A Park Icon Disappears: 1959 Disneyland Coaster Shuts Down Without an Opening Day in Sight

The echoes of screams and the rumble of bobsleds have gone quiet at the base of Disneyland California Park’s towering mountain.

For the first time in a long while, the snowcapped silhouette of the Matterhorn stands silent—its icy peaks still catching the California sun, while its base has vanished behind a sea of beige construction walls.

What’s happening to Disneyland’s original thrill ride? And more importantly—why now?

Disneyland California Matterhorn: A Quiet Closure With a Loud Legacy

Guests visiting Disneyland this week were met with a surprising sight: the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction is closed for refurbishment, with themed construction walls circling the surrounding area. The walls, a mix of beige panels and brown wood, extend up to the Monorail track where a scrim bridges the gap between the rockwork and fencing.

No major announcement preceded the closure, and Disney has remained tight-lipped on the refurbishment’s specifics. A sign on the walls offers only a vague promise: the attraction will reopen “later this fall.”

So what’s behind the silence? Could this be more than just a routine touch-up?

Nostalgia Wrapped in Scrim

Though the mountain itself remains visible, the surrounding construction creates a stark contrast—inviting curious speculation. However, Disney did leave a historical breadcrumb trail for fans. A series of shield-shaped signs now line the walls near the entrance, each offering glimpses into the story of Disneyland’s very first mountain.

It’s a history worth retelling.

In 1958, Walt Disney stood at the foot of the real Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, during the filming of Third Man on the Mountain. Inspired by its grandeur, he mailed a postcard to his Imagineers with a simple, powerful instruction: “Build this!”

And they did. The Matterhorn Bobsleds opened just one year later, in 1959, as part of Disneyland’s first major expansion—an ambitious addition that included the Submarine Voyage, Fantasyland Autopia, and the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System.

Why the Matterhorn Still Matters

The Matterhorn wasn’t just another ride—it was a technological marvel. It became the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster, forever changing theme park engineering. It featured dual tracks (Fantasyland and Tomorrowland sides), realistic mountainous terrain, and later, an infamous abominable snowman.

Though the yeti didn’t appear until a 1977-1978 overhaul, the ride’s icy legacy has continued to evolve with periodic updates—in 1995, 2012, and most recently, a major refresh in 2015. Each update added new visuals, audio, and storytelling elements, without ever duplicating the ride at any other Disney park.

With that in mind, the current refurbishment could be more significant than it seems.

Is Something Bigger Coming?

Historically, when Disneyland walls off such a beloved and storied attraction, even minor enhancements draw speculation. Could Disney be preparing a more substantial upgrade—perhaps animatronic improvements, safety enhancements, or even thematic tweaks that better align with modern expectations?

Given recent Disney trends, like the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for fans to wonder if the Matterhorn could be next in line for a story-driven overhaul. While there’s no evidence of that (yet), Disney’s silence leaves the door wide open.

At the very least, we know the ride is expected to return in fall 2025. That gives Imagineers just a few months to work their mountain magic. But how much they’ll change—and how much of Walt’s original vision will remain—remains to be seen.

Final Descent: The Disneyland California Matterhorn Will Return Soon

For now, fans will have to gaze at the peak of Disneyland’s first thrill ride from afar, imagining what lies behind those quiet walls. Whether it’s just some fresh paint and minor repairs, or something more ambitious, one thing is certain: the legacy of the Matterhorn Bobsleds is far too important to be overlooked.

After all, it was the mountain that Walt built—and the ride that set the stage for every Disney “mountain” that followed.

So as fall approaches and the leaves begin to turn, one big question remains: when those walls come down, what version of the Matterhorn will we see next?