Disneyland is filled with attractions that have become part of theme park history, but one ride tucked inside a snow-covered mountain can make a particularly strong claim to having changed the amusement industry.

Matterhorn Bobsleds has been sending Disneyland guests racing through its Alpine-inspired landscape since June 14, 1959. More than 65 years later, visitors can still climb aboard and experience a roller coaster whose influence extends far beyond the gates of the California theme park.

For travelers planning a Disneyland vacation, that history alone makes Matterhorn Bobsleds worth adding to the itinerary.

A Disneyland attraction that helped change roller coasters

When Matterhorn Bobsleds opened, there was nothing quite like it.

The attraction became the first roller coaster in the world to use a tubular steel track, a breakthrough that helped pave the way for the modern steel roller coaster. The design allowed coaster manufacturers to create smoother, more complex layouts and eventually helped make possible many of the towering drops, inversions and high-speed elements riders experience at theme parks today.

Matterhorn Bobsleds also featured an innovative electronic dispatch system that allowed multiple ride vehicles to operate on the track at the same time.

For Disneyland, the attraction represented another important milestone. Matterhorn Bobsleds was part of the park’s first major expansion following its 1955 opening, arriving alongside the Disneyland Monorail and Submarine Voyage.

But Walt Disney and his Imagineers weren’t interested in simply building another roller coaster.

They wanted to create an experience.

Bringing a piece of Switzerland to Disneyland

The inspiration for Matterhorn Bobsleds came from the famous Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps, and Imagineers incorporated details intended to make the attraction feel like more than a roller coaster hidden inside an artificial mountain.

The 147-foot-tall Disneyland landmark was designed at 1/100th scale of the real Matterhorn, giving guests a dramatic Alpine backdrop that became one of the park’s most recognizable sights.

The Swiss influence extends beyond the mountain itself.

Imagineers created a station where waiting guests could take in views of the Matterhorn, similar to the experience of seeing the real mountain from a Swiss village. A picturesque clock tower inspired by architecture near Switzerland’s Matterhorn added another layer to the setting, evoking the chalets and villages associated with the region.

Those details are easy to overlook when you’re focused on getting aboard the next bobsled, but they’re part of what makes the attraction worth slowing down to appreciate.

What it’s like to ride Matterhorn Bobsleds

Matterhorn Bobsleds offers something else unusual for a Disney roller coaster: two separate tracks winding through and around the mountain.

After climbing into a six-passenger bobsled, riders ascend into the mountain before beginning a twisting descent through dark tunnels, rocky passageways and outdoor sections offering quick glimpses across Disneyland.

And you’re not alone inside the mountain.

The Abominable Snowman, affectionately known by many Disney fans as Harold, makes several appearances as bobsleds race through his territory.

The experience isn’t about massive drops or extreme speeds. Matterhorn Bobsleds reach approximately 27 mph, making its thrills relatively modest compared with today’s major roller coasters.

Its charm comes from somewhere else.

You’re riding through one of Disneyland’s most recognizable landmarks on a roller coaster that helped establish the technology used by countless rides that followed.

Why Matterhorn Bobsleds should be on your Disneyland itinerary

Disneyland has changed dramatically since 1959, and travelers today have plenty of newer attractions competing for their vacation time.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge offers one of Disney’s most immersive environments. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway brings modern projection and ride technology to Mickey’s Toontown. Nearby Space Mountain delivers a much different roller coaster experience almost entirely in the dark.

Yet Matterhorn Bobsleds offers something those attractions can’t replicate.

History.

Few theme park attractions give guests the opportunity to experience something that played such an important role in shaping the modern amusement industry more than six decades after it debuted.

It’s also a reminder of Walt Disney’s approach to Disneyland. The goal wasn’t simply to build rides. Attractions combined technology, storytelling, architecture and themed environments to transport guests somewhere else.

Matterhorn Bobsleds accomplished that in 1959, and it continues doing it today.

So, when you’re planning your next Disneyland visit, don’t simply admire the snow-covered Matterhorn towering over the park.

Climb aboard a bobsled.

You won’t just be riding a Disneyland classic. You’ll be riding a piece of roller coaster history.

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(Photos Disney Parks)