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Our world is filled with a wide array of natural wonders, but none stand as the best representation
of majesty than our glossary of mountains. Towering thousands of feet into the sky, these
awe-inspiring peaks are scattered all across the globe, in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Two equally compelling mountains, The Matterhorn and Mount Everest, even have their own counterparts
found at Disney's parks. In this episode, we'll explore these two iconic Disney attractions;
the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Expedition Everest, and all the thrills, surprises, and unforgettable
encounters offered by these two treacherous adventures. So gather up your hiking gear,
practice your Yeti growl, and be sure to take heed of this very important piece of advice;
"Remain seated please; permanecer sentados por favor."
Our journey begins in Southern California with the Matterhorn Bobsleds, a classic attraction
whose story began with a simple pile of dirt. During the construction of Disneyland, crews
excavated dirt around Sleeping Beauty Castle to make way for the castle's moat. The leftover
dirt was piled together in an area between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. By the time
Disneyland debuted to the public, the mound of dirt had been transformed into Holiday
Hill, a picturesque location intended for picnicking. Unfortunately for park management,
the spot became quite popular among younger guests, who preferred to explore each other,
rather than the hill itself. When the park's Skyway attraction opened in 1956, Walt Disney,,
saw an opportunity to make a new attraction at the hill's location. Walt and the Imagineers
combined the concepts of a toboggan and bobsled ride that would go through a new artificial
mountain. The Matterhorn, became the peak of choice after Walt Disney became captivated
by the real mountain's beauty while filming "Third Man on the Mountain" in the Swiss
Alps. To convince guests that Disney's version of the Matterhorn was taller than it really
was, the Imagineers employed an age-old optical illusion called forced perspective, where
an object is scaled smaller the taller it becomes, creating the illusion that the object
looks bigger than it actually is. The Matterhorn's internal design was also critical, as it would
also have to conceal the Skyway's central pylon. Thus, a large hole was carved through
the mountain to allow the Skyway's buckets to pass through. In fact, the mountain was
layered with so many holes, that whenever people asked Walt as to why his mountain had
holes in it, he would candidly reply; "Because it's a Swiss mountain".
The Matterhorn Bobsleds debuted as the world's first tubular roller coaster on June 14, 1959
and the first in a series of attractions known as "E-tickets", a term used by Disney
to describe major attractions at their parks. In the 1970s, a peculiar geological event
occurred; the Matterhorn was moved from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland. You might be wondering what
type forces were responsible for moving the 147 foot tall mountain across a theme park.
It wasn't an earthquake, nor was it pixie dust. The action was in fact very simple:
Disney had changed the park maps. The Matterhorn, however, wasn't the only arrival that Fantasyland
welcomed in the that decade. As part of the Matterhorn's relocation program, Imagineer
Steve Kirk, designed three Audio-Animatronic Abominable snowmen figures that were added
throughout the ride, a scary new addition to an attraction that was otherwise devoid
of such terror. Other thematic elements such as ice tunnels and crystal caverns were added
to make the mountain more convincing than before. The most noticeable change happened
in 1994, when the large hole in the mountain was patched up after the Skyway attraction
closed. Eighteen years later, the Matterhorn underwent another extensive refurbishment,
this time concentrating on the attraction's exterior. The mountain's decades-old snowy
white paint was changed into a more accurate depiction of the Matterhorn; a dark gray color
with slight patches of snow. For even greater realism, Imagineers added beads of glass to
the snow-covered portions of the mountain, to mimic the sunlight-reflecting properties
of real ice crystals. With all of its qualities, the Matterhorn Bobsleds is a shining example
of how a simple idea can be be magnified into a creative and timeless attraction. 2,175
miles away in Central Florida, another attraction takes that very same principle and elevates
it to an unprecedented and arguably, far more terrifying level.
In the late 1970s, while the Matterhorn was welcoming its new hairy resident, Walt Disney
World was searching for its very own mountain. The design of Disneyland's Matterhorn didn't
mesh very well with the Magic Kingdom's layout. Therefore, the plans were taken nearby
to Epcot's World Showcase, where they morphed into other short-lived ideas, such as a Mt.
Fuji roller coaster in the Japanese pavilion and a new Switzerland pavilion with an East
Coast cousin of the Matterhorn. Despite the opening of several other mountains all across
the resort, it would take several more years and the opening of another theme park, for
the idea of a snow-capped mountain rising from the Central Florida landscape, to finally
come to fruition. By 1998, Walt Disney World's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom,
opened and with it, the future home of Expedition Everest; a turbulent train ride through the
legendary Himalayan mountain range. However, before a single shovel could hit the dirt,
a story had to be crafted first. Led by Joe Rohde, the Imagineering team underwent one
of the most meticulous research trips the unit was ever faced with. Several Imagineers
traveled to Nepal and Tibet to thoroughly examine the culture and lifestyle of the Himalayas,
in order to fully replicate an authentic look to the ancient Himalayan village surrounding
the attraction. Quite possibly the most integral part of the attraction's research was the
study of the Yeti, a mythical ape-like creature said to be living in the Himalayan mountains.
Respected by the indigenous people and shrouded in legend, the study of this mysterious and
elusive creature, would ultimately lead the Imagineers in creating one of the most advanced
and fearsome Audio-Animatronic figures ever brought to life at a Disney park.
From their field research and scientific aid from leading primatologists, the Imagineers
designed their Yeti to look as realistic and frightening as possible. If the creature's
appearance wasn't intimidating enough, it's technical anatomy was even more unnerving.
At 25 feet tall and weighing 4 tons, the Audio-Animatronic Yeti is the most technologically complex figure
designed by Walt Disney Imagineering to date, generating more thrust than a 747 airliner.
Unlike the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Expedition Everest, has a rich story behind it, possibly
the most detailed for any of Disney's roller coasters. At one point, the village of Serka
Zong had a prosperous economy that relied heavily on a tea plantation, located in the
foothills of the Forbidden Mountain, where the crop was cultivated and then transported
by steam train to the nearby town of Anandapur. However, the plantation was unexpectedly closed,
leading the locals to believe that the Yeti, regarded as the mountain's guardian, was
responsible. Several years later, two gentlemen, Norbu and Bob, established their own expedition
agency and repurposed the tea company's former buildings and steam train. As the company
attracted more people, the number of Yeti sightings increased, bringing the story to
the present-day where guests are taken on an expedition to the Forbidden Mountain to
discover once and for all, whether the legend of the Yeti is true. With research and story
in place, the most crucial challenge came with the attraction's construction. The
Imagineers had to make sure that the attraction was specifically designed and built, so that
the mountain structure and the roller coaster structure never actually touch at any one
point. The reason as to why is simple physics. The roller coaster track vibrates as the train
travels on it, therefore if that vibration were to affect the stationary mountain itself,
it would create a massive disturbance in the super structure's stability. In other words,
a very short ride for guests. Further complicating the attraction's infrastructure was a third
component; the Yeti itself, which rests on its own separate structure. Contrary to the
what most people believe, the main peak in the attraction, is not actually Mount Everest.
Instead, it is the fictional "Forbidden Mountain" as described in the story. Everest
itself is represented by the mountain peak on the right side of the range, which serves
as yet another example of forced perspective.
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain debuted on April 7, 2006 as the world's
most expensive roller coaster, costing an estimated $100 million. However, a few months
after the attraction's opening, an unfortunate setback occurred. The foundation of the enormous
Yeti Audio-animatronic was found to be unstable and therefore the Yeti was left to operate
as a static figure with an added strobe light to simulate movement.. Despite years of fan
backlash, the Yeti figure has yet to be repaired, as the procedure would require an extensive
and lengthy re-examination of the entire superstructure. Only time will tell whether the startling
creature will ever be able to inflict its hair-raising form of power again. Needless
to say, Expedition Everest's inventive storytelling and adrenaline-fueled thrills continue to
strike fear in even the bravest of park guests.
Themed to a quaint Swedish outpost, the Matterhorn features two separate but near-identical tracks;
one facing Fantasyland and the other Tomorrowland. After reaching the top of the Matterhorn,
the bobsleds wind through various dips and turns inside the mountain's cavernous openings
until they arrive back at the station, but not before splashing down in an chilly Alpine
lake. The desolate backdrop of Expedition Everest
is far more elaborate and effective in conveying a story than its distant Californian cousin.
The ride's queue snakes through the former buildings of the Royal Anandapur Tea Company,
which now contains the supplies and equipment used by the the Himalayan Escapes expedition
agency. The last portion of the queue is dedicated to artifacts relating to the Yeti, giving
the riders an impression of how formidable the supposed mythical creature is. Aboard
the steam train, riders are taken through the slopes of the green foothills before the
train is taken up the 112 foot tall lift hill. Reaching the mountain's summit of almost
200 feet, the riders are met with an unexpected twist; the track has been severed and the
train is abruptly suspended in motion. Suddenly, the brakes give out and the train hurdles
backwards through complete darkness. Pausing briefly, the train realigns its direction
and descends into the attraction's signature 80 foot drop, travelling at a peak speed of
50 mph. The train then enters a series of sharp drops and turns through the mountain
before cruising past the Yeti itself as it growls and claws at the riders. After the
encounter, the train glides out of the mountain for a final time and returns to the station
unharmed.
Two unique and exciting attractions, not found anywhere else in the world. One offers the
charm and novelty of an adventurous holiday in the Alps. The other; a terrifying encounter
with one of the world's most menacing mythical beings. Owing their existence to some of the
world's most astonishing locations and the incredible talents of Disney's Imagineers,
the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Expedition Everest have each created an aura of everlasting reign
over their theme park domains.