One of the most beautiful pictures I took on the entire Roller Coaster Road Trip was the one above, from the parking lot at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It was towards the end of our last day, one ultimate day of roller coaster riding, and it was the perfect scene to end our wonderful journey.
I'd always wanted to visit Canada's Wonderland and I never thought I would until this trip was being planned. The park is a Cedar Fair property, owned by the same company that owns both Cedar Point and King's Island, so we knew it was going to be both a well-run and a beautiful park, which it was. Upon entering, the scene is much like that at King's Island and Virginia's King's Dominion, but instead of a replica of the Eiffel Tower towards the end of the entrance promenade, there is a mountain with cascading waterfalls. Beautiful!
The Roller Coasters
Compared with the previous two parks we had visited, the coasters of Canada's Wonderland were nowhere near as exciting, though there were two that were absolutely fantastic, Leviathan and Behemoth...
Leviathan is what is known as a giga-coaster, like Millennium Force in Cedar Point, meaning that it reaches a maximum height of over 300 feet tall (This one's 306.). It is by far the best ride in Canada's Wonderland, and we rode this monster several times. Take a virtual ride yourself...
That one was wicked, and the video does not do it justice! Behemoth is the park's other awesome ride, located clear across the park from Leviathan. This one's a mega-coaster, like Magnum XL-200, Nitro at SFGA, and like those other two, it is nothing but negative G fun! Take a virtual ride...
I wish I could say there was a whole lot more to cover of Canada's Wonderland. It is a beautiful place, and we had an awesome time on a beautiful sunny day. It was the end of the trip and I think we all were a little weary from eight days of seemingly non-stop moving. Nonetheless, if you're ever up in the Toronto area, Canada's Wonderland, then you should definitely check it out. In the meantime, take a look at some photos of our day at Canada's Wonderland...
Dive show
Poutine
A wicked and rare ride!
Behemoth
Leviathan
After our day at the park, we dove back into Toronto for one last meal together. We were exhausted, but blissful. This Roller Coaster Road Trip was a great one, and I can't wait until the next time! Oh, and there was one more cool thing that we did before heading home, stopping again in Buffalo to have a visit with my old pal Petra.
I hope you've enjoyed some of the pictures and stories from our journey. Check out the rest below and till next time...
Boy did we start this trip off with a bang! After a quick, unplanned stop in Kennywood on our first day, and the wonderful day of coaster riding at King's Island on the second, our third and fourth days were to be the main event with a stop at America's Roller Coast, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Sandusky is only about a four hour ride from Cincinnati and so with an early start we were able to make it to Cedar Point by early afternoon, giving ourselves a whole day and a half of ultimate coastering.
For those of you who've never heard of Cedar Point, well it is the Mecca for roller coaster enthusiasts all over the world. It's collection of world class roller coasters of every kind are rivaled by all and beaten by none. This would be my third soiree to The Point and ultimately proved to be my best visit yet to the park.
There are several talking points I'd like to make about our visit to Cedar Point, but for this post I'd like to focus on the coasters. If you're a fan and you've never been, then maybe this post will make you want to get there. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! Take a look at some of the best the park has to offer...
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper is the second newest coaster at Cedar Point, opening in 2013 to much fanfare. The ride is a the park's wing coaster and is located towards the front entrance. It's structure is imposing, with a cool blue track hovering along the shores of Lake Eerie, slithering through two giant 'keyholes' at the front gate. The ride itself was much more fun than scary, very smooth and definitely worth it. Take a virtual ride...
Millennium Force
Millennium Force is one of my all time favorite roller coasters! It is one of only a handful of giga-coasters and it's one of the best. Giga coasters are ones that reach heights of over 300 feet and this one rises to 310 feet and with spectacular views and an unbelievable first drop of 80 degrees, this one is simply spectacular. We got to ride the thing several times, and I can now say with first-hand experience that it is even better in the dark. This one never lets up on some wicked twists and turns and some great negative G's. Take a ride...
Maverick
When you first take a look at Maverick, you think to yourself that it looks just like an okay roller coaster. It's not very big or tall or anything like that which would whet your roller coaster whistle. But then you ride it and whoah! This is one wicked ride! There are a couple of things about Maverick that make it such a great roller coaster, and judging from the wait time, plenty of others agree. First of all, it is very smooth, and that first drop is a doozy. That is the kicker that sends you off on a wild two and a half-minute ride through twists, turns and of course some wicked loops, starting with a 0-70 mph launch over a 95 degree, 100 foot first hill. The first time Rich and I had gone to Cedar Point, we'd waited most of the day to give it a try because it didn't look impressive and the wait was so long, but once we had ridden it, we'd wished we had tried it earlier. Not so this time. This trip to The Point had us riding the thing several, heart-stopping times. Take a virtual ride yourself...
Top Thrill Dragster
Before there was Kingda Ka, there was Top Thrill Dragster. Ever on the cusp of the newest technology in roller coastering, Cedar Point broke out with this then unique ride way back in 2003 and at the time it was the tallest in the world at 420 feet, only to be surpassed by a mere 36 feet by the aforementioned King of All Coasters. The layout is very similar to Kingda Ka...zooming at high speeds (120 mph) straight out to a towering hill, up and over. The only difference in layouts between these two monsters is that this one does not have another hill after the big drop. The finale is simply straight back..fun still! My pal Gary thinks that this one is better than KK, smoother and more fun. Perhaps! Take a look...
Valravn
Valravn is Cedar Point's newest coaster. It's what they call a dive coaster, that is, one whose train is wide, sitting ten across, over 200 feet tall (this one's 223), and perches at the top of the lift hill, dangling riders perched over the drop for a perilous few seconds before plunging downward into a wild frenzy. The ride opened up in 2016 and stands as the tallest, fastest (75 mph) and longest (3,415 feet) of its kind in the world. Loved it! Take a ride...
Well, that was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great coasters at Cedar Point. At the risk of posting too many videos and commentary, I've left out great rides like Magnum XL-200, an old favorite of mine, Raptor, Gemini, Wicked Twister, Rougarou, and more. Check 'em out on YouTube is you so desire. In the meantime, stay tuned for more about our Roller Coaster Road Trip 2017, including a relaxing spot on the shores of Lake Eerie, Niagara Falls and Toronto.
It's no coincidence that King's Island has been a destination point on our road trips in 2012, 2014 and again this year. It's sister park, King's Dominion in Virginia, has long been a favorite of me and my buddies, but this Midwest sister is that much more. The cleanliness and beauty of the park, the friendliness of its staff, and of course the roller coasters make it my second favorite amusement park in the world (for my first, stay tuned! Wink wink.). Rich, Gary and I headed out bright and early our first full day and more than got our fill of these great rides. Check it out what we enjoyed of what King's Island has to offer:
Mystic Timbers
Mystic Timbers is King's Island's newest coaster, debuting on April 15th of this year. What's in the shed? is some sort of mysterious advertising gimmick that I guess was supposed to get people getting even more excited about the park's new coaster. After one ride on it, we were all questioning what the big deal was. We were maybe expecting some sort of elevated drop like on Verbolten in Busch Gardens, Virginia, or something. Without spoiling it for anyone, I'll just say it wasn't all that.
The ride, however, was great! It's got a nice, left sweeping first drop of about 54 degrees and the coaster hits about 53 mph as it careens through a series of nice twists and turns before coming to a halt right before entering...you guessed it...the shed! You can see in the video below what does or does not happen in the shed, but really the ride would be just great without it. A nice addition to the park! Check it out...
Banshee
Banshee was the new coaster at the park the last time Rich and I visited and back then we liked it, but we only rode it once because the lines were too long, and because even though we liked it, we didn't love it. That changed a bit this time around. You see, Banshee is an inverted coaster, and Rich is not a big fan of those because you really can't see where you're going while you're riding it. But for our second turn at the coaster this time around, Gary had an idea to ride it from the front car. Big difference!
Banshee was built on the former site of the notorious Son of Beast, towards the front of the park and is an imposing structure all on its own. The lift hill travels straight through the second, vertical loop on the ride, as you can see in the photo, and the rest of it is well, wild! Banshee is the longest inverted coaster in the world, with a length of 4,124 feet of track and it moves through seven inversions at speeds of almost 70 mph. I can tell you that it's much more terrifying from the front seat, and oh, that Banshee screech when you reach the top of the lift hill. Hella scary! Take a virtual ride...
Diamondback
Hyper coasters, those whose lift hill is more than 200 feet, are my favorite. Aside from the thrill of that first, death-defying drop, they offer lots and lots of airtime. King's Island's Diamondback is their version of the hyper coaster, and it is a doozy! Reaching a height of 230 feet, this monster flies through the hill after hill, with lots of nice negative G's to give you that tickle in your stomach. It even finishes with a nice splashdown over a small lake and is always fun to ride! Oh, and the way the seats are arranged, each rider gets his own unique perspective on the ride...cool! Check it out...
Firehawk
When we first visited King's Island back in 2012, I had never heard of this one, but till the day I die I will never forget it. This ride is pretty unbelieveable, a flying coaster where you start out on your back facing the sky, all the way up to the top of the lift hill where it turns your body 180 degrees so you are facing the ground...flying...and then all hell breaks loose. Rich and I have a history with this thing ever since that first terrifying ride back in 2012. The thing was so scary we only rode it once, and when we returned in 2014, we gave it one more ride for old times sake. It was early in the morning and poor Rich lost his wallet somewhere along that 3,000 feet of track. Poor guy, it killed the day for him, but luckily he was willing to give it another go this time. Well, what are roller coasters for? Yes, scaring the bejeezus out of you. Take a ride...(psst, fast forward to about the 1:30 mark!)
Flight of Fear
inside the cue
waiting our turn
I wrote about this one back in 2013, well the one located in King's Dominion in Virginia, which is the same. Here's what I wrote back then...
Flight of Fear is an indoor coaster, many of which I do not like. All the ones I've ridden before, except Space Mountain in Disney, were disappointing at best, but this one is freaking awesome! You would never know from entering the building what's inside, but soon after the darkness of the place and the sound of screams up ahead are excitingly intimidating. Throw in a fun ride operator, who took pleasure in enhancing the experience for the most scared of riders by teasing them before releasing the linear induction coaster into the darkness, and a whole new element of fun is added to the experience.
Yeah, this one's still a great ride, and though it doesn't get much fanfare, it is popular with park goers as there is almost always a bit of a wait with this one! I just had to take a quick video of the launch. Check it out...3-2-1...blast off!
The Beast
Finally, we come to my favorite roller coaster in the world! To me, The Beast is the ultimate roller coaster. Long before I'd ever ridden it for the first time in 2012, I dreamed of riding it...literally. The ride first opened in 1979 and has been giving roller coaster enthusiasts thrills ever since. It's not the newest or tallest or even fastest, but this wooden coaster gives riders more than four minutes of death defyingly awesome twists, turns, hills and tunnels, (ooh the tunnels!), traversing 7,359 feet of track through heavily wooded terrain, making it the longest roller coaster in the world.
The Beast was what made me excited about returning to King's Island and it was awesome to see my friend Gary, who'd never had the pleasure, enjoy this one. By far this was the coaster we rode the most times that day and each time was as thrilling as the last, and oh boy, it's a killer at night! I wrote about this one on the last trip, and you can check that out here. In the meantime, take a virtual ride on this monster...
So yeah, that was our day at King's Island...a great start to a great trip. I hope this whet your whistles if you are into coasters because if you ever have the chance, you must get there. They have even more coasters than the ones I've talked about, like Vortex, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Invertigo, The Racer and The Bat. Yeah, King's Island is a world-class coaster destination.
Stay tuned for more of this years Roller Coaster Road Trip 2017, with even more thrill rides and a World Wonder, coming soon! Here are some more pics from our day...
Road trips can be a lot of fun, and when you add amusement parks into the mix, then they can be super fun, especially for roller coaster nuts like me and my friends. This year was my pal Rich and I's third Roller Coaster Road Trip and we had some new company this year, fellow coaster enthusiast Gary. Now every time we do one of these things, I'm usually the one who comes up with the plan...it's kind of my thing, and this year all I knew was that I wanted to include a little bit of Canada.
Since Rich and I loved King's Island, near Cincinnati...and home to The Beast, and Gary had never been there, we made that our first stop. Next it was on to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Point is the Mecca for roller coaster enthusiasts and this one wasn't hard to decide upon since we all love the place. Niagara Falls, Toronto and Canada's Wonderland would round out the trip. So after much planning and preparation, on July 23rd we were on our way.
Now here's one of the reasons why I love these road trips...unplanned pit-stops. Our first destination was an AirBnB place in Cincinnati and the route our GPS was taking us was through southern Pennsylvania, a route Rich and I had taken before, right past Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was one of our stops on the very first Roller Coaster Road Trip and we enjoyed the city and of course its nearby theme park, Kennywood. We had a pit-stop to make!
We had discovered Primanti Brothers on that first trip and since we arrived in the Pittsburgh area a little early for the evening run at Kennywood, we decided to give it another go. Primanti is a Pittsburgh staple. All of the restaurants sandwiches come on sourdough bread, with some french fries and cole slaw inside...interesting and tasty!
After a cheers to the beginning of our trip and a quick Primanti, it was off to Kennywood, one of America's oldest theme parks. The place has been providing entertainment to people since 1898 and it is quaint and beautiful. They've got six coasters, three classic woodies, a dark mouse ride, and two steel monsters: Skyrocket and Phantom's Revenge, and we got our first five coasters in the check column! (We skipped Exterminator, the indoor mouse coaster.)
Now, Skyrocket, Jack Rabbit, The Racer, and Thunderbolt are all nice rides, though I found the latter a bit rough. Phantom's Revenge, formerly known as Steel Phantom before a renovation to remove some four rough loops back in 2000 (check out this video on the history of the coaster), is da bomb! It's one of the reasons I love roller coasters so much. This one is unique in that it's second drop is higher and steeper than the first. That's only possible because of the hilly terrain of the area and the fact that this particular drop careens through a ravine, straight through the structure of Thunderbolt! Wicked! Oh did we ride this one a few times. Check out a video I took of the coaster:
Anyway, this was a great, unplanned start to our trip. Kennywood is a great place to spend a few hours, especially to ride Phantom, and now we had King's Island to look forward to. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out some pictures from our evening at Kennywood...
