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Summary

I Ranked 9 Of The Best Rides At Canada's Wonderland & Here's Where To Get The Most Thrills

How many can you check off? 🎢

​The view from the top of Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland. Right: The Behemoth roller coaster.

The view from the top of Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland. Right: The Behemoth roller coaster.

Writer
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The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

Calling all ride warriors! Canada's Wonderland will soon be opening for the season with over 200 attractions for visitors to enjoy.

However, with 18 roller coasters alone, you might not have time to ride everything. To help you figure out which attraction is worth your time, I ranked nine of the best coasters and rides at Wonderland according to thrills.

While each of these rides at the amusement park are sure to be a blast, some are definitely more heart-pounding than others.

Here are eight Wonderland rides you may want to hit up during your next visit.

Windseeker

Details: At a dizzying height of 301 feet (about as tall as the Statue of Liberty) Windseeker will definitely deliver on thrills if you're not fond of heights. 

Otherwise, however, the ride is a pleasant trip to the sky, where you spin around gently for a while before slowly returning to Earth. Think of it as a bigger version of those spinning swing rides you find at fairs. 

It also delivers great views of the park. 

Thrill Level: 😱 (if you're scared of heights)

Backlot Stunt Coaster

\u200bThe Backlot Stunt Coaster.

The Backlot Stunt Coaster.

Courtesy of Canada's Wonderland

Details: Formerly known as "The Italian Job," the Backlot Stunt Coaster may not look like much at first glance, but don't underestimate this ride.

For one thing, it's sneaky fast — accelerating from zero to 64 kilometers per hour in less than 10 seconds, according to Wonderland.

It's also the only launch-style coaster in the park. Besides the high speed, the ride has wild helixes and high-banked turns that'll keep you from getting comfortable and make for a truly underrated attraction.

Also, the Mini-Coopers are just super cute.

Thrill Level: 😱

Psyclone

Details: Psyclone is another ride that may not seem super thrilling — until you're on it, that is.

This ride operates like a giant swinging pendulum, blasting riders 115 feet into the air while also spinning clockwise.

The thrill comes from the swinging motion. At times, you'll feel weightless, and then suddenly change forces and direction.

The ride is definitely more fun than scary, although if you can't handle much spinning, maybe stay away from this one.

Thrill Level: 😱😱

Sledge Hammer

\u200bThe Sledge Hammer.

The Sledge Hammer.

Courtesy of Canada's Wonderland

Details: What's cool about this ride is that it's totally one of a kind — in fact, it's quite literally the only ride like it in the world.

If you think it won't deliver on thrills as much as a roller coaster would, you'd be wrong. The Sledge Hammer spins riders in the air at a height of 80 feet, which can be scary on its own.

However, the ride takes things to the next level by blasting riders into the air in one moment, only to let them freefall in the next. The thrill comes from the fact that you never know when you're suddenly going to drop.

It's a hang-onto-your-lunch kind of ride, for sure.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱

The Bat

Details: This classic coaster is unique in that it takes riders forward and backward.

Right from the start, riders are pulled backward up a 121-foot-tall lift where they wait before being released forward.

The coaster then travels at 75 kilometres through the station and through corkscrew twists and rolls.

Eventually, you'll reach a parallel track of the same height as the first drop, from where you'll do the whole thing over again, but this time, backward.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱

Drop Tower

Details: This one is truly for the ride warriors. I've been on this ride exactly once, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm too scared to ever do it again.

You'll begin by (very slowly) ascending 230 feet in the air to reach the top of the tower. Here, you'll pause for a moment.

As the tower is the same height as mega-coaster Behemoth, the views from the top are pretty nice. But waiting there knowing that at any moment you'll be dropped is pure agony.

The drop itself will come when you're not expecting it — all of a sudden you're plunging over 21 stories at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour and then, before you know it, you're at the bottom.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱😱

Behemoth

Details: As Canada's second-largest roller coaster, Behemoth definitely delivers on thrills.

Behemoth is the OG mega coaster in Canada, and was for a long time the country's biggest, fastest and tallest coaster.

Even with the addition of newer roller coasters like Leviathan and the Yukon Striker, Behemoth still lives up to its name as being a massive ride.

The roller coaster takes you 230 feet in the air, with the added scare factor of having no upper-body restraints, unlike other older roller coasters in the park.

Once you reach the top, you're sent down a 75-degree drop, reaching speeds of 125 kilometres per hour in under 4 seconds. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱😱

Yukon Striker

Details: A newer attraction at Canada's Wonderland, the Yukon Striker is a looping dive coaster that takes riders over a 90-degree drop and down 245 feet into an underwater tunnel.

According to Wonderland, the coaster is the world's fastest, longest and tallest dive coaster, so you'll definitely want to add it to your list of stops at the park if you haven't gone on it yet.

Reaching speeds of up to 130 kilometres an hour and taking riders through 360-degree loops, you might also want to skip lunch before grabbing a seat on this dizzying ride.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱😱

Leviathan

Details: As its name suggests, this roller coaster is huge and monstrous, and definitely for those wanting heart-pounding thrills.

Leviathan is Canada's tallest and fastest roller coaster, taking riders a whopping 306 feet in the air and reaching speeds of up to 148 kilometres an hour — faster than most trains.

With an 80-degree drop and tons of twists and turns, this is one of those roller coasters where you may experience some regret on your way up to the top, especially after hearing the horror-movie-like screams of other riders.

However, as scary as it is to plunge down Leviathan's tracks, the coaster makes for a super fun, wild ride.

Thrill Level: 😱😱😱😱😱

Ready for some fun? Canada's Wonderland reopens on May 5, 2023, and tickets can be purchased online now.

  • Contributing Writer

    Katherine Caspersz (she/her) is a contributing writer for Narcity Media, covering travel, things to do and more. She has written for various news sites and magazines, including Yahoo Canada and The National Post, and worked as an editor for the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. She loves shopping, travel and all things spooky.

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