Wender·Vista
Matterhorn Bobsleds
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
at Disneyland in Anaheim, on the edge of Fantasyland

Matterhorn Bobsleds

— — the white mountain at the centre of the park.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The painted peak that has stood between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland since 1959, when it opened as the first tubular-steel roller coaster ever built. The mountain rises about 147 feet above the park, a 1:100-scale reference to its Swiss namesake, with two parallel bobsled tracks threading the inside. The Skyway buckets are long gone. The climbers on the outside still come down on the hour, and the snow on the upper face is still painted.

from the studio
Matterhorn Bobsleds
— bring it home

Matterhorn Bobsleds, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Matterhorn Bobsleds

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Matterhorn Bobsleds opened at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on 14 June 1959, as part of the same expansion that brought the Submarine Voyage and the Disneyland Monorail. Walt Disney commissioned the attraction after a 1958 visit to Zermatt, where the real Matterhorn impressed him enough to send back a postcard with a note to the studio. The Anaheim mountain stands about 147 feet tall, roughly 1:100 the scale of the 4,478-metre Swiss original, and holds two parallel coaster tracks built by Arrow Development.

— the year

The attraction is historically important as the first tubular-steel roller coaster ever built, opened on 14 June 1959. Arrow Development engineered the track system in collaboration with WED Enterprises, and the technique it introduced (cold-bent steel tubing for a continuous running surface) became the basis for almost every steel coaster built since. The two parallel sides reopened with significantly redesigned trains in 2012, and again with refurbished tracks in 2015, but the mountain shell, the climbers, and the basic ride path remain very close to the 1959 original.

— the visit

The Matterhorn sits at the centre of Disneyland Park, on the boundary between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, with loading queues on each side of the mountain. The attraction uses the standard Disneyland Lightning Lane and standby queue system, with a minimum height requirement of 42 inches. Wait times are usually shortest in the first hour after park opening and during the evening fireworks show. The mountain climbers (live performers on the outside face) appear on a posted schedule during daylight hours and on busy event nights.

— informed by Disneyland official
— where
United States · Anaheim, California
— within
Disneyland Park
— position
33.8121° N · 117.9181° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Sleeping Beauty Castle
park landmark
at the lake
Disneyland Monorail
park transit
at the lake
It's a Small World
Fantasyland attraction
at the lake
Disney California Adventure
adjacent park
N
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Disneyland Monorail
It's a Small World
Disney California Adventure
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Matterhorn Bobsleds — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

On 14 June 1959, as part of the Disneyland expansion that also opened the Submarine Voyage and the Disneyland Monorail. It has operated since then, with major refurbishments in 1978, 2012, and 2015.

About 147 feet tall, roughly a 1:100 scale reference to the 4,478-metre Swiss Matterhorn. The Anaheim mountain is one of the few structures in the park visible from outside the berm.

It opened as the first tubular-steel roller coaster ever built, with track engineered by Arrow Development and WED Enterprises. The cold-bent tubing technique became the basis for almost every steel coaster built since.

He visited Zermatt while filming Third Man on the Mountain in 1958, and was struck enough by the Matterhorn to commission a scaled version at Disneyland. Construction began the same year.

Yes. Live performers climb the painted mountain face on a posted schedule during daytime operation and on busy event evenings, a tradition that began in the 1960s.

Riders must be at least 42 inches (107 centimetres) tall. The ride is a high-speed bobsled coaster with banked turns and short drops, and is not recommended for guests with back or neck conditions.

— about the piece in your home

It works well for that reader. The Matterhorn is one of the original 1959 landmarks and a recognisable centre-of-park image. A Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries the reference well.

The white-and-cobalt mountain reads well in mid-century modern rooms, in Disney-themed studies, and in alpine-inflected family spaces. It also works above a console in a playroom or a den with warm wood.

Yes. The 1959 silhouette and the Voynich treatment give the tile a graphic mid-century quality without leaning on logos or character art. The Large is the size that does the most work in this style.

A single Large over a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural above a wider console or buffet, and a 9-tile Mural as a single composition above a longer sofa or family-room media wall.

Yes, on the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both handle steam and splashes and resist scratches. The Glossy finish is for framed wall pieces away from direct water exposure.

A soft microfibre cloth with water handles routine dust and fingerprints. For kitchen installs with cooking residue, a drop of dish soap in warm water on a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh solvents.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in-house by Reid Wender and his studio, in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink language. We do not licence outside artwork, and the work is not sold through any third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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