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Here are the four coasters, and what we
think of them, at Disneyland.
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Built in 1959, just a few years after Disneyland opened, the Matterhorn
is the world's first coaster to use tubular steel tracks. This Arrow Dynamics
innovation allowed for much tighter curves and even inversions, and is still
used today on most steel coasters. Here, two-car trains zip down, in, out, and
around a 1/100th scale recreation of the actual Swiss mountain.
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- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- A descendent of the Matterhorn, this runaway mine-train coaster is
really good. The 3-minute ride seems to last a long time, but in a good way.
The charming Disney theming throughout the ride is fun to look at.
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- Space Mountain
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After the success of Space Mountain in Florida, another one was built at
Disneyland. But they are not the same. There are two similar tracks in
DisneyWorld, each with a single, long lift hill. But in California, there is a
single track. When the train leaves the station, the train goes up a very short
lift hill. After a turn, a second lift begins. The cars now have a built-in
audio system, and as the train rises, so does the soundtrack. The music swells,
coming to a peak just as the train tops the lift hill and ... nothing. The
train just rolls ahead slowly while the music calms down, when suddenly the
train starts up the third lift hill. This one is much shorter than the second,
but the music builds up again, and this time, when the music and the train
reach the apex, the ride really starts. The special effects are better here
than in Florida - there are no "chocolate chip cookie" asteroids floating
overhead - and the speed and surprises are kept up throughout the dark ride.
There is even a brief hint of airtime, if you sit in the front.
At least, that’s how the ride was on our last visit. The coaster has been
updated since then.
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- Gadget's Go Coaster
- A cute junior coaster, this steel ride doesn't have any large drops
that might scare young children, but it does have fun scenery, and sharp curves
that apply noticeable force.
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