Canadian National Exhibition - August 23rd, 2022

 On Tuesday, August 23rd I went to Toronto to visit the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)! This was the first one held since 2019 due to the pandemic, which caused the event to be cancelled the past two years.

While at the CNE, I took in many rides and even went on a historical walking tour that tells you about the history on the buildings on the exhibition grounds. 

Unfortunately the midway was a bit smaller than it was in 2019 as some of the regular rides weren't there, but I still had a great time regardless! After 4pm, the grounds had gotten busy, so I took in many sights and sounds of the busy midway, catching rides here and there.

Be sure to enjoy some of the many photos I had captured during my day at the CNE. :-)

After a GO Train ride from the Oakville station, it was good to be back at the CNE after a two year hiatus!

I arrived at the CNE shortly before 10am, so the rides weren't quite ready yet. They would open at 11am.

The Skyride was the first to open for the day, just before 11am.

After redeeming my all-day ride wristband, I took a ride on the Skyride to get a good view of the midway supplied by North American Midway Entertainment.

A line was beginning to form for the ever popular Polar Express.

The Crazy Mouse and Mach 3 were located in a completely different position, usually where the Blitzer roller coaster operates, which was not present this year.

The Giant Wheel looked bright under the late-morning sun.

It was odd not seeing the Euroslide or the Wave Swinger which are usually beside the Niagara Falls log flume. Hopefully both rides make a return next year.

The new-for-2019 Star Dancer had returned this year. It provided a fun and thrilling ride like it had three years ago!

The Niagara Falls log flume was testing as I rode by on the Skyride.

After getting off the Skyride, I immediately went to the Polar Express.

It was great to experience this classic high-speed ride again! Mack Musik Express rides are always a blast!

After taking a spin on the Polar Express, I went head over heels on the Star Dancer, and then joined the growing line for the Crazy Mouse.

While waiting to board the Crazy Mouse, I captured this photo of the Giant Wheel.

It is hard to believe that the Crazy Mouse is 16 years old now! I recall when it was new at the CNE back in 2006! It is still very fun with a lot of spinning! The Tilt-A-Whirl located next to the Crazy Mouse also provided a lot of spinning too!

The Niagara Falls log flume provided a refreshing ride.

Throughout the day I took a total of three rides on the Skyride. In the past I used to be terrified of it, but after not riding it for nearly three years, I now enjoy it.

While on the Skyride, you pass by the BMO Field. The Skyride goes about 35 feet above the ground. The BMO Field always makes it seem much higher.

The midway got busier throughout the afternoon.

The midway has something for everyone to enjoy.

The Swing Tower provides quite a view as it spins high above the ground!

The Giant Wheel is quite iconic.

The Mega Drop was about to drop thrill-seekers when this photo was taken! I did "drop in" for a ride on it later in the day.

Here I am during my second ride of the day on the Skyride.

I didn't manage to get a ride on Orbiter this year as the line was quite long.

The Mega Drop takes passengers up the 131 foot tall tower, only to freefall downwards in a few short seconds! 

It was interesting seeing the Pharaoh's Fury in the corner on the midway where the Euro Slide and the Wave Swinger usually operate. Behind the Pharaoh's Fury was the Century Wheel all packed up, but powered on. It usually operates in the Kiddie Midway, but not this year.

The fun Alpine Bobs had also made an appearance at the CNE, like it has many times over the past years.

The fun Alpine Bobs had also made an appearance at the CNE, like it has many times over the past years.

It was a bit breezy throughout the afternoon, but not enough to close the Swing Tower.

It was a lovely afternoon to take in some classic fair rides!

The Haunted Mansion was the same as usual with its props turning on late or them not working at all. haha

Around 2pm I decided to get in line for the Giant Wheel to take in the views that it offers.

With the Crazy Mouse being the only roller coaster on the main midway, it had quite the crowd all day long. Hopefully the Blitzer makes a return next year to lessen the wait time for the Crazy Mouse.

Looking down Ferris Wheels is always quite interesting.

From the Giant Wheel you can get a great view of the CN Tower.

The Polar Express is a must ride when visiting the CNE.

At 3pm I went on the CNE Heritage Walking Tour. It looked at various buildings on the ground, providing history of the buildings.

The Princes' Gates have been an iconic fixture on the Exhibition Place grounds since 1927.

The Administration building is a historical building on the Exhibition grounds that has been home to the CNE offices for quite a few years now.

The Kiddie Midway was home to two new rides this year, one of which was the Raptor Run.

The other is the Double Deck Carousel.

Of all the funhouses at the 2022 CNE, the Wacky Shack located in the Kiddie Midway was by far the best with all of its features working.

My third and final ride on the Skyride for the day was a nice one as the breeze had gone down a bit.

Cliffhanger rises above some of the games on the midway.

I always love watching the expressions on peoples' faces as they ride the Mega Drop.

The Pharaoh's Fury was swinging high into the air throughout the day.

From the Skyride, you can catch a glimpse of a high speed ride on the Polar Express.

The after work crowds sure made the midway a busy place!

In the late afternoon and early evening the midway games became a popular choice for visitors to the CNE.

As always, there are a lot of games to choose from!

Ring Toss is one of the most popular games on the midway!

In a way it is good to see a crowd on the midway at the CNE after two years of there not being a CNE.

From the Mardi Gras fun house you can get a great view of the Ring of Fire ride.

The long lines for many of the rides were making it hard to navigate the grounds in the evening.

My final ride of the day was on the Polar Express. While waiting in line, the ride before me was coming to an end and the ride operator said "If you want to go faster, you'll need to get in line again!". I think the people on the ride were a bit disappointed. lol

The Polar Express is a ride of high speeds that brings a smile to many riders' faces!

The hangtime on the Star Dancer can be quite disorientating!

The line for the Niagara Falls log flume was quite long, stretching down the midway.

As you can see, the Skyride is a very popular choice for visitors of the CNE.

The Swing Tower really stands out as the sun begins to lower.

After a great day at the CNE, it was time to head home! It was great being back after it not happening over the past two years! 

Thanks for looking at my photos of another year at the CNE!  :-)

Canada's Wonderland - August 9th, 2022

For my sixth visit of the season to Canada's Wonderland, I had gone by myself. With it almost being the middle of August, the park was quite busy, even for a Tuesday! Luckily the weather was significantly cooler and a bit damp in the morning, making the experience tolerable, compared to the recent heat and humidity.

Despite it being very busy, I still managed to get on quite a few rides and had a great time! :-)

It was a bit misty when I had arrived at the park around 9:30am.

The Royal Fountain on International Street were shooting high into the air as I walked through the front gate.

Before the rides opened, I had briefly chatted with Grace Peacock, the Director of Communications at Canada's Wonderland as I hadn't seen her in a while. She has been very busy lately working on the upcoming announcements for the 2023 season! Grace does a wonderful job all around communicating things at the park and is always a pleasure to talk to! :-)

After a few rides, I joined the line for Leviathan. While in line, I had captured this tricky shot of Dragon Fyre with one of the trains going through a loop!

Sledge Hammer was operating quite well once again during this visit.

I decided to take a ride on Flight Deck during this visit. Since the park was busy, the line for it was the longest I had seen it in a very long time. Surprisingly it gave a decent ride, which is a rarity!

The flowers around the park were looking quite nice after the rain showers we've had recently after a long dry spell.

I had not rode Soaring Timbers yet this year, so I did so today. The downside to this ride since its installation at the park in 2017 is its long loading times. I wish there was a way they could make the loading process more efficient.

In the afternoon I caught the Fall Out dive show at Arthur's Baye in Medieval Faire.

It is a bit different than the dive shows featured over the past few years. This year's show features a "competition" between two teams of divers.

The show featured a lot of acrobatics and diving.

The show ended with a final dive into Arthur's Baye from the highest point!

The Lazy Bear Lodge dining facility is looking closer to being completed.

It'll be nice to have all that walkway back again as there has been a narrow pathway by International Showplace this season due to the construction of Lazy Bear Lodge.

It is really looking great! I can't wait to see it completed!

After another great day, I headed out shortly before 5pm! Thanks for looking at my photos of my recent visit to Canada's Wonderland! :-)