Matterhorn Fun Facts

When Disneyland first opened the Matterhorn wasn't there. It was just a patch of orange trees.
REPORTED: Disneyfreak 25 SEP 99
They climb the Matterhorn.
REPORTED: Benjamin Rockwell 02 MAY 97
CONFIRMED: Tigger 30 SEP 99
The 1/100 scale 147 foot tall Matterhorn at Disneyland is set in exact geographical alignment with the real Matterhorn in Switzerland.
REPORTED: Scott Fleming 18 NOV 98
The framework of the Matterhorn is not metal, it is wood! The fire sprinkler system is very outdated. Could you imagine the Matterhorn catching fire? Think about it - a rocky mountain burning! Wouldn't that be eerie?
REPORTED: Dana Frees 04 JUN 00
Matterhorn is in fact made of steel who ever got the idea it was made of wood? If you go on this website you will see a poicture of Matterhorn being built and see a metal frame not a wooden frame. Also in many Walt Disney biographies that I have read they have a picture of the Matterhorn being built and the frame is steel!!!
REPORTED: mackie 07 MAY 06
Before Matterhorn opened, Walt took it for a spin. Since the ride was not yet completed workers piled some hay at the end to stop the ride. Walt liked the the feeling of way he collided with the hay so much he made the ride end to the same effect as the hay.
REPORTED: anon 30 MAR 97
The real reason for the bobsleds to run through water (at the end) was that the company Arrow, who designed the ride, wanted to scrub off speed at the end, and they thought water would be the best solution. When Walt informed them there would be an Alpine like lake at the base of the mountain, they pitched the idea.
UPDATE: Big Thunder Mountain 03 JAN 01
At night if you approach the Matterhorn from Tommorland, one of the caves is glowing. If you are tall or high enough, look into the glowing cave. (The cave is glowing blue) you will see the Abominable Snowman! My mom saw this on my last trip.
REPORTED: Perry 21 DEC 00
The Matterhorn has an interesting design. When you board the ride at the Fantasyland side of the mountain, you will experience a "mild" ride- theory being that this is the side that more children will enter and that teenagers will be more attracted to the "rougher" side at Autopia/Submarines.
REPORTED: Lauren Jensen 05 AUG 97
We were on the Fantasyland side of the Matterhorn and noticed that it is much slower than the Tomorrowland side. We asked a cast member, and he told us that the Tomorrowland side is faster and rougher.
CONFIRMED: Amanda Pettitt & Kuo-Fang Chiang 06 APR 98
Years ago the two tracks on the Matterhorn were labeled "faster" and "slower", but a problem developed in that lines of unequal length developed. Depending on the crowd in the park at the time one side would be much longer (on grad night the faster side would have far more riders) and so the signs were removed.
CONFIRMED: Doug Benner 18 SEP 98
Somebody posted that one track of the Matterhorn Bobsleds is faster than the other. I thought this was also the case. But when I asked a Cast Member I was told it was not. She told me that the actual speed is determined by how much weight is on each Bobsled. Thus the more weight, the faster the speed.
WISHFUL THINKING: Manuel Caneri 24 DEC 97
Years ago the two tracks on the Matterhorn were labeled "faster" and "slower", but a problem developed in that lines of unequal length developed. Depending on the crowd in the park at the time one side would be much longer (on grad night the faster side would have far more riders) and so the signs were removed.
UPDATE: Doug Benner 18 SEP 98
My Dad worked at Disneyland years ago and he said that the Fantasyland side is 4 seconds faster because of the turn into the small cave at the end. The Tomorrowland side has a larger dip in the begining. Also, the speed is mainly determined by the weight of the bobsled.
UPDATE: Erin 20 JUN 99
I can confirm that there is no "fast" or "slow" side of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The Matterhorn was designed to be a momentum type attraction (meaning ... the weight of the sled-load deturmines the ultimate speed of your bobsled). However, every Matterhorn-Buff knows that the Fantasyland side is the "outside track" (it makes wider turns) while the Submarine side takes the "inner track" (resulting in sharper turns). Sharper turns result in a feeling of being whiped around and increased speed. When watchind the speed of two bobsleds they both tend to clock in at about 21 mph., but it's not uncommon to see a sled on the Fantasyland side go faster than one on the Sub side and the Sub side riders feel as if they've gone on a better ride. So, what does this mean for you? If you want speed ... get as many people together as you can (only 2 riders to a seat) sit exactly where the cast member tells you to sit (they seat you strategically when they can) and choose the shortest line (THEY'RE BOTH THE SAME). But if you crave the preception of speed and classic Disney illusion, then get as many people together as you can (only 2 riders to a seat) sit exactly where the cast member tells you to sit (they seat you strategically when they can) and ride the Sub side.
UPDATE: Commander Courage 24 JUN 99
The track on the Tomorrowland side does go a little faster a cast member said that some of the hills are a little steeper and longer also the curves sharper and tighter because that the track runs inner side of the Matterhorn as opposed to the outer track. But she also said that it does vary because the weight of the people.
CONFIRMED: John-Patrick 12 NOV 99
There were in fact "faster" and "slower" signs when Matterhorn first opened, but they were forced to take them off, because the faster line had more people than the slower, and they wanted them more even.
CONFIRMED: disneylover 27 FEB 00
CONFIRMED: brian 30 APR 00
When my family was at Disneyland this summer my mom went on one of the tours. The lady giving the tour said that the right side of the Matterhorn goes faster than the left side.
CONFIRMED: anon 13 AUG 00
CONFIRMED: Matterhorn Lover 18 NOV 00
CONFIRMED: Anonymouse 24 JUN 01
There are Hidden Turtles in the Matterhorn
REPORTED: Ben Hertzberg 29 DEC 96
On the Fantasyland side of the Matterhorn, from the general vantage point of the Mad Tea Party, you can see a tea cup handle incorporated into the upper-right-hand corner of the cavelike, right "hole" through which the skyway used to pass. The handle looks sort of like a thin half-donut. This was pointed out to me by a cast member.
REPORTED: AprilDecember 12 JUN 99
Matterhorn mountain vibrates from the passing bobsleds. One can clearly feel this vibration when leaning against the "rock" base of the mountain in the Tomorrowland side of the waiting line.
REPORTED: Mark Atkins 31 MAY 02
There is a basketball court in the top of the Matterhorn (there's a room up there that's about a half-court big). The climbers who used to scale the Matterhorn took their breaks there.
REPORTED: Maddy 26 NOV 95
CONFIRMED: Chad Beck 19 APR 96
CONFIRMED: Eric B 22 AUG 96
The basketball court is on the 5^th floor of the mountain. If you look carefully and count, there are 5 sections of the mountain, starting at the bottom, and each section gets smaller. So that means that the court is at the very top of the mountain.
CONFIRMED: Daniel Fleiner 27 FEB 97
CONFIRMED: Mike Oxbigg 12 MAR 98
CONFIRMED: STUBABY 15 MAY 98
CONFIRMED: Ashley 14 JUL 98
CONFIRMED: Shane 24 AUG 98
CONFIRMED: Greg Harris 28 NOV 98
CONFIRMED: Tinker Bell* 22 JUN 99
CONFIRMED: shaida 22 FEB 00
There is no longer a basketball "court" in the Matterhorn. We visited Disneyland this week, and my dad noticed a man wearing a 'Team Matterhorn' jacket. He asked the man if he was one of the climbers, but the man said no, that he was doing repair up there. Apparently, the wooden structure has developed dry rot, and they are renovating it a section at a time. My dad asked about the basketball hoop, but the man said that it had been removed. Sorry!
UPDATE: Kimabee 07 JUL 00
It's True There is a Basket ball Hoop in the Materhorn Mt. My freind and I asked a Disneyland worker, "I'v heard rumors and I wanted to know is there really a basketball hoop in the Materhorn???" To which he said yes
CONFIRMED: Alex Bellamey 07 JUL 00
CONFIRMED: Byron Danchuk 17 JUL 00
CONFIRMED: Clammy 29 NOV 00
I was talking to a few of the crew members at the Disneyland park in Anaheim yesterday about the matterhorn ride.They said that indeed there is a half-court basketball court and a ping-pong table for the Matterhorn workers to take their breaks in. It is on the 4th floor out of 5 on the Matterhorn, and you take an elevator up to it - the same elevator that you would use to fix a part of the ride if it needed maintenance, etc.
CONFIRMED: Jimmy Hanson 22 APR 01
CONFIRMED: SLK 23 APR 01
CONFIRMED: anon 11 JUL 01
Yes, there is a small basketball hoop inside the Matterhorn Mountain. As a former cast member, I shot around inside after the park was closed one night. The rim is actually mounted on a wooden stairway in the middle of the room which leads up to the platform that Tinkerbell stands on. Surrounding the stairs are worn out and broken couches and a set of lockers formerly used by the mountain climbers. Also in the same room are camaras sticking out of small openings in the mountain, looking out over the park. One is visible from the attraction's entrance.
CONFIRMED: Chuck Keeler 17 APR 02
While on the Matterhorn, I noticed that you can see the elevator that goes to the top of the ride. Its location is hard to find but if you are on the left side of the ride (looking at it from Fantasyland), keep looking on the left side while the ride is going. Its pretty cool when you find it.
REPORTED: anon 04 AUG 01
The wire that Tinkerbell slides down is a lightning rod ground to prevent the Matterhorn form being struck by lightning.
REPORTED: Dave Shadle 08 FEB 96
Disney has arielists, both male and female, playing Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell slides down the wire from the Matterhorn to behind the Village Haus restaurant. Tinkerbell is caught at the end of her zip line by two guys with mattresses. Cast Members enjoy watching Tinkerbell crash into an old bed mattress in the landing area, an elevated platform behind the Village Haus restaurant. Guests can also see this if they stand in the elevated exit area of the Casey Jr. attraction.
REPORTED: Dave Shadle 08 FEB 96
CONFIRMED: Tony Crescenzo 21 FEB 96
CONFIRMED: Scott Mackay 14 MAR 96
CONFIRMED: Susan Smrecek 09 MAY 96
CONFIRMED: Eric B 22 AUG 96
I was able to see Tinkerbell slam into the mattress. I first stood on the elevated platform, but the trees have grow so tall that it's hard to see. The better area to stand is at the end of the Casey Jr. exit ramp just after the exit gate.
CONFIRMED: Kristy Lee 04 SEP 96
Tinkerbell flies across the park at dusk, lit by spotlights, suspended on a wire running between two buildings. The woman gymnast playing Tinkerbell is large (6'+), so the visitors can easily see her from the ground. The wire is sloped and the gymnast wears a harness attached to a wheel that rides the wire. She adopts her pose, pushes off onto the wire, and when she clears the building the follow spots come on, effectively blinding her as she soars across the park. The trouble is stopping her flight at the other end: the water tower is hollow and has a hinged door that opens, and inside are two people holding up bed mattresses. The spotlights go out just before she gets to the tower, and crouched down inside are two guys (my friend was one of them) holding up large soft mattresses... and in flies a very heavy, large gymnast with no night vision. The ensuing collision is massive, usually throwing all three of them to the floor in a heap.
CONFIRMED: rob macfarlane 06 SEP 96
A cast-member friend of mine and I were talking about Tinkerbell's flight during the Fantasy in the Sky show. Appearantly, if the CM playing Tinkerbell gets cold-feet about his/her flight (yes, guys have been cast as Tinkerbell during this flight) that CM is PUSHED out of the window. Obviously, he/she is already hooked to the cable at the time--the show must go on, I guess.
CONFIRMED: Tony Dali 05 FEB 98
Tinkerbell gets paid $250 a night during the summer to fly from the Matterhorn to Sleeping Beauty's castle.
UPDATE: anon 10 NOV 99
There are a few people that have reported that men and women have played the Tinker Bell role during the beginning of the firework ceremony...this is UNTRUE! Tinker Bell has always been played by a woman, and in fact, the same family! They were a family of acrobats, and the women are small in stature, and obviously big in impact as they slide down the wire! The role has been passed from mother to daughter since the park's inception. I don't think that it is likely to change! Also, starting this past summer, Tink got a new outfit that is illuminated not only by sequins, but also has twinkling lights on the dress and wings...!!
UPDATE: Tinker Bell 11 OCT 00
During the BELIEVE fireworks display at 9:30 - two Tinkerbells "fly" over the castle on wires. The first is a light up device made out of stripped plastic cups and lights, and is "flown" on a wire which is pulled around to keep "tink" from flying straight. The second Tinkerbell is a real person. This one is actually a 6 foot+ man with size 14 shoes! He wears a wig and plenty of makeup, and has to shave his body. I didn't believe it, until my fiancee and i stood under the wire on the backside of the castle between Peter Pan and Snow White. Then we laughed our heads off. Also, it's true that a mattress is propped up against the "landing pad".
UPDATE: Natalie B. 18 APR 01
According to a cast member, Tinkerbell is more often than not a man. Something about the rig they have to fly down on calling for a certain body weight, etc.
UPDATE: anon 23 JUN 01
I was at Disneyland in mid July. It has always been my dream to be the Tinkerbell in the fireworks show. I asked a cast member which lucky person the job went to. It was NOT a man. In fact, it was originally an older woman who passed it to her daughter, and then the daughter down to her own daughter. A man has never been Tinkerbell and it has always been the same family. Additionally, the cast member informed me that she gets 600$ a night to fly. This has since then been confirmed by a few of my friends who work there.
UPDATE: anon 27 AUG 01
Watch Believe from the Carnation Garden Plaza. After Tinkerbell flies by she hits a matress on the water tower and climbs down. Sometimes she will exit the area new the Carnation Garden Plaza stage. She is wearing a brown turban and robe to cover her wig. She can also be seen near the giant parade gate at Toon Town. I think the location changes every few months.
UPDATE: anon 25 FEB 02
After the first Fantasmic! is over the fireworks start and Tinker Bell flys down from the Matterhorn, Tinker Bell is a man. He is a older aged man (this was a while back so I don't remember the exact age, but was older than 40). The man has been doing it since he was 20. He does it himself most of the time but sometimes it is a girl. The man wears lights and the girls do not. This was told to me by a Cast member.
UPDATE: Anthony Bingham 14 JUN 02
It it true that there are men that play Tinkerbell i was just there in November and asked one of the cast members if Tinkerbell was a boy or a girl and luckily for us because we were one of the few still in the park she told us that there were three Tinkerbells and only one of three of them was a girl because you have to have the body strength to hold yourself up on the wire.
UPDATE: Mackie 07 MAY 06
The wig that Tinkerbell wears as she flew from the Matterhorn during the old fireworks show was actually a helmet. This helped protect him/her from the impact of the large padded wall (located behind the Village Haus in Fantasyland) that she would hit (hard) at the end of her "flight."
REPORTED: FORMER CAST MEMBER 06 JUL 00
During a recent trip to Disneyland, my friends and I were talking to a Cast Member about the flying of Tinkerbell over the park at night. She informed us that Tinkerbell's costume is not actually green. The costume itself is blue. They shine a yellow spotlight on her to make it appear green.
REPORTED: Keena Lindsay 13 AUG 99
On a recent visit to Disneyland, the Matterhorn broke down. My family and I were stuck near the top for about 5 minutes. When the cast members arrived to evacuate us they let us take this rare picture of the snow man. He's wearing my son's hat! If you ever get stuck on that ride, know that the cast members are great and are willing to do almost anything for you (It's such a rare pleasure).
REPORTED: Mark Sudock 27 JUL 99
Near the begining where you see just the red eyes of a snow monster look up to see the metal framing of the Matterhorn.
REPORTED: Disneyland Geneuis 12 AUG 99
If you're in the left tunnel, look up right after the red snow monster's eyes and you may see the metal frame and some wires that make up the Matterhorn.
COMFIRMED: Disneyfreak 25 SEP 99
Yes, that is true - there is metal framing above your head in the dark tunnels just after the big hill. This is really, however, chicken wire that the Imagineers used to attach the fake rock material to when they built the ride. They never finished the ceiling, knowing that the tunnel was going to be dark for the red eyes of the snowman. My friend and I rode the Matterhorn and were lucky enough to be in the last train of the night. When we got to the top, one of the operators turned on the work lights. You could see through this mesh and into a short attic-like room with wooden framing. (I think, but am not sure, that the floor above was the famed basketball court) Since this, I have brought a flashlight along with me to Disneyland to show my friends the non-existant ceiling. It is so much better, however, if you can be the last person. Until next time.
CONFIRMED: Kyle 16 AUG 00

Current
Previous
I'm sure they've changed the monster in the Matterhorn because I saw an old picture of him, and he was very different-looking (and much scarier). His hair seemed longer, and grayer...and the light around him wasn't blue, it was like a dark brown.
REPORTED: Er The Ic 13 MAR 00
I heard that the monster in the matterhorn has to be replaced, not very often but sometimes it just gets old. so they replace the creature with a new one, but store the old ones somewhere else in the park, where they are visible to the guests. has anyone ever seen one, where if so post it here and i'll come back to check soon!!! That is kind of a creepy thing what if it is like in the Haunted Mansion!!!!
UPDATE: Kate Hanna 10 MAY 00
Indeed, Yeti has changed considerably, and even more recently too! They have 2 Glam Rock Yeti's (teased hair and more fog) each as the last Yeti on either side! The first Yeti is grungy looking and more scary but the other ones look like rock stars! Yay, Yeti!!! (and sometimes if you look right into his face one of his eyes is burnt out. I find this most frequently with the first Yeti on the left side).
CONFIRMED: Miss Ginger 16 MAY 00
I will definately agree that the monster, or "Yeti", appears to have a burned eye, BUT if you stare at it as you go bye, it seems to change. You see, for some reason, Yeti's right eye (your left) is just not as bright as the right one, so you can only see it from certain angles, which explains why it only appears to be burnt out from the right (actually the left side station, but at that point, the bobsled is on the right). As for the "glam-rock" Yeti, I disagree. He looks no different than before the Matterhorn last went into rehab, GINGER (ew, gross), and he does not sound louder than before, nor is there more fog. Hmph!
CONFIRMED: Er The Ic 14 JUN 00
I have a VERY good friend that works on Matterhorn. They do not replace Harold (that's what the cast members call the yeti) they just take off his fur and clean it. He is an animatronic character and they take off his fur and the rest of his body is left there.
UPDATE: anon 19 OCT 00
CONFIRMED: Matterhorn Lover 18 NOV 00
The abominable snowman on the Matterhorn is named Harold. When they turn on the computers every day to run the ride, following the startup sequence, the screen reads, "Harold isn't going to like this."
REPORTED: Meg 21 APR 01
I was talking with one of the cast members yesterday, and he told me that all 3 of the Yeti are nicknamed "Harold" by the crew.
CONFIRMED: matterman 22 APR 01
I just got back from Disneyland yesterday, and the Matterhorn has been suped up again! The Abominable Snowman's eyes are now blue-rimmed, and they fade from red around the outter edge to pink in the center. Plus, when he roars at you, fog comas out of his mouth! On top of that, when you go by the ice crystals, they are now multi-colored.
UPDATE: Becky Richards 31 AUG 01
The Snowman never stops moving! While touring the inside of the mountain after the park was closed, a Matterhorn cast member told other castmembers and myself that the Abominable Snowmen never turn off, they are always moving their heads and arms.
REPORTED: Chuck Keeler 17 APR 02
Over again and I could see a Walt Disney head behind the second abomidible snow man in the back
REPORTED: anon 11 JUL 01
It has been determined by those fun-loving Matterhorn CM's that the "Chicken God" is responsible for the ride's breaking down. If any of the CM's has consumed chicken for dinner the previous night, the ride WILL go down.
REPORTED: Meg 21 APR 01
When Matterhorn goes down for rehab they repaint the mountain, lay down new track, the engineers update the ride control, and a team of engineers and cast members readjust the brakes.
REPORTED: anon 19 OCT 00
I read in "Mouse Tales : A Behind-The-Ears Look at Disneyland" that when they started having Tinkerbell 'fly' down from the Matterhorn, they tried using other characters, such as Mary Poppins, but they didn't work as well.
REPORTED: Elisa 28 JUN 99
The Matterhorn is a 1/100th scale re-creation of the actual Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. It was during the 1958 filming of "Third Man on the Mountain" that Walt Disney decided to create his own version of this snow-capped peak.
REPORTED: ost1 25 OCT 95
CONFIRMED: Nathan Levinson 29 JUN 97
In creating Matterhorn, he wanted to make the ride continue off the end of the movie, so you, the "audience" to experience the icy slopes of a Disneyland Matterhorn.
UPDATE: Jorden 31 JAN 02
This themed coaster was the first tubular-track coaster. It consists of two separate tracks that wind around and inside of a scale model of the Swiss Matterhorn.
There is an unusual aspect to the tubular steel tracks on the Matterhorn Bobsled ride.. The tubular tracks are HOLLOW, and they are pressurised inside. A computer monitors the pressure, and if it drops below a certain value (due to cracks in the track or whatever) then the whole ride is automatically shut down.
REPORTED: Robert Lashmore 12 AUG 97
Working on the Matterhorn I know that the air compressors for each and every ride are seperate. If you look off to the side of your sled at the unload area, you can see a maintanence pit below you that houses the compressors for the ride.
UPDATE: anon 03 DEC 99
The track runs on air pressure and if the track has low air pressure the ride gets, what is called an ADI or automatic dispatch inhibit. This means that the ride system will not allow a sled to dispatch into the ride because it is not safe.
CONFIRMED: anon 19 OCT 00
CONFIRMED: cindy sundes 07 MAR 01
Ride cascade is the term used when the ride backs up and some times stops. There are 11 zones on Matterhorn and there are holding spots in the station for sleds and if a sled comes into zone 11 and all of the holding spots are taken up then the ride stops because of a ride cascade.
REPORTED: anon 19 OCT 00
When we were waiting in line to ride on the Matterhorn, I was admiring all of the pretty flowers that surround the park, and of course I wasn't picking the flowers or any thing, but I swear there was a pansy that was shaped in the exact replica of Mickey's face!
REPORTED: Rudy Gharib 20 FEB 99
While waiting in line to get on the Matterhorn ride, there is a speaker at the end of the ride that say, "Remain Seated Please," followed by it's spanish counterpart, "Permanaced Sentados por Favor!". The rock band No Doubt has a song called Tragic Kingdom, and at the beginning of the song, they play the "Remain Seated" thing. It is no coincidece because No Doubt is from Anaheim
REPORTED: Ryan Schmidt 25 JUN 97
CONFIRMED: Jordan Wasyliw 28 JUN 97
CONFIRMED: Disneyman 12 OCT 98
CONFIRMED: Courtney Isbell 01 OCT 99
The song is actually all about Disneyland. The "Remain seated please..." part is just the beginning.
"Once was a magical place Over time it was lost Price increased the cost Now the fortune of the kingdom Is locked up in its dungeon vaults Now the drawbridge has been lifted As the millions They drop to their knees"

The drawbridge is presumably the one of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and there are not many places that get millions of visitors.

"The king has been overthrown By jesterly fools" People that don't know what they are doing. And the power (and the power) Of the people (of the people) Shall come to believe they do rule"

Presumably they are talking about Walt's death, and Eisner being in power.

"Hypnotized by fireflies that glow in the dark Midgets that disguise themselves As tiny little dwarfs The parade that's electrical It serves no real purpose Just takes up a lot of juice Just to impress us"

The Main Street Electrical Parade that is there purely to entertain.

"They pay homage to a king Whose dreams are buried In their minds His tears are frozen stiff Icicles drip from his eyes"

Loving a king that is dead who's dreams we still believe in. She also talks about mice... Gee who could that be?

A very sad, yet powerful song.
UPDATE: Big Thunder Mountain 03 JAN 01
No Doubt's Song Tragic Kingdom is about Disneyland. Part of the song goes: "They pay homage to a king/whose dreams are buried/in their minds/his tears frozen stiff/icicles from his eyes" I was told the frozen tears refer to the legends of Walt Disney's cryogenetically frozen head.
UPDATE: anon 02 JUN 01
This is to confirm the facts about "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt. The song is absolutely about a time now gone of Disneyland. Gwen Stefani (the female lead singer) and her brother (who plays keyboards for No Doubt) are two of the most ardent, original Disneyland fans. They were writing about what they perceived as the seemingly gross, excessive and ultimate "corporatization" of one of their favorite childhood pastimes, visiting the yesteryear Disneyland.....:)
CONFIRMED: 808SURF 12 JUN 01
Did anybody notice that on the No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album there is a hidden mickey? It is the three oranges in the lower right corner of the album cover. This is interesting since the song "Tragic Kingdom" is about Disneyland.
REPORTED: Ryan McNally 10 DEC 01
One time when I was about to get on Matterhorn, it broke down. I started a conversation with one of the employees working the ride and he said the reason the ride breaks down so frequently is because there is only so much room for cars to come into the station, after it backs up to a certain point, the whole ride shuts down.
REPORTED: anon 02 FEB 99
This is true. As we were preparing to exit our sled (we were on the western track, sitting adjacent to the railing with the "Please Remain Seated" sign), alarms sounded and cast members went running up the tunnel where the sleds leave the mountain and enter the final turn and exit point. The exiting sleds had backed up to the tunnel. Our sled was pushed onto a side rail while the guests on the other sleds in line exited and new guests boarded. Then our sled was put back on the main rail. Since we had to wait on the side rail, the ride operator let us stay in the sled and ride again. As we prepared to exit the second time, it occurred again. We were told that the guests have 20 seconds to board each sled. When it takes longer than that several sleds in a row, the ride backs up to a dangerous point. We were allowed to stay in our sled and ride one more time. Since we got on the first time using a Child Switch ticket, my daughter rode four times after standing in line once!
CONFIRMED: Sean Catherall 22 OCT 99
Have you ever noticed the employee sitting up in that control tower right before your about to go into the Matterhorn? My friend told me that the person in there is in charge of over seeing the entire ride. They also have to monitor computers to make sure that sleds are not going to fast or slow (due to weight) and are responsible for leaving enough space between sleds for this reason. They also have a computer in there that talks to the person and tells them if there is a problem with the ride
REPORTED: Sean B 02 FEB 99
I can confirm that the person sitting in the "control tower" at the Matterhorn is responsible for monotoring every aspect of the ride (from track pressure to sled speed, from dispatch interval to your seat belt status). They are directly resposible for the safety of everyone on-board. It is stressful and very intense, but the more experianced cast members can pace themselves so they can take a moment to wave at guests prepairing to dispatch.
CONFIRMED: Bo-Bo The Moose 24 JUN 99
Bobsleds have an hourly rider capacity of between 1500 and 2000 people (depending on how many sleds are running and how many riders are willing to sit together in the seats.
UPDATE: Bo-Bo The Moose 24 NOV 99
The Matterhorn has a solitary red button fitted into the rock wall near the tunnel where the bobsleds first enter, close to where the ride attendants walk. I suspect this is an emergency shutdown button, but I couldn't see any label on it.
REPORTED: Mark Atkins 31 MAY 02
The red button when entering the bobsleds is not a emergency button that stops the whole ride. The button is a button that stops only the next bobsled that will go on. The CM often do this becase they must check every single person is buckled up.
UPDATE: disneylandanaheim 28 FEB 06
Just across from the queue are benches where you can rest your feet. In the flower bed behind one of the benches is a plaque and a footprint impression. It is the footprint of the Yeti!
REPORTED: TR Shaw 24 SEP 00
One of my favorite memories of my first visit to Disneyland in 1975 is the fact that the Matterhorn was hollow. As you rode through its interior, you could look up or down and see the crisscrossing tracks above and below you. When the ride was refurbished in '78, of course, the tracks were enclosed and the Yetis were installed. This improved the theming illusion, but I'll never forget my fascination with the brief glimpses of the Matterhorn's "guts".
REPORTED: Mick 03 AUG 00
Is it me or does the Matterhorn turn different colors during different parts of the day. In the morning the Matterhorn looks like its covered in snow. Then in the afternoon it looks like the snow is only on the very top and the bottom half is just rocky. Then at night the snow is back. Hmmm...wierd
REPORTED: anon 17 MAR 00
When they say, "Keep your hands and arms inside the car" they mean it! I once saw some people riding the Matterhorn, and as they passed the waterfalls, they stuck their hands out, splattering dirty water everywhere. The line bent around and I lost track of them, but when I got to the front of the queue, I saw that these same people had been pulled off to a side track and were being made to wipe off all the water and dirt they had gotten on the white sled.
REPORTED: Becky Richards 03 SEP 00
Matterhorn has actually sunk 6 inches since it was built!
The Imaginears designed Storybook Land in a number of very special ways. The small village in Switzerland is nestled in its own recreation of the Alps but is placed on the Matterhorn side of Storeybook Land. The imaginears then place the canal so that your boat would pass by the scene framing the village and small Alps in the foreground with the beautiful Matterhorn in the far field. This effect is especially strong for small children. See the Storybook Canal Boats page
REPORTED: Mike Johnson 17 NOV 00

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Fact	Figure
Type	Steel, Two Tracks
Designer	Karl Bacon, Edgar Morgan
Manufacturer	Arrow Development ( now known as Arrow Dynamics )
Year	1959, remodeled 1978
Height	80 feet (Mountain 146)
Length	2,037 feet, 2,134 feet
Ride Time	2 min. 7 sec.; 2 min. 26 sec.
Speed	18 mph (avg)
Trains	2-car trains, up to 4 riders per car
Capacity	Between 1500 and 2000 per hour

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