Canadian National Exhibition- August 20th, 2018

It is late August again, which means the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE, also referred to as The Ex) in Toronto is in full-swing. This 18 day exhibition is home to many performances, exhibits, food, and of course, midway rides.

This year marks my 12th year visiting The Ex, along with my brother Scott, and our Mom. It is an annual tradition that we enjoy checking out. Below are photos of our day at The Ex. It was filled with fun and excitement! Be sure to take a look! 

After arriving at the Exhibition grounds, shortly before 9:30am, we had to wait for the buildings to open at 10am. Once the buildings opened around 10am, we entered into the Enercare Centre (formerly Direct Energy Centre) to check out some vendors and exhibits such as the very creative sand sculptures.

Here is a look at the giant Gondola Wheel approximately 20 minutes before the rides opened for the day. Of note, the Gondola Wheel had new firework designs on the gondolas. Before this year, they were painted yellow, green, red, and blue. 

Here is a look at the Sky Ride and the CN Tower looming in the background. It sure was hazy on the day of our visit!

After the rides had opened at 11am, we began with the Tilt-A-Whirl, then went on the Blitzer, then going on some other rides in-between, and then ending up on the Gondola Wheel for some nice views of the midway.

There was quite the collection of rides this year, including my favourites such as the Tilt-A-Whirl, Niagara Falls Log Flume, Scrambler, and Swing Tower just to name a few.

Here is a view of the Crazy Mouse, Zipper, and Mega Drop as seen from the Gondola Wheel.

Speaking of the Zipper, it made its return to The Ex after being absent last year. During last year, the Zipper, owned by North American Midway Entertainment went back to the manufacturer, Chance Rides to be completely refurbished.

Here is Scott and I on the Gondola Wheel at The Ex. Please excuse Scott's closed eyes. ;-)

With the refurbishment of the Zipper, it received all-new gondolas that are fitted with shoulder restraints, making the ride more enjoyable. Previously, the Zipper was manufactured with a lap bar restraint that was connected to the door. With the addition of shoulder restraints, I decided to take a ride as I had not been on a Zipper in ages! 

I will admit I was quite impressed with the ride that the Zipper provided. It was sort of intense, but fun and comfortable at the same time. The restraints were definitely an improvement! Way to go, Chance Rides!

Here is a view of the newly refurbished Zipper in operation. It had vibrant orange and green cars with the iconic Zipper "Z" logo detailed on them.

Here is one of the many other rides that sent me head-over-heels during my visit to the Ex. The Mach 3, manufactured by KMG of the Netherlands stands nearly 120 feet tall and features two four-passenger gondolas on each end of the giant boom that rotates like a turbine. The Mach 3 has been coming to the Ex since 2012, but due to usually long lines, I never got on it in previous years. But, that all changed this year. While not the most intense ride I have ever been on, it sure was fun moving at high speeds upside down, towards the ground. :-)

After getting on more classics such as the Polar Express, Mega Drop, Scrambler, and more, Scott and I decided to take another ride on the Gondola Wheel. Here is a hazy look at the Zipper through the Gondola Wheel's support structure and the Crazy Mouse.

Our final ride for the day was another spin on the Niagara Falls Log Flume before heading out for the day. It sure was a another fun time at The Ex due to low crowd levels associated with weekday visits. Thanks for reading! :-)