Amusement Park Trip Plans for 2024

 Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've last posted here. The off-season has gone by rather quickly as it wasn't too wintry this year. Over the off-season, I have been planning my amusement park trips for 2024. As you may know, I had visited nine different parks last year, which was a record for me! Well, this year I plan to break that record again and visit 11 different amusement parks this year! Three of the 11 amusement parks I will be visiting this will be new to me, while the other eight will be parks I have visited 6+ years ago. The 2024 season looks to be quite exciting!

My first amusement park visit of 2024 will be at Knoebels on their opening weekend on April 27th and 28th, 2024. My first and only visit to Knoebels was in July 2018 during my first major US amusement park road trip. I instantly fell in love with the nostalgia at Knoebels as they have a lot of vintage amusement rides, three wooden roller coasters, and an amazing setting! I am really looking forward to revisiting this April!

Twister at Knoebels as seen from the Skyway in July 2018.

In May and early June I plan on making a few visits to my home park, Canada's Wonderland before heading off on another amusement park road trip in June! Unfortunately I will not be able to visit on opening weekend this year, but I will definitely get to Canada's Wonderland as soon as possible!

Wonder Mountain at Canada's Wonderland as seen on May 6th, 2023.

In June, I am planning to visit four different amusement parks as I travel for one week through New Jersey and Pennsylvania! The trip will start off with a visit to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey (previously visited for two days in July 2018), followed by a visit to Dorney Park in Allentwon, Pennsylvania (first visited in June 2015). 

I am excited to get back to these two parks, as while the new for 2024 roller coaster, Flash: Vertical Velocity (Vekoma Super Boomerang) at Six Flags Great Adventure more than likely won't be ready, I am really looking forward to hopefully riding the Jersey Devil Coaster, an RMC single rail Raptor Track coaster that opened in 2021! Also, Six Flags Great Adventure is celebrating 50 years in 2024! 

Me (John) after my first ride on Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in July 2018. 

As for Dorney Park, I am really looking forward to riding Iron Menace, the B&M Dive Coaster opening this Spring! The theming and storyline behind the Iron Menace is really cool and I am happy that they finally got a new roller coaster after all these years! I am also looking forward to (hopefully) finally getting a ride on the extremely rare Intamin First Generation Freefall, Demon Drop as I didn't get to ride it in 2015.

Dorney Park skyline as seen from across the street in June 2015.

After visiting Six Flags Great Adventure and Dorney Park, I'll be off to two new-to-me parks, HersheyPark and Kennywood! I am really looking forward to visiting both of these parks as they both have a unique collection of rides and roller coasters of both old and new! 

Since there is a lot to see and do at HersheyPark, I plan on visiting the park for two days. I am hoping to get on all of their roller coasters and many flat rides, including the Sooperdooperlooper, a classic Schwarzkopf Looping roller coaster that has been operating at HersheyPark since 1977. This will be my first Schwarzkopf Looping roller coaster! 😄 Obviously I am also really excited for HersheyPark's newest roller coaster, Wildcat's Revenge, an RMC conversion that opened in 2023 as I have really enjoyed all of the RMC coasters I have been on to date!

After two days at HersheyPark, I will spend one day at Kennywood getting on as many rides and roller coasters as possible! I really want to try to ride all of their classic wooden roller coasters, but I may not be able to ride Thunderbolt as it requires a partner to ride. 😢If you're in the area when I am at Kennywood, please reach out to me as I would love to be able to ride the Thunderbolt! 😂 While at Kennywood, I also want to ride two rare flat rides, Turtle, the World's last remaining Tumble Bug ride that dates back to 1927 and Kangaroo, the last remaining Bartlett manufactured Flying Coaster ride. I love how many of the amusement parks in Pennsylvania still have vintage amusement rides operating to this day! 😊

After hopefully squeezing in another visit to Canada's Wonderland, I'll be off on another road trip in July, this time to five different amusement parks in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts! Four out of the five parks I plan on visiting on this road trip will be parks I have visited in the past, with the first park of the trip being new to me, that being Waldameer of Erie, Pennsylvania!

Waldameer is home to five roller coasters, one of them being the legendary Ravine Flyer II that opened in 2008! This wooden roller coaster pays homage to the original Ravine Flyer that operated at the park from 1922 to 1938. Waldameer is also home to many classic rides and attractions such as the Spider (Eyerly Spider) and Whacky Shack (Bill Tracy dark ride) that have been operational at the park since 1977 and 1970, respectively. 

After a day at Waldameer, I'll be making my annual visit to Six Flags Darien Lake as it is on the way to the other parks on this road trip! Prior to the pandemic, I had visited Darien Lake in 2017 and twice in 2019 (May and August). It was nice being able to visit Six Flags Darien Lake again in August 2023 as there are some nice rides and roller coasters at the park! I am also looking forward to seeing the additional improvements made on the Predator as over the last few years it had received Gravity Group steel titan track on the rough spots, which has greatly improved the overall ride experience on the Predator.

Entrance to Six Flags Darien Lake- May 10th, 2019.

Following a day of thrills at Six Flags Darien Lake, I'll be revisiting the charming Seabreeze Amusement Park of Rochester, New York. The first time I visited Seabreeze Amusement Park was in August 2017. Seabreeze is home to the classic 1920 Jack Rabbit wooden roller coaster that provides a decent amount of airtime as I recall. Seabreeze is also home to the unique bobsled hybrid roller coaster and the thrilling Whirlwind, a spinning steel roller coaster! It'll be great to visit this lovely historic amusement park on the edge of Lake Ontario again!

The Carousel at Seabreeze at night on August 30th, 2017.

Up next will be Six Flags Great Escape, a park I first visited in July 2018. The star of Six Flags Great Escape is the legendary Comet that previously operated at the long gone Crystal Beach Amusement Park near Fort Erie, Ontario. The Comet has called Six Flags Great Escape home since 1994, where it reopened and has been thrilling visitors since! 

New for 2024 at Six Flags Great Escape is the Bobcat, a Gravity Group manufactured family wooden roller coaster that will be constructed where the former Alpine Bobsled operated. Bobcat will feature many airtime filled hills along its 1,412 feet of wooden track! I am really looking forward to getting on this new wooden roller coaster when I visit in July!

The Comet at Six Flags Great Escape on July 5th, 2018.

The final amusement park of the road trip in July will be Six Flags New England. I am looking forward to visiting Six Flags New England again as I greatly enjoyed it on my road trip in July 2018. While my visit to Six Flags New England in 2018 was a bit damp by rain showers in the morning, it turned out to be a great time overall as the staff were super friendly and the roller coasters and rides were great, including the views from the 400 foot tall New England SkyScreamer! From what I recall, Six Flags New England also had some nice theming of America's past with the Rockville section.

Since my last visit to Six Flags New England, two new flat rides, Cyborg: Hyper Drive and Supergirl Sky Flyer opened in 2019 and 2021, respectively. As a lover of flat rides, I am looking forward to taking these two rides for a spin during my upcoming visit! I am also looking forward to re-riding all of the park's roller coasters too as they were all quite fun, especially my first RMC roller coaster, the Wicked Cyclone! Six Flags New England in my opinion is a perfect park to end the trip.

Rockville section at Six Flags New England on July 6th, 2018.

For the remainder of the 2024 season, I look forward to making multiple visits to Canada's Wonderland with family and friends, maybe even making a surprise day trip with some friends to the US in August!

Be sure to follow me on my adventures this season through my blog, Amusement Views and on social media via Instagram and X! If you happen to see me at any of the amusement parks I plan on visiting this summer, be sure to say 'hi' as I love meeting fellow enthusiasts! 😄 

Here's to a fun and thrilling 2024 season! 🎢

Canada's Wonderland - October 28th, 2023

 That's a wrap! On Saturday, October 28th, I made my final visit to Canada's Wonderland for the 2023 season, making it my 10th visit of the year!

The day started out quite chilly due to strong winds, but warmed up nicely as the sun shined throughout the day, which was really nice considering how other final regular operating weekends have been in the past. The sunshine also made the remaining Fall foliage standout, allowing for many great photo opportunities! The park was a little busier than I had anticipated, but I still managed to get on many final rides for the year!

Be sure to check out my photos of my final visit to Canada's Wonderland for the 2023 season!

The last of the fall foliage was quite beautiful as I arrived at the park before opening time on this late-October day.

The weeping willows that line International Street have even yellowed since my last visit to the park two weeks ago.

The morning sun was making the corn stocks used on various displays throughout the park really stand out.

Behemoth wasn't the only thing that was orange at the park today.

The tree in front of Vortex was really vibrant as the sunlight hit it!

After getting on Behemoth, Yukon Striker, Sledge Hammer, Psyclone, Time Warp, and Flight Deck all within the first hour, I then went to Shockwave. It was operating well, but not quite as insane as it was throughout the season.

So many photo opportunities today as the sun was shining brightly!

I just love this time of year! The remaining foliage was really standing out on today's visit.

Wooden roller coasters and Fall foliage go hand in hand. Don't you agree?

Today Tundra Twister was giving some interesting hangtime when it swung over the top today. It made the ride experience feel a bit more intense than usual.

Twisting around over 150 feet above the ground has been quite fun this year! Tundra Twister was a fun addition to the park for this year and one that was highly re-ridable! Maybe next year we'll see more head dives on Tundra Twister like we had seen earlier this season.

In the early afternoon, I went through the daytime versions of Spirit Manor and Cornstalkers like I had a few weeks ago. Unlike a few weeks ago, the leaves from the trees around White Water Canyon and area had fallen off, blanketing the ground with beautiful tones of yellows and oranges.

Yukon Striker can also now be seen during the daytime version of Cornstalkers. Speaking of Yukon Striker, it felt very forceful during this visit!

Since it is the final weekend for regular operations at Canada's Wonderland, it also means that events such as Camp Spooky and Halloween Haunt will be wrapping up on Sunday. The nice weather saw a lot of children dressed up descend on Planet Snoopy and Kidzville for the Camp Spooky event.

It was a nice day to be riding thrill rides and roller coasters, including Wilde Beast which is pictured here.

The Fall foliage and sunshine make for some awesome photos!

I just love visiting amusement parks this time of year!

Two visits ago I had the Toxic (green) Ice Cream from the Cookie Cafe. Well today I had tried the other Halloween Haunt inspired ice cream flavour Caramel Apple. Thankfully it wasn't too sweet and was really good!

Here is Swing of the Century doing its thing surrounded by some beautiful Fall foliage.

Fall foliage, blue skies, and wispy clouds also make for quite the photo!

Some of the trees still had some vibrant red leaves on them.

Including this tree located in front of Backlot Cafe.

I know I keep going on about the Fall foliage, but I just love it!

While I was in line for my second ride on Tundra Twister for the day, I captured this photo of one of Yukon Striker's trains passing through the zero-g winder inversion.

My final ride of the day and season was a second round on Sledge Hammer! What a way to end off a great season at Canada's Wonderland and to commemorate Sledge Hammer's 20th anniversary!

The leaves on the trees near Flight Deck were also standing out today.

Here I am taking one final photo of myself before heading out for the day until next year!

Overall, the 2023 season at Canada's Wonderland was a great one! This year I enjoyed riding the all-new Tundra Twister, finally gaining the courage to ride Xtreme Skyflyer, and once again hanging out with some friends who share an enjoyment and passion for amusement parks!

One thing I would like to see improved for next year is the level of customer service provided at Canada's Wonderland as it wasn't as great as it has been in previous years.

I'll see you next year, Canada's Wonderland! Thanks once again for a great and thrilling 2023 season! :-)

Canada's Wonderland - October 15th, 2023

On Sunday, October 15th, 2023, my brother Scott and I made another visit to Canada's Wonderland, making it my 9th of the 2023 season!

While it was a bit cool, windy, and drizzly at times, we had a great time! We managed to get on many rides as the park wasn't busy and we also hung out with fellow enthusiast, Matt (CoasterCircuits on Twitter and Instagram) for a few hours. I hadn't hung out with him in two years, so it was great doing so today!

Below are some photos of our cool and windy, but action-packed day at Canada's Wonderland! :-)

After a one hour drive in the wind and drizzle, Scott and I arrived to virtually empty Canada's Wonderland parking lot.

As you can see not many people were around when the front gate opened to International Street around 9:30am.

It was quite cold and windy while waiting for the front gate to open.

Once inside, Scott and I headed over to the International Festival section to ride The Bat, The Fly, and, Vortex once the rope dropped at 10am.

After getting on several rides within the first hour, Scott had to take a quick rest. ;-)

After taking a ride on Behemoth, Yukon Striker, and Tundra Twister, Sledge Hammer finally opened after some testing. It rode quite well as usual!

Afterwards, Scott and I had some lunch at Backlot Cafe followed by a ride on Shockwave. It was been operating on an intense cycle for most of the season this year! Before boarding Shockwave, I captured this photo of some Fall foliage off in the distance in Planet Snoopy.

A little while later, we had met Matt at the Antique Carousel. After a relaxing ride, we rode Sledge Hammer, Windseeker, Shockwave, and Wilde Beast together. Scott sat out on the latter two while he enjoyed some popcorn.

Afterwards, we moved on to Leviathan, Drop Tower, Spinovator, and Dragon Fyre. Before riding Dragon Fyre, we noticed that Riptide has some test dummies on it, despite not operating since the Labour Day weekend. Maybe they needed a place to temporarily store them?

While it is Halloween Haunt season at Canada's Wonderland, there were some signs of Winterfest preparations were underway around the park. A part of the All's Well Hall patio in Medieval Faire was enclosed. On International Street, one of the shops was decorated with garland and other Christmas decorations.

During Matt's final hour at the park, I rode Soaring Timbers with him. I hadn't been on it last year due to how tight the seats are and how boring the ride cycle is. It surprisingly provided a decent ride cycle today.

After catching a couple more rides on Sledge Hammer, Matt went home shortly after 3:30pm. Within the last hour and a half of daytime operation, Scott and I rode Ghoster Coaster (pictured) with more rides on Tundra Twister, Behemoth, and Sledge Hammer.

On our way over to Tundra Twister we passed through the Trick Or Treat Street scare zone. It is always interesting to see these areas during the daytime.

After another ride on Tundra Twister, I took some time to rest. ;-)

We finished our day with another ride on Sledge Hammer and Behemoth!

Here is Scott and I before leaving the park just before it closed at 5pm for daytime operations. Throughout the day I managed to get on 20+ rides! I hope you enjoyed looking at some of the photos I captured on this cool, windy, and rainy mid-October day at Canada's Wonderland! :-)