Let's Learn about the Matterhorn!

[Revolucion]

The landing tower for Tinker Bell used to have a special mattress for her to crash into. Before Big Thunder was built I think she landed in Nature's Wonderland on the ground. There's a trap door built into the top of the Matterhorn. Some costuming girls told me that one of them in particular was a super diva.

 

This may be a "breaking the magic" question, but is there a door at the very top for Tinker-bell to use to attach to her guide wire? (She really flys- the wire is just there to tell her where to go).

 

I got to go up into Tinker Bell Tower at MK once and it was a cool view and neat to see how it worked.

 

Now that is quite the job, sliding down a zip line hundreds of feet in the air. Sounds worse than window washing, IMHO

[Mechanic]

Was the Matterhorn track installed while they built the mountain? (like Everest) Or was the track installed after the mountain was built?

 

I can clearly see coaster track in the picture that you posted, so I think it's safe to say that track was indeed installed while they built the mountain. In any event, it is still an amazing structure and ride after all these years. This is a great thread and I look forward to reading more and seeing more pictures.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

So, I'm finally home, here is the Matterhorn pics and 3D renderings. And unfortunately, I don't remember where I got these from, I did not make them.

 

There are some videos on Visions Fantacitc too.

This is the one that spins, but when its uploaded it doesn't do it

[ebl]

^ Beautiful! Thank you, Chris!

 

Eric

[Alpenguy]

Those layouts are very darn good except for an error on the south side of the mountain during the big circle at the end. Pretty much just a crossover confusion, but good vertical stuff otherwise on the green/purple one!

 

There are 3 doors of various kinds way up on the mountain above the ride. One is a trap door in the actual top, the climbers use it all the time. Sadly the attraction people can't go up there anymore, it's past the protective cage for Tinkerbell's pixie dust storage silo. There's the spot Tink flies near, and a ledge on the southwest corner that Mickey climbs from. I feel like there's one more I'm forgetting, there's really not much reason to go up there and everyone has to be tagged out and kept track of. While I can't post a picture, there is a LOT more wood than you'd probably expect in the area above the ride. The snow effect areas on the lift are quite an adventure getting to as well- ladders are involved.

 

Alpen, are you able to cover any other rides too?

Mostly, but not through personal experience unless it's in Fantasyland/Toontown.

 

 

Tomorrow, it's transfer table time!

[palmerleeberry]

What a great Thread! I was !!!

 

Many thanks for a great lesson in the Matterhorn, its history, its secrets, and even its layout. I got to ride this cute little coaster three times when I was at Disneyland in 2000 (once on the left and twice on the right).

 

You could even say that the Matterhorn would later act as a blueprint and inspiration for another great coaster that would, in 2006, debute at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, called "Expedition Everest" (in which I rode six times!).

[kidaftersunset]

I think Space is much, much easier to break from a small delay, whereas Matterhorn is far more likely to break down from the ride system. Matterhorn can eat delays no problem and flat out will not cascade ever with experienced people at the ride, or with only 9 sleds and a crew that's not completely zoned out. Station stops are really risky though since Hold 4 at Matterhorn advances really slowly and shouldn't be used with anything approaching behind it. Not that there's much time at all to recover them at Space, but then people can't jump out anywhere in 8 station zones at Space and they advance to normal in 5 seconds. There are also a lot more easy ways to be unsafely riding on the Matterhorn lift than Space.

 

Matterhorn seems a lot easier to screw up a cycle-out though, it's very physical with unspoken teamwork being essential, especially when a bunch of petite girls are in the station. Everything also hinges on the ready table getting out quickly. As I'm sure the case would be at Space if it could unload in Hold 1, people are a lot more likely to get out quickly when told if they've already ridden. At ready, one stop forward from load... issues occur. A Space cycle out sounds pretty insane in the sheer speed sense though and crammed full blue room. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about in this whole paragraph, it can be explained another time.

 

Ah ... I love that we have storage, it is so very convienant. Unfortunately, we cascade during cycle outs all the time simply because the groupers and load 2 don't pay enough attention. Honestly, you really have a lot of time to cycle out if your tower does things correctly and your bars keeps their wits about them. Two loaded on main, two empty on spur and one empty in the blue room. No problem! But, we both know it doesn't always work that way.

[montezooma]

We haven't heard much from Alpenguy lately... do you think Disney "did" something to him since he revealed to many of the Matterhorn secrets?

[RIP Psyclone]

^Haha, man, I hope not! There's got to be more to this thread, right?

[montezooma]

^I am hoping so. I was loving learning about this coaster, tons of GREAT info...then all the sudden nothing. It is just like my friend that told me how the ballroom in the haunted house worked. I never heard from him again either. Coincidence??? I don't think so.

[BrownStreak]

Are the rumors true that 20K Leagues at MK was designed to eventually hold a Matterhorn style mountain and ride on top of it? We were told that when I worked there in 1994.

[Revolucion]

Are the rumors true that 20K Leagues at MK was designed to eventually hold a Matterhorn style mountain and ride on top of it? We were told that when I worked there in 1994.

 

Don't know about WDW, but there was a proposal in the late 80's to extend the tomorrowland side of the mountain into the lagoon to create a cave for people to walk through. The goal was to relieve walkway crowding.

 

The Pirates bridge is a similar project that WAS completed. Some of you are too young to remember the old New Orleans Square, but it used to nothing but asphalt that sloped from the front doors of Pirates down to the river. Part of the Indy queue used to be Pirates queue.

[Alpenguy]

We haven't heard much from Alpenguy lately... do you think Disney "did" something to him since he revealed to many of the Matterhorn secrets?

Please help me, I finally found a computer that works! I'm locked somewhere underneath the castle, it's very dark and I haven't had anything to eat but week old turkey legs for the last week. There's some very cold equipment down here with a frozen chamber next to it, I think it's a little more than head sized, and...

 

Actually I've just been really busy, and just got some good promotion news.

 

I'll put up the finished layout tomorrow.

[SeaWhippet]

We haven't heard much from Alpenguy lately... do you think Disney "did" something to him since he revealed to many of the Matterhorn secrets?

Please help me, I finally found a computer that works! I'm locked somewhere underneath the castle, it's very dark and I haven't had anything to eat but week old turkey legs for the last week. There's some very cold equipment down here with a frozen chamber next to it, I think it's a little more than head sized, and...

 

Actually I've just been really busy, and just got some good promotion news.

 

I'll put up the finished layout tomorrow.

 

Alp-

 

Try to hang in there until rescue arrives. And keep clear of that frozen chamber

 

Seriously, looking forward to more on this great ride.

 

-Scott

[ahecht]

 

Those layouts are very darn good except for an error on the south side of the mountain during the big circle at the end. Pretty much just a crossover confusion, but good vertical stuff otherwise on the green/purple one!

 

Those pictures came from Joe Cardello, who is trying to model all of Disneyland in 3D. His blog is at http://www.disneyland3d.blogspot.com/, and posts lots of screenshots to his Flickr set here. Specifically, the Matterhorn stuff is here.

 

You might want to contact him and let him know of the error so that he can fix it.

[ebl]

Welcome back, Alpenguy! And again, thanks for everything you've shared with us.

 

Now I can just get...off...of...that...spinning...Matterhorn...

 

Eric

[COASTER FREAK 11]

 

Those layouts are very darn good except for an error on the south side of the mountain during the big circle at the end. Pretty much just a crossover confusion, but good vertical stuff otherwise on the green/purple one!

 

Those pictures came from Joe Cardello, who is trying to model all of Disneyland in 3D. His blog is at http://www.disneyland3d.blogspot.com/, and posts lots of screenshots to his Flickr set here. Specifically, the Matterhorn stuff is here.

 

You might want to contact him and let him know of the error so that he can fix it.

 

Gland you found the spinning one. When I posted it, it wouldn't spin, lol.

[Rocket Rodder]

It is incredible how they smashed so much into such a tiny little space..

[montezooma]

We haven't heard much from Alpenguy lately... do you think Disney "did" something to him since he revealed to many of the Matterhorn secrets?

Please help me, I finally found a computer that works! I'm locked somewhere underneath the castle, it's very dark and I haven't had anything to eat but week old turkey legs for the last week. There's some very cold equipment down here with a frozen chamber next to it, I think it's a little more than head sized, and...

 

 

Hilarious! Wow you are smart, funny and if you look good in those old Matterhorn lederhosen costumes you got it all!

[Alpenguy]

Oh my, apologies for the huge delay here. Life has been busy.

 

Let's bring the thread back to life with this awesome then and now!

Take a look at the red circle...

Present-day (there's a brake/hole above the other side of the beam, source of the garbage stuck in there)

[SeaWhippet]

Oh my, apologies for the huge delay here. Life has been busy.

 

Let's bring the thread back to life with this awesome then and now!

 

I've been hoping this thread would be re-invigorated!

 

I'd really like to see images (from within the structure) of the ride with track intact and BEFORE the mountain's outer skin was applied.

 

And

 

Shots of the ride operating in "the old days" when the mountain was partially "hollow."

 

-S

[RIP Psyclone]

Wow, how did you (or whoever was the photographer) get that picture? It really is the beam circled in the construction pic (any way of knowing 100%)? Anh, I'm sorry to nitpick, that is an awesome and rare pic, and I (& others, I think everyone, pretty much) hope to see more like it in this thread. Keep up the good work, this is one of my favorite threads.

 

-chris

[ebl]

"Shots of the ride operating in 'the old days' when the mountain was partially 'hollow.' " (SeaWhippet)

 

I have all sorts of those---unfortunately, they're burned into my memory and not on film. Maybe someday there will be a way to extract memories and get them into some sort of digital form.

 

But I'm glad this topic came back to life. I've really enjoyed learning about what was probably my first major coaster.

 

Eric

[IrIsHmAn101]

I'm still stickin to my guns and saying that the Matterhorn is the best ride at Disneyland

[RIP Psyclone]

Shots of the ride operating in "the old days" when the mountain was partially "hollow."

 

There are 3 old interior shots on Yesterland:

 

www.yesterland.com/insidematterhorn.html

 

You can see how there were lookout holes at the top of the lift hill that were filled in at the time of the renovation in 1978.