The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (33 page)

If you can ride the
Matterhorn Bobsleds
, don’t miss it!  In some ways it’s even more uniquely thrilling than its newer siblings,
Space Mountain
or
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
.  And I use the word “uniquely” advisedly;
Disneyland
is the only
Disney Park
in which you can experience the
Matterhorn Mountain
.  It’s not merely the first
Disney Matterhorn
; it is the only one of its kind.

Expect long queues, as this is a perennial favorite, no matter the day or season.  Short lines can be found when the park opens, and during the fireworks shows.  The entrance
is a wooden, alpine-styled building on the west side of the mountain, across from the
Storybook Land Canal Boats
and the
Mad Tea Party
, but the lines can wrap in either direction around the mountain’s base.

Some people
(I used to be one of them) are daunted by the lines of Guests stretching all the way toward the
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
in one direction, and toward
Pixie Hollow
in the other, but though the lines look long, this is an efficient and fast-loading attraction.  You’ll seldom wait longer than 15 – 30 minutes, except on the most crowded days.  And with the introduction of the
Single Rider
option in June 2012, solitary riders now can board in mere moments.

The wait time is typically pleasant, as you examine the alpine
landscape of flowers and foliage along the queue (birch, cedars, pine, digitalis, lamb’s ear, larkspur, yarrow) and feel the cooling spray of the waterfalls above you.  Depending on the time of day, the mountain might shield you from the baking sun with its shadow.  Because this is a classic
Disney
attraction, other Guests in line are often discussing the
Matterhorn
and debating its stats and history; you can learn something interesting, or hear something ridiculous, and join in some great conversations.

Once you enter the alpine-themed queue building, with its
Swiss shields and its catchy yodeling music, it’s literally only minutes before you’ll board.  (Look for a
Hidden Mickey
on one of the shields.)  This is the time, if you haven’t already done so, to decide which track you want to ride, and who in your party will be sitting with whom.  You usually have a choice of boarding on the left track or the right track.  If there’s only one queue, but both tracks are open, newer Guests don’t realize that they can use the right track.  Hence, when you get to the fork, choose the right track for a shorter line.

When you reach the boarding area, Cast Members will ask you how many people are in your party, and what your seating configuration will be. 
For many years, each bobsled had two compartments and each compartment could hold two people, sitting one in front of the other.  For balance and safety, the larger person sat
behind
the smaller person.  A parent typically sat in the same compartment with their small child.  Older children and teens often liked to sit alone in their own compartment.

In 2012, the Matterhorn closed in early January for a major refurb, not to open again until June 2012 when
triple-compartment
bobsleds were unveiled, the bobsleds still linked in pairs, but with each sled containing three, rather than two, compartments, each compartment seating a single rider.  The mountain itself was given an intensive facelift.  20 levels of scaffolding.  30 full-time crew members.  More than 800 gallons of paint, laced (for the first time ever) with glimmering glass beads to give the
Matterhorn
’s snow a frosty sparkle. 
Imagineers
studied the snowfall pattern on the
real
Swiss mountain, and discovered that snow gathers more thickly on the mountain’s north face.  They mirrored those authentic snowfall patterns when repainting
Disneyland
’s iconic
Matterhorn
.  The results were instantly apparent to Guests, even before the refurb concluded–a more textured, more beautiful mountain for the park.  Even with a landmark like the
Matterhorn
,
Disneyland
never stops
plussing
; the attraction looked so fresh it might have been built in 2013 rather than 1959.  The cherry on this alpine sundae?  When the attraction reopened on June 15, 2012, mountain climbers once again scaled the
Matterhorn
’s peak in their cheery red shirts.

In times past it was
rite of passage for children when they first rode the bobsleds—for many years they only had to be 35” tall to ride.  It was also a landmark moment when they first ride alone.  In 2009 my then-ten-year old niece asked to sit in her own compartment, at the front of the bobsled no less.  She found it thrilling (though a bit scarier than she expected) being at the lead of the wildly careening vehicle.  Now, due to the new sled designs unveiled in 2012, children have to be at least 42” tall to ride—that’s two inches taller than the height requirement of 40” for
Space Mountain
and
Splash Mountain
.  So the Matterhorn will no longer be kids’ first
Disneyland coaster
.

When you board your sled, m
ake sure that you buckle up, and that your children do too.  The only serious accidents that the
Matterhorn
has experienced were due to Guests or their companions unfastening seat belts and trying to stand up or lean out of the sleds.  Follow all Cast Member instructions.  For added safety, Cast Members check all seatbelts before launch.  The seatbelts in the new 2012 sleds are locked fast throughout your journey, increasing safety; you literally
cannot
unlatch them during the ride.  And as mentioned above, the mininmum height requirement was increased to 42” or 107 cm, since children now ride in their own individual seats.

Once your
restraints have been checked, your sled is routed to the entrance cave.  You’ll pause there for a moment, giving the sled ahead of you time to ascend.  Then your bobsled is drawn into the cave, and chain-pulled, clickety-clack, up a steep incline that almost feels like a 90-degree angle. (It’s not, of course, but if you have change in your pockets, it might fall out!)  It’s almost pitch dark, but as you near the peak you might see snowflakes drifting against a dark sky.

When you level off, you don’t have more than a second to catch your breath before you’re
racing down the track!  Sunlight floods in through a cave opening, and you’re making the first of many turns and dips as you fly down the track.  There are many exciting swerves and jolts as you weave in and out of the mountain.  When you’re outside, the birds-eye-view glimpses of the park are breathtaking.  When you’re within the mountain depths, it’s both beautiful and eerie at once–and frightening, too, as you never know when you’ll hear the roar or see the glowing red eyes of the
Abominable Snow Man
.

It
’s exciting when you’re racing neck-and-neck with a bobsled on the other track.  There’s no gas pedal, no way for you to speed up and pass each other, but Guests seem to be laughingly
willing
their bobsled to beat the competitor on the neighboring track.

There
’s a debate among some
Disneyland
fans about which track is faster or better.  You’ll read about it in some of the books listed in the “Resources” section, and you can find a lot of discussion at
Disneyland
-related websites.  My conclusion, after much research, and many rides on both tracks, is that the popular wisdom is correct:  The left (aka A, or
Tomorrowland
, or
Autopia
, or north, or inner) track has the steepest dip and has sharper, more jolting turns and swerves.  You feel whipped around and more rattled by this ride, and there’s an illusion that you’re going faster.  By contrast, the right (aka B, or
Fantasyland
, or bathroom, or south, or outer) track has more frequent, but shallower dips, more graceful curves, and better views.  It’s still exciting, but it seems somewhat more measured and less bone-rattling than the left track.

I recommend the left track for gung-ho thrill seekers looking for speed and sensation.  I would recommend the right track for very small or older riders, and any riders who want the illusion of a longer
and more stately ride with lots of park views.

Either
journey lasts about two-and-a-half minutes.  Momentum driven, bobsleds move somewhat faster the heavier the occupant weight.  When your bobsled finally coasts through the alpine lake at the mountain’s base, you won’t get soaked, as at
Splash Mountain
or
Grizzly River Run
(
DCA
), but you’ll feel a few refreshing droplets.  When you reach the exit platform, debark as instructed.  Don’t be surprised if you want to get right back in line and ride all over again–especially after the recent refreshes that make the
Abominable
(nicknamed
Harold
) seem even louder and closer to Guests!

The
Matterhorn Mountain
is more than a beautiful park landmark or the home of the
Matterhorn Bobsleds
.  During the fireworks shows, it’s the perch from which
Tinker Bell
emerges to fly over the park.

One evening in spring 2009, just before the fireworks show was scheduled to begin, my niece and I boarded a bobsled.  Just before we were launched, right at the mouth of the entrance tunnel, the
Matterhorn Bobsleds
experienced technical difficulties and were shut down while technicians were deployed to work on the problem.  (
Safety
being one of the four key
Disney
standards, outranking
courtesy
,
show
, and
efficiency
, attractions are always shut down immediately at the slightest sign of difficulty, and technicians are dispatched.)

We sat at the mouth of the tunnel for several moments, waiting for the ride to begin.  I happened to look up at the mountain’s peak, which is lovely in the moonlight.  I saw a movement, as of a door or grate opening, and there was
Tinker Bell
, absolutely quiet, creeping out onto the side of the mountain peak.  After silently checking her wings and her wand,
Tinker Bell
stood up straight and was enveloped in a bright spotlight.  She leaped gracefully from the mountain and flew across the sky, beginning that night’s fireworks show.

That was one of those unexpected and unsought
magic moments
that all Guests experience at some point during their visits.  Those moments stay with you forever.  No matter how many times one goes to
Disneyland
(locals can attest to this), you never know what to expect, and something
magical
is around each corner. 
Did You Know?
Matterhorn Mountain
used to be considered part of
Tomorrowland
, hence its inclusion in the 1959
Tomorrowland
expansion.  In the 1970’s, it was re-assigned to
Fantasyland
, but remained, of course, in the same location at the
Tomorrowland
/
Fantasyland
border. 
Did You Also Know?
  Some classic
Disneyland
attractions seem to be a magnet for rumors, debate, and urban legends, and
Matterhorn Mountain
is among the richest of these.  It’s been confirmed, for example, that there’s a room near the top of the mountain that was used as a break room and small basketball court by the
Alpine Climbers
.  But is the hoop still there, or has it been, as some people contend, removed?  An official
Disneyland
video (
Disneyland Fact or Fiction
) released on FaceBook on June 21, 2013 (the first day of summer) confirmed that the basketball halfcourt is still there, just below the
Matterhorn
’s raftered peak.  Cast members and mountaineers still shoot hoops there.  A shield bearing a faded image of
Disneyland
’s
Matterhorn
graces the backboard.  Did you know there’s an elevator inside the mountain?  And a Cast break room near the base?  Sadly, it’s no rumor that this is one of the attractions within the park where Guests have died.  A teenage boy in 1964 and a middle-aged woman in 1984 perished in accidents on the
Matterhorn
.  In both cases, the seatbelt restraints had been released, ultimately causing the Guests’ demise.  For much more about this fascinating
Disneyland
attraction, refer to the books and DVDs in the bibliography and surf reputable sites on the Internet.
Did You Also Know?
  In summer 2011,
Disney
gave the go-sign for a supernatural film called
The Hill
, based on the
Matterhorn
attraction.  The
Pirates of the Caribbean
films and
The Haunted Mansion
movie were based on
Disneyland
attractions of the same names. As of 2013, there’s no additional information about
The Hill
; let’s hope “no news is good news”.
Did You Also Know?
  According to the PBS program
Rick Steves’ Europe
, the real Swiss Alps are honeycombed with secret passages built to protect soldiers and citizens during World War II and the Cold War.  Behind
faux
rock faces hide corridors, bunk rooms, kitchens, storage chambers, and artillery with long-range scopes. 
Musik Vision:
  In July 2013 (July 8 – July 14, 2013), the
Matterhorn
welcomed
Happy Hans
and
Erik
of the
Happy Hans German Band
to its icy slopes.  This was part of 2013’s
Limited Time Magic
.  Many stories above
Fantasyland
, this colorfully costumed duo treated Guests to traditional German and Austrian music, son
Erik
on the baritone, papa
Happy Hans
on the button-box accordion.  Learn more about the talented
Happy Hans German Band
at
www.happyhansmusic.com
.
Nostalgia Vision:
  For an entertaining look at the
Matterhorn
a few years after it opened, watch
40 Pounds of Trouble
, a 1963 Tony Curtis movie available on DVD.  It’s a Universal, not
Disney
, movie, but it includes extensive park footage, including a wild ride down the
Matterhorn
back when the
Skyway
buckets passed through it!
Hidden Mickey:
  If you gaze at the
Matterhorn
from
Space Mountain
or
Innoventions
, you might notice that one of the large caves on the
Matterhorn
’s side is shaped rather like a large heart,
or
, if you look carefully, like the head and ears of good old
Mickey Mouse
.
Night Vision:
  This
Fantasyland
attraction remains open during the nightly
Magical Fireworks
, and in fact tends to have shorter lines while most Guests watch the fireworks show.  The
Matterhorn Bobsleds
are a completely different ride in the dark than during the day.  Because it’s night, you don’t get those breathtaking park views, but there’s an extra thrill in zooming through night-shaded caverns that are, in places, lit with an eerie blue glow.  Even if you don’t want to ride the
Matterhorn Bobsleds
at night, take a stroll past the
Matterhorn Mountain
.  The peak gleams with icy brilliance, and the caves flicker with sapphire luminescence. 
Single Riders:
  When the refurbished
Matterhorn
was unveiled in summer 2012, many Guests were thrilled to find that a
Single Rider
option had been added.  If you’re the only one in your party interested in braving the alpine caverns, go directly to the front of the covered queue area, where Guests are sorted and sent to either the left or right track.  Inform the Cast Member stationed there that you are a
Single Rider.
They will allow you to enter the
Single Rider
turnstile for the left or right track, and you will be seated in a bobsled in mere moments instead of 20 to 40 minutes. 
FastPass:
  No.  Like all other
Fantasyland
attractions,
Matterhorn Bobsleds
do not offer a
FastPass
option.  Given the usual long lines that can be seen stretching around the mountain’s base, it would seem to be a natural candidate for the
FastPass
system, but that’s a misconception.  Due to the two bobsled tracks and fast, efficient loading, wait times are only 15 – 30 minutes except on the most crowded days, and even then the lines don’t hit the 60 – 90-minute marks that queues for
Space Mountain
and
Indiana Jones Adventure
can reach. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  It’s awesome, but try not to get stuck at the back of the bobsled.  I think they crank it up a bit faster at night.  It’s ten thousand times better at night, so make sure you go during the fireworks, it’s awesome, and if you get there early enough, you might see
Tinker Bell
coming out. 
Teen’s Eye View:
  The
Matterhorn
has brand new bobsleds which are better than trying to sit on someone–you get your
own
compartment.  It’s a fun trip racing up and down the mountain.