Canada's Wonderland Discussion Thread

I don't think I've ever seen a thread this amazingly dead in the months leading up to a new 200+ foot coaster opening. Why isn't there more enthusiast hype for this ride? It looks great.

This is one of those rare occasions where for some [whatever] reason, I just really don’t care about this ride. I’m sure it’ll be great fun, but I really just can’t get excited about it.

I’m also pretty tired of seeing vest restraints on dive coasters. I’m am enthusiast who actually prefers vest restraints on positive-g focused rides (no complaints about discomfort) but I feel that vest restraints take away from the thrill factor of the first drop - which is the highlight of these coasters, IMO.

Thankfully, there is still a whole lot of developments at other parks for me to be excited about this year.

I don't think I've ever seen a thread this amazingly dead in the months leading up to a new 200+ foot coaster opening. Why isn't there more enthusiast hype for this ride? It looks great.

There's all kinds of hype and excitement for it elsewhere. It's something that non-enthusiasts in tbe area are actually talking about too.

This thread is sporadic at the best of times.

This is one of those rare occasions where for some [whatever] reason, I just really don’t care about this ride. I’m sure it’ll be great fun, but I really just can’t get excited about it.

 

I’m also pretty tired of seeing vest restraints on dive coasters. I’m am enthusiast who actually prefers vest restraints on positive-g focused rides (no complaints about discomfort) but I feel that vest restraints take away from the thrill factor of the first drop - which is the highlight of these coasters, IMO.

 

Thankfully, there is still a whole lot of developments at other parks for me to be excited about this year.

This literally sums up how I feel about this coaster.

I’m not overly impressed by the addition of it. I’m not saying it’s going to be a bad ride. Hell, I’m sure I’ll even enjoy... but I’m not like “OMG!!! I’m so glad they are building this!!”

I’m so sick of vest restraints. Being 6’4” the vest restraints really dig into my collarbone and make the ride VERY uncomfortable... and the vest restraints REALLY kill the sensation of the first drop on a Dive Coaster.

But yes, there are tons of other coasters to be excited for!!!

All in all.... I’m not like “OMG!!! Must go ride Yukon Striker tomorrow!!” It’s more along the lines of “Ehhh... if we have the chance to visit the park I’d like to ride it... but it’s not worth going out of the way for.”

Eh, I'm actually pretty excited about this. Only dive coaster I've been on is Valravn, and only in the last 3 years have my girlfriend and I been venturing outside of Cedar Point for our yearly coaster vacation. We actually decided to choose between Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds this year (we went to KD before CP last year) and decided on CW, mainly because of the 1-2 punch of Leviathan and Yukon Striker. Drops are my favorite element on coasters, and i'm pretty sure I rate Valravn much higher than most enthusiasts. So yeah, I'm pumped, and it's basically the reason we are driving from Pittsburgh to Canada this year.

Eh, I'm actually pretty excited about this. Only dive coaster I've been on is Valravn, and only in the last 3 years have my girlfriend and I been venturing outside of Cedar Point for our yearly coaster vacation. We actually decided to choose between Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds this year (we went to KD before CP last year) and decided on CW, mainly because of the 1-2 punch of Leviathan and Yukon Striker. Drops are my favorite element on coasters, and i'm pretty sure I rate Valravn much higher than most enthusiasts. So yeah, I'm pumped, and it's basically the reason we are driving from Pittsburgh to Canada this year.

If you have been on Valravn, then you have already been on Yukon Striker. Exactly the same coaster, just a bit higher drop and a small difference in layout. Basically sister coasters, IMO.

I don't think I've ever seen a thread this amazingly dead in the months leading up to a new 200+ foot coaster opening. Why isn't there more enthusiast hype for this ride? It looks great.

 

There's all kinds of hype and excitement for it elsewhere. It's something that non-enthusiasts in tbe area are actually talking about too.

 

This thread is sporadic at the best of times.

A few of my friends in the Boston area have shared stories about the ride to my Facebook page. It's definitely making waves with non-enthusiasts.

My issue with dive coasters are the ones that are one trick ponies but this one looks like it gives a full ride.

Eh, I'm actually pretty excited about this. Only dive coaster I've been on is Valravn, and only in the last 3 years have my girlfriend and I been venturing outside of Cedar Point for our yearly coaster vacation. We actually decided to choose between Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds this year (we went to KD before CP last year) and decided on CW, mainly because of the 1-2 punch of Leviathan and Yukon Striker. Drops are my favorite element on coasters, and i'm pretty sure I rate Valravn much higher than most enthusiasts. So yeah, I'm pumped, and it's basically the reason we are driving from Pittsburgh to Canada this year.

 

If you have been on Valravn, then you have already been on Yukon Striker. Exactly the same coaster, just a bit higher drop and a small difference in layout. Basically sister coasters, IMO.

 

When comparing the layouts of both Valravn and Yukon Striker, there is a significant difference between the two. Yes, both are Dive Coasters and feature an initial height of 223 feet and use an Immelmann as the first inversion. But besides that, they're quite different as Yukon Striker features an underwater tunnel at the bottom of the first drop, a total of four inversions (including a vertical loop), and doesn't feature a mid-course brake run until after all the inversions. Also, the layout of Yukon Striker appears to stretch out more than Valravn. I also like it how they made Yukon Striker interact with the other rides, which will hopefully make it more thrilling.

On another note, while I am not a fan of the vest restraints, I do look forward to giving Yukon Striker a ride in less than one month's time. Yukon Striker has definitely gained a significant amount of publicity not only here in Canada, but Worldwide. So, I am sure the park will be very busy this season and will quite possibly break the four million visitors mark because of the addition of Yukon Striker.

If you have been on Valravn, then you have already been on Yukon Striker. Exactly the same coaster, just a bit higher drop and a small difference in layout. Basically sister coasters, IMO.

 

Yeah, no. These coasters are pretty different after the first inversion.

I'm pretty pumped for this ride tbh. I've been on 4 Dive Coasters and I have loved each one. I'm returning to CW this year for Yukon Striker. Really looking forward to it.

Edit: Now that I watched the video from the link you posted, not really sure how you'd say they are "exactly the same coaster..." Valravn was in the midcourse before Yukon Striker completed it's second inversion. They're very different layouts.

^^^^ Regarding the similarities between the two, I mean, yeah, they are both B&M dive coasters with a loop after the dive. Other than that, they seem pretty different to me. To be honest, I almost thought you were joking when I watched the video you posted after the initial drop/loop sequence.

I would surmise that the main reason why Dive coasters can't do much after the first drop is the relatively short train length. They can't carry inertia/momentum in the same way a floorless, standard looping, invert, wing etc. can.

Whereas Euro fighters and the sort have much more compact layouts to compensate for this.

Regardless, I like to say... is it all that bad being a one/two trick pony, if those 1-2 tricks are... pretty awesome?

I also think it looks like s much more complete ride compared to other dives. I think it's gonna be pretty good.

I want to know why B&M felt the need to do that weird transition on the dip before the lift. It's so awkward and a weird pet peeve of mine on Valravn. Now, they threw it on this one, too. Copy/mirror/paste, perhaps? ha

Yukon Striker looks cool and all, but as mentioned prior, the vest restrains absolutely suck on dive coasters. Valravn is just so "meh" to me, compared to even say Sheikra (likely due to restraints) that it just burns up any excitement i'd have for this one.

Canada's Wonderland's 2019 park map has been released! Check it out below or view in a PDF file by clicking here.

It is important to note that the park brought back the Grande World Exposition of 1890 section and some original ride and attraction names in Medieval Faire, as previously mentioned. The 2019 season sure is going to be an exciting one for many reasons!

It seems like the enthusiast community is taking vest restraints and using them as justification for knocking this ride and others like it. If the rides were really that bad, then Valravn would not be still getting 90-120 minute lines two years after it opened, Wonderland would certainly not be opening a coaster like this one and there would be no more vest restraints. Plain and simple. It’s not like these restraints are pushing so hard that they’re breaking bones and knocking people unconscious. You may not be getting as much hang time on the drop as the two other dives in North America, but to most everyone who rides these things? They could care less.

Yes, Griffon’s drop is awesome. But I’ll take vest restraints and big ole handlebars over head banging over the shoulder restraints any day of the week. There’s a reason companies are leaning toward these new styles, they make for an overall better experience for the vast majority of folks.

I’m sorry if you don’t get the best top of the line experience you want on dive machines because you don’t like how they keep you where you’re supposed to be, but if you really don’t want to ride it, or have no interest in riding it, then what’s the point in wasting your own time bashing it? FWIW the other two coasters that don’t have vest restraints are still open and doing fine - and exist in well worthy parks! The less folks in line to ride Yukon Striker and Valravn for that matter, the better for me and others who are glad to see a new coaster at the parks and want to ride them!

/end rant

^

I've heard some enthusiasts at this point condescendingly call dive machines "GP magnets". To which, words cannot describe how jaded that sounds.

Vest restraints shmest restraints. As far as I'm concerned, YS should be awesome.

A 245 ft drop at 90 degrees?

That sounds utterly insane.

I won't bash anyone for their opinion since different people with different body types react differently to different restraints but personally I don't care at all. Regular restraints are great. Vest restraints are great. Whatever, I don't care. Neither of them bother me.

I actually prefer the vest restraints as well. But either or wouldn't bother me.

Not to overlook Yukon Striker and 2019, but looking at the updated map I just can't help but think how much of an improvement a B&M wing or invert would be in the spot of Flight Deck and Time Warp. Sigh. lol

I'm not driving all the way from Alabama worrying about vest restraints . . . my concern is riding Yukon Striker and experiencing a vertical loop on a dive coaster! I've ridden SheiKra, as well as Griffon, and I must say both coasters were fantastic. I'm sure Yukon Striker is going to provide me with the same adrenaline rush if not better!

I was hoping there would be better food options other than the same ol' chicken tenders, burgers and funnel cakes along with the generic "International Plates".

If KD, Carrowinds,Knott's and CP can up their food game it strikes me a bit odd that CW is stuck in the early 2000's.

I agree about the vest restraints. While I do believe the dive coasters are better without them, I don’t think they make the ride “bad.” I enjoyed Valravn much more than I thought I would and hope to experience Yukon Striker someday too.

It seems like the enthusiast community is taking vest restraints and using them as justification for knocking this ride and others like it. If the rides were really that bad, then Valravn would not be still getting 90-120 minute lines two years after it opened, Wonderland would certainly not be opening a coaster like this one and there would be no more vest restraints. Plain and simple. It’s not like these restraints are pushing so hard that they’re breaking bones and knocking people unconscious. You may not be getting as much hang time on the drop as the two other dives in North America, but to most everyone who rides these things? They could care less.

 

Yes, Griffon’s drop is awesome. But I’ll take vest restraints and big ole handlebars over head banging over the shoulder restraints any day of the week. There’s a reason companies are leaning toward these new styles, they make for an overall better experience for the vast majority of folks.

 

I’m sorry if you don’t get the best top of the line experience you want on dive machines because you don’t like how they keep you where you’re supposed to be, but if you really don’t want to ride it, or have no interest in riding it, then what’s the point in wasting your own time bashing it? FWIW the other two coasters that don’t have vest restraints are still open and doing fine - and exist in well worthy parks! The less folks in line to ride Yukon Striker and Valravn for that matter, the better for me and others who are glad to see a new coaster at the parks and want to ride them!

 

/end rant

There are still so many people talking about the dislike for the vests years after they have been introduced it's not an excuse, it's because they do provide a less comfortable experience for some people. Some parks have fixed/made it better than others but when your chest is being hugged so tight your breathing is shortened, it really sucks and is a big distraction from the ride experience.

Valravn is still a new ride and pulls in that wait because Cedar Point is a popular destination park and the ride is right at the front of the park looming over the midway inviting you to come ride. There are only a handful of rides at CP that get 30 minute or less waits on busy days. Wonderland getting this dive coaster has nothing to do with what people think about the vests. It's a record breaking coaster that's a massive visual spectacle. Just because people complain about one aspect of the ride doesn't mean it's a shit coaster or unworthy of being invested in. Hasn't B&M said that these new restraints have been implemented because of the slow inversions?

Are you insinuating that there's headbanging on Griffon or Sheikra or other dive coasters with the old OTSR?

Restraints always have a big impact on the ride experience. I still have Millennium Force ranked just above I305 almost purely because open and free T-Bars don't dig into my shoulders and hurt like the I-305 restraints do. Phoenix is a top 5 wooden coaster purely because of the absurd buzzbar airtime the ride provides, it would be totally different with normal PTC individual ratcheting restraints and a restraining seatbelt.

No one individual's opinion really matters on this, but I for one absolutely value certain rides over others due to the amount of freedom and comfort of the experience on it. I can see why an enthusiast would like Griffon more than Valravn (or Yukon) solely because of the restraint design. And no, it's not going to matter to the park's bottom line or the general public, just the nerds.

You may not be getting as much hang time on the drop as the two other dives in North America, but to most everyone who rides these things? They could care less.

Except for me, that is literally half the thrill of this niche-type coaster. If I didn’t care to be scared shitless sliding towards the buckle of my seat hanging over a 200 ft drop, then I’d go ride any drop tower. These dive machines offer one thing specific that in particular makes them extra interesting. The rest of the thrill/fun comes from all the other aspects of the ride, but that insane first half of the thrill as I just mentioned is what makes it particularly noteworthy.

Case in point: I wasn’t expecting much of ANYTHING out of Hangtime’s holding brake because of the height, angle, and floored train design. However, I was caught off-guard when my body slid way forward in my seat to where my legs where almost parallel in a standing-like fashion, where the seat back was behind me and at a depressed angle. This put my whole body right over the connection between the trains where there was no floor and my view was of nothing between me and the ground. It was such a good effect as to say I almost actually preferred it to B&M’s.

It's in the same token as being stapled on a ride, really. No one is going to automatically call a ride bad if their butt can't leave the seat because they're stapled, but as I've encountered, most enthusiasts are going to prefer if can have some room to float. Matter of a fact, in another token, the ride experience with vest restraints is again comparable to being stapled for those who complain of the vest compressing during the ride. Look, I don't experience this problem myself, and so I hold ZERO bias about it, but I understand that for many this is a real issue just the same as how being stapled in some cases can just simply be no more than an uncomfortable experience above all else.

I respect that the ride will be great with or without the vest restraints, and (especially for me as I don't have pain with vest restraints) it wouldn't change my decision to ride it someday should I ever have the chance, but it's not doing anything to catch my eye like the other dive machines without them. That is all - I think it simply has more potential by being the way dive machines have been for years - and I've never had a problem with headbanging on any of those.

^ I think you got it right on the nose there. People complaining about the ride before it’s even open is something that I don’t understand, never have understood and likely never will. Everyone is so quick to judge and it’s frustrating especially for someone like me who’s just excited to see a large coaster being installed just a short-ish drive away. Why rain on everyone else’s parade so soon, right? But hey, I’m still going to ride the coaster and likely enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed Valravn and Griffon and any other B&M that I’ve been on. They’re good, reliable rides, and I respect them for that and appreciate their capacity even more.

New Vortex sign!