Matterhorn for... Magic Kingdom?


A rumor that (in my opinion) may never become reality has emerged again in some discussion boards:

MATTERHORN BOBSLEDS FOR MK RUMOR???? 


During these weeks, someone brought up that the Disney Imagineers have decided to finally review the new Fantasyland expansion and have CANCELED part 2 of it, namely the Pixie Hollow area.

So, this means that they may focus their attention in one (or maybe both, which is HIGHLY unlikely) of the following projects:

-Frontierland Expansion (behind Big Thunder Mountain railroad)

OR

-A Florida version of the Matterhorn Bobsleds.

And today, we're going to consider the second project.
This one was ACTUALLY considered for the park many years ago, and you can see this blue sky project here, courtesy of Imagineering Disney:


Of course, as you can see, it included THREE rides, shops, restaurants and more....

Here's what the California ride looks like:
(images copyright of their respective websites)




The ride's track:



And during the ride you have a couple of encounters with a really small (but working!!!) Yeti.
Now, here are some questions I ask myself about this project:

-Isn't it a little too similar to Expedition Everest? No, there are many differences, like the vehicles, the track, the theming.... the only thing they've in common is the fact that are both mountains... with a Yeti in it!

-Would it fit in Fantasyland? Of course!!! This is the biggest MK in the world!

-Would it be a good choice for the Magic Kingdom? Definitely. It's a major Disney E-ticket ride, so it would be perfect here too.

-Would it be better than the Pixie Hollow project? Oh, yes. The Pixie Hollow project included only a minor B-ticket ride and some play areas.....

-Will it become a reality? I don't think so. The cost is too high, and the economy is very bad.
Don't hold your breath on this one. It's not going to happen anytime soon in my opinion.

But what about you? What do you think? Do you like the idea?

___________________________________________________________
UPDATE:

I wanted to add the fact that the Matterhorn ride was also envisioned for Epcot, which would have had a gorgeous Switzerland pavilion with shops, restaurants, and of course the Matterhorn....
Here's the famous blue Sky of the never-realized project (that could have been built in the current pointless African section):

(image courtesy of Disney&More)

9 comments:

  1. Really...NOT...
    Already there is a mountain, the Everest.
    I understand Disney World as a whole, and not Magic Kingdom only.
    I prefer something new. Something not seen so far, and not something that has more than 40 years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This won't and shouldn't happen. It's a boring ride by today's standards and would only placate the nostalgia of Disney geeks like us (which is a small percentage of total WDW visitors).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Agree with Anon 1 & 2. I would love a new coaster, but I think this is waaayy out there... Too much like Everest and I don't see how it would tie into anything.

    P.S. I've read that Pixie Hollow was cancelled too, but is that a fact or a rumor?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think that too... there are some similarities between Expedition Everest and the matterhorn, but, if you think about, the theming and the thrill factor are different....
    Anyway, the fact that Pixie Hollow is being cancelled is still a rumor, but a strong one... and believe me, it should be changed into something better, IMHO...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Toon Town anyone I mean lets face it where is Mickey and Minnie going to live in the future ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now, if it took over the useless Africa section and the track layout wasn't too boring I think you might have a nice Disney mountain.

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Robert: I guess they're going to the Exposition hall and some rumors say that they're also being relocated at the Studios...

    @Anonymous: I agree... I don't like that African section... is the most boring area!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @OPTN Admin- Africa is best suited for AK, its not worth having at Epcot. All you can do is buy drinks and play some drums.

    ReplyDelete
  9. From what I've heard, most everyone in the upper echelon of Disney hates the idea of Pixie Hollow, so frankly, I'd expect it to get the axe completely. Not to mention, it's a risky business move, betting the farm on a franchise that's showing very little growth.

    Also, only thing that's been approved for the Fantasyland expansion, so far as I've heard, is the Ariel ride, which I'd imagine is as far as it should go. Frontierland, I don't see needing an expansion.

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger.