Originally Posted By drawbridge Accdg to DL website Matterhorn is now down through most of January too. Anyone know the scoop? Why does this ride get such a long refurb every year?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The Nemo construction was causing the Matterhorn to sink faster than they originally thought.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I thought they didn't need the long refurbs now that they're not testing the Pooh vehicles there anymore.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Well, since Monsters Inc. opened in the old SSL building, they needed a new place to test the new vehicles. For a while they used the sub lagoon, but the construction sort of got in the way of that. They tried things on the PeopleMover track, but they couldn't do a full circuit due to the construction, so they had to settle for the Matterhorn. You see, it really isn't their fault, but they didn't have any other options left. Next year they will be able to use the PM track since the construction will be done, but they had to extend it this year so they could test the subs. But really, the Matterhorn is just old and needs a lot of work. They are basically rebuilding it like Space Mountain, but it is being done over time and really focusing on the rough sections of the track. They are also replacing the structure of the mountian itself, as it has really begun to show its age. Along with the routine updates that every ride gets, they also have work to do to bring it up to modern code, like when they completely redid the fire sprinkler system a couple years ago. This year is particularly bad because it didn't go down for maintainence due to the 50th stuff. Add that in with the new cars which could require changes before they arrive, and there's a lot of work that needs to be done. Hopefully they will do enough this year that the neext few years can be fairly short, but being so old and the original steel coaster, it has aged in ways that other rides haven't and probably never will. The alternative that was considered a few years ago was total demolition and reconstruction of the mountian, but they decided to go for the more expensive rebuilding over time in order to preserve the original integrity of the attraction while keeping modern stardards.
Originally Posted By oneyepete Can you imagine what it would have been like not having the mountian around for a couple of years if they had torn it down to rebuild? That would be like waitng for a nose to grow back after having it removed.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORGOCH: Already had that experience with Space out Mountain, oneyepete, ducklin'. Don't wanna' live through it agin!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Well with Space Mountian, they kept the building in place and built inside it. The cheapest option for the Matterhorn was to completely destroy the whole thing and build it over completely. Even though Space Mountain was closed, it still looked like it was there. This would have just left a big hole in the middle of DL while they built another one.
Originally Posted By dresswhites the refurb has been extended? over at mouse planet, it says the rehab is ahead of schedule and may reopen by this weekend. i guess it is true with disney nothing is concrete at disneyland except for splash mountain.
Originally Posted By oneyepete Exactly. But you could still see the SM structure while the work was being done inside. But not seeing the matterhorn.......
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORGOCH: Well, heck! If'n it's mountains ya wanna' see, just take a trip ta Morva! Us Cauldron gals can whisk ya over ta the Horny King's Castle--where they got mountains all 'round the place!
Originally Posted By dresswhites is it possible that the mountain may open for christmas? and then close again in jan? or at this time does it mean it will be closed all the way through christmas. i miss riding the matterhorn. it is one of my favorites.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I sort of wish they'd torn it down and rebuilt something along the lines of Everest at WDW.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I know. You would die if I told you what I'd like for them to do with Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Originally Posted By dresswhites it looks like the matterhorn will be open during christmas, then close in mid jan. at least according to disneyland website. we know how reliable the disneyland website is though.
Originally Posted By onlyme >>It would be nice if the track was much smoother.<< Yes, it would. Maybe I'd actually ride it again. It gives me an instant headache. But, really, they have a refurb period every year and it still breaks down, at least, twice a day. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and redo the whole thing. I don't mean get rid of it. We all know that the Matterhorn is an icon, but something's gotta be done.
Originally Posted By onlyme *turns around to be certain TDG is waving at me.* Me???? I'm just a wallflower, but thanks for notiticing. *waves back*
Originally Posted By onlyme ah yes,,,,,,,my first post in a year and it, of course, contains a grammatical error.....sigh "notiticing"........ugh
