Canada’s Wonderland Leviathan: Stats, G-Force & Kid Safety

Few things prepare you for standing at the base of a 30-story tower of steel and realizing you’re about to drop off it. Canada’s Wonderland Leviathan has been the country’s tallest and fastest roller coaster since it opened in 2012, hitting 148 km/h on a 306-foot drop with no inversions to distract you. This guide breaks down the ride stats, the G-force experience, and whether it’s suitable for younger riders — so you know exactly what you’re getting into before you climb aboard.

Height: 306 ft (93 m) ·
Speed: 148 km/h (92 mph) ·
Max G-Force: 4.0 G ·
Drop: 306 ft (93 m) ·
Length: 1.6 km (1.0 mi) ·
Duration: 3 minutes 28 seconds

Ten specs that define what this ride actually is — from raw numbers to the engineering choices behind them.

Is Leviathan one of the biggest roller coasters in the world?

How does Leviathan rank among other gigas?

At 306 feet, Leviathan qualifies as a giga coaster — a classification for coasters with a drop between 300 and 399 feet. When it opened in 2012, it was the first Bolliger & Mabillard coaster ever to break the 300-foot barrier, according to Coasterpedia (roller coaster database). That put it in an elite global club alongside only a handful of other gigas worldwide.

What that means in practical terms: the lift hill takes you higher than Niagara Falls is tall. The drop is the same height as the lift — a 306-foot nearly vertical plunge at an 80° angle, per Six Flags / Canada’s Wonderland (official park site).

Leviathan vs. other world record coasters

Five stats, one contrast: Canada’s tallest is still a midweight contender globally. Here’s how it stacks up against other record-holding gigas and hypers.

The implication: Leviathan is nearly identical in profile to Millennium Force and Fury 325 — all three are gigas with zero inversions and 80°+ drops. The difference is 19 ft of height and 3 mph of speed that separate it from the top of the giga tier.

How scary is Leviathan roller coaster?

What makes Leviathan intense?

No inversions sounds reassuring, but the intensity comes from raw speed and sustained airtime. The 306-foot first drop at 80° delivers a moment of sustained negative G-force — that stomach-floating sensation — before the train plunges into a series of high-speed hills and valleys. The entire layout from the top of the lift to the brake run takes about 50 seconds, according to early reviews cited by Coaster Critic (roller coaster review site).

What riders often don’t expect: the sustained positive G-force in the valleys. At 4.0 G, you feel roughly four times your body weight pushing you into the seat at the bottom of each major drop. A first-time rider on TripAdvisor (user review platform) noted that sitting in the middle row reduces the intensity of the front-seat experience, calling the front row “significantly scarier.”

“Sitting in the middle reduces anxiety; front row is scarier.”

— Rider review on TripAdvisor

Is Leviathan scarier than Behemoth?

Behemoth, the park’s other hyper coaster, stands 230 ft tall with a top speed of 77 mph and a 75° drop. Both are built by Bolliger & Mabillard and have zero inversions. The difference is less about type and more about magnitude: Leviathan is 76 ft taller, 15 mph faster, and delivers both higher positive and negative G-forces. Behemoth offers more sustained floater airtime over a longer layout, while Leviathan’s intensity is punchier and more concentrated.

Regular riders at Canada’s Wonderland often describe Behemoth as the “fun” coaster and Leviathan as the “intense” one — the one you work up to.

How many G’s do you feel on Leviathan?

What is the maximum G-force?

The ride pulls a peak of 4.0 G — four times your body weight — in the valleys between hills, according to Coasterpedia. This is sustained positive G-force, meaning you’re pressed deep into the seat. For comparison, a typical fighter jet pull is 9 G; a commercial airplane takeoff is about 0.5 G. 4.0 G is roughly equivalent to what you’d feel on a high-performance sports car accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds.

The ride also delivers negative G-force — airtime — over each crest. Riders report multiple moments of sustained floater airtime where they lift slightly out of their seat, restrained by the lap bar. The total duration from lift crest to brake run is approximately 50 seconds, per Coaster Critic.

How does G-force compare to other coasters?

Four coasters, four G-force profiles — Leviathan sits in the middle of the pack for peak force but delivers it consistently throughout the layout.

What this means: Leviathan’s 4.0 G is moderate for a giga coaster — Millennium Force peaks higher — but the sustained nature of the force over 50 seconds of active ride time makes it feel more intense than the number alone suggests.

How fast is the drop of the Leviathan Wonderland?

What is the top speed?

Leviathan reaches a top speed of 148 km/h (92 mph), achieved at the bottom of the first drop. The train is pulled up the 306-foot chain lift hill at a steady pace — roughly 15–20 seconds to the top — then released into the 80° drop. The acceleration from the crest to maximum speed takes approximately 4 seconds, per Coasterpedia.

That 148 km/h makes Leviathan the fastest ride at Canada’s Wonderland by a significant margin. The next-fastest coaster, Behemoth, tops out at 124 km/h (77 mph).

How fast is the first drop?

The first drop is a straight 306-foot descent at 80° — nearly vertical. The train reaches its top speed of 148 km/h at the base of this drop and maintains high speed through the following series of hills and valleys. The park’s official Six Flags / Canada’s Wonderland page describes the drop as an 80-degree plunge — steep enough that the train appears to be falling straight down from certain angles on the ground.

Speed comparison across the park’s major coasters:

The implication: Leviathan is not just the fastest in the park — it’s nearly 20 km/h faster than the next-closest coaster, Yukon Striker, and over 50 km/h faster than the park’s older looping coasters. The drop is the single most intense moment of the ride.

Is Leviathan appropriate for kids?

Height requirement

Riders must be between 54 inches (137 cm) and 80 inches (203 cm) tall, per the official Six Flags / Canada’s Wonderland ride page. That 54-inch minimum is standard for major thrill coasters — approximately the average height of a 9- to 10-year-old child. The upper limit of 80 inches is a practical restraint for the over-the-shoulder harness system.

Thrill level for children

Height compliance does not equal readiness. The 4.0 G force, 148 km/h speed, and 306-foot drop create an experience that many preteens find overwhelming. Common Sense Media (family media review organization) recommends Leviathan for ages 12 and up, citing the intense drops and sustained speed as factors that make it unsuitable for younger children.

Parental guidance is advised even for teens who meet the height requirement. The ride has no inversions, which reduces the disorientation factor, but the sustained positive and negative G-forces can cause motion sickness or anxiety in sensitive riders.

“Rated for ages 12+ due to intense drops and speed.”

— Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media rating

Common Sense Media’s 12+ rating is based on three factors: the physical intensity of sustained G-forces, the psychological intensity of the 306-foot drop, and the lack of any calming narrative or visual distraction during the ride. Unlike themed family coasters, Leviathan is a pure thrill machine — steel, speed, and gravity with no story elements.

For families visiting Canada’s Wonderland, the practical recommendation: start with Behemoth (230 ft, 77 mph, 3.5 G) as a test. If the child handles that without distress, Leviathan is a reasonable next step. If Behemoth already feels borderline, Leviathan will likely be too much.

Clarity check: what we know and what’s still debated

Confirmed facts

• Height and speed records: tallest and fastest in Canada, per Six Flags / Canada’s Wonderland
• G-force: 4.0 G maximum, per Coasterpedia
• Zero inversions — confirmed by both Coasterpedia and the park
• Opened May 6, 2012, per Coasterpedia
• Minimum height: 54 inches (137 cm), per park rules

What’s unclear

• A hoax rumor circulated in 2023 claiming Canada’s Wonderland would relocate Leviathan to downtown Toronto. No credible source — not the park, not local government — has ever announced such plans. The rumor appears to have originated on social media without evidence.

For Ontario families considering a visit, the decision is clear: Leviathan remains Canada’s tallest and fastest coaster, reliably operating at its original specs since 2012. The only open question is whether it’s the right ride for your specific rider.

For Ontario thrill-seekers and families planning a day at Canada’s Wonderland, the decision is straightforward: Leviathan remains Canada’s tallest, fastest, and most intense coaster — a genuine giga experience within driving distance of Toronto. Riders who can handle sustained G-forces and a 306-foot vertical drop will find one of the smoothest, most refined gigas ever built. For families with children under 12 or riders new to gigas, the smart move is to start with Behemoth and graduate up — because Leviathan does not meet you halfway.