Winter has here, and some of you may be hearing the swish-swish of skis going down a snow-covered mountain in your brain. Of course, we have our own mountain range here at the Disneyland Resort, which began with the Matterhorn. Here are a few facts you might not know about this Alpine adventure monument:
- The Matterhorn has been a Disneyland landmark since 1959, when it was part of the park’s first significant expansion since its 1955 opening. Along with the Disneyland Monorail and the Submarine Voyage, the Matterhorn Bobsleds opened on June 14, 1959.
- The Matterhorn Bobsleds was the world’s first roller coaster to use a tubular steel track and an electronic dispatch system that allowed multiple cars to be on the track at the same time.
- The Disneyland Matterhorn is 1/100th the size of the actual Matterhorn, with a height of 147 feet compared to the original’s 14,700 feet.
- Since 1959, the Matterhorn has been the highest point in Disneyland Park. It is the Disneyland Resort’s second-highest point, after the 183-foot-tall Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure park.
- The live-action Disney adventure film “Third Man on the Mountain,” starring James MacArthur and Michael Rennie as mountaineers, was the inspiration for the ride. The film was shot on and around the genuine Matterhorn in Switzerland.
- Mountaineering supplies and other evidence of the “Wells Expedition” can be found by those who look quickly while speeding through the Matterhorn tunnels. These scenic touches pay homage to the late Frank Wells, who served as president and Chief Operating Officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until 1994. Wells has climbed and skied in the mountains before.
