Celebrate the Holidays with Winterfest at Canada’s Wonderland

Canada’s Wonderland (aka “Wonderland”) is Canada’s biggest amusement park. Conveniently just 25 minutes away from Toronto’s downtown core, it’s a great place to spend a wild and very satisfying day. We took Big S and Lil S to Wonderland for the first time this year. (Check out our Guide to Canada’s Wonderland with Little Kids.) They talk about it all the time – I’m pretty sure it’s become one of their core memories!

While Wonderland during the regular season might be a little bit of madness (in a good way), Wonderland during Winterfest is a whole lot of magic.

Winterfest is a holiday festival that runs at Canada’s Wonderland from around mid-November to December 31. It is the perfect event to get into the holiday spirit, and has literally everything we love about the season. The entire park is slathered in lights, holiday music blares from speakers throughout the park, and the shops transform into little festive villages.

Winterfest is a relatively new event, circa 2019. It did not run during the COVID pandemic, so no wonder even most of us who are local had no idea it was happening. I stumbled upon it while browsing local events where the kids could meet Santa. Well, we didn’t even get around to seeing Santa, and the kids were completely and blissfully okay with it, they were having so much fun!

This was our first time at Winterfest, and by the looks of it, certainly won’t be our last.

Wonderland’s transformation for Winterfest

You know how you always have that one friend or neighbour who goes way overboard for Christmas? Well, Wonderland is it.

All the sections of the park are open, and each section is completely decked out in lights with a different theme. There’s a “North Pole”, a “Candy Cane Lane”, “Tinseltown”, “Elf Village”, just to name a few. The shops are completed rebranded. Restaurants have become “Holiday” this and “Festive” that, selling everything from cider to hearty bread bowls. (And hot chocolate everywhere!) Shops that sold souvenirs are suddenly stuffed full of ornaments and giant gnomes. And the giant fountains along International Street transforms into “Snowflake Lake”, an outdoor skating rink.

Santa is there, of course (presiding over the North Pole, naturally). But so is Jack Frost, Mrs. Claus, and a number of other holiday characters.

Some of the rides are open. None of the roller coasters are open, except for the classic Thunder Run, but many of the kids rides are. (These have not been rebranded. That would have just been extra. :P) Of the adult-centric rides, only Sledgehammer, Shockwave, and Nightmares are open (as of 2022).

Winterfest need-to-know

Opening hours

Winterfest runs generally on the weekends (Friday to Sunday) between mid-November to the end of December. It is open on the weeks leading up to Christmas and after Christmas, but closed December 24 and 25th.

The park is open either 5pm – 10pm (most Fridays), or 3pm – 9pm.

Ticket Options

As with the regular season, it’s cheaper to buy tickets online than at the gate.

Tickets are 45 CAD at the gate for both adults and juniors

Online, adult tickets are 29.99 – 34.99 CAD depending on the day. Juniors (by height, under 48 inches) are 19.99.

You can purchase add-ons, such as skating, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, or even rent one of Jack Frost’s igloos!

There are no FunPix, Fast Passes, or meal plans to worry about. You can still purchase parking online (20 CAD).

Better than regular season Wonderland? We think so!

Okay, hear me out on this. We love Wonderland, but we might love it even more during Winterfest.

This is especially true for families with younger kids who can’t enjoy the roller coasters anyways.

Even for practical reasons, Winterfest is a win. It’s significantly cheaper than a day at the parks during regular season (and our kids went on as many if not more rides). Especially when we didn’t have to factor in things likes Fast Passes and meal plans. It’s also a lot more relaxing when you don’t have a list of strategically planned rides to hit up.

It’s less crowded. Particularly earlier in the afternoon from opening time to when it gets dark, the park isn’t busy at all.

The sheer number of lights is stunning. I won’t say every tree is covered in lights, but it sure feels that way. There are also tons of lit decor of snowmen, stars, reindeers, presents, and little photo-ops along the way. Winterfest is nondenominational (from what we could see, apart from some of the carols, maybe), and their “Seasons of Lights” section showcases celebrations from all over the world.

And, perhaps mostly importantly of all, there’s really a little something for everyone, and feels bigger than “just” an amusement park full of rides geared towards wild young people. Winterfest is a true family event, bringing out grandparents and the whole gang. There are more shows and performances, from bands and carolers to storytelling and acrobatics. The skating rink was a huge hit. More of an indoors person? Book cooking decorating with Mrs. Claus, do a craft with Charlie Brown’s “Sally”, or visit Santa’s house or Jack Frost’s igloo. Elf-village is more adult-centric, with most of the bars and even a Christmas market. (We even saw a Grim Reaper dressed in a sparkly robe!)

Watch out for…

In our opinion, there are a few (not many) downsides to Winterfest.

1) It’s cold. I mean, we’re Canadians, so we know how to dress for the weather. But when you’re walking around outside for 5-6 hours in the dark, it gets cold. Especially when us parents are standing around waiting for the kiddos to finish their ride. Wear thick socks, boots, and *aaaall* the layers. (And scour the area for working heat lamps.) Bring a blanket if you’re brining a wagon.

2) It’s late. Because Winterfest is best appreciated at night, the opening hours may not be great for families with really young kids. We went with friends who had a toddler, and they could only stay a few hours before bedtime.

3) Not enough time to do everything! 6 hours is not enough time to explore the entire park, especially if you’ve booked an activity like skating or cookie decorating, or want to have a sit down meal. That’s fine, because you’re really there to take in the holiday vibe, but you just have to adjust your expectations accordingly. For us, we’d really wanted to hit up some rides, go skating, and meet Santa. In the end, the kids decided more rides was more important that waiting in line for Santa. (They’d already delivered their letters during our local parade, thankfully!)

Tips for planning your Winterfest experience

Get there early

Same idea as with our summer guide to Wonderland. The park is much quieter if you get there at or even before opening. They will let you in up to half an hour before opening. If there is something particularly important to you (eg. meeting Santa, or going on Thunder Run), I would do that one first.

Plan your time before it gets dark

Many Winterfest features (eg. the Northern Starlight light exhibit) cannot be appreciated during the day. This is a good time to hit up the rides in the kids area, or a few shows. It might also be good to book cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus at this time. Although it does need to be pre-booked, the activity is indoors and it apparently gets very crowded. (We did not book this, but our friends did. They didn’t end up staying for it, as they reported it was too busy to navigate with a cranky toddler.)

Tree Lighting Ceremony

Determine if the Tree Lighting Ceremony is worth attending. The ceremony starts at 530pm, just as darkness falls. There is a short performance, and everyone counts down as they light two massive 50 foot trees. It’s fun and festive, and I would say most of the park’s guests gather for this. If you don’t care much to see this, you will have your pick of whatever else in the park you want to do. After this, the park gets way more crowded.

Bring your own hot chocolate

Bring your own hot chocolate in a thermos. (There are plenty of spots that sell hot chocolate, but the lines can be long.)

Check in early for skating

If you have booked a skating slot, be sure to check in at least 30 minutes ahead of time. The check-in area is located just next to the park entrance. Every person skating has to complete a rather lengthy waiver (which can be done ahead of time). There may be a line, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time. Once you’ve checked in, you will get a wristband and can then proceed to the skating area. Skates are available for rent by the rink on a first come first serve basis. (Give yourself extra time if you’re renting.) Remember to bring helmets for the kiddos.

Our other tips for a successful Wonderland trip with kids still stand:

Download the Wonderland App. The Winterfest map will tell you where everything is, and when all the showtimes are.

Bring a wagon. We didn’t see as many people bringing wagons as we did in the summer, but I feel it’s still a good idea. Not only does it give kids (even older ones) a welcome rest, it’s much easier to keep track of the kids in a crowd, in the dark, when they’re in the wagon. It’s also very handy for schlepping skating gear back and forth from the car.

Bring all the snacks. Because snacks makes kids happy, and happy kids make happy parents.

Going into Winterfest, I really didn’t know how *involved* it was going to be. It really does give new meaning to “winter wonderland” (no pun intended). It’s immersive, festive, and fun for the entire family. I simultaneously wanted to do everything *and* take my time soaking up the holiday magic. We highly recommend a night at Winterfest if you’re in the area, and it might just become a new holiday tradition. (We’re definitely going back next year – we didn’t even make it to the North Pole!)

Have questions about Winterfest? Drop us a line! (Oh, and a sneak peak of those gorgeous lights in action below!)