Thirty minutes north of Toronto lies Canada's answer to Disney World. The 120-hectare (300-acre) park features more than 140 attractions, including 60 rides, a water park, a play area for tiny tots (KidZville), and live shows.

Adults and kids alike come for the thriller rides. Because the park relies on the local audience, it introduces new rides every year. In 2003, it opened Sledge Hammer, which it described as a "menacing mechanical giant"; true to its billing, the behemoth stands 80 feet tall and hurls riders through accelerated jumps and free-falls. Other top attractions include the Fly, a roller coaster designed to make every seat feel as if it's in the front car (the faint of heart can't hide at the back of this one!); Drop Zone, in which riders free-fall 70m (230 ft.) in an open cockpit; Cliffhanger, a "super swing" that executes 360-degree turns and makes riders feel immune to gravity; and the Xtreme Skyflyer, a hang-gliding and skydiving hybrid that plunges riders 46m (150 ft.) in a free fall. The roller coasters range from the looping, inverted Top Gun, to the track-free suspended Vortex.

The Splash Works water park offers a huge wave pool and 16 water rides, from speed slides and tube rides to special scaled-down slides and a kids' play area. You'll also find Hanna-Barbera characters, including Scooby-Doo, strolling around the park (and ready to get their picture taken with the kids). Additional attractions include Wonder Mountain and its high divers (they take the 20m/66-ft. plunge down Victoria Falls to the mountain's base), restaurants, and shops. The Kingswood Theatre books top-name entertainers.

You'll definitely want to take a full day to see everything. If you picnic on the grounds and forgo souvenirs, a family of four can "do" the park for about C$200 (US$140), depending on the age of the kids. Watch out, though, for the extra attractions not included in the admission pass.