Located in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, Canada's Wonderland is the country's first and largest theme park. Opened in 1981, this flagship of the Cedar Fair chain, now merged under the Six Flags entity, is a must-visit destination for thrill-seekers. With an impressive catalog of 18 roller coasters, it consistently ranks among the world's best for the number of coasters in a single park. Dominated by the iconic Wonder Mountain, the park blends charming family areas with world-class steel monsters.
Practical Information and Key Figures
The park is located about 30 to 45 minutes by car from downtown Toronto. It is a seasonal site, open from early May to Labor Day in September, and then on weekends for Halloween Haunt and WinterFest events. For the 2026 season, the park will feature 18 roller coasters.
Full access to the 8-hectare water park, Splash Works, is included with the admission ticket between late May and early September.
Expert tip: The park is extremely popular. To enjoy the major attractions without spending the whole day, purchasing a Fast Lane skip-the-line pass is highly recommended, especially during July and August.
Must-Ride Roller Coasters
Canada's Wonderland boasts one of the most impressive park skylines on the planet. Our team has selected the must-rides to include in your visit itinerary.
AlpenFury
A true technological feat rooted in the very heart of Wonder Mountain, this double-launch roller coaster holds the world record for the most inversions on a launched coaster, with a total of 9 inversions. The experience is characterized by a terrifying vertical launch that ejects passengers from the top of the mountain at 115 km/h, before chaining together maneuvers at a breakneck pace, all with exemplary smoothness.
Leviathan
Towering at 93 meters high with a breathtaking first drop at 80 degrees, this Bolliger & Mabillard-built monster propels its passengers at over 148 km/h. It's an experience of pure speed where the feeling of floating over the large airtime hills is epic, and the low-to-the-ground turns are breathtaking.
Yukon Striker
Located in the Frontier Canada area, this dive coaster model impresses at first glance. The train literally stops at the edge of the void, suspended for about 3 seconds, before plunging 90 degrees directly into an underwater tunnel. A massive vertical loop completes this particularly intense ride.
Behemoth
Slightly shorter than Leviathan at 70 meters, this hypercoaster is a favorite among lovers of negative G-forces. Its V-shaped seating arrangement offers fantastic visibility and freedom of movement.
The DareDeviler
Formerly known as Flight Deck, this classic inverted coaster receives a major overhaul for the 2026 season. Fully re-themed to match the Grande World Expo area, it features a theme related to aviation pioneers. The major positive brought by the park is the integration of new trains equipped with soft restraints, replacing the old rigid lap bars. The flying experience thus becomes much smoother, more comfortable, and without the traditional ear-banging.
Atmosphere, Splash Works, and Family Offer
Far from being just a lineup of steel for adrenaline-seeking teenagers, Canada's Wonderland takes care of its living spaces. From the entrance on International Street, a grand avenue lined with fountains leads to the iconic mountain and its waterfalls, where high-diving performers regularly perform.
The offering for children is enormous and very well integrated, particularly through the Planet Snoopy and KidZville areas, which group together over 25 attractions dedicated to the youngest, featuring Peanuts characters. In the summer, the Splash Works water park adds real value thanks to its giant wave pool, thrilling slides, and the simulated cliff-diving area, Mountain Bay Cliffs. Beyond the coasters, the park houses unique attractions like Sledge Hammer, a mechanical monster unique in the world, and Lumberjack, two giant pendulums performing full rotations.
For dining, visitors can try local specialties like BeaverTails, fried dough stretched into a beaver tail shape and served hot with various toppings, or traditional Funnel Cakes. If you visit the park in June, the Brew and BBQ festival also features artisanal barbecues and local beers.
Objective Opinion
In terms of strengths, the park offers a legendary roller coaster selection. The quartet of Leviathan, Behemoth, Yukon Striker, and AlpenFury alone justifies the trip for any enthusiast. The included access to the water park is a great plus in the summer, and recent theming efforts show a desire to inject real stories behind the rides.
On the improvement side, peak season crowds remain the main drawback, making waits discouraging without a skip-the-line pass. Furthermore, while the 2026 novelty corrects the comfort of an old coaster, other historic wooden rides like The Mighty Canadian Minebuster lack comfort and would benefit from similar renovation. Finally, the circular layout of this very large park requires significant walking to move from one area to another.
Canada's Wonderland is a formidable thrill machine that confirms its status as a must-visit park in North America. Thanks to massive and intelligent investments aimed at improving comfort and renewing its offerings, the park succeeds in satisfying adrenaline seekers while remaining a highly recommended family outing. An essential stop during a trip to Eastern Canada.