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This is a wonderful roller coaster. Aside from the ride experience, this is such a significant ride, as it was the first modern tubular steel track coaster ever. All the steel coasters that we love today can trace their ancestry back to the Matterhorn. The cars really look like little bobsleds, and riders sit one in front of another, rather than side by side. The initial climb up the inside of the mountain is very cool, as it is really dark and feels quite rickety. At the top the bobsleds pass a nice scene with some ice crystals before meeting the Abominable Snowman, and then the wild descent begins. There are very tight twists and turns and neat dips and drops, and the ride is rough, but in a good way. I cannot imagine this ride without the banging back and forth in the car. The ride constantly goes into and out of the mountain, passing waterfalls and whooshing through caves (the speed of the ride feels much faster than it actually is). The final splashdown into the alpine lake is great as well. There are two sides to this coaster. The one facing Fantasyland is a little calmer, while the one facing Tomorrowland is a little wilder, with one particularly forceful, unexpected drop that dips under a small wooden bridge for the other track. I would recommend trying both, as the line moves very efficiently. All in all, I have nothing negative to say about the Matterhorn. It is an icon for Disneyland that remains an excellent roller coaster, even at 50 years old.
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