I went to Canada’s Wonderland for its 2026 opening day, bringing my usual 4K camcorder in case I decided to do a video report. But I’ve been having some more trouble with my jaw over the past week or so (which I’m not blaming the sticky tanghulu for, but it can’t have helped) and I didn’t think too much had changed from last week so I ended up just using my phone’s camera the whole time.
FOOD
I’ve heard some scathing reviews of the donair from Lazy Bear Lodge, so I was curious if it was much different than the sample I got at last week’s Media & VIP tasting event. Sadly there was some kind of alarm going off when I walked by the Lodge so I ended up at Roadside Chicken. In my “26 Hopes for 2026” post, I mentioned Roadside Chicken could be a good candidate to upgrade to the cafeteria-style service found at several of the park’s dining locations (e.g. King’s Feast, Lazy Bear Lodge, Coaster’s Grande World Eatery). I’ve never been more eager for that to happen.
Click Here for a Mini Rant & Simple Suggestion
If you get a drink with your meal, the cashier hands you an empty cup and asks for your name. Then everyone stands around the pick-up window waiting for their name to called… while people are being urged to move ahead to get drinks from the same pick-up window. Some people aren’t able to hear their names called. Others are squeezing through to hand their cup back to a different staff member and telling them which drink they’d like.
Wouldn’t all of this be a lot simpler if they gave you a receipt with an order number and left the cup by a duplicate receipt inside the restaurant until your food is ready? If someone was eager to get their drink first, they could simply ask the staff member at the pick-up window, showing their receipt with an order number so the staff can grab the appropriate cup. This way the cup isn’t being passed from the guest’s hands back into the hygienic restaurant interior.
But anyway, I ordered the chicken wrap and fries. I brushed a fair bit of salt off the fries but they were still quite salty.
The wrap looked decent but was quite light and loosely wrapped, filled with two less-than-hearty chicken tenders, some sauce which all seemed to be at the one end, and some light salad. Yes, pre-mixed salad tossed in there complete with little pieces of carrot. It probably would have been fine if there had been some thicker chicken tenders and two or three times the amount of salad. At least the last few bites had enough sauce, but otherwise it was pretty dry.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: D
For my second meal, the Lodge line was out the door; the donair comparison will have to wait. I also wanted something more consistently satisfying so I returned to the classic poutine from Aprés Poutinerie. It was great as usual, though I’ll remind you it can be quite peppery. If that’s an issue for you, probably steer clear. It also would have been nice if the cheese curds were a little more melty.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: A
RIDES
I ran into my good friend Coaster Circuits so of course we ended up on the Mondials. Our first ride together was on Tundra Twister. It almost always has a short line (especially if Splash Works is closed) so it’s one of my most common rides. It’s also just a fun time, never knowing what you’ll get. Our ride had some moderate airtime and one really lengthy stall!
We then headed over to Riptide since the splash effect hasn’t been turned on yet, though we got a little sidetracked with a ride on Shockwave. Shockwave was running a decent cycle but without the trees, it’s only half as enjoyable as it used to be, at best. Riptide was only running one gondola. It’s not my favourite ride since I generally don’t love being held upside down, but this cycle seemed okay. I might end up getting more than one ride on it this year, which I think would be the first time in many years!
After going our separate ways, I ended up getting some good views of The DareDeviler’s new paint from the top of WindSeeker, then got a pretty good seat on Soaring Timbers.
As much as I would have loved to complete the six-Mondial Marathon, Psyclone’s line was far too long. That’s what happens when the rides around it are removed (Time Warp) or closed (Sledge Hammer), I guess.
INTERNATIONAL STREET
Sweet Spot is still under construction with no visible changes from the outside, but the new/relocated BeaverTails location has taken over La Cantina. It looks great and fills out this small area nicely! The menu board looks temporary, though, so hopefully that’s replaced with something a little nicer in the near future.
I noticed The Varsity Club sign has been removed! From what I remember (and confirmed from old footage), it was there last year. As much as I feel my comments have little impact on the park’s decisions, it is interesting I just called out that sign in one of my recent blogs and now it’s gone. Regardless, I’m glad it’s gone and hope we’ll get a more appropriate sign for this store soon! (But please, Wonderland, if you are reading this: DO NOT keep calling this store Thrills Are Wonderland!)
ALPENFEST
These construction fences at both entrances to International Showplace got me wondering why the park didn’t add a proper gate when they installed AlpenFury’s new fencing.
Guardian hasn’t opened for the season yet… I wonder if the fact it opened for part of WinterFest has caused a slight delay with its off-season maintenance schedule?
Lazy Bear Lodge also now lists the restaurant’s operating hours on the screen out front, which is great to see! Still hoping the app adds some open/closed indicator for restaurants, though.
I want to say this is too many signs at AlpenFury’s entrance…
…and this is still happening right under a sign, so maybe signage isn’t the problem.
AlpenFury’s track also seems to have been dripped on, likely from a freshly-greased chain on Vortex. Maybe next year they could place some kind of cloth over the track to catch the grease?
Also The Conjuring is blocked by wooden boards, a chain, and fencing in the mouth of the cave. Hopefully that keeps Annabelle at bay until Haunt season!
FRONTIER CANADA
Soaring Timbers is one of many rides around the park now requiring an athletic strap for all glasses. I like this policy, but I hope to see more Wonderland-specific glasses straps sold in the park. I bought a couple from Cedar Point with the park’s name for just a few dollars and this seems like the perfect time to introduce Canada’s Wonderland branded versions in the shops. I also hope these signs are removed in a year or two, once guests have gotten used to the new policy. They’re not exactly aesthetically pleasing signs.
Soaring Timbers also got new bins (unless I missed them last year). They’re quite nice and look much more thematically appropriate!
The tree branches have been trimmed back a bit as well, revealing the raccoon that’s always been hiding on the west side of the waterfall.
White Water Canyon has some fresh lumber on its frontier fencing.
There are a couple nice wooden benches by Yukon Striker’s final inversion, where the hot dog truck once stood. The benches themselves aren’t new, but I can’t remember if they were in this spot last year. Too bad there isn’t more shade, though it’ll be nicer once the trees fill in again.
Tundra Twister has several missing seats. I’m not sure why, but it doesn’t make much of a difference to the wait time.
Yukon Striker’s pay-per-use lockers are sadly still here, though the building has been touched up a bit and fits in aesthetically a lot better now.
I feel like this is a new queue for the BeaverTails location outside of Minebuster. It looks quite nice; far better than traditional stanchions!
Speaking of which, Minebuster is receiving more new track this year, bringing the total amount of replaced track up to 591m (1,940 feet), which is slightly more than half of its total track length! (1,167m or 3,828 feet according to Roller Coaster Database.) Hopefully we won’t have much longer to wait for it to reopen.
ACTION ZONE
Backlot Stunt Coaster has opened for the season (albeit with reduced capacity). Last week a section of track was missing. If you look closely, you can see a different shade of paint on that piece.
Sledge Hammer is still down due to its pumps being replaced.
The Grande World Exposition of 1890
Antique Carrousel is still missing a few horses and Swing of the Century’s double-wide baskets aren’t quite ready for guests.
Kingswood Music Theatre had two of its entrance structures removed during the off-season. Read into that what you will; I don’t really have any theories to share at this point.
Grande World Eatery won’t be opening until sometime this summer, according to the website. That’s incredibly disappointing, especially since the Lodge’s new menu hasn’t been well received…
The DareDeviler hasn’t had much more progress on its repainting since last week. The weather this past week really wasn’t conducive to painting.
MEDIEVAL FAIRE
Speed City Raceway’s kiosk shelter has been painted to match Leviathan’s colours. It looks much better now and makes me wonder if Speed City Raceway may reopen with a new name/theme if it does return in a future season.
King’s Feast (and Coaster’s Drive In) have new ketchup and mustard dispensers, which look quite nice! I do wish there were more condiment options, though.
PLANET SNOOPY
Character Carrousel got a stylish new dark blue and purple floor. The two alternating colours look really great, though there’s one segment where the pattern switches to two purple panels and two blue panels (instead of one and one). I’m wondering if this is intended to be easier for guests with visual sensitivities (e.g. epilepsy) to handle during the ride’s rotation?
Snoopy’s Space Race also received a lot of attention. Last week the gondolas weren’t attached but the ride was up and running for opening day! The frame has been repainted a dark blue while the gondolas are now either purple or slime green. This works really well for the space theme and blends nicely with the backdrop! Definitely an improvement over the seemingly random assortment of colours the gondolas have had since I was a kid!
Snoopy vs Red Baron also received a fresh coat of paint but it looks identical to the old colour scheme.
Both Character House and KidZville Shoppe have upgraded from the folding tables to proper counters for the cash registers! I’m not sure if this happened sometime last season or if they installed these during the off-season, but either way they look much better and more professional!
KIDZVILLE
Snoopy’s Dogs Days of Summer had at least one show cancelled due to the rain… While I continue grumbling about the need for a roof over the stage, at least guests could use Playhouse Theatre’s benches to stay dry. Even though it’s quite wrinkled, the new backdrop does look very nice!
I know the park did some work to Flying Eagles, but I honestly can’t see a difference.
I hope the park can find a use for this cute little building, formerly Treetop Refresh.
Speaking of Refresh locations, the new one is coming along nicely with some bright red walls which furthers the resemblance to a schoolhouse!
The building is so tall and impressive, demanding focus from beyond KidZville Pizza Pizza. I think it’s a bit much for a Refresh Centre and I do miss the trees, but I think there’s enough room between it and Maple Park Treehouse to allow some new plants and trees to be planted once construction wraps up. There are already some nice boulders, which is a good start!
This Refresh Centre can’t come soon enough, as evidenced by my experience at Roadside Chicken earlier in the day. Someone behind me in line even asked the cashier where they could find the nearest ICEE stand.
NEW PRESIDENT’S PRESENT
As luck would have it, I ran into Heather Hill (VP & Park Manager) walking with the new Park President, Christopher Mortensen. As I often do, I thanked Heather for her dedication to the park. Having worked at Canada’s Wonderland since it opened in 1981, she’s had a substantial impact on the park through various roles and we truly are so lucky to have had someone so passionate about the park throughout its existence.
While I’m accustomed to seeing Heather, it’s been a dozen years since I last saw Chris, back when he last worked at Canada’s Wonderland. I couldn’t be happier to have him return to the park and I can’t imagine a better fit for the position of Park President! As I said on Instagram when I first read the news, Chris is a great guy, very friendly and engaging, so I’m confident he’ll do everything he can to deliver the best experiences for guests. Chatting with him for just a few minutes, he was trying to get to know me a bit better and already giving me a detailed update on The DareDeviler! In short: He’s as eager and excited for it to open as we are!
TL;DR
While I had some issues with food and we’re still waiting for most of this year’s projects to wrap up, I still had a great time. The rides were excellent (as usual) and getting to chat with both Heather and Chris was awesome. Although my list of updates was long, that’s mostly because I didn’t have time to cover them last week. Next week will probably be a much shorter report, but I’ll go over some merchandise thoughts and hopefully see some more visible progress on the larger projects.
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