Paramount Canada's Wonderland 05/03/02

Yesterday was the Season Pass Sneak Preview Night. Although the park didn’t seem to be empty – there was barely a line to be found. The day started at 5:00 and ended at 10:00. You were allowed to stay on the rides as long as there was no one in line for your seat.

I first headed over to the new Action Zone to ride the all new Pyclone. The Action Zone is near the back left corner of the park - it’s a newly renovated section of the Grande World Exposition of 1890 (where the Mexican theming once was). It is an attempt to better distribute people throughout the park – and it seems to have worked.

The Huss Enterprise (Soloco) is now called The Orbiter and appears to have gotten a fresh coat of paint along with the new lighting added. The ride was not going vertical like last year.

The line for Pyclone was extremely short – I had to wait one cycle. This is one giant machine! For those who are unaware, Mondial (who created Cliffhanger and Shockwave) also built Pyclone. It is a ‘Frisbeeesc’ ride in which a huge spinning disc is swung (like a swing ship) to an approximate 120 angle.

The difference is that the riders face outwards and the disc has no floor. The entire station floor drops down approximately 5 feet before departure. The ride is very fun! Since the disc gently spins everyone gets an equally great seat. The best part is, when in full swing, you get hang time looking straight down at the midway 120 ft below!

I then headed over to SkyRider (same as King Cobra – R.I.P). I decided to wait for the front ‘seat’ (had to wait one train). This ride is amazingly open in the front ‘seat’. I hope they do not remove this ride because it is very fun – and I experience no discomfort what so ever.

I then moved to The Great Canadian Minebuster. It is a PTC Out-and-Back Woodie with tunnel covered 540-helix finale – for those who are unaware. Minebuster offers great laterals in the helix and outrageous airtime on the bunny hills. The entire course is continuous head choppers due the fact that it weaves over and under the Water Park. I rode this 13 times later throughout the rest of the day – including 8 amazing night rides. The only thing was that on the turns the wheels were screeching REALLY loudly.

I then moved on to ride Vortex. Vortex is an Arrow Suspended Coaster – it is the original of Top Gun at PKI. Vortex was great as usual. I think it would be amazing if they put on Vekoma floorless trains because you get very close to the water – as seen here.

http://www.rcdb.com/full/paramounts-canadas-wonderland/vortex4.jpg

http://www.rcdb.com/full/paramounts-canadas-wonderland/vortex3.jpg

Cliffhanger (Mondial Splashover – its ‘Top Spinesc’) was running on its most intense mode. It was obviously not running the water jets – which was god sent since it was cold and when it does run with water it looks like this.

http://www.mondialrides.com/ie/products/splashover/large2.jpg

The Mondial Top Scan (Shockwave) was running fierce and was excellent. This ride just keeps getting more and more insane. It literally flips you in every direction. It looks like this.

http://www.joesworld.ca/Photos/pcwo/shockwave348343.jpg

I rode Top Gun (Vekoma SLC) and The Bat (Vekoma Boomerang) and I must say I don’t know why people complain about Vekoma coasters because I really enjoy these two – and without any head banging.

The Wild Beast was also great. The steep slightly banked drop offers amazing airtime, as does the rest of the ride. The unbanked fan turn slams you into the side (as usual).

Although most people complain that PCW hasn’t gotten a new big rollercoaster in a while – I think that they are expanding there flat ride selection and water park – which are both some of the best in the world (they did put in 10 million dollars into the park this year).

To make a long day short – I rode all 9 adult roller coasters and pretty much... well… everything! Everything was running great!

10 Million! The Pysclone seems to cost alot, hearing big it is! Great TR!

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X-Flight World's Only flying coaster!
Batwing World's only flying coaster!
S:UF World's only flying coaster! Don' you love SF ?

The ten million includes the whole new Action Zone (includes a new ham on rye simulator) and the water park expansion. The water park expansion includes a new kiddie section, 11 more slides and new places to eat and more change rooms.

I'd love an intamin mini-hyper like NL-goliath has for our park, and it is something I could actually see PCW getting...

Sure, its not a hyper (which would be nice) but that would be sweet for us, and its realisticaly do-able for a park like Paramount Canada's Wonderland.

P.S. The bat and Top Gun aren't THAT bad, but still do give unforgiveable amounts of headbanging.

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GO LEAFS GO!

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Wow, that parks already open! Well I've been there once a few years ago and rode every coaster there at the time other than Skyrider and Top Gun, Top Gun was closed for loose items search and at the time, I was not tall enough for Skyrider. I have to agree with you about the Bat though, I thought it was excellent and 4 years ago, I had no idea there were so many of them everywhere so it was a unique ride to me. Anyway, I'm going back to Toronto this summer from the 16 to 22 of July and I'd really love to go back but I'm going with my Grandma and my parents told me I can't drag her to the park, but then again she is a Grandma and she loves to spoil so we'll see what happens when our plane lands. Great TR, really loved the park when I went, I really feel that the flat ride expansion if crucial to a parks survival, I'm a thrill junky, not just a coaster junky. The TR makes me want to go back more than ever!

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The below statement is true.
The above statement is false.

Constant Looping is a lack of creativity.

*** This post was edited by SFGAMDie HARD on 5/5/2002. ***

I knew Shockwave and Cliffhanger were Mondial, but I could have sworn Psyclone was a Huss Giant Frisbee, not Mondial. It's been a long time since I've been to PCW (before Drop Zone while they still had Days of Thunder in the VR theater, even though I drove by this past summer), and I can't wait to return.

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My two favorite coasters are named Superman.

This park sucks. SFDL is better.

Wonderful comment. Glad you could add to the three year old discussion.

This park was great last weekend. The ride ops seemed to be doing a good job, while the security couldnt stop line jumping without killing themselves.

So they didn't.

But what a fun park!