Goosebumps, Adventure and Canada’s Wonderland

What are your summers made of?

Summer stretches out before us with promises of countless roasted marshmallows, lazy days at the pool, bike rides, late starry nights, and best of all, goosebumps in anticipation of adventures not yet taken.  The beautiful thing is sometimes new adventures can be found right in your own backyard!  This summer my family got a jump on the season by taking off to explore just a tiny piece of ExperienceYorkRegion.com has to offer and we loved every minute of it.

For our very first adventure of the season, we headed to Canada’s Wonderland! Summers were made for this magnificent theme park.  Canada’s Wonderland has been a tradition in my life since I was a little one and now I’m thrilled to be able to share one of my favourite childhood places with my children.  This year I’m happy to report the park is bigger, better and more exciting than ever.  Here’s how to make the most of your time, and what you don’t want to miss, on your next visit to Canada’s Wonderland.

The only way to see all the things, give yourself as much time as possible.  There may be no better way to do this than to take a one day adventure and make it a multi-day road trip.  We had the opportunity to stay at the aloft Vaughn Mills. Located just steps from Canada’s Wonderland, you can actually see the rides of the park from some of the windows of this hotel, it’s the perfect place to stay the night before your adventure.

This clean, cool, contemporary hotel offers Instagram worthy rooms at a very reasonable rate.  The suites are spacious, quiet, and well laid out.  We had adjoining rooms for our group of four, perfect for families that like to spread out or just want a little bit more privacy.

*picture courtesy of aloft hotels

You may want to arrive early so you can take advantage of the free Wifi and a splash in the indoor pool.

When hunger strikes, the family can grab a bite at the WXYZ bar right at the hotel or at one of the many restaurants quite literally next door.

Then tuck in for a great nights sleep in the comfy beds.  Before you head out to the park grab a quick breakfast (additional cost) which can be enjoyed it in the bright airy lounge.

It’s the perfect start to ensure you are fresh and ready for a great day at the park!

Arrival at Canada’s Wonderland still brings on the butterflies.  Here’s a little bit of what’s new, what’s fabulous, and what you don’t want to miss!  A new season means new thrills with two ahh-mazing rides – start your day by heading to the two newest additions to the park; The Lumberjack ride and Flying Canoes.  How Canadian!

The Lumberjack.

This scream-worthy ride starts as your feet dangle in the air, then propels you into the sky aboard an “axe” and swings you all the way around.  All the way!  Oh, my heart.  Thrill-seekers rejoice because this ride was meant for you.

The Flying Canoes.

For the smaller set, Canada’s Wonderland brings us The Flying Canoes.  Jump into your canoe and go for a “paddle”.  This sweet two-person ride is on the milder side and is an experience the entire family can enjoy.  You control your own destiny as you gently ride round and round, up and down.  Fun for all ages.

After you’ve checked off these two new rides it’s time to explore the rest of the park and maybe even tick off some old favourites.  Our family has some serious thrill seekers and we had a large to-do list.  On our must-see list; The Leviathan, The Mighty Canadian Mind Buster, Drop Tower, Swing of the Century, The Bat and my all time favourite White Water Canyon.  We….err, the kids did them all!  I jumped in as needed.

Love the classics?  Take a moment to catch your breath and snap a picture of the Antique Carroussel – just as breathtaking as ever.

Don’t forget to pause for food!  Drink and Dining options abound.  The foodie may adore the International fare available at the Backlot Cafe, but we decided chicken was required.  We made a pitstop for chicken at the Chicken Shack.  Worthy of note; if you need coffee, and you will, both Tim Hortons and Starbucks can be found at the park.  Fantastic.  Insider tip:  If you want to avoid lines eat at off times – think about lunch at around 11:00 am or dinner at 4:30 pm.

Snacks are an important part of the experience.  The teens top choices included Beavertails and Tiny Tom donuts, I couldn’t turn down a funnel cake.  Afterall, you can’t go wrong with pastry and calories don’t count at Canada’s Wonderland.

Hot summer days call for waterparks and Canada’s Wonderland has you covered.  Included with your park pass is entry to Splash Works, 20 acres of splish-splashy fun and is the perfect way to end your day.  Not to be missed is The Lakeside Lagoon.  It has also undergone a major transformation and is now bigger and better than ever.  At now twice the size it was before it is sure to delight little ones with all new interactive spray features.

Live Entertainment, Stunt and Diving Shows, thrill rides, water rides, KidZville and oh all that food!  Take a day, take a weekend, take your family and make some memories that will last a lifetime.  Canada’s Wonderland is calling.  It’s the perfect place to kick off the summer season and a great escape to celebrate family, friends or simply to find your smile.  Hope you can all get to Canada’s Wonderland this season.

Are you ready to kick off the summer in style?  I have some INCREDIBLE news for you!  A fabulous giveaway!  Experience York Region has arranged for one lucky person to WIN 4 Passes to Canada’s Wonderland & An Overnight Stay at Aloft Vaughan Mills!  WOOT!  All you have to do to enter is to visit my friends at ExpereinceYorkRegion.com , find my guest post and follow the directions to enter at the bottom of the page.  Good luck to all!

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, however as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

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