Disneyland Park · Fantasyland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
The world's first tubular steel coaster, still running two tracks through a 147-foot mountain with a yeti inside. 42 inches.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 42in (107cm)One adult may supervise only one child under 7 on this attraction.
- Intensity
- Intense
- Motion sickness
- Moderate motion risk
- Getting wet
- You may get splashed
- Indoor / outdoor
- Mixed
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
Last verified July 2026
What it is
The Matterhorn opened in 1959 and changed the industry: it was the first roller coaster built on a tubular steel track, the design every modern coaster descends from. The mountain is roughly 147 feet tall, built at a hundredth the scale of the real Matterhorn, and there are two separate tracks inside it with slightly different layouts.
The Fantasyland side and the Tomorrowland side are not the same ride. The Tomorrowland track is generally considered the rougher and marginally faster of the two, while the Fantasyland side has a slightly longer run. Locals argue about it; the difference is real but small.
The 2012 refurbishment replaced the old three-across bobsleds with single-file seating, which improved sightlines and made the ride feel faster, and added a fully realized Abominable Snowman figure. It also made the sleds tighter. Two adults of average build in one sled is a snug arrangement and there is no polite way around that.
Note the supervision rule: one adult may accompany only one child under seven here, the same restriction Space Mountain carries. A single parent with two young children cannot ride with both, so you will need rider switch or a second adult.
What riding it is actually like
You climb into a narrow sled, sit with your legs forward and your back against the person behind you, and get pulled up a chain lift inside the mountain. The lift is dark and cold and the sound design is all wind and ice. Then the sled releases into the descent, and from there it is fast turns, short dips, and constant lateral jolting through ice caverns.
The Abominable Snowman appears three times — glowing eyes in the dark, then a full figure lunging with a roar. It is the moment small children remember, and it lands harder than the coaster elements do. The final section runs partly outdoors on the exterior of the mountain, which is the only glimpse most riders get of what the thing actually looks like from the track.
The ride ends with a splashdown into a shallow water brake that throws a light spray over the front rows. It is refreshing on a July afternoon and mildly irritating in January. The whole run is about two and a half minutes and feels shorter.
Is Matterhorn Bobsleds scary?
The Abominable Snowman appears three times, roaring, at close range in the dark, and children who were promised a mountain coaster are frequently not expecting it. There is no big drop, but the ride is jerky and the sled is cramped. The startles are the issue, not the coaster elements.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
The bobsleds are narrow single-file seats with a deep well; getting in and out requires stepping down and folding your legs forward, and it is a genuinely awkward transfer for larger adults and anyone with hip or knee limitations. The ride jolts hard laterally throughout.
Tips that actually help
- The Tomorrowland side is the rougher, punchier track; the Fantasyland side is slightly longer. The queues are separate and often very different lengths — check both before committing.
- Sit at the front of a sled if you can. The back of a sled means bracing against the person in front and taking every jolt through your spine.
- One adult may supervise only one child under seven. Plan for rider switch if you have two small kids and one adult.
- This ride is genuinely rough. If your back is unhappy, this and Indiana Jones are the two to skip.
- The splashdown at the end gets the front row damp. Sit further back in the sled if that matters to you.
- It closes during the fireworks and reopens right after, and the queue immediately afterward is usually the shortest of the evening.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- First hour of the day, or the twenty minutes right after the fireworks end.
- Typical wait
- 30 to 60 minutes midday. The two tracks post separately at the entrance — compare them.
- Lightning Lane
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Matterhorn Bobsleds: common questions
How tall do you have to be to ride Matterhorn Bobsleds?
42 inches, which sits between Autopia at 32 and Indiana Jones at 46. There is also a supervision rule specific to this ride and Space Mountain: one adult may accompany only one child under seven.
Is the Matterhorn scary?
The coaster elements are mild — no inversions, no significant drop, moderate speed. What frightens children is the Abominable Snowman, who appears three times in the dark with a roar at close range. A lot of kids handle Big Thunder easily and then refuse a second Matterhorn ride.
What is the difference between the two sides?
The Tomorrowland-side track is generally the rougher and slightly faster of the two; the Fantasyland side runs a marginally longer course. They share the mountain and the yeti but the layouts differ. Waits between the two queues can differ by twenty minutes, so look at both.
Is the ride rough?
Yes. It is the second-roughest ride at Disneyland after Indiana Jones, with constant sharp lateral jolts and a hard seating position. Sitting upright with your back flat helps. Anyone with neck or back problems should treat the warning signs seriously.
Do you get wet on the Matterhorn?
A little. The ride ends by splashing into a shallow water brake, which throws spray over the front of each sled. It is a light spritz rather than a soaking, and it dries within minutes.