[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The Matterhorn is one of the most important theme park attractions ever built.
As an icon, the mountain is synonymous with Disneyland. The first roller coaster constructed utilizing a “tubular steel” continuous track, hence the granddaddy of all modern roller coasters.
But after taking a ride on it recently, whew, that is one punishing experience for any guest over 11 years old, and now is the perfect opportunity for Disneyland to finally do something about it.
What makes this ride so special is its one-of-a-kind uniqueness. While we see versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Tower of Terror in Disney parks throughout the world, there has only ever been, and probably will only ever be, one Matterhorn.
So I approach this idea with great reverence and respect, and a true appreciation of the ride’s place in history.
The Matterhorn is at a crossroads. On the one hand, to its credit, Disney does everything it can do to maintain this attraction. After a recent lengthy refurbishment, which introduced a completely rebuilt track and a new paint job, the ride has never looked better.
This refurb also delivered all-new bobsleds, which broke from the tradition of allowing two guests to ride in one sled together in favor of only single riding. This modification has delivered a physically harsh experience for any adult in a seat other than the very front.
So here’s the dilemma: What does Disney do about it? It seems to me, at this point, no track or sled replacement is going to provide a true fix that will bring this ride up to modern necessities. They’ve done just about all they can do as well as they can do it utilizing the ride’s current infrastructure. But in looking to the future and the true longevity of this classic attraction, something does need to be done to keep the discomfort down and the lines up.
Ready for my radical 3-part expansion plan that would send shockwaves through the theme park industry?
PART 1: EXPEDITION: MATTERHORN!
The title is derived from the immensely popular Expedition: Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, and I’m going to blend key concepts from this attraction with our Matterhorn mountain in Anaheim.
My proposal: A complete ground-up re-build of the mountain, modernizing the experience with today’s technological advances while honoring the original mountain by preserving its look, feel, and theme, re-constructed in an entirely new and exciting way.
To make this happen, we’d have to gut the mountain.
Lots of controversy would be stirred up with this idea. The Disney purist fans who would prefer the park remain a museum would be irate over the notion of bulldozing the single most influential attraction ever created. These purists would view the mountain as being on hallowed ground, and therefore something that must be forever preserved throughout all eternity.
But my response to this would be: Why? The castle is the true holy shrine of the park, the first Disney castle ever built in the world. This is what remains untouched until the end of time, save for structural fixes and a good paint scheme when needed.
But the Matterhorn is a ride, and Walt Disney himself wanted his parks to continue to evolve so they could stand the test of time. If the ride continues to remain, quite literally, painfully unchanged, then the company is actually doing a disservice to the iconic nature of this attraction.
To evolve the experience up to modern standards, and fully re-energize this aging attraction, we’ll want to use Expedition: Everest for our core ride experience.
Everest is just jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring when you see it in person. That mountain is always towering in the distance, seen from virtually all angles of that park, and its design is nothing short of breathtaking.
At the time, it introduced a ride element never before experienced. Your train moves forward, heads up to a dead end in the track, unexpectedly gets thrown in reverse, launches you through the mountain, then returns to its forward motion to complete the track circuit. It really takes your breath away.
All of that awesome theming and great thrills doesn’t mask the big flaw with the attraction, found inside the mountain. A short series of twists and turns in mostly pitch black, and a very brief encounter with the silhouette of a Yeti (given the animatronic Yeti still has never been restored to its original working condition) before being thrust back outside, yielding to a very quick end. Given the scope and attention to detail with the exterior, the interior is a missed opportunity.
The Matterhorn, however, is much more about the interior mountain experience. While the outside is also thematically rich, the entire ride really is through the belly of the mountain, twisting you through various sections of track that take you outside, then back in again, past ice caverns, and encountering the abominable snowman along the way.
With an Expedition: Everest ride system and a Matterhorn theme, we could literally find ourselves on a runaway train through exciting interior snow caves dripping with melting icicles, traversing along snow-covered peaks, and encountering an animatronic-plussed abominable snowman along the journey.
This could truly be epic.
PART 2: GIVE ANAHEIM THE “ORLANDO FANTASYLAND EXPANSION” TREATMENT!
Right now, there is a tremendous amount of unused space off to the corner behind the Matterhorn along the walk from where the old riverboat cruise attraction was (now a designated smoking section) along past the Autopia ride down to the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
My thought would be to completely relocate the construction of the all-new mountain into this rear portion of the park, opening the space where the existing mountain now resides as either a heavily-themed new entrance complex for the ride, or to give the park room to expand its Fantasyland, much like what they have done in Orlando. Perhaps a combination of both.
This opens up a world of possibilities, from a plethora of new shops and attractions, expanded walkways to handle the massive crowds, and the best part, new rides.
It is apparent that the theme park business today requires a synergy with other entertainment divisions within the company, so each can reap the benefits of the exposure earned from the other entities. The obvious example of this is Cars Land. The successful film, Cars, created its own merchandising phenomenon, and this is what green-lit this particular expansion at Disney California Adventure.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter follows a similar pattern of a land constructed with merchandising in mind after a wildly successful run of films.
The Matterhorn doesn’t share in this luxury, with no specific movie tie-ins, no real merchandising opportunities. Thus, the incentive by the company to impose such a massive expansion is probably non-existent.
But if we relocate the mountain, and create an entirely new and much larger Fantasyland, now we have an opportunity that will inspire the imagination and simultaneously make the accountants happy…
PART 3: FROZEN: THE RIDE.
Disney has this little film that came out recently that grossed a gazillion dollars, which you may have heard of. Of course you’ve heard of it.
FROZEN.
The epic proportions of how well this movie did cannot be denied, begging for sequels, merchandising, and undeniably, the theme park treatment. But where can Frozen fit in any of the parks in their current form?
On the other hand…
How about in our newly expanded magical winter wonderland section of Fantasyland as an all-new dark ride experience set against the backdrop of the colossal new Matterhorn mountain looming in the distance?
We’re not talking a simple C-Ticket typical Fantasyland ride ala Snow White’s Scary Adventures or Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Frozen needs the modern treatment. And Disneyland will be ready to make a big splash after the Wizarding World of Harry Potter comes to Universal Studios Hollywood.
How about using the trackless ride system implemented on Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Tokyo DisneySea and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland? This is an innovative technology not currently utilized in Anaheim, which is perfect to plus a C-Ticket Fantasyland dark ride into a bonafide D-Ticket. This would be a huge way to give Frozen the theme park attention it deserves.
Talk about the best of all worlds!
We’ve adhered to today’s Cars Land model of theme park expansion by creating an entirely new section within Fantasyland, capable of supporting multiple rides with movie tie-ins and huge merchandising potential. We’ve reimagined a classic Disney thrill ride, which would do its part to take some attention away from the Harry Potter expansion that is targeting the same teen-adult demographic. And we’re honoring what Disney does best by giving its newest princess a proper theme park home in the form of an all-new technologically advanced family-friendly attraction.
Blue sky thinking? Unrealistic dreaming? Perhaps. But in my opinion, that’s pure awesomeness right there.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]