Get the Inside Track on the Best Ways to Beat the Lines
Soulla Lindo
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Are you planning a trip (or two, or three) to Canada’s Wonderland this season and wondering how to make the most of your day to experience everything the park has to offer? Look no further. We’re giving you the inside track on how to maximize your fun, and reduce your wait times at the park.
Timing is everything
May and June, before schools let out for the summer, are great months to visit the park if you’re looking for shorter lines. Alternatively, if it’s cloudy, cold or rainy throughout the season, ride wait times tend to be much shorter. If you dress appropriately, it’s a great way to experience a lot of your favourite rides in one day as most rides continue to run unless there is thunder, lightning or very high winds.
Arrive early
Our front gates open 30 minutes before the park, allowing you to get inside and be ready to go as soon the clock strikes 10am. You can pick up height check wristbands (there’s a new station outside the park to save you even more time) and visit the redemption centre at front gate to pick up Dining Plans or Fast Lane passes prior to opening.
Don’t forget, Season Passholders can take advantage of Early Ride Times every Sunday to experience some of their favourite rides before the park opens to the public. The same is true for early entry into Splash Works, so Passholders should make the most of these perks to beat the lines.
Have a plan
With more than 200 attractions at the park, including over 70 rides and a 20-acre water park, there’s so much to see and do that it’s hard to fit it all into one visit. Having a plan of attack before your trip will help ensure you knock off the must-sees/dos on your list. Check out our website ahead of time for all our ride info, shows, live entertainment, and events.
It’s also best to grab your tickets online. Not only do you save up to 20% off the front gate price, you save time waiting in line when you arrive at the park. And if you buy your admission ticket 3 days in advance, you’ll save over 30% off the front gate price!
The best way to beat the ride lines
Planning a trip on days when it rains in the morning will likely work to your benefit. The weather usually clears in the afternoon and most people have already made other plans, so it’s a great way to take advantage of shorter lines.
For thrillseekers, it’s a good idea to start your day in Action Zone. While most guests make their way straight to Leviathan (who can blame them, it is in fact Canada’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster), the south end rides, including Behemoth, Backlot, Minebuster, Sledge Hammer, and Psyclone, typically do not get long wait times until well after opening as people are slower to make their way to the back end of the park.
A few attractions open at 11am, including White Water Canyon and Silver Streak, so getting there right at opening is usually the best time to hit up those rides.
It’s also a good idea to save International Festival and Medieval Faire rides until the evening. Lines for popular rides such as The Fly, Vortex, The Bat and Thunder Run begin to thin out towards the end of the day.
Our queues stay open right until closing time. If you wait until just before closing, most of our rides have shorter lines so it’s a great way to get in your last rides on the more popular rides such as Guardian, Leviathan, Behemoth…
Make sure to download our mobile app to help guide your in-park experience. The app will give you up-to-date information on wait times for your favourite rides, an interactive park map featuring all our attractions, show times, event info, daily park promotions and it will even show you where you parked your car so you’re not roaming around aimlessly after a long day. And with free parkwide WIFI, you won’t experience any additional data charges.
Meal planning
If you’re planning on eating at one of our 49 dining locations at the park, try to plan your meal times during off-peak dining hours. Generally, good times to fuel up would be from 10am - 11:30am, 2pm - 4pm, and between 7pm - 10pm.
Season Passholders receive 15% off food in the park, so be sure to show your pass at checkout to save! (Some restrictions apply.)
Fast Pass lets you wait less and ride more
If you really want to minimize your wait times, a Fast Lane pass will let you bypass the regular lines. You can ride your favourite rides as many times as you want, all day long. But Fast Passes are limited to a certain quantity per day, so plan ahead, especially if you’re planning your trip during the peak summer season.