The 2012 Matterhorn Bobsled

The next generation of the Matterhorn Bobsleds

Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction is entering its final week of a summer refurbishment.  It will reopen after Labor Day and stay open until after the first of the year at which time it will undergo a six month major refurbishment which includes (allegedly) repainting the mountain and finally the permanent installation of the next generation of the bobsled ride vehicle.  MiceChat posted this picture (above) of the new bobsled yesterday. The sled has been in testing at various times for over a year.

Finally gone is the Matterhorn Boblseds rather unique two-up seating where 2 passengers could occupy the same seat with a seat belt for each passenger.  Many people loved this arrangement.  Parents could take good hold of their children sitting in front of them and give them their first real coaster experience safely in their arms.  It was the ultimate togetherness for boyfriends and girlfriends as they grappled on to each other flaying away down the mountain.  But for many people, the two-up seating was kind of needless and inefficient.

The new sleds provide three individual seats per vehicle and restraint is still provided by a good old fashioned seat belt rather than a lap bar arrangement (from my understanding). And finally, the new vehicles kind of look like sleds rather that projectiles recycled from Space Mountain (picture below).  The 2012 Matterhorn Bobsleds hit the mountain sometime around summer 2012.

Current Matterhorn Bobsleds