Canada's Wonderland - July 16th, 2026

 This visit marked my fifth visit of the season to Canada's Wonderland!

It was quite smokey due to the wildfires happening in Northern Ontario, but not nearly as bad as the day before! The lines were quite short today due to the smokey air, allowing me to get on quite a few rides during our visit!

During this visit my mom, Scott, and I got a chance to check out the new show The King's Banquet in the Canterbury Theatre and saw the final touches being made on The DareDeviler in preparation for hopefully an upcoming reopening.

Be sure to check out the photos from today's visit! 🙂

The flowers before the security checkpoint were looking very beautiful on this mid-July morning.

If you look closely, you can see a little bit of blue skies behind the smoke, which is much better than the yellow haze that was in the skies due to forest fires in Northern Ontario yesterday! Due to an expected lower than usual attendance, only four lanes at the front gate were open.

The skies were quite smokey! AlpenFury almost blends in!

Our first ride of the day was a front row seat on AlpenFury during the early ride time before the rest of the park opened for the day!

Up next was a ride on the classic Thunder Run. I am still a bit disappointed that the lights at the end still aren't working.

With the rest of the park now open, Scott and I took a ride on Vortex!

We then took a ride on The Fly as the line was very short!

After getting on some rides rides in AlpenFest, we ventured down to Action Zone where Sledge Hammer has recently reopened!

On our way over to Sledge Hammer, I noticed that the former Chicken Shack was being re-painted to match the rest of Grande World Expo of 1890 and that of the recently transformed The DareDeviler! By the late-afternoon, the entire roof was repainted.

The aqua green looks good! Hopefully those metal industrial looking columns get replaced!

It was nice to see an old friend up and running again! Sledge Hammer actually gave a rather smooth ride! Hopefully the recent work keeps it running well. The only down side is two gondolas are currently closed. But I don't think that will be for long!

After a fun ride on Sledge Hammer, we took a ride on Btreehmoth... err... Behemoth! We could really feel the smoke while riding it! The smoke in the air was very reminiscent of the summer of 2023!

While leaving Behemoth, we noticed these geese were turned around from the Fast Lane/Single Rider lines. I guess they were too short to ride! They kept chattering up at the track with their disapproval! 🤣

We then had an amazing ride on Mighty Canadian Minebuster. You can see how ghostly Behemoth looks in the background due to the wildfire smoke!

I then hopped on Yukon Striker as it was a walk-on before 11am!

Shortly after 11am, Scott and I took a two lap ride on White Water Canyon! On a side note, the park now includes a closing time of 9pm (which was always the case, although never posted) on the entrance sign for White Water Canyon.

After two laps on White Water Canyon, we went to the Lazy Bear Lodge for lunch. Today I ordered chicken drumsticks with a side of vegetable rice. Both were very tasty!

Afterwards, we swung back around to the Grande World Expo of 1890 to see how the transformation of The DareDeviler was coming along! The entrance sign was up, the biplane was in place, and the modifications of the supports were painted.

Here's a look at the biplane that sits were the fighter jet once was located for the past 30 years!

Here's a closer look at the sign! I think it looks great!

Scott and I then took a ride on Swing of the Century. The new double seats are still quite popular, even on quieter days at the park!

All three of us then took a ride on the Antique Carousel!

I feel like I've mentioned this before, but the floors on the Antique Carousel for the past few years have been quite dirty! Hopefully they get cleaned as the Antique Carousel is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2028!

As the lines were short, Scott and I took another ride on Sledge Hammer!

I then took a ride on Tundra Twister!

On our way over to Medieval Faire, I took a ride on Shockwave. Today it was sadly running a milder program.

The winds dropped enough for Drop Tower to open! Scott and I dropped in for a 227 foot freefall!

Up next was a ride on Leviathan as it only had a 5 minute wait!

We then rode Dragon Fyre before catching a show at the Canterbury Theatre!

New for 2026 at the Canterbury Theatre is the hilarious acrobatic show, The King's Banquet!

The show is filled with many humorous moments accompanied with many acrobatic stunts!

Balancing on a pile of chairs in quite the talent! This jester went even higher than pictured here!

There was a unicycle too!

A fire and sword swallower was also a part of the performance!

A performer even swung and spun from a chandelier. it was quite amazing (and dizzying) to watch!

It was amazing watching the performers do various acrobatic stunts during the show as you follow the humorous death and return of the King!

Overall, The King's Banquet was a great show filled with many acrobatics and humour! It is nice to see a new show themed to Medieval Faire take the stage at Canterbury Theatre! I highly recommend anyone visiting Canada's Wonderland this summer to get out of the heat to see The King's Banquet!

After leaving the Canterbury Theatre, we saw Snoopy dressed up as Santa!

He was in the Christmas in July pop-up store in the former Castle Trader store in Medieval Faire.

With my $10 Rewards Dollars, I was able to buy Scott and I broken cookie sundaes from the Cookie Cafe for only $3.04 (they are normally $6.79 each)!

The floral baskets in Grande World Expo were quite stunning and flourishing in the heat!

Scott and I then took a ride on Klockwerks as the line was a single cycle wait.

Our final ride of the day was on Krachenwagen! This was quite hilarious as the ride operator was looking to fill a single car, so to get on faster, we took up on the offer and squeezed into the single bumper car! It was quite the ride and something most adults cannot do!🤣

Our final meal of the day before heading out was a poutine from Après Poutinerie. The gravy and fries were hot, but the cheese curds were cold as they had just come out of the refrigerator.

After another great 8 hour visit to Canada's Wonderland, it was time to head home as the smoke was becoming a bit too much!

On our way out, The DareDeviler was testing once again, something I hadn't seen personally in probably over a month! Hopefully it reopens by our next visit! Until next time! 🙂

Six Flags Darien Lake - July 9th, 2026

 From July 5th to 9th, my mom and I took a road trip to Dorney Park, Knoebels, and Six Flags Darien Lake! We had an amazing time revisiting these amusement parks! Luckily the weather was great and the crowds were light!

Six Flags Darien Lake - July 9th:

On our way home during our road trip, we stopped at Six Flags Darien Lake for six hours of fun! I always enjoy making an annual visit to Six Flags Darien Lake as it is only 2 and a half hours from home! During this visit, I was able to get on many rides and re-ride some of the park's coasters in the six hours as it was a very hot day! Luckily there was a breeze which helped us stay cooler.

Sadly the Viper was still undergoing repair work on the batwing/boomerang inversion, so hopefully it is back up and running before the season is over (Viper reopened on July 11th, 2026) as it is a very fun Arrow looping coaster! Also during our visit, I looked at some of the infrastructure improvements made around the park since our previous visit in June 2025.

Be sure to enjoy the photos of our day at Six Flags Darien Lake! 🙂

After a 3 and a half hour drive from Danville, PA, we made it to our last park of the trip, Six Flags Darien Lake just around 11:30am!

Here's a look at the park map.

The park was still decorated for America's 250th!

There were some neat little decorations for the 4th of July along the main path!

The main fountain received a facelift for the 2026 season.

The new path, flower beds and central fountain look great! Small improvements like this are much appreciated!

The old retaining wall by the Predator was also replaced with new stone work!

As we arrived just after 11:30am, the 11am opening rush had dissipated, allowing for a short wait for the back row on the Ride of Steel.

Making the Ride of Steel my first ride of the day is a great way to kick off a visit to Six Flags Darien Lake!

I always enjoy the airtime on the Ride of Steel!

Ride of Steel is always great fun! To my surprise, I rode with a gentleman in the back row who gave me one of his Prestige Pass single use Fast Lane passes after the ride! I later discovered that we follow each other on Twitter/X! Such a small world! 😊

While waiting for the Ride of Steel, The Predator began testing before opening for the day.

Ride of Steel received a new train this year, providing a smoother riding experience! Also to note, new brakes were added on the final brake run, so hopefully this leads to the return of two train operations on this great coaster as they did receive the trains from Superman Ride of Steel at the now closed Six Flags America during the off-season! 🤞

More new rockwork was done along the flowerbeds leading to the Boomerang.

Also to note, the old trees near the Boomerang were removed and new ones were planted. The Boomerang had no line, so I took a ride on it!

A new change this year is there are no longer security checkpoints for campers and hotel guests along the path by the Boomerang. They now enter and exit near the Moto Coaster at Darien Square. I do not know if this gate remains closed for the Laser Light show. I do wish though that the path looped around again as it is a long way around to the Moto Coaster and Six Flags SkyScreamer.

For lunch I used my dining plan at the Anchor Bar. I ordered mild wings with a side of fries. It was all quite tasty and the fries were crispy!

After lunch, I went skyward on Blast Off!

We then walked over to Shipwreck Falls. On our way over, I took a photo of the Haymaker. It doesn't look like it has operated at all this year, which is kind of unfortunate as I do enjoy this classic ride. If it does get removed, hopefully it gets replaced by something new as Six Flags Darien Lake desperately needs new flat rides!

As it was very warm outside, I took a ride on Shipwreck Falls to cool off!

It provides a refreshing ride! To my surprise, it is still operating with two boats like it was last year!

As lines were very short, I took a ride on Tantrum! I always enjoy taking a ride on this compact thrilling coaster!

Up next was the Mind Eraser. The new trains added to this coaster last year were amazing, so I was excited to ride it again this year!

I always enjoy taking photos of the Mind Eraser from the queue and exit paths below!

I cannot wait for The DareDeviler (formerly Flight Deck) to reopen as it will operate with new Vekoma trains from the Vekoma SLC from the now defunct Six Flags America!

The pond in front of the Mind Eraser was quite scummy due to the heat.

After a ride on the Mind Eraser, I took a spin on the Sleighride.

Earlier this year, the old ladder climb game structure was removed, allowing guests to see the Mind Eraser better.

I then rode the Hornet's Nest! It sure was swinging high on this windy day!

While the Viper was closed due to much needed repairs, the perimeter fence was being repainted! It looked very nice!

It is a shame that the Viper was closed, but the repairs are much needed!

Here's a look at the repair work taking place on the batwing/boomerang element. Given the age of Viper, I am not surprised that it is having some structural issues at that point.

It is good to see the park is continuously working on Viper.

Across from Viper are some nice annual flowers.

Here's another look at the repair work being done on Viper.

The Six Flags SkyScreamer was flying high! I would take a thrilling ride on it!

Another newish thing at Six Flags Darien Lake is park guests can once again enjoy a meal at Beaver Brothers Lakeside Cafe for dinner from Wednesday through Sunday from 4-9pm. This is a step in the right direction and something in-park guests couldn't experience since prior to the pandemic if I am not mistaken!

Also new in 2026 is a new perimeter fence around the Tin Lizzy's, replacing the rotting wooden fence.

The new fence looks really good!

Here we are on the Tin Lizzy's!

It also appears that the MotoCoaster received a entrance new sign this year, too!

The MotoCoaster is always so much fun to ride with its flywheel launch and compact layout!

Here's a view of the Tin Lizzy's from the covered bridge.

Here's a look across Fun Lake from the path behind Tin Lizzy's.

After a high speed ride on MotoCoaster, I took a ride on the Bear Valley Bumper Buggys.

My mom and I then took a ride on the Grand Carousel.

Here we are before the ride began!

I then took a ride on The Predator as the line was very short!

Over the past five off-seasons, The Predator has received sections of steel Titan Track manufactured by GCI.

Every year, The Predator keeps getting better with sections of the layout receiving Titan Track! Here's hoping the last stretch of the layout receives the new track!

I can confidentially say that The Predator is now a "hands up" ride until you get to the turn around after the last airtime hill! The turn around leading to the brakes reminds you of its former self! I cannot wait to see the remaining track get replaced as it is now an amazing coaster!

This sign over by the Boardwalk next to Lasso looks to be new!

Speaking of Lasso, I took a ride on this classic Wave Swinger.

I don't remember seeing this last year, but it looks like the Lasso received a new center panel. Hopefully the ride continues to receive a refresh as the new panel looks nice!

As there was no line for the Boomerang, I took another ride on it, this time sitting near the front!

I then took a ride on the Pirate! It still has a nice pop of airtime!

I then took a ride on the Corn Popper. It is nice to see this Huss Swing Around still operating. I do hope it receives a refurbishment as it is looking a little rough.

My mom and I enjoyed some nachos from the Shipwreck Falls Treats booth.

In the late-afternoon, dark clouds started to roll in, making me worried that it would storm before I got another ride on the Ride of Steel.

Thankfully I had the single use Fast Lane pass given to me after my morning ride on the Ride of Steel, so I was able to skip a 4 train wait!

Luckily the dark clouds passed, causing it not to rain during our visit!

Before heading out for the day, I took another ride on The Predator! I look forward to riding it again with (hopefully) the last bit of Titan Track being added next year!

Here is my mom and I posing in front of the refurbished fountain in front of The Emporium before leaving! We had a great day at Six Flags Darien Lake. We then drove home to finish our road trip! Until next time! 🙂