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Historical Timeline of Canada's Wonderland
NOTE: Thanks to jetscreamlover of the CWMania forums for his contributions to this timeline.
1979
King's Entertainment Company (KECO) selected Maple (Vaughan),
ON as the location for its new amusement park KECO created a business deal with Canadian company Trizec
Investments to finance the park. KECO owned 20% of the park, while Trizec owned 80% via its subsidiaries Construction began on the park1981
Canada's Wonderland opened with the following rides and attractions:
Aerofield, Balloon Race, Bayern Curve, Bedrock Dock, Blauer Enzian, Boo Boo's Buggys, Boulder Bumpers, Carrousel, City Zoo Golf, Dragon Fyre, Flintstone Flyboys, Ghoster Coaster, Great Whale of China, Hanna-Barberry-Go-Round, Happy Landing, Hotrock Raceway, Klockwurker, Krachenwagon, Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Pharoah's Eye, Quixote's Kettles, Scooby-Choo, Scoobyville Rocketport, Shiva's Fury, Sol Loco, Swings of Siam, Viking's Rage, Wilde Beast, Wilde Night Mares, Wonder Tour, Yogi's Cave and Zumba Flume.1982
King's Courtyarde catering facility debuted1983
Kingswood Music Theatre debuted1984
Smurf Forest children's area debuted White Water Canyon rapids ride debuted Boo Boo's Buggys renamed and rethemed to Lazy Snail's Trail Yogi's Cave renamed and rethemed to Smurf's Cave1985
Skyrider stand-up roller coaster debuted Wonder Mountain Walkway closed permanently at season end Blauer Enzian dismantled and portions, including train used for Thunder Run1986
Thunder Run debuted1987
The Bat boomerang coaster debuted Saltwater Circus renamed Bedrock Aquarium Pharoah's Eye removed at season end Swings of Siam moved to accommodate Racing Rivers during off-season1988
Racing Rivers debuted1989
Timberwolf Falls water ride debuted Swings of Siam renamed Swing of the Century1990
Jet Scream looping starship debuted1991
Vortex suspended coaster debuted Klockwurker renamed Klockwerks1992
Lazer Maze debuted Splash Works debuted with these attractions:
Drop Zone (2 Proslide Multibumps and 2 Proslide Freefalls), Body Blast, The Lazy River, Pipeline, Whirl Winds, Scooby's Splash Island The Bat received new restraints The walkway between what is now Action Zone and Timberwolf Falls opened Ginza Gardens renamed Southside Grille Smurf Forest removed during off-season Wonder Tours' south track removed at season end1993
Kids Kingdom children's area debuted Jumbo Bumps giant slide debuted Pro Putt Golf debuted Batter's Box debuted Balloon Race renamed Jumbo's Balloon Adventure Lazy Snail's Trail renamed Snail Trail Woodland Theatre received new canopy Smurf Cave rethemed as King's Treasure Arcade Paramount purchased KECO Ghoster Coaster re-profiled during off season (removing last bunny hill) Hot Rock Raceway's south track removed at season end, though the concrete path remained1994
Paramount purchased the remaining 80% of the park and
rebranded it Paramount Canada's Wonderland Days of Thunder debuted The Paramount Story debuted Canterbury Theatre renamed Paramount Theatre Viacom International purchased Paramount Communications and park
remained unchanged (still treated as a Paramount Park) Minebuster's and Wild Beast's bench bars replaced with individual racheting lapbars Zumba Flume removed at season end1995
Top Gun inverted jet coaster debuted Royal Courts and Sports renamed Medieval Arcade and Games Complex Lazer maze removed at season end Top Gun received new restraints during off-season Vortex's cars repainted during off-season1996
Xtreme Skyflyer skycoaster debuted Cool Zone refreshment centre debuted Splashworks expanded with: Whitewater Bay, Black Hole, and Pumphouse Drop Zone water slide renamed Wipeout Wonder Tours south track queue line and station removed in preparation
to build Drop Zone and Speed City Raceway (but another location was chosen) Wild Beast's trains painted purple and green during off-season1997
Drop Zone stunt tower debuted Speed City Raceway go-karts debuted Quixote's Kettles renamed Spinovator Wilde Beast renamed Wild Beast Wilde Night Mares renamed Night Mares Viking's Rage renamed The Rage Dragon Fyre renamed Dragon Fire Tucker's Roadside Cafe renamed Traveller's Roadside Cafe Medieval Arcade and Games Complex renamed Cyber Central Klockwerks repainted blue, yellow and red Snail Trail removed at season end Boom Ball game removed at season end Dragon Fire's trains re-painted in off-season (1 purple, 1 green) Sol Loco has 3 cars re-painted blue in off-season Wild Beast's fan curve rebuilt during off-season1998
Swing Time chair swing debuted A-Mazing Adventure debuted Chopper Chase debuted Flavourator debuted The Edge climbing wall debuted James Bond, Licence to Thrill debuted at Action FX Theatre Wonder Tours renamed Jokey's Jalopies Scooby-Choo renamed KidZville Station Jumbo's Balloon Adventure renamed Frequent Flyers Happy Landing renamed Swan Lake Kids Kingdom renamed Candy Factory Days of Thunder rethemed and renamed Action FX Theatre Ristorante renamed International Street Pizza Pizza King's Treasure Arcade renamed and rethemed as The Palace and The Candy Shoppe Woodland Theatre renamed Playhouse Theatre The Batter's Box game removed at season end A section of Jokey's Jalopies' track removed at season end Sol Loco has 1 car re-painted purple in off-season1999
The Fly wild mouse coaster debuted Escape from Dino Island 3D debuted at Action FX Theatre Splashworks expanded including: The Plunge and Super Soaker Shiva's Fury renamed The Fury Bedrock Dock removed at season end Minebuster renovated to combine 2nd and 3rd bunny hill into a single long hill during off-season2000
Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion interactive dark ride debuted Cliffhanger splashover debuted Meteor Attack debuted at Action FX Theatre Several Mr Sub locations debuted throughout the park The Eruption pyrotechnics show debuted King's Courtyarde renamed Courtyard Klockwerks relocated to accommodate Shockwave at season end Bayern Curve removed at season end Jumbo Bumps removed at season end Ghoster Coaster's yellow train painted red in off-season Ghoster Coaster's station painted red, green and purple in off-season Pharaoh's Falls (part of Racing Rivers) removed at season end2001
Shockwave debuted Silver Streak mini-inverted coaster debuted Jumpin' Jet debuted Blast Off debuted 7th Portal debuted at Action FX Theatre Watersnake dropped the Racing Rivers name Bedrock Aquarium renamed Bedrock Event Tent (dedicated to trampoline show) Scoobyville Rocketport renamed Jetson's Rocketport Pipeline and a waterslide from Scooby's Splash Island removed from
Splash Works at season end Watersnake (formerly part of Racing Rivers) removed at season end Bedrock Aquarium permanently closed at season end Dutch restaurant theme removed at season end2002
Psyclone debuted Splash Works expanded including: Riptide Racer, Barracuda
Blaster and Children's Spray Ground Cyber Sez virtual reality simulator debuted Superstition debuted at the Action FX Theatre You Go Grill debuted in former location of Dutch restaurant Bedrock Aquarium closed permanently at season end Sol Loco renamed The Orbiter and lost Mayan theme including repaint Hot Rock Raceway removed at season end Flintstone Flyboys removed at season end The Edge removed at season end Minebuster received new seatbelts during off-season Boulder Bumpers renamed and rethemed to Rugrats Toonpike during off-season2003
Sledge Hammer debuted Jimmy Neutron's Brainwasher debuted Wild Thornberries Treetop Lookout debuted Dora's Dune Buggies debuted Launch Pad euro-bungee debuted Warrior of the Dawn debuted at Action FX Theatre Spongebob Squarepants 3D debuted at Action FX Theatre Metal detectors installed at the entrance The Fury removed at season end Great Whale of China removed at season end Drop Zone's cars repainted all-black during off-season Spinovator and Klockwerks received new seatbelts during off-season2004
Tomb Raider: The Ride flying coaster debuted Magic of the Movies debuted at Paramount Theatre Dipamo's BBQ renamed Arthur's Pub & Grille Wipeout water slide removed at season end2005
Italian Job: Stunt Track launch coaster debuted School of Rock debuted at Paramount Theatre La Cantina renamed International Street Starbucks Vortex reduced to 5 cars per train from mid-season on Dragon Fire's supports painted purple Viacom International announced intentions to create two
separate companies from its existing assets - Paramount Parks falls under the ownership of CBS Corporation2006
CBS Corporation announces its intention to divest Paramount
Parks in January citing that the division did not fit the focus and direction of its other assets Hollywood Stunt Spectacular debuted Nickelodeon Celebration Parade debuted Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera debuted at Action FX Theatre Southside Grille renovated and renamed Backlot Cafe Staff Cafeteria renamed Oscar's Cameras added to Top Gun for on-ride videos Cedar Fair announced that it won the bidding battle for
Paramount Parks and had reached a definitive agreement to purchase the parks for $1.24 billion dollars Cedar Fair announced that the acquisition of Paramount Parks was
completed on June 30th and immediately assumed operations and management of the parks including Canada's Wonderland2007
Coasters Drive-In and The Marketplace restaurants debuted Picnic Pavilion debuted outside park entrance Starlight pass debuted for guests entering the park late in the day Endless Summer debuted at the Paramount Theatre as the first
ice-skating show in 10 years Twistin' to the 60s show debuted at the International Showplace New York Fries locations renamed and replaced by Hot Potato Dragon Fire's rails track repainted with yellow running rails2008
Behemoth debuted as the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada Dance to the Music show debuted at International Showplace Tomb Raider: The Ride renamed Time Warp Drop Zone renamed Drop Tower Cliffhanger renamed Riptide Top Gun renamed Flight Deck Italian Job: Stunt Track renamed Back Lot Stunt Coaster Paramount Theatre renamed Wonderland Theatre Paramount Action FX Theatre renamed Action Theatre Front Gate Photo relocated to opposite side of main entrance2009
Signed, Sealed Delivered show debuted at International Showplace Marty's Party show debuted at Playhouse Theatre Granny's Sweets renamed2010
Lucy's Tugboat kiddy ride debuted Peanuts 500 kiddy ride debuted Snoopy's Revolution kiddy ride debuted Snoopy On Ice show debuted at Wonderland Theatre Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion renamed Boo Blasters on Boo Hill Dora's Dune Buggies renamed Sally's Love Buggies Jimmy Neutron's Brainwasher renamed Woodstock's Whirlybirds Rugrats Toonpike renamed Joe Cool's Dodgem School Wild Thornberries Treetop Lookout renamed The Pumpkin Patch Aerofield renamed Snoopy vs Red Baron Jetson's Rocketport renamed Snoopy's Space Race Hanna-Barberry-Go-Round renamed Character Carousel (Snoopy's Gasping) Ghoster Coaster renamed (Peanuts) Ghoster Coaster