Mountaineers to return to Disneyland’s Matterhorn when ride reopens

I’m such a sucker for anything having to do with mountains -- hiking up them, watching climbers ascend them, snapping pictures of them -- that even phony peaks give me a thrill.

Disneyland announced Tuesday that the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the iconic roller-coaster-type ride that’s been closed since January for a redo, will have mountaineers once again scaling its slopes when the ride reopens June 15.

“Having real mountain climbers on the mountain is a tradition started by Walt Disney in 1959 when the attraction opened,” communications manager Shawn Slater writes on the DisneyParks Blog.

Fans seem pretty happy with the news:

“I remember during the 50th Anniversary they had Mickey scaling the peak! I have some great pics from that. I love how Disneyland embraces their history while always looking to the future – always nostalgic while always innovative. Pure Magic.” -- Adam

“The Matterhorn climbers have been missed these past few years, and I am so happy to hear they are returning. It is fun and mesmerizing to watch them climb, and they add a touch of realism as well as fantasy to the park’s iconic mountain” -- Matthew

The ride will reopen with a new fleet of bobsleds with three seats each and hitched together two at a time. The Matterhorn, which has two runs, stands 100 times shorter than the real Swiss peak that’s 14,700 feet tall. The ride made its debut at the park in 1959.