After being out of town for a wedding last weekend, it was good to get back to the park and catch up on everything. Namely: The DareDeviler’s repainting progress; Minebuster’s new hill and re-tracked helix; plus a bit of Brew & BBQ’s revival!
The DareDeviler
I don’t do too many updates from outside the park, but I felt it was worth checking in on The DareDeviler through the fence before heading into the park proper.
From what I can tell, the repainting seems to be complete, at least on the track itself. The station building has also been repainted, with the roof colour taking me by surprise. It’s a deep red, which rounds out the tricolour palette of the concept art and logo. It will probably complement the red train very well.
Both trains are on the track, though neither was in the station. (One was in the final brake section and the other was on the storage track.) It’s interesting the old train is still sitting outside the ride. Perhaps they’ll break it down further to recover any useful spare parts?
The Fast Lane railings have been painted red while the regular queue railings are being painted green. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s only the last stretch of railings, but even so, I’m very impressed by the effort put into this project!
The Quonset huts in the queue are also being painted green inside and out, with the lamps inside painted red.
Even the former photo building has been painted in The DareDeviler’s colours!
The supports for the old sign and fighter jet have also been painted, though we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the new sign and (presumed) set piece.
With all of this together, it seems The DareDeviler could open within a couple weeks! But of course that’s pure speculation on my part.
The Mightier Canadian Minebuster
Moving on to the other major coaster project for 2026, The Mighty Canadian Minebuster has now opened for the season! I got my first ride featuring the nearly 300 metres (980 feet) of fresh timber and… wow.
The new hill just before the helix is phenomenal! It’s an incredible and surprising pop of airtime rivalling my favourite hill on Wilde Beast!
Then you hit the helix. Or rather, you gracefully curve into the helix? The transition is not nearly as jarring as it was, however I’d hardly call it gentle. From my three rides, I experienced some strong lateral forces while entering the element, though the silky smooth track made every other part of the helix lack just a bit of its former wooden character. Though that may also be impacted by the tunnel’s current state.
Those of you who have followed me for a while probably know I care a lot about visuals on a ride. Minebuster has always had some cool moments weaving under the water slides, but none of that compares to the new “head-chopper” element created by the new airtime hill! I saw the crossbeams directly ahead as the train lurches up and forward to the top of the hill, before (of course) quickly diving down under it. It’s such an incredible effect, and is now my favourite moment on the ride!
On the note of visuals, the bottom portion of the helix’s outside wall is currently missing. This is disappointing since I think the near-total darkness added to the sense of speed. And of course the tunnel represents the eponymous mine we’re “busting” through. I think there would be a lot fewer complaints about the tamer helix if it was in complete darkness as well, so hopefully this is just temporary as they build new walls to fit around the adjusted track supports.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much re-tracking the park did this year, with not much left to do outside of the low-forces sections (lift, brake run, and station). I’ll be thrilled if the park finishes up Minebuster’s return track and pre-lift area, but at this point I think they can shift focus to Wilde Beast for the next few years. People are loving the new Minebuster, with consistently long lines. I want to see the same happen at my favourite ride, even if it does mean I’ll be waiting longer on average.
Brew & BBQ
I’ve made no secret of my disinterest in the Food & Wine Festival from the past two years, but I acknowledge the added games and entertainment at the event were great to see. For this year, the park ditched the ill-suited focus on fine wine and finger foods and brought back a former favourite: Brew & BBQ! Plus, they kept (and even expanded) the game and entertainment offerings from the former festival!
Overall this event feels like a much better fit for Wonderland’s vibe and clientele. It seemed popular every time I passed through the plaza, with a smokey aroma and decent music filling the air. I’m still not sure this plaza is perfect for festivals, though.
The stage seems to be taking up way too much of the available space, with a shocking amount of empty space behind it. (I understand performers want/need some prep space, but this seems excessive in my opinion.) I’m sure the stage was closer to the fences for Halloween Haunt.
I didn’t try any beers during this visit and the food menu was less than stellar, with only five main menu items (or seven if you include alternatives). The chicken thigh wasn’t super appealing to me since I much prefer white meat and the portion size looked very small. I avoid eating pork so the rib was a no-go. And I’m not sure I’ve ever had cobbler, but for some reason I’m just not interested. (Certainly not as a milkshake.)
So I made a plan to have the beef brisket flatbread and the “smoked salmon candy” (which I’m sure should be written as candied smoked salmon) as my two meals for this visit. Unfortunately they ran out of salmon by my second meal time so I’ll have to try it next time.
With all of that being said, I’m ecstatic the park brought back Brew & BBQ, and the improvements are great to see! But I’m disappointed there weren’t more food options, and the service was quite slow with only one oven for both flatbreads and garlic bread. Maybe I’ll feel a bit different after trying some beer samples?
The lack of seating and shade in this plaza was also dreadful, especially since Grande World Eatery’s completely blocked off. (Not that this low fence stopped some people from using the south patio.)
Food Reviews
Beef Brisket Flatbread (Pizza)
At this point I’d do anything to get some brisket at the park, including getting a flatbread pizza cooked in those smoker ovens. The onions were pretty raw and the cheese wasn’t as melty as I’d like. (I could still see individual pieces of cheese, only loosely melted to other pieces.)
The middle of the bread was a little undercooked while the outside crust tasted a bit burnt in some areas. I feel like that’s just an issue with cooking these pizzas this way, but maybe having it pre-cut before putting it in the oven would help?
Still, there were a lot of really good bites and the beef brisket was very tasty.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: C
Garlic Parmesan Tossed Chicken Tenders
Since they were out of the salmon at Brew & BBQ, I picked up this new option at Coasters Drive-In. Since they were called “tossed,” I expected a sauce like the park has done in the past, but instead it was a dry seasoning. I guess they toss the tenders in this dry seasoning, but there was barely any flavour. The tenders weren’t very good either, being a far cry from those at Lazy Bear Lodge.
Toronto Ty Taste Tier: D
Rides
Outside of riding Minebuster three times (once in a middle seat, then twice in a wheel seat with different restraint levels each time), I managed to get on Yukon Striker, Behemoth, Vortex, Wilde Beast, and an end of the night ride on Shockwave.
Shockwave was running a really great program! There were a couple lulls, but then it did things I never thought were even possible from it! Extended stalls with no actual hang time, and honestly making me lose track of which way was up! Shockwave may have moved up a tier in my rankings after this, though it still falls short of an S rank due to the lack of trees. They added so much to the enjoyment of the ride!
Other Updates
There are some new square-roofed gazebos outside of bag check. Based on nearby fencing with signage, I’m assuming these are used to create a narrower entry while the chaperone policy is in effect. I still think this policy is unnecessary and now it’s creating a slower entry process after 4:00 p.m. while taking resources that could be used elsewhere in the park…
By the floral flag, the park had stanchions set up to create a clear queue for those guests who’d like to meet and take a photo with the Peanuts gang! This is a great improvement!
Not really an update, but I got some good shots of Swing of the Century with its lilac bushes. While I still miss the trees, I have to admit these bushes look nice while they’re in bloom.
Someone drew the short straw and cleared all the junk off Behemoth’s storage shed roof. Thank goodness! I have no idea why guests enjoy littering by throwing away hair ties and other property.
There’s a new Dippin’ Dots stand by Yukon Striker’s final Immelmann. I think the placement (or maybe just the orientation) is a little off, and it’s not the most well themed stand. The plaza did have a Dippin’ Dots cart many years ago (closer to Timberwolf Falls’ entrance), so it’s interesting to see a new one in this same plaza.
I keep forgetting to mention it, but the park replaced the panels for the sign above Front Gate. It looks the exact same as the old one but not cracking/peeling like the previous one. I’m still hoping the park covers the tin backdrop with shingles/shakes as a throwback to the original look, plus an updated park logo that feels a little more fun and less corporate… but I guess we’ll have to wait at least a few more years now. Maybe for the park’s 50th anniversary in 2031?
I’m sure this isn’t new but I don’t think I really picked up on the lack of queue fence posts and chains around the former season pass processing centre. In recent years these doors were used as overflow admissions stalls to help handle crowds on busy days. Even if the park still uses them for this purpose, there’s no longer a need for queue and metal detectors since bag check is done before this exterior entry plaza. I’m also realizing this area would work well as an additional exit after the fireworks, which I don’t think the park usually does. Anything to help clear the park’s interior space quicker would be appreciated.
Until Next Time…
I do apologize for the delay in getting this posted (as well as the video I’m still working on), but I’ve been busy caring for a loved one in a time of need this past week. My next update will likely be shorter and quicker to get posted since there won’t be as much going on and I can’t even make it to the park for Brew & BBQ this weekend. (In the future, I’d much rather have the event run Friday through Sunday for two weekends instead of just Saturday and Sunday for three weekends. That would be the same number of days, but of course I’d also be happy to see Fridays added without losing a weekend.)
Stay tuned as we approach The DareDeviler’s opening, three new shows debuting later this month, and then Celebration Canada to kick off July!
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