I can’t believe it is March already. Summer is sneaking up on us in just a few months and now is a great time to start planning your summer motoring trips. For those trying to think of places to motor, alpinamike sent in this review of his trip last summer to Canada where he got to ride the Italian Job Stunt Track at Canadaís Wonderland Park. Thanks for the review Mike!

On one of my many MINI Adventures, this one has taken me to Canadaís Wonderland Park by Paramount thanks to MINI of Canada. Allen from MINI of Canada was very helpful in his position to obtain some tickets for my girlfriend and I. A quick call and things were taken care of. The other reason for the travel to Toronto, Canada is its not to far from Ohio and with four IKEAs in close proximityÖwhy not road trip it in a Hot Orange MINI Cooper Convertible.

The park is wonderful, by any standards, and since their is not too many theme parks in Canada, this has to be one of the busiest. On your drive in from the main gate (which is right off a major highway in a newly developed business area) you can see the back of the New Italian Job Ride Coaster. Itís been here for more than a year, but it still is one of the newest and well kept rides. It is hidden in the left-hand corner of the park, but is one of the most popular with people from Canada. As I parked outside you can tell 99% of the people are from Canada and not too many Americans are here, but the Canadians welcomed us with open arms as they liked my MINI (with many peace signs on the way up) and liked us to spend our money there..lol.

The ride itself is a blast ñ literally! Once you sit down and wait for them to check the lap bars (watch out its tight in this ride, 4 people in each car, three cars per train and they run up to three at a time) you know this ride was made for MINI. The cars are well made and are all Cooper S, unlike the movie. They have name plates on the back that say things like “Fast Cooper”. Once you take off from the start their is a quick bend on the right that makes you think youíre going to fly off the edge, then back on a side 360. The ride stops in the middle for a second scene from the movie described as the famous ìMINI vs. Helicopter Scene”. Then you blast through a tunnel as flames go off around you (watch out for the chopper…lol). You come out of the tunnel into the famous ìsewer sceneî were the MINIs jump out of the large exhaust and into the Los Angles flood canal.

This ride goes under a bridge in one of the pictures: which is the wait-in-line photo from the group of pictures. Overall great ride and great job Paramount! At the end you can even pay for your picture of the ride. This ride might be a small roller coaster but boasts big time excitement.

You can find more about this park on their website:

http://www3.paramountparks.com/canadaswonderland/#actions

or visit two additional Italian Job rides in the United States at Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio or Kings Dominion in Richmond, VA.

Watch the smiles on the passengers faces, they tell you everything! Park Ticket Free, experience….Priceless!