Canadas Wonderland

Canada’s Wonderland: The best Rides, Activities and Hotels nearby

To the point Milesopedia guides you to Canada's Wonderland must-see attractions, exciting activities not to be missed, and the best nearby hotels for an unforgettable stay.

Canada’s Wonderland amusement park is one of Canada’s most popular entertainment destinations, offering visitors an unforgettable experience. In this article, we’ll explore the best rides not to be missed, exciting activities to discover and hotels ideally located near the park.

About Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario

Canada’s Wonderland is Canada’s largest amusement park and one of North America’s largest theme parks. It offers rides, shows, restaurants and entertainment for all ages.

The park is located north of the Greater Toronto Area. The park offers over 77 rides and 18 roller coasters, including the world’s biggest and fastest.

Canada’s Wonderland opened its doors for the first time on May 23, 1981, becoming Canada’s first major theme park. The park has a rich history and welcomes over 3.5 million visitors per season.

In its early days, it already offered several rides and shows. Over the years, Canada’s Wonderland has added new rides to bring us more and more excitement. Today, it measures 300 acres (or the equivalent of 227 football fields)!

Taking a photo with family or friends in front of the fabulous mountain and fountains is a classic!

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Canada's Wonderland amusement park - Ticket prices and rates

Tickets can be purchased on site or online at Canada’s Wonderland. If you buy them on site, tickets are $30 to $40 more expensive than online. We therefore recommend that you buy them before you arrive on the site.

Admission is free for children under 2.

Here are the ticket prices for 2024:

Ticket type Price Benefits
One-day ticket From $44.99 online ($79.99 at the door)
  • Splash Works admission included after May 25
Admission after 4 pm Starting at $39.99
Season pass $89
  • Unlimited visits during the season
  • Splash Works water park admission included
  • Earlier entry to the park
  • 15% discount on food and beverages
  • Discount for a friend’s ticket
  • Exclusive benefits and discounts.
Gold Season Pass $125
  • Unlimited visits during the season, including Halloween Haunt and Winterfest events
  • Splash Works water park admission included
  • Earlier entry to the park
  • 15% discount on food and beverages
  • Discount for a friend’s ticket
  • Exclusive benefits and discounts.
Prestige Pass + All Park Passport option (New for 2024) $325
  • Unlimited summer and fall tours, including Splash Works, Halloween Haut and Winterfest events
  • Privilege parking
  • 20% discount on food and beverages
  • Earlier entry to the park
  • Access to the VIP section
  • 2 free tickets for friends
  • One free Fast Lane entry per visit
  • All Park Passport option + $100 : Access to all Cedar Fair parks (Canada’s Wonderland, Carowinds, Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, Kings Island, and Knott’s Berry Farm)

Other options can be added to enhance your day, such as :

  • Fast Lane: From $65.00 to go ahead of everyone else in the 22-ride queue.
  • Fast Lane Plus: From $75.00, to go ahead of everyone else in the 21-ride queue + the following rides: Yukon Striker, Leviathan and Behemoth.
  • Single Day FunPix: From $19.99, all photos taken in the park during the day, including unlimited photo downloads.
  • Single Meal Deal: $18.99 including appetizer, side dish and fountain drink.
  • All Day Dining: $31.99, for one entrée and one side dish at participating restaurants every 90 minutes. This package does not include drinks.
  • Premium All Day Dining: $43.99, for an entrée, side dish or snack at participating restaurants every 90 minutes. Every 15 minutes, a Coca-Cola drink can be purchased free of charge, all day long.
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While we’re on the subject of passports, we might as well talk about the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card!

It gives you 2 Scene+ points for every dollar spent on entertainment at theme parks like Canada’s Wonderland! It also avoids the 2.5% foreign currency conversion fee when visiting other Cedar Fair parks in the USA.

Then, redeem 1,000 Scene+ points for $10 off your grocery bill or travel expenses.

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn up to 35,000 Scene+ points as a welcome bonus (a $350 value) :

  • 25,000 points after just $1,000 in purchases
  • 10,000 points after $40,000 in purchases in the first year

Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of 10,000 points, a $100 value.

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

You’ll also earn 2 points for every dollar you spend, including on foreign transactions, in the following categories:

  • Grocery shopping
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers
  • Transit

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is an excellent Visa credit card for this type of purchase.

You can redeem your points for any travel purchase at the rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusive properties and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back with Scene+, such as at your grocery store checkout at the same rate of 1,000 points = $10.

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary passes to airport VIP lounges
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Concierge service

We voted this credit card the Best No-FX Fee Credit Card of 2024.

Discounts on Canada's Wonderland tickets

For 630 AIR MILES Dream Miles per ticket, you can get a free one-day ticket to Canada’s Wonderland for one person.

Plan ahead, about 2 working days in advance, to ensure you receive your electronic ticket on time.

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Hotels near Canada's Wonderland

Several hotels in the vicinity of Canada’s Wonderland offer room and attraction packages.

  • Aloft Vaughan Mills: The closest hotel to Canada’s Wonderland is Aloft Vaughan Mills. This top-rated hotel is also right next to Vaughan Mills, a large shopping center with a LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto.
  • TownePlace Suites Toronto Northeast/Markham: This hotel is perfectly located between Canada’s Wonderland and the Toronto Zoo. What’s more, it gives free breakfast to all its guests and its rooms have a kitchenette.
  • Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Vaughan: Recently renovated, with easy access to highways 400 and 407. The Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Vaughan is 10 minutes from Canada’s Wonderland.
  • SpringHill Suites Toronto Vaughan: This contemporary hotel has large rooms and also offers free breakfast to all guests.
  • Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel: Right in the heart of downtown Toronto, it’s further away than the Canada’s Wonderland hotels above. But it’s glued to Toronto’s Rogers Centre. If you also want to see a Blue Jays baseball game during the season, you can even attend from certain privileged rooms!

Do you have Marriott Bonvoy points on an American Express®* Marriott Bonvoy® Card byany chance? You could have a free night to make this stay less expensive.

Or, if you have points from your favorite loyalty program, check to see if you can use points to reimburse your Canada’s Wonderland getaway.

Discover the best rides at Canada's Wonderland

The Leviathan

The Leviathan is a ride for thrill-seekers of all kinds. It’s one of the biggest and tallest roller coasters in the world! It’s a gigantic roller coaster, measuring 1.6 kilometers in length.

It rises to a thrilling height of 93 metres in the air, then plunges into a steep 80-degree freefall. Then the cars speed along at 148 kilometers per hour, turning in curves of over 90 degrees.

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Yukon Striker

The Yukon Striker is another ride that takes passengers’ breath away and makes them scream in terror for two minutes!

The ride begins by hanging for 3 long, interminable seconds before reaching a speed of 130 km/h. In addition, there will be inversions and a complete 360-degree loop.

Behemoth

In less than 4 seconds, passengers accelerate from 0 to 125 km/h. It’s another Leviathan and Behemoth ride to try.

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The Bat

It’s a merry-go-round that goes forwards… and back again! For connoisseurs, it’s the same style as La Ronde‘s Boomerang.

Drop Tower

Passengers ascend 70 meters into the air, then wait for agonizingly long seconds before being suddenly dropped at 100 km/h to the ground.

The Windseeker, Flight Deck, Backlot Stunt Coaster and Psyclone are just some of the rides you’ll want to try out.

Planet Snoopy and children's rides

At the opposite, Kidzville and Planet Snoopy are places that appeal to younger visitors. They have their own level of rollercoaster.

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Splash Works Water

Splash Works Water is the part of the park with water slides, a swimming pool and water games. In 2024, this part of the park will open on May 25, and there will be a promising new thrill ride called “Moosehorn Falls”.

Canada's Wonderland site map and photos

The official Canada’s Wonderland map contains full information on minimum size requirements.

On the map, you’ll see several Fun Pix pictograms, where a photo is taken during the ride. You need to have purchased the Fun Pix option to have unlimited access and download them.

What’s more, several official park photographers are scattered throughout the park in strategic locations, and Fun Pix lets you get those photos.

Carte map Canada Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland - Shows

There’s more to the park than just rides! During the day, a variety of stunts, musicals, bands, circus acts and sky dives are presented.

Each day’s program is different and may vary, so it’s a good idea to check their calendar before you visit.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang always put on a big show at the Peanuts Gazebo in the Planet Snoopy section. They organize dances and get-togethers for children.

For guests looking for adrenaline-pumping action, take in the aerial madness of the Fall Out Stunt Dive Show and Victoria Falls High Divers.

Canada's Wonderland - Events

Halloween Haunt: Every year and during the evenings, Canada’s Wonderland offers a terrifying Halloween Haunt event, filled with zombies, mazes, monsters, spooky shows and scary attractions. Not recommended for children under 13, as it’s really scary. Some rides are open and visitors can ride them in the dark. An additional ticket must be purchased, starting at $44.99 per person.

Camp Spooky: On weekends in September and October, kids can have their own Halloween party! This gentle, family-friendly event features candy, a Halloween costume parade for kids, live entertainment with The PEANUTS band, and meet-and-greets with Halloween characters.

Winter Fest: Takes place between November and early January. It’s a new event at Canada’s Wonderland. It includes ice skating on Snow Flake Lake, a dozen shows, holiday food tastings, millions of spectacular lights and hundreds of magnificent Christmas trees throughout the park, including two 15-metre-high Christmas trees on International Street.

Oktoberfest: This German festival takes place on weekends in September. Enjoy authentic German-themed sausages, schnitzel, giant Bavarian pretzels and cold beers, while listening to traditional bands.

Celebration Canada: First week of July. Celebrate Canada’s birthday with music, traditional First Nation performances, street performers, poutine and other Canadian delicacies.

Fireworks: On certain dates only, such as Canada Day and long vacation weekends.

KidZfest: Mid to late July. It’s a party just for kids! They can meet Peppa Pig and Marvel superheroes, enjoy dance parties, music and shows.

Canada's Wonderland - Opening hours

Canada’s Wonderland is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the summer. The park may close earlier in spring and autumn, when the sun sets earlier. We strongly recommend that you check the calendar before visiting the park.

Splash Works opens in late May and runs until early September.

Canada's Wonderland - Parking

All taxes included, parking at Canada’s Wonderland costs when you buy online:

  • $ 30 per car and van
  • $ 40 for VIP parking
  • $ 40 for camping trailers

Explore Niagara Falls and Toronto during your stay

While you’re in the Toronto area, visit Niagara Falls and the surrounding area!

The famous falls are located 1h30 from Canada’s Wonderland, and make an excellent one- or two-day getaway.

Toronto City Hall Nathan Square

Photo credit: Canada’s Wonderland

Where is Canada's Wonderland?

Canada’s Wonderland is located in Vaughan, northwest of downtown Toronto.

What are the payment methods and how do I pay at Canada's Wonderland?

Canada’s Wonderland is cashless. It accepts purchases by debit card, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover as well as via smartphone, thanks to Apple Pay or Google Pay.

There are also several Cash-to-Card Kiosks, where you can convert cash for a prepaid debit card. This card can be used anywhere in the park and also to pay for purchases outside the park, free of charge.

When does Canada's Wonderland open?

It usually opens on the first Friday in May.

In 2024, Canada’s Wonderland opens its doors on May 3.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Caroline Tremblay
I'm Caroline, a loyalty program specialist! I use my points to travel more often and at a lower price with my spouse and our two children. I'm passionate about writing about the latest rewards news and how to put more points in your pocket.

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