Disney Facts: A look at the Matterhorn at Disneyland

Since opening in June 14,  1959, the Matterhorn has been the highest point in Disneyland at 147 feet. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, at California Adventure is taller, standing at 183 feet.

Here are some quick facts, provided by Disney, about the Matterhorn:

• The attraction was inspired by the 1959 live-action Disney adventure film, “Third Man on the Mountain,” which starred James MacArthur and Michael Rennie as mountaineers. 
• The mountain was built to 1/100th scale of the original Matterhorn. That is 147 feet versus the 14,700 feet of the original.
• A basketball half-court is inside the structure above the coaster.
• Guests who look quickly while whizzing through the Matterhorn caverns may spot mountaineering supplies and other evidence of the “Wells Expedition.” These scenic details are a tribute to the late Frank Wells, who was President and Chief Operating Officer of the Walt Disney Company from 1984 until his death in 1994. Wells was an experienced mountain climber and skier.
• Matterhorn Bobsleds was the first roller coaster in the world to employ a tubular steel track and an electronic dispatch system, which enables more than one car at a time to be on the track.
• The most recent update to Matterhorn Bobsleds, completed in June 2012, added glistening new paint and “snow caps” on the outside, along with new lighting on the menacing Abominable Snowman inside.