Canada 2019 Day 6

Canada’s Wonderland | Photos| Videos

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May 9, 2019
Vaughn ON

I’d decided a couple days earlier that since the drive to Toronto was easy and not very long, and since I’d gotten to Niagara early enough to accomplish a lot of what I’d wanted to do on Tuesday, I would go back and finish riding the coasters I’d missed and get some re-rides at Canada’s Wonderland. So on Wednesday morning I woke up fairly early and had breakfast again at Tim Hortons before heading back to Wonderland.

It was around 11:30 when I arrived at Wonderland. As I entered the parking lot, I knew it would be a good day to visit because, even though it was much cooler than Sunday, the parking lot was nearly empty. So I headed in and toyed with riding The Fly first, but instead headed to Leviathan for a front row ride, which ended up being with some local enthusiasts. Leviathan is a solid, fun coaster, but I’m glad we have Fury at Carowinds, because it’s a much better version.

I walked over to The Fly (398) next for my credit. This is the third of the larger Mack Wild Mouse coasters I’ve ridden. I enjoy them, but mice still scare me after all of these years. The top scan wasn’t running, but there were some staff there working on it. I wasn’t upset as we have one at Carowinds, but had this been a few years ago I wouldn’t have been happy to not have ridden as these are fairly rare in the US. So I walked over towards Behemoth and got super excited when I saw that Sledgehammer was up and running! I detoured to the line for it instead.

Canada 2019 Day 5

Journey Behind the Falls | Photos | Videos

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May 7, 2019
Niagara Falls NY & ON

I woke up Wednesday morning to absolutely beautiful weather. The temperature was around 60 degrees, the sky was blue with fluffy white clouds, and I decided to head back down to the falls for some pictures in better weather. The previous afternoon I was looking at the revolving restaurant and the buffet restaurant at the Skylon tower and tried to make reservations online, but it kept timing out, so I called and made reservations for 1pm.

So I headed to the welcome center by the falls and purchased tickets for the Behind the Falls experience at 11am. This was a chance to get up close and personal with the falls, taking an elevator down and first going behind the falls to 2 different shafts that are directly behind, and then to an observation area just beside the falls so that you can get an up close and personal view of them. It was definitely worth the $24 CAD to do, and I was able to get some more fantastic photos of the falls and the gorge.

Around noon I headed back up and walked to the Skylon tower, just up the hill from the welcome center. I found the ticketing office and informed them I had reservations for the buffet, but they informed me that the buffet isn’t open in the off season, and my reservation was for the revolving restaurant instead. So I was sent with my ticket to the elevator and up I headed.

Canada 2019 Day 4

Niagara Falls | Photos | Videos

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May 7, 2019
Niagara Falls ON

Tuesday was going to be my last day in Toronto. I’d planned to go to the distillery district on advice from my server the day before at the brewery, but again it wasn’t a priority to wake up early, so I slept in. By the time I got up I’d decided to pack up, check out, and head on out to Niagara Falls. I have to say that the drive from Niagara to Toronto is much nicer when it’s not foggy, as was the case going up on Saturday. Today, however, it was clear and I could see the lake, which was completely blocked by fog on Saturday morning.

I stopped at the wrong hotel once I arrived in Niagara Falls. I was staying on the Canadian side, and they pointed me in the right direction to my actual hotel. Once I arrived I checked in, noticed that it wasn’t very busy due to the off season, and headed to my room. I scored another good hotel from Hotwire and this time at a much better off season/off peak rate of $31. After getting settled in I headed out to find some dinner. Someone had suggested the Flying Saucer, which I’d passed by on my way to Toronto originally, so I headed there. This was a great suggestion. I had a burger and it was super good.

After lunch I headed towards the falls. I parked in a lot near all of the attractions on Clifton Hill and walked down the street with my camera. Of course, the first set of falls you see are the American & Bridal Veil Falls, which are impressive. Although the day was overcast and gloomy, the falls were easily visible. I walked along the ridge of the gorge on the Canadian side, snapping pictures and enjoying the view as I made my way down to the Horseshoe Falls, which are even more amazing, and are the falls most people associate with Niagara.

Canada 2019 Day 3

CN Tower | Photos | Videos

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May 6, 2019
Toronto ON

I decided that for this vacation, as I was on my own, I wouldn’t bother with making every day an early day. I intended on sleeping in and then taking a more leisurely pace doing whatever I wanted. So on Monday morning I woke up around noon-ish, took my time getting ready, and headed for a very late breakfast at the closest Tim Hortons I could find. This was finally my first Tim Horton’s experience. And it was good.

Admittedly it was a little later in the day than I’d have liked to be getting started, but I needed to sleep in. I headed towards the first thing I’d always wanted to do in Toronto, the CN Tower. Getting in to the city and finding parking near CN Tower was easy enough. Once I was parked I headed out with my back pack and walked to the tower. As I was heading through security I noticed that some of my things had fallen out of the front pocket of my nap sack. I put it back in and was getting ready to go through security when an employee pointed out that the nose spray I’d just put back in the front pocket had fallen out. That’s when I realized I had a hole in my front pocket. Then a sudden wave of worry fell over me, as that was where I tended to keep my wallet and passport. After taking inventory on all of my items, the only thing that I lost without knowing where it was is an extra battery for my camera, but thankfully I had 3 more.

After making my way through security and getting my ticket I headed towards the elevator up the tower. I was the only non-employee on the elevator which, much to my horror, had a glass bottom. I don’t like glass bottoms on tall buildings, usually doing all I can to avoid them. But that wasn’t an option this time. I was glad to step off of the elevator near the top.

Canada 2019 Day 2

Canada’s Wonderland | Photos | Videos

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May 5, 2019
Vaughn ON

Instead of getting to Canada’s Wonderland early on Sunday morning, which just happened to be the first open operating day of the year, I decided that I’d sleep a bit and then head out. I was already planning on getting a Fast Lane+, so I wasn’t that worried. I could have gotten there an hour early and gotten ERT for passholders, but, again, late nite, vacation, and Fast Lane+. So I arrived in the area around noon instead, and headed to a McDonald’s for a quick bite before heading in.

Canada’s Wonderland is a great park. Beautiful once you’re through the gate. But very obviously packed. I’d purchased Fast Lane online so after a quick restroom (sorry, washroom, because we’re in Canada) stop I traded in my digital voucher and got my wristband. Then it was off to my first destination for the morning, the country’s tallest, fastest coaster, and cousin to a really fun ride just down the road from me. I was excited to see the plaza for the ride because I’d seen pictures of how awesome the sign looked since it was installed. I got in line for the front row and ended up riding with 2 local enthusiasts.

Leviathan (385)-The first drop is very much what Fury’s first drop was inspired by, and very similar. I liked the tunnel at the bottom. Then you hit the first turn, and a couple of great floater airtime hills, then the far turn around, before you hit the next couple of airtime hills, then the over-banked turn before you hop up into the brakes. The ride is fast, with a lot of floating airtime and some flojector air as well. Fury is definitely the next evolution of the ride, and I’m excited to see what the next incarnation of a B&M giga coaster is like.

Canada 2019 Day 1

Fantasy Island | Photos | Videos

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May 4, 2019
Grand Island NY

Over the last several years many people, for many different reasons, have talked up Toronto as being an amazing city to visit. I’d never been to Canada, and Canada’s Wonderland had finally started to add some better coasters to go along with their great collection of flat rides in the last few years. I’d wanted to go to Toronto in 2018 but unfortunately some issues with my old car prevented that. In the meantime, I’d gotten a new car and taken care of some finances so I decided to finally visit the country up north.

I should have planned my trip a couple of weeks later because Canada’s Wonderland & Fantasy Island, 2 of the parks I would be hitting, didn’t start daily operations until a few weeks later. I wasn’t used to this living in the south, where parks open in March. And sadly, Marineland wouldn’t be open at all during this trip. But the dates were set and, ultimately, this wasn’t a coaster-centric trip. I needed some vacation time off with some sleeping in every morning and not having to worry about stuff. On Friday, May 3 I headed north after work to Pittsburg where I’d be staying for the evening.

Then Saturday morning I woke up early and headed in to New York towards the Niagara Falls area to Martin’s. The day was gloomy but after parking I noticed that the main reason I was there was definitely up and running so, after paying to get in, I made my way the long way around to Silver Comet. Fantasy Island was quaint. It was definitely a family park with a few decent flat rides and 3 coasters. The first ride for me was the park’s signature wooden coaster, a 1999 Custom Coasters International installation.