The Best Hotels Near Canada’s Favourite Amusement Parks

La Ronde is located right next to downtown Montreal, in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, giving it a really unique vibe in comparison to parks located on the outskirts of a city. It’s reachable via metro from stations Jean Drapeau (+ shuttle 767) and Papineau (+ shuttle 769) meaning you can easily enjoy the city and the amusement park within the same weekend. What’s more? Up to five kids aged 11 and under travel free on an adult fare over the weekend across Montreal’s STM transit network. La Ronde adds a new ride every year and for the 2018 season, they’ve introduced Le Tourbillon; it spins and dips its riders in a frenzy. It joins their classic wooden Monstre coaster along with others thrill rides like Goliath, Le Vampire and Ednör – L’Attaque.

Located right outside of Moncton near Magnetic Hill, Magic Mountain waterpark is the best way to spend a hot day in Atlantic Canada. It’s the region’s largest waterpark and home to several impressive slides that will have you hustling to the top of the slide stairs for your next ride down. The Kamikaze hurtles you down 100 feet at 60 km/h and is the fastest slide at the park but competitive types will prefer the ProRacer, where you go head to head with your partner to see who makes it first to the bottom. Once you are content to just float around, the lazy river is a good place to catch your breath in anticipation of mastering bodyboarding the swells of the wave pool. Post towel-dry, classic amusement park rides like Tilt-a-Whirl and the WaveSwinger await along with arcade games and mini-golf.

If you’re from Nova Scotia or nearby, you’re likely holding onto some fond memories of Upper Clements Amusement Park and its beloved Tree Topper wooden roller-coaster. While it may not reach the top speeds of coasters elsewhere, you’ll still get an exhilarating rush from the disconcerting sounds of its creaks and groans as you ride up and down its waves. I’ve always preferred the water log ride where the finishing splash of cool water is a blessing on a hot day. There’s also an adventure course through the forest where you zip line in between treetop platforms and manoeuvre your way like a ninja.

Perfect for families with small kids, Calaway Park is just on the outskirts of Calgary. Unlike many other amusement parks where the knee-highs are left out, Calaway has plenty to offer the wee ones from log rides to small roller coasters, charming carousels and bumper cars that shoot water– all without the nasty disappointment of a height restriction. Many of their thrill rides including the Free Fallin’ drop and the Wave Rider are still accessible to young kids as long as they are accompanied by an adult. If you get dizzy from the action, there’s also a 3D cinema and loads of midway games– at Plink, Lucky Duck and Fried Frogs you win every time!

Canada’s oldest amusement park has been providing giggles in Vancouver’s Hastings Park since 1910. One of its most adored rides is the wooden coaster, the oldest in Canada, that has been lovingly maintained in pristine condition since its inaugural ride in 1958. It’s not just old-time charm that brings in the crowds, however; modern, gut-wrenching ride updates include the Revelation, which sends riders into manic speeds normally only reached by G-force fighter pilots and Hell’s Gate, that swings and shoots you 360 degrees in both vertical and circular movements– hold onto your glasses! The Corkscrew roller coaster has a double helix inversion that is so awesome it was featured in TV show Smallville as well as the movies Final Destination 3 and Diary of A Wimpy Kid. There’s even a special kids area restricted to those under 90 cm.

Canada’s Wonderland is our biggest theme park and with its gargantuan size comes plenty of thrilling rides. Home to Canada’s biggest and fastest roller coaster, the aptly named Leviathan (pictured above), it will send the heart of the most seasoned coaster riders up to their own throat. It’s not the only exciting roller coaster on the premises; adrenaline junkies can spend the day trotting between Behemoth, Flight Deck and a bunch of other coasters that guarantee blood-curdling screams. Equally enticing are the thrill rides– even thinking about the anticipation of dropping from the Drop Tower or enduring the twists and plunges of the Shockwave is enough for me to decide to keep my feet solidly on the ground. I prefer cooling down during the hot Toronto summer on the Splash Works slides– the waterpark is included in your park admission.

Holding onto the second place world record for the largest indoor amusement park, Galaxyland is located in West Edmonton Mall, Canada’s largest shopping mall. We’re not done talking about world records yet as the amusement park also has the largest indoor triple-loop coaster! Visitors can defy the laws of gravity on the Zero Gravity ride that puts you in charge of how fast you go upside down or you can stomach the plunge of the world’s tallest indoor tower ride, Space Shot. The benefit of an indoor amusement park is that neither rain nor shine (and the heat that accompanies it) can kill your park day plans, guaranteeing the fun you promised to the kids.

When the hot summer days dampen your will to sightsee on your family vacation to Ottawa, head east to Calypso Park, the biggest waterpark in Canada. We summon daredevils to face up to the mighty challenge of tackling the Summit Tower, one of the highest water slides in North America. If you don’t dare to walk up to the Summit, there are plenty of gentler thrills on the Zoomerang and Turbo Lab as well as several lazy rivers and the biggest wave pool in the country. The Fast Track, pictured above, pins you against your nearest friend (or foe) for race straight down atop a speedy mat.

While its rides may not be as exhilarating as some others on our list, the small town charm and beachside location of the Sandspit Cavendish Beach amusement park makes it an essential component of any PEI itinerary. It’s home to the Cyclone, the biggest coaster in Atlantic Canada, as well as a Ferris wheel with a view onto the ocean. Entrance is free and you can pay as you ride, so if Dad only wants to ride the bumper boats and Mom wants to sit out entirely, you don’t have to commit to buying passes for the whole park. Aside from the classic amusement park rides, there is also go-kart racing and mini-golf.