New B&M Dive Coaster - Yukon Striker - Plus WinterFest to Open at Canada's Wonderland in 2019

Early this morning Canada's Wonderland revealed that Yukon Striker, a massive B&M dive coaster, will open at the theme park in 2019.

Breaking three world records for dive coasters (longest, tallest, and fastest), Yukon Striker will easily be the largest B&M dive coaster to date, featuring a 245 foot plunge into an under water tunnel to start the ride.  It will feature a top speed of 80 miles per hour, and stretch 3,625 feet long with 4 inversions.

© Canada's Wonderland

After the amazing vertical drop that can be seen on the left of this concept art, the trains (featuring 3 rows of 8 passengers) will head up into a giant Immelmann inversion.  They pull back up as they cross over Vortex's track, and then sail through a dive loop that takes the trains to the back section of the layout.  The next element is first for a B&M dive coaster, a vertical loop, which will be a unique experience. 

The trains dive down into a below grade trench then up into another Immelmann, before popping up on to the mid-course brakes.  From there they dive down once more, over an air-time hill, then through a helix over the midway before the final brakes.

Canada's Wonderland has several great animations of Yukon Striker available on their website, but the above one really shows off the massive size of this coaster.  It will certainly forever change the skyline of the park!

© Canada's Wonderland

The new coaster will be located in Frontier Canada, a new themed area that's actually been planned for the park since it opened in 1981.  It was never fully developed but since the park has been adding plenty of attractions that fit the theme, they're developing it currently.  It will "represent the rugged Yukon backcountry during the Klondike Gold Rush era of the late 1890s."

The park promises plenty of surprises and other renovations in the area when it opens in 2019.  It will contain not only Yukon Striker, but also other recent Canadian themed attractions such as Lumberjack, Flying Canoes, and Soaring Timbers, with exiting rides Mighty Canadian Minebuster, White Water Canyon, Timberwolf Falls, and Vortex also joining the new area.

© Canada's Wonderland

At the end of 2019 Canada's Wonderland will hold their first WinterFest, "an all-new immersive holiday experience taking place in late November and December."  WinterFest will transform the park "into an enchanted winter wonderland complete with uniquely themed areas, dozens of Christmas trees, millions of spectacular lights, ice-skating, live entertainment, savory treats, crafts and hands-on family activities."

A special treat, depicted above in concept art, will be the park's fountain on International Street that will will feature ice skating and be known as Snowflake Lake.  "Each night, singers and dancers will set the stage for the celebratory lighting ceremony of a 70-foot-tall Christmas tree featuring more than 40,000 sparkling ornaments."  More details on what is planned for WinterFest are available at this link.

It sounds like Canada's Wonderland is going to have a massive 2019 season, and while no figures were announced this has to be an absolutely massive capital program for the property.  Congratulations to the park on their growth!