Action Zone is a ride-oriented section of Canada's Wonderland theme park in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. The area contains the roller coasters Behemoth, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Time Warp, and Flight Deck, as well as a variety of other rides. Extending to the park's southern limits, this Paramount Parks addition was the location that ownership chose to focus investment of new roller coasters and adult rides. When Cedar Fair Entertainment Company bought Wonderland as part of a larger purchase, themed area Grand Exposition of 1890 was merged into Action Zone.
History edit
The history of The Grand Exposition of 1890 as a separate section is profiled in its own article.
Creation and development edit
Changes under Cedar Fair edit
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company purchased the Paramount Parks chain in 2007, in advance of the 2008 season, including Canada's Wonderland. Cedar Fair dumped the Grand Exposition branding from park maps in 2008, classifying Action Zone as the southern entire area of the park, east of Splash Works. Some of the attractions that became part of Action Zone don't necessarily jive with the branding: Swing of the Century, Antique Carousel, and the Crystal Arcade. More fitting additions were Time Warp, Flight Deck, and Xtreme Skyflyer. The entrance to the park area still includes intentionally dated flags of the world, a globe sculpture, and the Moroccan theming of one gift shop. Independent on the Viacom conglomerate, the park dumped much of its movie-based branding that season; kids' areas would not retheme until 2010. Italian Job Stunt Coaster became Backlot Stunt Coaster, Tomb Raider became Time Warp, and Top Gun became Flight Deck.
Rides edit
Food and retail edit
A 1950s-style indoor seated restaurant, antique cars are featured out front of Coasters. Back Lot Cafe is a counter service restaurant offering slightly more upscale offerings than the rest of the park.
Near the Flight Deck roller coaster is Fighter Town Funnel Cakes, one of multiple locations for the fried dessert confectionary.
Rock the Casbah, now known simply as Rock, is a music-themed store. Its original name plays off the Moroccan theming of the building, a reminder of the Grand Exposition section for which it was built. In its previous incarnation, it featured international trinkets, clothing, sculptures, vases, kaftans, and hats. An exterior photo booth, originally the internationally-themed Ali Poof, is now an old west theme photo booth run by Kaman's.