- 5/2/2025
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00:23But others at Disney had been seeing magazine articles on a novel new roller coaster design.
00:30Known as a wild mouse, it featured hairpin curves and drops, perfect for ducking into and out of a mountain cavern, just like a bobsled.
00:39The problem was, traditional roller coaster track, such as the ones found on wild mice, couldn't be twisted without kinks and buckling.
00:47Looking around the shop, one of them suddenly had an epiphany.
00:51There was one shape that would stay uniform when bent into a twist or a curve.
00:57A round tube.
00:59Tubes could be bent in any direction, even through compound curves, and they'd keep their uniform diameter.
01:06A modification to the shop's pipe bender would deliver the necessary results.
01:10Basic wheel design that had been a staple of roller coasters for over 50 years would also have to be changed.
01:16The trucks would have to pivot independently.
01:19Urethane tires were substituted for steel ones, which smoothed and quieted the ride.
01:25And before they knew it, Aero had invented the modern tubular steel track roller coaster.
01:32With the track challenge now solved, Aero went to work, bending the tubes into what would become a thrilling bobsled run through the Alps.
01:41Well, the Matterhorn was a curious project from the standpoint that I didn't like roller coasters one bit, but Walt told me I'm going to design both the preliminary shape of the car,
01:52and I'm going to design the course line for the track.
01:55While the decision had been made with Carl and Ed at Aero Development up here in Mountain View, that they were to manufacture whatever we came up with.
02:04And that included the body of the car and also the track course.
02:08They also created a unique speed control system, tires rubbing against the bottom of the cars, which allowed multiple trains to run simultaneously, which greatly increased capacity and preserved safety.
02:21Today, it's known as a block brake system and is standard on roller coasters worldwide.
02:27After all the planning and adjustments up until the night before, the Matterhorn bobsleds opened to the public on June 14th, 1959, becoming the world's first tubular steel roller coaster and setting the stage for half a century of roller coaster design.
02:46During the planning phase, Disneyland legend Frank Georgia made many models to get the mountain's shape correct from all perspectives.
02:54Here's a shot of one of those models.
02:56After the opening of the Disneyland Skyway in 1956, Walt Disney conceived the idea of a toboggan ride on a mountain with real snow, but the logistics caused vehement objections by Disneyland construction chief Joe Fowler.
03:09In this period, the hill began to be known as Snow Hill.
03:13By now, instead of picnicking, the hill had come to be used primarily as a nighttime lover's lane, much to Disney's dismay.
03:20New 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.
03:33Like dozens of other Disneyland attractions, the mountain was inspired by Disney movies, a 1955 documentary called Switzerland and a 1958 feature called Third Man on the Mountain.
03:44In addition, Walt Disney had already made several trips to the actual Matterhorn and have been enchanted by it.
03:50So when the idea of a snow-capped hill with a toboggan ride occurred to him in late 1956, by 1957 that idea had evolved into a taller, snow-capped mountain with a roller coaster ride,
04:02and by late 1958 it had grown into the majestic Matterhorn with his revolutionary Matterhorn bobsleds.
04:09The name evolved right along with the plan.
04:12What began as Snow Hill became Snow Mountain, then Mount Disneyland, Disneyland Mountain, Sorcerer's Mountain, Magic Mountain, Fantasy Mountain, Echo Mountain,
04:21the Valterhorn, adapting Walt's name, and finally Matterhorn Mountain.
04:26During the construction of the park, dirt from the excavation of Sleeping Beauty's castle moat was piled in the area between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
04:34When the park opened, the area was dubbed Holiday Hill and later Lookout Mountain.
04:39It was improved with benches and pathways to encourage it to be used as a picnic area.
04:44Holiday Hill was a 20-foot-tall bump straddling the Fantasyland and Tomorrowland border.
04:50As it grew, the construction project gobbled up over 2,000 steel girders with a frame with no two girders identical in size and shape,
04:57four acres of cement, smooth by hand, covered with construction light gray skin, with 2,500 gallons of white resin, added permanent snow to the upper half.
05:09The location makes the European Mountain clearly visible from the All-American Main Street,
05:14a potential jarring sight that bothered some designers, but not Walt Disney.
05:19The location makes the European Mountain clearly visible from the All-American Main Street,
05:24a potential jarring sight that bothered some designers, but not Walt Disney.
05:28The location always places the mountain in the middle of lots of park traffic.
05:33Not including the bobsleds, five other kinds of vehicles have passed close by over the years.
05:38The Motorboat Cruise, Fantasyland Utopia, Submarine Voyage, Alice in Wonderland Caterpillar Cars, and the Looping Monorail.
05:46Additionally, the old Skyway trams actually passed through, not around the mountain.
05:51The finished mountain, its landscaped grounds, and its Alpine Team Q area created a circular park footprint of about one and a half acres.
06:00The mountain stands precisely 147 feet tall, which is 1 one-hundredth the height of the actual real Matterhorn.
06:07Not only is it still the tallest structure in Disneyland, for a while, the Matterhorn was the tallest structure in the county,
06:13until a building boom in the 1960s built up the surrounding skyline.
06:17Horse perspective is the same movie-making technique that makes Sleeping Beauty Castle look taller than it really is,
06:23or also makes the Matterhorn seem to stretch higher than it really does.
06:27Here the trick is in the trees, which get gradually smaller the farther up the mountain they grow.
06:32For many guests, arriving via the Santa Ana Freeway, their first view of Disneyland has often been a quick glimpse of the Matterhorn.
06:40The memorable mountain has been a Disneyland icon since 1959.
06:44Nowadays, guests appreciate the fun and aesthetics of the thrilling Matterhorn ride,
06:49but few people realize how innovative this attraction was when it debuted in 1959.
06:53Before then, all roller-coaster-type rides placed long trains on wooden tracks with wide curves.
07:00In contrast, the bobsleds of the Disneyland first true thrill ride used small, sleek vehicles,
07:06not on wooden tracks, but on hollow metal tubes that made the ride both quieter and smoother.
07:12On the day of the bobsleds' debut, Walt Disney and his family and Vice President Richard Nixon took the first ride.
07:19It was wilder, too, since the metal tubes could be bent easily.
07:23The ride had tighter curves.
07:24Furthermore, the Imagineers placed more than one bobsled at a time on a track,
07:29an important strategy for cutting down wait times.
07:32When the single bobsleds were later doubled up into pairs,
07:36the Swiss costume cast numbers could fill them with over 1,500 guests per hour.
07:41Disney legend Bob Gurr is credited as the main designer of the little two-tone bobsleds.
07:46The bobsleds run on two tracks that climb through the inside of the Matterhorn to a point about two-thirds the way up.
07:53They then glide down quickly around and through the mountain for a total distance of about 2,100 feet.
07:59During a two-and-a-quarter-minute trip, the sleds on both tracks travel at an average speed of barely 20 miles an hour.
08:06The speed certainly seems faster, though, and riders can grab quick glimpses of the spectacular sea moon.
08:12One of the special touches that has made the trip distinctive is its climax, a sudden splashy swoop through a glacial lake.
08:19No other ride had an effect like this in the late 1950s.
08:22This splashdown not only creates a great visual effect for riders and pedestrians, but also decelerates the speeding sleds.
08:29Before the lake was in place, test rides culminated in sandbags and bales of hay.
08:34The mountain has many unique features, but one thing its placement between the two lands has meant the Disneyland souvenir books have listed it first in Tomorrowland for its first nine years, and then in Fantasyland.
08:45The Matterhorn cost $1.5 million, and in 2022 dollars it would cost almost $15 million to build.
08:53The mountain climbers used metal bolts to secure themselves.
08:56The bolts were out there originally for the painters, but they followed some incredible routes.
09:01In 1978, the abominable snowman named Harold, ice caverns, and glowing crystals were added.
09:07When you start up the computers for the Matterhorn, the screen displays a message which says Harold isn't going to like this.
09:14When you first approach the attraction, you may notice the unique station where you wait to board the bobsleds.
09:21While the attraction was being designed and built, Walt and his Imagineers wanted guests to be able to enjoy the view of the Matterhorn,
09:27similar to how one might view it from its hometown of Zermatt.
09:31Rising from the roofline is a picturesque tower inspired by a famous clock tower near the real Matterhorn mountain.
09:38The clock tower is probably the second most famous site in Zermatt, following the Matterhorn itself,
09:43and recreates a familiar scene of Switzerland's famed chalets.
09:47Adorning the front of this quaint building are shields representing the cantons or states in Switzerland.
09:54The opposite side is adorned with fenciful, alpine-style floral cutouts edged in brightly colored paints.
10:01The design recalls the colors and motifs found both in traditional Swiss embroidery designs,
10:06as well as the decorative painted patterns found on some mountain chalets.
10:10As you whisk through the mountain on your bobsled, you will pass a horde of mountaineering supplies and collected treasures from the mountain's past.
10:19The scene is full of historical details, including a tribute to the late Frank Wells,
10:24who was president and chief operating officer of the Walt Disney Company from 1984 until his death in 1994.
10:31From Wad Disneyland Dictionary, 1968, it's a 146-foot-tall replica of the famous Swiss mountain.
10:37The Matterhorn is Disneyland's tallest landmark. Mountain climbers scale its steep slopes regularly for the entertainment of guests.
10:44Its racing bobsleds are among Disneyland's most popular attractions.
10:48The skyway passes through the Glacier Grotto and Ice Caverns, halfway to the top.
10:54Tinkerbell begins her flight from its peak every night during the summer season.
10:58The bobsleds provide one of the most thrilling adventures in Disneyland with two separate runs.
11:03Four passenger bobsleds climb to an eight-story height inside the mountain,
11:08then race downward on tracks which wind inside and out,
11:11skim past waterfalls and through Glacier Grotto, providing many flash-by views of Disneyland.
11:17Climax to the journey comes as sleds splash into Glacier Lakes at the bottom of the mountain.
11:22From Steve Burgum brings you the best Disneyland 1982.
11:27Opened during the summer of the premiere of Walt Disney's 1959 Third Man in the Mountain,
11:31which dramatized an ascent of this mighty Swiss peak,
11:34this has to be counted among Disneyland's best true thrill rides.
11:38Even locals who have been here many times and who know the park well
11:42don't mind standing in line for this one.
11:44like Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,
11:46the Matterhorn bobsleds ride was a thrill to it,
11:49as Richard M. Nixon, who dedicated the attraction in 1959,
11:53he was vice president and attest.
11:55In fact, it was quite a novelty at the time because of its then-unique block system dispatch,
12:01which allowed more than one car to be in action at once,
12:04and because of its cylinder, rail, track, and urethane wheels,
12:07which have since become quite commonplace among coasters.
12:32Welcome to a most exciting adventure,
12:34a breathtaking bobsled ride down the icy slopes of the majestic Matterhorn.
12:41To assist you in boarding your bobsled,
12:44we ask that you observe the seating diagram directly overhead.
12:49For your own safety,
12:51please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened at all times.
13:15Die Stalling
13:17hate
13:20Die Stalling
13:23Die Stalling
13:25Die Stalling
13:27v
13:29die
13:30The Matterhorn, monument to alpine splendor, is scaled by climbers every day during the summer months.
14:00This means of descent is not recommended for visitors. There's a safer way that is just as much fun. The bobsled ride.
14:30The Matterhorn
15:00For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, anytime, as well.
15:30The Matterhorn
16:00For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:11The Matterhorn
16:12For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:18The Matterhorn
16:20For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:29The Matterhorn
16:30For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:35The Matterhorn
16:46For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:51The Matterhorn
16:52For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
16:57The Matterhorn
17:17For your safety, remain seated at all times, with your hands and arms, every day during the summer months.
17:20Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
17:50Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place, and remain in place, and remain in place.
18:10Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place, and remain in place, and remain in place.
18:26Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place, and remain in place.
18:42Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
18:58Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
19:14Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
19:20Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
19:36Keep your hands and arms inside the box lift at all times, and remain in place.
19:42We love you.
19:54I'll be healthy!
19:56Speccy.
19:57Capacity 16 hundred per hour.
19:59Capacity per sled four.
20:00Cycle time, 4 minutes 12 seconds.
20:01Load time, 10 seconds.
20:02Unload time, 10 seconds.
20:03Trip time, 2 minutes 22 seconds.
20:04Dispatch interval, 18 seconds.
20:05Trip per hour, 200.
20:06Distance traveled,
20:07A-side 2,068.
20:08B-side, 2,172 feet.
20:10Speed, 10.2 miles per hour.
20:11miles per hour. In the early days of the Matterhorn, there was only scaffolding
20:19and railing inside the mountain before the ice caves were put in. You can see
20:23here the skyway passing through the mountain, the maintenance area for the
20:32bobsleds, and the elevator leading up to the infamous basketball court. There's
20:39Harold's eyes and Harold himself. Sometimes the ride does break down and they
20:50have to evacuate the guests. Here are some shots of them evacuating the guests out
20:54of the sleds. Checking the speed of the sleds, you rarely get to see that type of
21:06shot. They run at about 20 miles per hour. Communication devices, control panels,
21:23aircraft warning lights that are on top of the Matterhorn. Old Harold, a new Harold. A
21:33couple of bobsleds sitting backstage. Where the ride runs, which is up to about
21:40two-thirds of the way, is an area that they didn't know what to do with. Maybe Walt
21:45gave the cast members a chance to come up with what would they do with this space.
21:49Anyway, it ended up being a basketball court and when ride operators and the
21:55guys that climb the mountain are finished doing their work, they can go up there and
22:00shoot a few baskets high above everybody else that's going through the glaciers. Pull up.
22:07up
22:09and
22:13to
22:14the
22:17the
22:19the
22:21the
22:25the
22:30the
22:34RAAAARGH!
22:38HAAAARGH!
22:42HAAARGH!
22:46HAAARGH!
22:52HAAARGH!
22:56HAAARGH!
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