A Dizzyland Question,,

[Trailer Park Casanova]

We've been Annual Pass holders for about 15 years. Though the Eisner years sucked the character outta the place, we still go several times each year, take the RV and spend the nite.
We visit outside of the boating season, most those days are blacked out anyway.
Not once in that fifteen years has the Matterhorn Bobsleds been open.
Always has the sign: "Closed for refurbishment".
It was my favorite ride when I was a little kid and I've always wanted to take the kids on it.
Days like today are good days to go,, so
I got on line, check'd what rides are closed,, and sho' e'nuff, the Matterhorn, closed for refurbishment: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/calendar/daily/daily?name=CalendarDailyPage&date=20061014&span=1&parkDCA=true&parkDLP=true&parkDTD=tru
Anyone here notice that too? Or is it just dumb luck we hit it at the wrong time, fifteen years running?

[RitcheyRch]

Seems that ride is always down. One of my favorite rides as well.

[jbone]

I guess I've been lucky. It has been open most of the time for my 2-3 annual trips.
It was closed during my last trip about 1 month ago though. I think it will be down for some time for major renovations.
J

[Flyinbowtie]

We were there 3 years ago come Feb. the Matterhorn was open.
I dunno TPC, maybe they no likey you...
We are thinking about headin' south for Christmas, and the Magic Kingdom is on our list. Still haven't hit the Ca. Adventure.

[socaldj1]

It was open last week.. I'm heading back there in the morning

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Life must be good if that's all I have to gripe about.

[Oldsquirt]

Funny, I was just talking about closed rides with a co-worker who is heading to Disneyland next week. First thing he asked was if the Matterhorn was closed when I was there in June--it was open. I wonder if the fact that it is the oldest of the high speed rides there that leads to more maintenance/repair issues?
On a side note, when did they take out the aerial tramway? Hadn't been to Disneyland since '88 and I can't remember if it was even running back then.

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Funny, I was just talking about closed rides with a co-worker who is heading to Disneyland next week. First thing he asked was if the Matterhorn was closed when I was there in June--it was open. I wonder if the fact that it is the oldest of the high speed rides there that leads to more maintenance/repair issues?
On a side note, when did they take out the aerial tramway? Hadn't been to Disneyland since '88 and I can't remember if it was even running back then.
One reason we read about on a amustment park website was when the Matterhorn is closed, the shops in the area and food outlets do a higher business, plus thay have about 30 less employees they have to pay.
The skyride vanished about 10 years ago.
The website mentioned the Raider nation loved to spit, throw debris and swing from it, and the idiot who convieniently (sp?) fell out over the big tree in Fantasyland.
The big problems were hourly, the solution was to remove it.

[LUVNLIFE]

I'm a Raider fan and I never threw anything out of a tram or hung from one :rolleyes: Nice way to connect Raider fans or football with Disneyland :rolleyes: :yuk:

[Desert Rat]

Don't most Raider fans live in Trailers and have season passes to D'land?? :crossx: I said most because I know the Luvnlife's don't live in a trailer and neither do I:rollside:

[jbone]

I'm a Raider fan and I never threw anything out of a tram or hung from one :rolleyes: Nice way to connect Raider fans or football with Disneyland :rolleyes: :yuk:
Maybe you didn't, but most dirt bags in D-land up to no good are sporting the Raider garb. Go figure :idea: .
J

[Desert Rat]

Bet most couldn't name more then two players and that would include Moss and Sapp. Not Raider fans just gang bangers that like the colors i bet, Charger BLUE or any team RED will get you way focked up in the wrong hood

[LUVNLIFE]

Maybe you didn't, but most dirt bags in D-land up to no good are sporting the Raider garb. Go figure :idea: .
J
What are the other dirt bags wearing? Other team colors? :idea: Like Desert Rat said, they prob are not fans anyway and are just probably trying to identify with really cool, upstanding folks. :p

[XtrmWakeborder]

I don't think it's ever been down when i've been there. And i've been tons of times. I think i'll get another season pass this christmas, but 300+ is hard to swallow.

[essexjet]

I'm a Raider fan and I never threw anything out of a tram or hung from one :rolleyes: Nice way to connect Raider fans or football with Disneyland :rolleyes: :yuk:
Two mickey mouse organizations Cale...

[YeLLowBoaT]

did you see the new mascot show.... here is a preview here (http://www.break.com/index/disney_mascot_porn.html)

[LUVNLIFE]

Two mickey mouse organizations Cale...
This coming from Valley of the Dirt People :rolleyes: :rollside: How's everthing going man? :)

[essexjet]

This coming from Valley of the Dirt People :rolleyes: :rollside: How's everthing going man? :)
Not too bad, and you? Wonderboy is now one of those union guys like Ryan.

[LUVNLIFE]

Not too bad, and you? Wonderboy is now one of those union guys like Ryan.
That's what I heard. Actually Ryan called me. I don't think I could handle two of them :( Ask Ryan about the body work he did on the water truck. :p :rollside:

[eliminatedsprinter]

We go once or twice a year. I've been lucky and found it open most of the time. I do remember a couple of times when one side has been closed.
I've also never been to the California Adventure Park. I just haven't been able to bring myself to go to the trouble of going down there and not visiting the real deal. I've gone there all my life and I don't know what it is, but I always have a unique pleasent feeling, that I just can't explain, when I'm there. :cool:

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Disneyland PR actually called me and said it's only open during high attendance times, that it's going through a 10 year renovation, reinforcement & re-furbishment.
All kinds of structural and other things are slowly being replaced, installed.

[eliminatedsprinter]

Disneyland PR actually called me and said it's only open during high attendance times, that it's going through a 10 year renovation, reinforcement & re-furbishment.
All kinds of structural and other things are slowly being replaced, installed.
Thanks for the info. We usually like to go around Christmas. That would explain why it is usually open. :cool:

[Trailer Park Casanova]

I also recieved this:
The Matterhorn is built of wood ( Wood? OK if they say so.), covered with lathe & plaster. That kind of thing deteriorates, especially when you have a steel roller coaster thundering through it continually.
Years ago they assessed it and came up with this multi-year plan to completely refurbish it in stages so that it can at least remain open during higher seasons [i.e. they don't have to demolish it and start over!] but so that they can fortify it in all the right places and make it compliant with more current regulations regarding clearance height & width in the inner tunnels, etc.
They have a big contraption that goes along the track [during refurbishment periods] to make sure that a person riding through it won't be able to bump their head, arms, hands, whatever. It has extensions that go beyond what would be the reach of even an extremely tall, long-limbed person so that no one will be hurt when the ride re-opens after they've done major work on it.
In addition to the fact that they have to reinforce the actual structure, the Matterhorn was an unwilling structural victim of the removal of the Skyway, which used to cut right through the middle of it. When the Skyway was removed they had to add massive amounts of material encircling the track and blocking, for the most part, the passageways that the Skyway had used to go through the mountain, so that was an enormous project in and of itself.
Then, of course, when they changed the fireworks show to the 50th anniversary "Remember... Dreams Come True", it involved quite a substantial structural change to the inside of the top of the Matterhorn.
If you've seen the fireworks you know what the show includes & can probably imagine what had to change at the top of the Matterhorn, [last time I checked it was still running on Saturday nights].