Matterhorn Bobsleds
| Matterhorn Bobsleds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
The Matterhorn in 1979
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| Disneyland | |||
| Park section | Fantasyland | ||
| Coordinates | 33°48′47″N 117°55′04″W / 33.813184°N 117.917856°W | ||
| Status | Operating | ||
| Opening date | June 14, 1959 | ||
| General Statistics | |||
| Type | Steel | ||
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics | ||
| Designer | WED Enterprises | ||
| Model | Special Coaster Systems | ||
| Track layout | Dual-tracked | ||
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill | ||
| Fantasyland Track | Tomorrowland Track | ||
| Height | 80 ft (24.4 m) | 80 ft (24.4 m) | |
| Length | 2,037 ft (620.9 m) | 2,134 ft (650.4 m) | |
| Speed | 27 mph (43.5 km/h) | 27 mph (43.5 km/h) | |
| Inversions | 0 | 0 | |
| Duration | 2:07 | 2:26 | |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) | ||
| Trains | 20 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in 3 rows for a total of 6 riders per train. | ||
| Theme | Swiss mountain | ||
| Trains Per Track | 10 | ||
 Single rider line available |
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 Must transfer from wheelchair |
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Matterhorn Bobsleds at RCDB Pictures of Matterhorn Bobsleds at RCDB |
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The Matterhorn Bobsleds are a pair of intertwined steel roller coasters at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is modelled after the Matterhorn, a mountain in the Alps on the border with Switzerland and Italy. It is the first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster known. Located on the border between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland (see below), it employs forced perspective to seem more impressively large.
During the construction of the park, dirt from the excavation of Sleeping Beauty Castle's moat was piled in an area between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. When the park opened, the area, dubbed Holiday Hill (and later Lookout Mountain), was improved with benches and pathways to encourage its use as a picnic area. After the opening of the Disneyland Skyway in 1956, Walt Disney conceived the idea of a toboggan ride on the mountain with real snow but the logistics caused vehement objections by Disneyland construction chief Joe Fowler. In this period, the hill began to be known as Snow Hill. By now, instead of picnicking, the hill had come to be used primarily as a nighttime lovers' lane, much to Disney's dismay. New wild mouse-style roller coasters got the attention of Disneyland executives who began to consider applying this emerging technology to the creation of a toboggan-themed coaster ride on an artificial mountain at the site.
The structure was also intended to act as a decorative overlay to camouflage the central pylon of the Skyway. Use of the Matterhorn, both in style and name, grew from Disney's extended vacation in Switzerland while filming Third Man on the Mountain. In a moment of inspiration, impressed by the beauty of the real Matterhorn, Walt grabbed a postcard of the mountain from a souvenir stand and sent it back to Imagineer (architect) Vic Greene with the message, “Vic. Build This. Walt.” This resulted in the merger of the toboggan ride concept with the thoughts of a bobsled coaster ride that would run around and through the structure. The peak was first shown in a conceptual drawing that was once on display at The Disney Gallery.
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