeance in my mind. Technically, the steel kind. But not the Steel Vengeance kind.
Hahaha, I gleefully chuckled, while WestJet threw my guitar into the baggage hold with wreckless abandon. Now is the time! I will finally be riding the coaster that causes the most incredulous reaction amongst enthusiasts:
"THAT is a Premier Rides Sky Rocket?!"
"You mean, this big, beautiful, duck-egg blue coaster with an innovative layout?!
...IT'S A SKY ROCKET?!?!"
Now, admittedly, I am a Sky Rocket 2 apologist at heart. Where some thoosies view them as an oversaturated, cookie cutter addition that blighted American parks between 2012 - 2019, I think they pack loads of fun sensations into a very short footprint.
I genuinely rejoice when a park has one.
But I rejoice even harder when it has a lengthy, custom, double-launch one, built inside a mountain, entwined around 3 other coasters, boasting exotic inversions like the Banana Roll and the elite and elusive Barrel Roll Down Drop.
But let's get personal for a second. Between working in the games industry and performing in a touring band, I...do not have a lot of free time.
Therefore my hare-brained Canada's WonderPlan was as follows:
FRIDAY
- Arrive Heathrow 5.30am
- Depart Heathrow 8am
- Land Toronto 11am
- Leave all my instruments for the other guys to carry to the hotel like the total diva I am
- Uber straight to Canada's Wonderland from Toronto airport by myself
- Stay at Canada's Wonderland til 10pm close
SATURDAY
- Perform at festival in Toronto
SUNDAY
- Fly home overnight
- Back to work 9am on Monday
I got a hearty 2 hours sleep the night before. And the cozy clutches of Pokemon Pokopia prevented me from sleeping on the plane.
I expected to feel worse when I landed, but the excitement of a nice big Cedar Fair, oops I mean Six Flags, park to enjoy buoyed my energy levels.
Dumped my guitars with the guys and hopped into a Uber straight from the airport to Canada's Wonderland, for the reasonable price of $30. I was greeted by the towering turquoise track of Leviathan within 25 minutes.
Now, I've done solo trips to theme parks before. Often popping into Thorpe by myself or cred running a park in an hour whilst on tour. But I'd never done a full day at a big foreign amusement park by myself.
Uh, band dynamics
, mean I tend to end up spending a lot of time by myself on the road anyway, but I wondered how it would be specifically at a park, without anyone to turn excitedly to throughout the day.Turns out, it's actually pretty great. You can do whatever you want, you can take as many photos as you like without ever having to say "sorry do you mind if I wait for the next train?"
You can ride the beautifully re-tracked woodie, Mighty Canadian Mine Buster 5 times in a row! You can buy an ultimate fast lane pass! You can buy an all day dining wristband and eat every 90 minutes! (It was my birthday a few days after this, so I rationed that this was a special treat gift to myself)
You can read a book in the fast lane line for AlpenFury!
And that I did. Because on my first ride, the fast lane for AlpenFury took over an hour. In the baking sun. The ride doesn't have great capacity as it is, plus it kept going down.
Finally made it to the station, bid farewell to my belongings as they precariously shuffled around a suspended cred all their own, and nabbed a front row ride.
This ride is a work of art.
It's has the single greatest sequence of elements I've ever experienced: Launch - into drop into tunnel - into face-melting second indoor launch in the dark - then bursting out of the mountain into a stunningly disorientating inverted top hat - then veering wildly to the left as it drops out, yanking your body in many directions before you've even processed leaving the ride station.
I let out a yelp of joy. The ride continues at breakneck speed: flipping, diving, twisting and dipping, doing everything within its power to take your breath away.
As we hurtle back towards the brake run, the whole train is screaming with delight at every element. It's a thing I find happens on Volton too, and it gets me every time. Hearing an entire train of riders in unanimous agreement that: YEAH, THIS THING RULES.
Despite the annoyingly long Fast Lane line, I immediately ran back round for another go. Well, after barging my way through the tightly knit scrum to collect my loose articles from the box dangling and swaying in the station, of course.
This time, I waited a less frustrating 40 minutes in the Fast Lane and the ride was surprisingly even more enjoyable. Sometimes knowing a ride after one ride and expecting that initial elation from it, can take the shine off subsequent rides. But AlpenFury gets even better even when you know what to expect.
After my second ride on AlpenFury, it was time to put the dining wristband to use, and I admittedly struggled to figure out which places accepted which band. There's 2 versions of the All Day Dining plan, and I opted for the regular one. Turns out it was quite restrictive for choice, especially when a lot of the food places weren't even open. (Why not?! The park was, predictably, rammed!)
Opted for spicy honey chicken noodles, sat by the waterfall
and conversed with the locals
Fancied a nice go on the Intamin 2nd gen Drop Tower after this, and was disappointed to see this sign.
Had it been open, I would have ridden this at least 5 times.
Alas, Leviathan is right next to it and a 306ft B+M giga coaster makes for a decent consolation prize.
In contrast to the AlpenFury Fast Lane faff, I waltzed up the Fast Lane to Leviathan and was put on the very next train.
Good old row 2 (said no one, ever)
And that's when I realized how windy it really was. Leviathan was struggling. Crawling through the layout, battling against the wind. Usually I quite like this coaster but it was a one and done for me on this day, in these conditions.
I did, however, purchase an absolutely hideous t-shirt to wear onstage the next day:
Honestly this shirt is louder than my band.
I remembered absolutely howling with laughter on the parks' unique flat ride: Sledge Hammer last year, so headed over to that one.
Further disappointment. But Sledgehammer seems to be a delicate beast so I'm just grateful I got a ride on it last year.
Next, I jumped on Mighty Canadian Minebuster - a classic PTC woodie from 1981 that had received a full retrack and reprofiling from Gravity Group.
Oh my. This ride is now up there with the wooden coaster kings: Wodan, The Voyage, The Legend, Raven, Troy, Grizzly, Beast (at night)
It has so much airtime. And it doesn't feel too smooth, if you know what I mean. One of those coasters that's so fun you can help but keep coming back for more. And that I did, totting up a healthy 5 laps on it before @Slamming Coastercore called to see how I was getting on.
"I've just ridden Mighty Canadian Minebuster 5 times and now I'm eating my 5th snack and looking at some ducks!"
I was having a great time.
It got even better when I rode Behemoth, a hyper I previously ranked in the mid category. But for some reason it was absolutely hauling on this day, chucking me out of my seat on every hill.
So I lapped Behemoth too, with a hearty 5 rides. Pleased to finally experience what everyone else raves about. Behemoth was on top form.
I mooched around for a bit taking photos, deliberating whether to ride Yukon Striker. It went down so I opted for pulled pork and potatoes with a view instead.
Following this, I rode Vortex as the sun started to go down. I love an Arrow Suspended coaster and this one, with its cloned layout of my beloved Bat at King's Island always hits. Some of those turns are blindingly forceful and the swinging gets ridiculous towards the end.
The day was drawing to a close. I hadn't expected to spend all day in the park on 2 hours sleep, having also done an 8 hour flight on the same day. I thought I would hit a wall and trundle back to my hotel at around 7pm.
But here I was, smiling and raring to go at 9pm, in line for my 3rd ride on the glorious AlpenFury.
The coaster looked stunning against the pink sky.
So I took some proper time to take nice photos of it
I always find the final hour of a theme park being open is a golden time for shorter lines, and today proved no exception. This time I only waited 2 trains worth in the Fast Lane before somehow nabbing another front row ride.
As our train launched out of the mountain, a gorgeous upside-down sunset burst into view and I let out another squeal of joy. What a way to witness the beauty of the world, whilst hurtling through an inversion.
I had 2 more rides on AlpenFury, bringing my ride count to a rather interesting:
AlpenFury x5
Mighty Canadian Minebuster x5
Behemoth x 5
Vortex x1
Leviathan x1
Admittedly, this was my fourth visit to Canada's Wonderland overall, and being on my own meant really listening to myself and riding the rides I was in the mood for, as opposed to riding what the entire group wants to ride.
Slowly walked out of the park, soaking in the cool ambience of the entrance plaza at night.
I like this park. And turns out, I like it just as much by myself. So if you're debating whether to do a solo park trip, let this be your encouragement to go for it!
With AlpenFury, Behemoth and Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Canadas Wonderland has a heck of a lineup (and that's not even including all the fabulous flats and Yukon Striker)
Canada's Wonderland is a real Cedar Fair gem in the tyrannos Six Flags crown.
Thanks for reading! Canada's Wonderland Giant Gift Shop Bear says: Be brave. Do the things you love even if it means doing them by yourself!
Thanks for reading!
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