These days, being a fan of Disneyland means adapting to a lot of changes. From recent price increases to 800 food and drink items to figuring out how to use the Lightning Lane add-on should one opt in for it. This past week some fans have been wrapping their heads around a much bigger potential change: the demolishment of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. It’s a big rumor that’s been going around, and an imagineering executive has responded to why it probably won’t happen. Let’s talk about it.
The Matterhorn Rumor That’s Been Running Around
During D23’s Disney Experiences Showcase last month, it was announced that Disneyland’s Tomorrowland would be getting a “reimagining”. We don’t yet know the extent of this, but it’s been called a “transformation” that will “honor the legacy of the original land” with “new attractions, more open spaces and new places for you to dream about the future.”
With that in mind, there’s a lot of questions about what will be torn down in Disneyland to make room for this imagining. Last week, WDW News Today shared a rumor that the Matterhorn Bobsleds could be torn down and rebuilt somewhere else in Disneyland to make room for these changes. They credited a post from @sometimescastles on Instagram who claimed “an inside source” shared they are “actively talking about” tearing down the original Disneyland ride.
How One Imagineering Executive Shut Them Down
Since the rumor is gaining traction in the theme park community, Walt Disney former Imagineering Executive Creative Director Jim Shull took to X to comment on it. In his words:
The rumor that at Disneyland the Matterhorn will be demolished and rebuilt is unlikely to happen. Assuming that occurred it could amount to a $800 million+ project with the ride and surrounding development.
Look, the Walt Disney Company is rich, but spending $800 million just to clear out some room for Tomorrowland is likely much too excessive to consider. Shull is retired from imagineering, but his update about how “unlikely” it is should still give some peace of mind for purists for the 147-foot ride that’s been standing in Disneyland since 1959.
Perhaps if this rumor is somehow true, they should call this person who made their own Matterhorn ride in their backyard? Matterhorn has certainly earned the reputation of being one of Disneyland attractions that’s showing its age, but it sounds like there’s literally millions upon millions of reasons to keep it up and running where it is.
While it sounds like the Matterhorn Bobsleds are here to stay, we do expect there could be some dramatic changes to Tomorrowland for this reimagining. Some other attractions that could ultimately be at risk of closing could be the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters or Star Tours. (I personally can’t imagine them touching fan-favorite Space Mountain, but who knows!)
For the time being, we have very little information about Tomorrowland’s upcoming upgrade and when changes are going to happen. But, it seems like it’s in very early development.
