Photo TR: Canobie Coaster's World Adventures

We could have very easily spent the whole day pointing out everything wrong with the place, but the classic ride collection is a redeeming quality of the place. That being said, I feel like people should know just what they're walking into.

I spent a few hours there once, and enjoyed Blue Streak, Devil's Den, and the Carousel. They were painting the fence around the flyers, but they let us ride, anyway.

If I went back, Blue Streak would be the unquestioned reason. The airtime in the back row is spectacular.

I rode it once. We didn't derail and die. I felt like I successfully tempted fate and I would be dumb to do it again.

I tempt fate every time I drive into Boston. The Blue Streak is child's play by comparison. It's not like the coaster chucks pieces of its structure into the queue like that abomination at Clementon.

^ I am soo envious of your Blue Streak souvenir. That is so cool and wasn't available a couple of years back when I was there. Loved the report, disapointed tho that there were no pics of their great little tumble bug. It was a highlight for us when we went. To me CLP is a must stop in park if on the way to Waldemeer/ Kennywood. It is an experience one does not forget and have some fun too, for a dirt cheap what's to lose price. ( I say what's to lose figuratively, not literally. )

I just recommend visiting on $10 days. The difference in crowds I've seen on $5 is ginormous.

Tumble bugs are neat rides. After the Blue Streak, I'd say it was the park's most popular ride.

At least they have Six Flags beat if they can open all their rides on opening day!

I hope this little park survives forever, but I won't be sticking my neck out for it. Probably combo with Waldameer at some point like every other enthusiast lol.

To their defense, their ride lineup isn't quite as large, but it's still worth noting.

Waldameer is awesome. Just make sure you spend like 90% of your time there compared to Conneaut.

Waldameer

The last time I visited Waldameer, I visited in a monsoon. Ok technically it wasn’t a monsoon, but it was dang close. My hotel lost power. Drivers were nervously cruising down the highway 20 mph below the speed limit. And every other park in the area was quick to close except Waldameer.

I figured that had to be a mistake. Surely this little park in PA wouldn’t dare open in such conditions, would they? Oh you bet they did! I was one of like only 10 people in the park all day and despite the fact I know they lost money, they stayed open for 8 hours. For this reason, I had zero trepidation visiting Waldameer on a day with a 100% chance of thunderstorms.

The forecast kept pushing the storms later in the day, so it was no surprise to find the park more crowded than last time. Since it was just a pit stop on the way to Niagara, we decided to forego the wristband in favor of individual tickets. Usually this is a hard no for me, but Ravine Flyer II is a steal at $4.50 per ride.

Clear skies...for now.

I thought that was a pacifier until Emily pointed out it was a button.

The heavens could open up at any moment, so we wasted no time getting our rides on Ravine Flyer II. I loved the coaster in 2017, but remembered it running out of steam towards the end. But there was a caveat there, I was literally the only person on the train for most of those rides.

With a full train, Ravine Flyer II was flying. The first drop is one of the best out there. One minute you’re admiring Lake Erie and the next you’re getting standing airtime as you plunge into the ravine. I do prefer the front row, but this drop is the reason to get at least a few rides in the back.

This is followed by an incredible moment of sustained airtime over the bridge. Next comes an aggressive turnaround with not one, but two pops of air and a crazy fast turn. After another sizable drop (with air in the back of course), there’s a basically a clone of that first hill as you cross back over the road.

And the airtime doesn’t stop there. You pop into yet another tunnel, getting two more bursts of sustained airtime on the way. The coaster does lose some steam when it climbs out of the ravine, but the remaining 5-6 hills all give quick pops of air. Plus there’s a beautiful dive back into the ravine towards the end.

Ravine Flyer II is a rush. Despite it’s incredibly aggressive layout, Ravine Flyer II navigates it without a hint of roughness. After Steel Vengeance and Millennium Force, this was probably my favorite coaster of the trip. It does everything I could possibly want in a wooden coaster. 10 out of 10

We had a full flight and minimal turbulence.

The skies were darkening and the winds were picking up, so we tried to ride the last outdoor ride we cared about in Thunder River. But it was down. Fortunately it appeared to be unrelated to the weather as the drop tower was still cycling like a champ.

So instead we took a consolation lap on Whacky Shack. The park is home to two classic Bill Tracy dark rides, but this is far and away the better of the two. Essentially it simulates an acid trip. Each element drives you closer and closer to insanity until you finally lose your mind in a strobe room.

With your mind turned to putty, Whacky Shack has a deceptively fast downhill stretch littered with laterals and jump scares. Most haunts try and get you with skeletons and ghosts, but you’d never believe what you’ll come across on Whacky Shack. It’s a complete WTF in the best way possible. 8 out of 10

I'm a sucker for classic dark rides.

Thunder River decided to reopen so we moseyed on over. I chivalrously granted my girlfriend’s request of the front seat and she served as a wonderful human shield. I came off comfortably wet, but she got soaked. I dodged a bullet there...until she went in for a hug after the ride.

This is definitely one of the more underrated flumes out there. It has a long mist-filled tunnel and two drops, both giving pops of air. In many ways, this flume reminds me of the one at Knoebels that’s universally praised. 9 out of 10

Thunder River sounds more like the name of a river rapids, but this is a far superior flume.

We capped our visit with a food item I’ve yet to find anywhere else, a deep fried pretzel. Screw cinnamon bread, this is what a true snack looks like.

It tastes exactly how you’d think. The outside tastes like a fried dough and the inside still has that distinctive soft pretzel taste. One wasn’t enough for me, I went with two. It was an easy decision considering how cheap food is at this park. Each one was under $3.

So good!

While I didn’t ride it, the new-for-2019 frisbee was attracting quite the crowd. Waldameer purchased an inverting model, but Chaos was interestingly programmed to stop just short. It seems like the park is testing the waters a bit since it’d be the park’s first inverting ride if they set it to go over the top.

Maybe one day it will invert.

It pained me to leave Waldameer so early, but we had a country border to cross. Waldameer is the perfect family park. It’s clean, charming, friendly, and affordable with a balanced ride lineup. In many ways, it reminds me of Canobie Lake Park. Except there’s one major difference; Waldameer has a bonafide world-class coaster in Ravine Flyer II.

Nice! I went to this park and rode Ravine Flyer II back in like 2008 when I was living in upstate New York. I've been meaning to re-visit as part of a Cedar Point trip the past like 3 seasons, as it's not too far from Cleveland, but it hasn't happened yet. Hopefully this year, combined with Kennywood. Glad to hear it's still running awesome, I really loved it back then!

Thanks! Waldameer is a lovely park.

Your review of Waldameer made me seriously consider adding 5 hours of driving to my trip the next two days to squeeze in 3 hours at the park (while also doing Fantasy Island/Seabreeze and Darien Lake). I absolutely adore the Voyage and Ravine Flyer 2 is calling my name. But alas I think I'll fit it in with Cedar Point and Kennywood one day soon. Seabreeze makes more sense for this trip.

I really need to get back to Waldameer. We were short on time and only rode the coasters, flume and Sky Ride but the dark rides look great.

Your review of Waldameer made me seriously consider adding 5 hours of driving to my trip the next two days to squeeze in 3 hours at the park (while also doing Fantasy Island/Seabreeze and Darien Lake). I absolutely adore the Voyage and Ravine Flyer 2 is calling my name. But alas I think I'll fit it in with Cedar Point and Kennywood one day soon. Seabreeze makes more sense for this trip.

I'd take Waldameer over Darien Lake, Fantasy Island, or Seabreeze easily. As long as you have plans to make it there eventually!

I really need to get back to Waldameer. We were short on time and only rode the coasters, flume and Sky Ride but the dark rides look great.

I wouldn't expect anything less.

Canada’s Wonderland

Admittedly I made a boo boo with this one. With the ominous weather forecast for Saturday, I rearranged my travel plans like the rest of Canada. Those brave enough to stick it out at Canada’s Wonderland like Bill and Brit were rewarded with empty stations. Sunday was a madhouse.

We arrived just after opening and it was clear, FastLane was a must. We purchased them at guest relations and were in for a treat; FastLane even lets you skip the line to enter the park. I’ve never seen that before! If only FastLane worked on the food lines…

Oh Canada, that's a lot of people.

Most of the crowd flocked towards Yukon Striker or Leviathan. A few others zombie-walked over to Tim Horton’s for their morning fix. We had a different plan, we want to knock out Guardian since it wasn’t on FastLane, but we were too late.

The hybrid shooter/coaster’s line was already backed up onto the midway. The attendant estimated that the queue was at least 1-1.5 hours in length. Now I like Guardian, but not enough to wait that long. It was an unfortunate casualty for us.

Skipping this one stung.

So instead we entered the park’s Canadian area. I guess planting the country flag and lining International Street with Pizza Pizza and Tim Horton’s wasn’t enough, so they made a land themed to lumberjacks, Mounties, and every other stereotype that us Americans have about Canada.

The only way to make this more Canadian would be to slap a Tim Horton's wrap on the side.

Enthusiasts are cruel bullies towards dive coasters. I guess we’re too cool for a 200 foot vertical drop into a wee little tunnel. But they’re absolute crowd magnets. Yukon Striker’s entire queue was filled and the line stretched back to the gift shop. I’d say Canada’s Wonderland made a good investment.

FastLane had us boarding the back row in less than 5 minutes. Like Valravn two days prior, this was the lone coaster at Canada’s Wonderland that didn’t allow choice seating. I guess it’s a dive coaster thing. But it was no bother, the drop was still incredible.

I know it’s the largest dive coaster anyway, but it feels way taller than Valravn. Maybe it’s the tunnel. Maybe it’s the fact you dwarf Wonder Mountain. Either way, that drop was pure bliss. It was long and loaded with floater the whole way down. The vests were a complete non-issue for me.

The following Immelmann was ho-hum, but the zero-G winder was incredible. One second you get nice hangtime and the next you dive towards the ground. You then haul through a forceful vertical loop and charge into another Immelmann. I never thought a dive coaster could be paced so relentlessly.

The finale lets up, but it’s still enjoyable. The drop off the MCBR has some floater air and the final bunny hill does give a hint of air. Plus that final helix is an excellent photo opportunity.

I can confidently say Yukon Striker is the best dive coaster I’ve ridden. The drop alone makes it a winner, but it does some things so uncharacteristic for a dive coaster and I love it. I’ll take the park’s other two B&Ms, but this is an excellent third option. 8.5 out of 10

As for the bin system, it’s mesmerizing. My girlfriend loved it too…until someone forgot to empty their soda. As we sat idle in the station, my girlfriend got a sugary shower as the bin passed overhead.

Look it's Ziz...err I mean Yukon Striker.

Pictures do not do this ride justice. The drop looks even more colossal in person.

Here's the obligatory dive coaster immelmann.

Canada's Wonderland needed a good coaster with inversions. And they finally have it.

Up next was Behemoth. For a few years, this was my uncontested number one coaster. It was everything I could want- tall, smooth, comfortable, and loaded with airtime. After my coaster count increased eight fold, Behemoth fell down my ranks, but it’s still one of the best B&M hypers.

The ridiculously long train gives a violent yank and some awesome air on the first drop. Every other hill offers great floater air, particularly the series of large camelbacks over the water. I did find the valleys rattled a bit, but the airtime was so good that I’m willing to look past that. 9 out of 10

Favorite coaster circa 2010-2012.

We then passed by Time Warp, Flight Deck, and Dragon Fyre. My girlfriend still has PTSD from our 2016 visit, so we made a healthy decision to bypass them en route to Leviathan. And we rode Leviathan a lot.

Flight Deck simulates Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

I find it funny how the entry into the land may still be taller than Disneyland's castle.

B&M giga drops are heavenly. I’m torn whether I’ll take those drops over the insane yonk of Iron Rattler or Expedition GeForce. Either way, we’re talking about one of the world’s best drops. You get a solid 3-4 seconds of uninterrupted airtime as you plummet towards the ground.

While most B&M hypers feel formulaic, Leviathan hauls. The first turn had me seeing grey; the speed hill is a delightful mix of airtime and laterals; and the big camelback on the outward leg has some Mako-level airtime. Even the far turnaround has some strong whip to it.

By comparison, the return leg is a bit more relaxed. You’re still moving at a solid clip, but the second speed hill is a dud and the next hill is your typical B&M camelback. After one last turn, you rocket into one of the world’s tallest brake runs, but not before one last pop of air.

I know a lot of Kings Island locals are whining about their giga. Some have even called it Leviathan 2.0. Well news flash, that isn’t a bad thing! Leviathan is a seriously awesome coaster. Yes it’s over pretty quickly, but it’s a speed demon, inherently reridable, and a capacity monster. 9.5 out of 10

Leviathan dominates the front of the park. Heck it's brake run is taller than the Arrow underneath it.

So much speed with a pinch of airtime. I love it!

What an awesome looking plaza!

In a park with all sorts of screwed up flats, it feels sacrilegious to say Drop Tower is my favorite, but Drop Tower is my favorite. I don’t care if it’s your tried and true Intamin drop tower, but they’re a rush. There’s no warning before the drop and they consistently leave my stomach at the top. 8 out of 10

It's rare to see all sides of an Intamin drop tower working so kudos to the park.

I’m also a big fan of Shockwave. The world needs more top scans. Now I know US parks won’t run these things with the bat-out-of-hell program of Oktoberfest, but this one was in Canada. And this one probably falls in between the disappointment of Lagoon’s and the crazy one in Germany.

Top scans are one of the most disorienting and forceful flats out there, particularly if you’re lucky enough to score an outside seat. After missing the ones at Knott’s and Carowinds, I was happy to get back on Shockwave. 9 out of 10

Soaring Timbers was a royal pain to ride. The first time I passed it, the ride was down. The second time, I boarded the ride and then it broke down. The third time was the charm for this one-of-a-kind flat. I got excited when the restraints actually lowered for my third ride, but boy did they suck.

The tight restraints and super narrow seats jam you in tighter than a can of sardines. You can only move the front half of your arms like a t-rex. This makes it nearly impossible to buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt unless you’re a contortionist. I didn’t think I was claustrophobic until I rode this.

The ride itself looked way better than it actually was. In many ways, it was like a next-generation Chance Inverter. You had slow inversions (albeit with good hangtime) and crappy restraints. 6 out of 10

First Shivering Timbers, then Mystic Timbers, now Soaring Timbers. What's next?

It may give an underwhelming ride, but it sure looks great.

Due to time constraints, I regrettably had to omit some of the park’s other flats like Windseeker, Skyhawk, and Sledge Hammer. The latter was particularly hard to skip. While I’ve had amazing luck with the ride on my visits, it sounds like the ride only runs once in a blue moon.

Both these flats should give fantastic views of Yukon Striker.

Still one of a kind.

I only visited Canada’s Wonderland after Behemoth was added, but it must have been dark days back when Vortex was the park’s star coaster. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Vortex. It’s arguably the best suspended, but it’s scary that it was the best ride at a major park.

Vortex’s strength is how well it sustains its speed. This leads to swinging that gets wilder as the ride progresses. And now, the added interaction with Yukon Striker is just gravy. I just hope Vortex doesn’t go the way of the dinosaurs like many suspended coasters have. 7 out of 10

If I waited long enough I'm sure I could have gotten a shot of Yukon Striker coming by, but I had coasters to ride.

My girlfriend was starving, so she decided to queue up for a beaver tail. Meanwhile, she encouraged me to ride Wilde Beast and Mighty Canadian Minebuster. She would love nothing more than to see both rides burn to the ground, but I find them ok…if you ride in the very front.

Remember how I said the park was crowded? There was no better proof than the lines for Wilde Beast and Mighty Canadian Minebuster. Both coasters are considered garbage by most. But on this day, both coasters had full queues spilling onto the midway.

Of the two, I prefer Wilde Beast since the airtime is a bit better. But both coasters get quite bumpy any time they try changing direction. As is, they’re ridable in the front row. Long term, I’d love to see these sacrificed to Alan Schilke. 5 out of 10

Good god, even Wilde Beast had a full queue.

I returned to the beaver tails stand expecting my girlfriend to be enjoying her sweet, Canadian treat. Keep in mind, I just rode two coasters on opposite sides of the park. Admittedly I had Fast Lane, but this still took at least a half hour. But she was only through half the queue!

Scary thing is that this wasn’t even the longest wait of the day for food, but more on that in the next installment…

We then made an executive decision to get some last rerides on Leviathan and head back towards Niagara. I personally have no problem with the food offerings at Wonderland, but the queue for beaver tails was the norm, not the exception.

Ultimately I really like Canada’s Wonderland. The park has an excellent top three coasters, arguably the best flat ride collection in North America, and like all Cedar Fair parks, it’s clean and well-run. I’ll just try to visit on a day when the park isn’t as slammed next time.

I can't decide if I prefer the Eiffel Tower or Wonder Mountain at the end of the midway.

I haven't been to any Canadian parks, but I've always wanted to check out Canada's Wonderland. Yukon Striker looks a bit better than Valravn.

^ I strongly recommend it. It's one of the nicer Cedar Fair parks.

Yukon Striker was quite a bit better than Valravn. The drop presentation is way better, the ride holds its speed better, and the vests seemed a bit looser than Valravn to allow for more airtime.

Haha this would have made perfect reading last night before my trip to the park today. This park must have been hell before the B&M trio showed up. They have 4 great coasters and 13 that are either mediocre or the worst of the worst. I could really see this place benefitting from a launch coaster whenever they get their next major design!

Sounds like you had a fun Wonderland visit!

A bit confused about your Yukon comment of not being able to choose a row... the fast lane line merges at the bottom of the steps where you have the "front row" staircase if you veer to the right, and "rows 2&3" staircase if you walk straight ahead. Or did this get changed?

Also, the line for Guardian at the beginning of the day is hard to judge because often times they don't open up the inside part of the queue switchbacks until a little later on. If the switchback is open with people filling the line, and the line is spilling out of the entrance, it's about 60 min. But, if the inside switchbacks aren't open with people in them, your wait is around 30 min. Even with the line spewing all the way out to the lockers, like it usually was the opening few seasons, the line was never more than 70-75 min provided there were no breakdowns. Just for future reference that was my experience with the line. It's super slow moving but the physical length of the queue is relatively short.

Finally got to read through more of your reports. lol at the blue streak at Conneaut and being pushed out of the station. I've never been, but I'd love to take my wife there just to see her reactions as she has typically only been to the "big parks".

Love reading these.

Haha this would have made perfect reading last night before my trip to the park today. This park must have been hell before the B&M trio showed up. They have 4 great coasters and 13 that are either mediocre or the worst of the worst. I could really see this place benefitting from a launch coaster whenever they get their next major design!

Thanks! I think their flat ride collection probably helped compensate for their shortcomings in the coaster department, but I'm glad Cedar Fair invested in the park. With their attendance, the big B&Ms were absolutely warranted and gave them the signature rides that they needed.

Sounds like you had a fun Wonderland visit!

 

A bit confused about your Yukon comment of not being able to choose a row... the fast lane line merges at the bottom of the steps where you have the "front row" staircase if you veer to the right, and "rows 2&3" staircase if you walk straight ahead. Or did this get changed?

 

Also, the line for Guardian at the beginning of the day is hard to judge because often times they don't open up the inside part of the queue switchbacks until a little later on. If the switchback is open with people filling the line, and the line is spilling out of the entrance, it's about 60 min. But, if the inside switchbacks aren't open with people in them, your wait is around 30 min. Even with the line spewing all the way out to the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo, like it usually was the opening few seasons, the line was never more than 70-75 min provided there were no breakdowns. Just for future reference that was my experience with the line. It's super slow moving but the physical length of the queue is relatively short.

 

Finally got to read through more of your reports. lol at the blue streak at Conneaut and being pushed out of the station. I've never been, but I'd love to take my wife there just to see her reactions as she has typically only been to the "big parks".

 

Love reading these.

Thanks! The queue was split into a row 1 and a row 2+3 staircase, but the grouper wasn't taking requests for us to wait in the row 1 staircase. It was a bummer since I would have loved to gotten at least one ride up front, but at least I got the end a few times.

I was wondering if the switchbacks may not have been full on Guardian, but I couldn't see a way to tell with how that queue line is configured.

Conneaut was definitely a funny experience.

Niagara Falls

Being a roller coaster enthusiast is a great excuse to travel. While the focus of my trips is often theme parks, I also like to take in some culture. I know this comes at the expense of a few extra SBF spinners and wacky worms, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

I’m sure some on this site have only seen Niagara Falls from atop Marineland’s drop tower. My condolences if that’s the case because that means you went to Marineland. And I’m sure others have sped on over the Rainbow Bridge en route to Canada’s Wonderland. But I personally could not visit Ontario without stopping at Niagara Falls.

Everyone recommends that you do either the Maid of the Mist or the Hornblower boat cruise. For us, the decision was simple- Hornblower. We wanted every excuse possible not to go on the US side.

Even though we’ve been to Niagara a few times, we embarrassingly have never done one of these boat cruises. The experience began with a steep (and apparently brand new) inclined railway that offered some of the best shots of both the American and Horseshoe Falls together. What a great start!

On the Canadian side, you get this awesome railway down to the boats.

Meanwhile on the American side...

Then came the boat cruise. The falls are impressive from the bridge, but they’re downright awe-inspiring from sea level. The sheer scale and volume of Niagara Falls needs to be seen to be appreciated. The light and constant roar of the water is both peaceful and intimidating.

The Hornblower is 100% worth it for the views.

I'd say we got a bit wet.

We also saw the falls from above as well. I know a lot of people enjoy the Niagara Skywheel, especially since it’s included in a lot of packages. But the far superior option is the Skylon Tower. It’s taller, closer to the falls, and there is no time restriction.

The Skylon Tower is an awesome place to see the fireworks.

We also visited on a weekend with fireworks. While most crowded the streets, we figured they’d be extra special from atop the Skylon Tower. And unfortunately we weren’t the only ones with that idea. We cut it dang close, but we made it to the top just in time.

The views were spectacular. The fireworks display was only 5 minutes in length, but it was magical seeing them shot over the falls. Now the fireworks themselves were in no way comparable to those of Disney, but the overall setting sure was. The falls served as quite the backdrop.

Now for the bad. People suck. There was the usual pushing and shoving, but we witnessed several people freaking scale the cage enclosure like monkeys. I wish I was making the last part up, but people actually did this so we got an unobstructed view of some dude’s plumber’s crack.

The Skylon Tower gave awesome views of the fireworks!

That is until a bunch of morons decided to climb up the cage and hang from the ceiling like monkeys.

Once the fireworks ended, it was a free-for-all for the elevator. Emily and I instead took our sweet time admiring the views. The Canadian side was bustling with energy, but the US side was depressing. I really think Canada should trade Marineland for Fantasy Island. The US side deserves Marineland.

American Falls with the US colors.

"Look Simba, everything the light touches is ours."

"But what about that shadowy place?"

"That's Marineland. You must never go there Simba."

But we almost missed the fireworks entirely.

You see, over the past year coasterbill and I would always seem to miss each other in our park travels. And we just missed each other again at Canada’s Wonderland. But fittingly I ran into Bill at a brewery with a flight of beers in front of him.

When we realized we were both in town, we decided to meet up at the Niagara Brewing Co. Or as Bill described, the place with “some shitty kids flat ride on the roof for no apparent reason.” I knew exactly where that was as I’ve long mocked that perpetually closed Pink Panther Balloon Ride.

Emily and I both enjoyed meeting Bill and Brit. We did not enjoy the venue though. To say the service was bad was an understatement. After a half hour, the waitress finally came by. We said we’d start with water, and we got those waters, but the waitress never returned.

We learned the next day we inadvertently crossed a picket line as the employees of the brewery (as well as a few other places) were on strike. Whoops! Maybe that’s why the service was so poor, but I don’t think we’ll be going back.

Of course I'd find coasterbill at the bar.

Unfortunately we accidentally crossed a picket line. To our defense, these guys weren't there the night before.

We had far better experiences at Antica and Smoke’s Poutinerie. Antica was a delicious wood-fired pizza place. And then Smoke’s is the only place I’ll order poutine. I’m not usually the biggest fan of poutine, but if you mix in chicken and bacon, I’m sold.

A+ pizza

I don't usually like poutine, but I do when you throw in chicken, bacon, and all sorts of other stuff.

Lol

Anyone who has been to Niagara Falls knows it’s a glorious tourist trap lined with haunted houses, arcades, chain restaurants, etc. So like any good tourist, we spent some time there.

Bill and Brit invited us out to Margaritaville, but we know better than to drink and drive. New for this visit was the Niagara Speedway. Over the past year or so, I’ve had several people share this attraction on my Facebook wall. I’m not sure why a go kart track similar to the ones at Fun Spot came across the news feed of Bostonians, but that’s exactly what happened.

The track itself looked like a Fun Spot course. You had multiple levels, helices, and drops more fit for a roller coaster. But I can tell Niagara Speedway has different lawyers than Fun Spot. The cars were noticeably slower and they required everyone to wear a helmet.

If you’ve never done a multilevel go kart track, I’d say go for it. But the ones at Fun Spot or Pigeon Forge are cheaper and more out-of-control.

This was like a Fun Spot course, except they made you wear helmets and the cars went at a more reasonable speed.

Last time we went to the Louis Tussaud wax museum, so this time we decided to take a chance on the Movieland Wax Museum. Objectively, Tussaud’s was better. All of the wax figures there were extremely well done and lifelike. The ones at Movieland were a mixed bag.

Some were incredible. The ones for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and the Rock in particular were top-notch. Others like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were bad. But they were so bad that they were enjoyable.

Some figures looked great!

Others weren't so great.

I was not pleased to meet Darth Jar Jar.

Michael Jackson is going to give kids nightmares.

Anytime Canada’s Wonderland adds a big new coaster, you can bet I’ll be crossing the Rainbow Bridge and along the way, I’m definitely spending a day in Niagara Falls.

Great report!

Nice finally meeting you guys. Next time you can pick the restaurant.

Thanks! Macho Nacho?

I'd rather starve.