I went to Wonderland on May 8 for my first Friday visit of the season. With only four days since my previous visit, I wasn’t expecting much to have changed so I mostly focussed on getting on rides. This blog still ended up being longer than I thought though, so the merchandise discussion I promised will have to wait for another time.
RIDES
Heading to the south end of the park to avoid the expected crowds at Leviathan and AlpenFury, the first open ride I found was Backlot Stunt Coaster. It’s still only running two trains, but it was a walk-on so I got on it for my first time this season. I was definitely feeling lightheaded after the intense upward helix.
Behemoth still hadn’t opened so I hopped on Psyclone for (I believe) its first cycle of the day.
I decided I should get a ride on Swing of the Century to check on the new double-baskets before heading out of the area. The reduction in trees around the ride still bums me out…
I was determined to get on Yukon Striker this visit, so I hopped in the single-rider line. I love the ride, but more and more I’m skipping it because of the loose article policy. (More on that some other time.)
Tundra Twister wasn’t open yet when I walked by, so I made the loop over to Lumberjack. It’s not my favourite ride so I don’t get on it often, but these signs seem new. I really like them, especially with the illustration!
I forgot to get a proper picture of Vortex and WindSeeker, but I did both of them. Vortex was my longest wait of the day and still not too bad. I think the shorter minimum height requirement (introduced last year) has made this thrilling ride even more popular. From WindSeeker, I got a good look many of the park’s ongoing projects.
Behemoth was open by now so I headed through the single-rider line. It was still only running two trains, but the third one was in the storage shed with maintenance looking it over. I imagine it will be back in service soon (if not already by the time you read this).
I then met up with the one and only Adventures with Parker, along with his fiancé, Mike. We chatted about life, Wonderland, and Disney between our rides on Leviathan, Dragon Fyre, Drop Tower, Wilde Beast, and Shockwave.
They wanted to grab food but I had had a few more rides I wanted to get on first, so we split up. I hopped on Thunder Run, The Bat, and Snoopy’s Racing Railway to finish off the day.
FOOD
For my first meal, I went to Lazy Bear Lodge and ultimately decided to try the veggie meatballs along with a salad. The faux-meat balls were delicious, really having me say “I can’t believe it’s not meat-ball!” For those intimidated by the donair’s spiciness, this is a great, mild option! One or two of them were just a tad dry, but I used some barbecue sauce which really helped. The salad was fine, but it would be nice if the salad dressing was kept in the fridge instead of left out on the counter. I really wish they’d go back to the cornbread muffin or something instead of the ciabatta bun.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: A
For my second meal, I wanted something quick and easy so of course I grabbed the classic poutine again. I need to try asking for more gravy next time because the cheese curds weren’t melting very much and some were still quite cold. Still a pretty reliable meal plan option, though!
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: A
I’m not much for pop, but I also tried the new Wonder Rush drink from a Freestyle machine (combining Sprite Vanilla, Fanta Pineapple, and Minute Maid Lemonade). It’s a little different than I expected with a fairly strong pineapple flavour, but I did enjoy it and will get it again.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: B
LITTLE UPDATES
The fenced off entrances to the pathway behind the falls no longer feature the symbols from AlpenFury’s teaser campaign. My sister pointed out the symbols during media day so these were repainted within the past couple weeks.
The stand by Krachenwagen is making progress, though I’m still not sure exactly what game it might become. The depressions in the table make me think either bottles (for ring toss) or a return of the classic whiffle ball game, but time will tell. (I took this photo when the wind blew the curtain out.)
This may have happened last year, but Alpen Refresh Centre has had its exterior painted to match the rest of AlpenFest. It looks nice, but now Klockwerks’ operator booth really stands out as different. Krachenwagen’s building should also be repainted to match the area’s new aesthetic.
Aprés Poutinerie now has a “subtitle” of sorts, indicating this location serves “Fresh Cut Fries!” I think this sign is new for this year.
Speaking of signs, I noticed a few of these new ones around the park for guests to report lost items. I like the idea of them.
Part of Thunder Run’s temporary exit still stands squeezed between Aprés Poutinerie and Wonder Mountain. I hope the park can plant a tree or two here in the near future, along with sealing up that part of Wonder Mountain. (There was at least one tree here before AlpenFury’s construction started.)
I feel like there were bushes here years ago, but not recently? Anyway, this row of bushes under Vortex’s first drop look great!
One last random thing: The Bat has a new queue structure under the first spike! The detailing on the edges of this wood is fantastic, perfectly matching the design of other wooden features around the ride! Special thanks to John Brooks for pointing it out in his blog, otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed.
MAJOR PROJECTS
A new development: When Lazy Bear Lodge first opened in 2022, I think many of us were confused by the “stairs to nowhere” on the south side of the patio. During fireworks nights, these stairs help get guests down to the main viewing area on the grassy hill, but it felt odd they just led to grass. Well, that’s no longer going to be the case as the park is installing interlocking pavers for a new path connecting the stairs to the lower patio, as well as back to the main WindeSeeker pathway!
This is great change, providing easier access around the Lodge without removing significant greenery! I imagine the park wants this ready for Sunday’s Victoria Day fireworks show and it looks like they’re on a good schedule to make that happen!
The Mighty Canadian Minebuster was being worked on during my visit. I saw a crane from Yukon Striker’s queue and then saw workers on the lift hill from the top of WindSeeker. It seemed like some new lumber was being installed on the lift, though it’s quite difficult to get photos of the worksite.
Swing of the Century’s new double baskets are now available! I tried to get on one, but it seems you need a partner. It makes sense for balancing, but hopefully doesn’t cause any issues with capacity, nor force two strangers to sit together. It seemed like many of the high school students were gladly taking the double baskets, though, so I’m not too concerned.
All of the seats now use a clip, which feels like a bit of a throwback! In recent years, they had a standard seat belt, but I definitely remember using a clip at some point in the past. I’m not sure if all parts of the chains and baskets are brand new, but they certainly look that way!
The DareDeviler still has a lot of track and supports to paint, but test cycles have begun! I’ll have a short video or two of it testing posted to YouTube shortly.
My big takeaway? Those trains look really nice and comfortable!
My secondary takeaway? Reduced capacity. The old trains had 10 rows of two for 20 riders per cycle. The new trains only have eight rows, meaning a 20 per cent reduction in instantaneous capacity. While Flight Deck’s popularity has definitely waned over the years, I had hoped the new experience would change that. But having just 16 riders per train could cause long lines if guests really enjoy the new experience (which I’m confident they will). I understand the park didn’t have much choice since the trains were essentially free, but I had hoped the park would use those savings to purchase four brand new cars (two per train) so it could operate at the same capacity it did before. I’m not an expert though, so maybe there’s some reason that wasn’t an option. Regardless, I’m very excited to get on The DareDeviler when it opens this summer!
KidZville Refresh & ICEE is coming along nicely! The exterior looks complete and I believe they were working on the electrical while I was there.
The actual drink dispensers haven’t appeared and there’s no queue in place, but there is one excellent development to report on: A water bottle refill station (and drinking fountain) located next to the building, facing Sugar Shack!
This filled me with so much joy and I got several excited responses when I posted this to Instagram! People want easy-to-use water bottle refill stations and it makes so much sense to put it right next to a drink stand! Being right outside Maple Park Treehouse is also a great spot since kids will be running around the playground and needing a cool, refreshing sip of water!
TL;DR
This might end up being my highest ride count for a single visit this year! Crowds were minimal, but I kept getting distracted chatting with friends (both online and in person). And of course trying to track all the changes. So many little touches go into the park every year and I’m so happy to track as much of it as I can! Rides (The DareDeviler), refreshments, (KidZville Refresh), games (AlpenFest building), infrastructure (Lodge pathway), and landscaping (under Vortex’s first drop) are all just some of the areas the park is working to build and improve for guests.
Next week: Fireworks!
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