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^Thank you for mentioning all of that!!
For everyone else who said that this article is stupid/lazy, its a "basic" list. It doesn't mention everything that could make the park perfect. To be honest, with all the emails I got, I just took the ideas that came up the most and included my thoughts in them. I could have wrote a lot more things in this article but I said to my self, "Who would want to read a 15-20 point list?". If you don't like the article, there is nothing I can do about it...you can always write your own article on what would make the park prefect....
Thanks for the article its interesting. I enjoyed reading it. I am wondering if a new slide in the water park would be next. Hope so.
It was interesting to read your article. As someone who grew up in the park (I was teenager, OMG, when it opened) I sometimes daydream "if I ran that place..."
I live in the USA now so I've been to the likes of Hersey Park, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens VA. About a year ago I got to go back to wonderland with my Nephew. He lives out east so that time was his first "real" park. He was suitably impressed and I was happy for him, but I was also glad it was his first because Wonderland just doesn't compare with the seasonal parks down here. In some ways Wonderland is a victim of it's location: it sits in the midst of one of the wealthiest concentrations of population on the continent with no alternative close by. You could park a traveling fair in the parking lot (aka the CNE) and people would wait in line en masse to visit. Cedar Faire doesn't even need to try with this location, the place is a cash cow. It is nice to see the investment in the park of the last few years.
In my Daydreams I see the waterpark all but replaced with a "3 season" waterpark, something like Schlitterbahn Galveston which is really an outdoor park that can be partially enclosed at the flip of a switch (followed by many sliding roofs) I think the weather in region and demand would justify the cost (which is not nearly what it would be to have the waterpark indoors)
I would also like to see international street have a seasonal Christmas event although I don't know if the neighbors have some agreement that would make that impossible. Not the whole park but shopping themed to the season, fake snow and ice on the mountain, maybe a "glice" or real rink in the fountain. A drive through light shown, maybe a seasonal "starlight experience" would all work. Hershey Park does this.
As for rides the big ones are nice, but the park is crowded as it is, so going forward they need to small footprint. An S&S Power El Loco Coaster (maybe twined given the park's attendance), A Eurocoster, etc. There are more than a few compact wood coasters too out there now that can practically be ordered from the catalog and would be nice additions. There are a lot of exciting flat rides out there too that could make a north american debut at wonderland. If you can dig up the concept plans for the now-cancelled "Orlando Thrill Park" you can see that squeezing a lot of coasters can be done in a small footprint. I think the ride density on the south side of the park, removing Kingswood if possible, arranged and themed like a compact boardwalk park, could up the quality of the park and squeeze in a new theme area or fix the disjointed area there now. For an example of that look at Luna Park at Coney Island New York city: In under two years that park has been reborn.
As for the woodies they need to be retracked with new trains, again something being done in several locations in the states with success. If there is a new big coaster in the park, after the two B&M's a wooden or a steel structure/wood track coaster is likely the most cost effective. The latter can be a horror (think any coaster at Mt Olympus) or fantastic (The Voyage at Holiday World.)
A few more up-charge rides are likely no-brainers. Add a sling-shot and Bungee (maybe a skyscreemer) to join the Sky Coaster and you have a "mega super thrill area" where all those teens with season passes can be parted with extra $$$ over the year (and frankly it's fun just to watch those things!)
Finally are all the soft items: better and more shows (Just park a less-expense Cirque-esk tent show in the parking lot for the season or even the shoulder season to attract people) better food (and more reasonable pricing: people already cross the parking lot to eat) and more flowers for the people that come as a family but just wander and watch.
Most of these suggestions reflect what I think is a sad truth about Wonderland: It's days are numbered. The two B&M's just added are re-locate-able (Again, something Cedar Park and others are doing more frequently and successfully in the USA) and much of what I listed is either semi-portable or less capital extensive and site specific then say adding a large indoor attraction a-la Harry Potter. In my biggest Dreams, where wonderland stays forever, they add a parking structure and build out into the lots, the Mountain comes down and is replaced with a bigger one with multiple attractions well hidden and integrated into it, they add a few indoor attractions that can be worked into an even larger Christmas event, and the front gets replaced with a hotel in the Chateau tradition of the classic Canadian CP Rail hotels and a gate that is truly magnificent. I might even think to add an indoor waterpark just for the hotel guests like in Niagara so people will come in the off-season. But those really are silly dreams.
Honestly my biggest hope is the park is sold out of the Cedar Park control. They run the park the same way as all their other parks, and as long as Ceder Faire runs the place they are never going to let it surpass Cedar Point in any regard. That's a Shame because I think Wonderland needs more of the Canada back in it. True, Toronto looks like many USA cities at first glace, but the people are different in little ways Cedar Faire does not get. The Starlight Experience, which was produced locally, is an example where they seem to have gotten that, that show has a ton of little references I think locals get that head office likely didn't notice. The Park needs more of that...
...and a Tim's on international street, can you imagine the revenue!!! And a Swiss Chalet of course! Only in Canada would a Chicken and Rib chain restaurant be called Swiss Chalet and it makes perfect sense!
This article is extremely lazy, in no way does any of this stuff really "take the park to the next level." Anyone can write take out the bad stuff and replace it with good stuff.
Did Coaster Justin write this?
Where's the S&S Screamin' Swing idea? or the Wind Turbines?
No, I did.
While you may not agree with many of the ideas presented by Dom, I think describing an unsolicited, unpaid, near-4000 word article as "lazy" is a bit harsh. However, your anonymous comment, which features criticism but no constructive ideas, does seem pretty lazy.
I don't agree with Dom that his ideas would transform Canada's Wonderland into the "perfect" park (hence the disclaimer at the start of the article), but I do think some of them would improve it. I was happy to publish them, given his obvious enthusiasm for his local theme park.
You clearly have your own ideas about what would lift Canada's Wonderland beyond its current level, why don't you share them?
Sorry my eyes didn't read all the way down...disregard my comment please.
Just wanted to point out, the picture you use to reference the "extra space" that Wonderland has is incorrect. Most of that area you have marked off just behind the gas station is the future home to the new Vaughn Hospital. There really isn't much room for Wonderland to expand that I am aware of.