The Matterhorn Bobsleds | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

The most tragic thing about Dolly's death was how she survived the initial fall only to be struck by another car. It's just sad and brutal.

[@leeweesquee]

And she couldn't get up after the fall. Impending doom.

[@missedmurphy]

Really feels like the Final Destination movies

[@davedunks4647]

any young kid dying is upsetting, but the fact that a family witnessed her fall, her struggle to get back up, and ultimately Dolly most likely realized what was about to happen was enough to literally make my stomach twist a few times. Ugg! How terrible. That isn't even mentioning the riders in the second car. I don't even want to imagine....

[@missbearlockholmes]

It had to have been bad. The first employee in the scene told the others not to look. I'm thinking cut up like a train accident. 😞

[@TheIncredible2IC]

@@davedunks4647 She was 48 though

[@vustvaleo8068]

the passengers who were on the sled that struck Dolly must have been mentally scarred for life.

[@aaronburratwood.6957]

PTSD can come from many places.

[@shakti666]

and it can strike at literally any time

[@Wikkler]

Probably also the family in the Skyway, the employee who discovered the body, and the first responders. I think anyone seeing that firsthand would.

[@Snezzleify]

They would have been horrific to see eh. 🥺

[@mikeworkman3593]

@@shakti666 And a chicken is a flightless bird. Oh sorry, is this a theme?

[@sdraper2011]

I was there with friends the day it happened in 1984. We didn't know there had been a death, we only knew the ride had closed and we saw grim-faced men in dark suits escorting guests from the area - one suit man tightly holding each arm of the guests. The guests looked shocked and pale, maybe they had seen the accident? Anyway, men in suits inside the park was extremely unusual at that time, cast members were always costumed back then. I grew up at Disneyland and I had never seen anything like that before. We knew something big had happened but we only found out about the accident when we stopped for pizza on the way home. The pizza place had the news on their big screen tv and we saw it there. The news report didn't give any details, only saying a woman had died at the park. I had to jump up and call my mom on a pay phone and let her know it wasn't me! There were no cell phones back then. I was a teenager and that was just the kind of thing my mom worried about.

[@nooneherebutuschickens5201]

I was in the park that day as well with a friend. We saw people walking the tracks on the Matterhorn and knew something bad had happened. Found out about an hour later that someone had died.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

I am proud to say that I have never visited, and never will, a disney property.

[@organlover1988]

@@ThatOpalGuy Congrats, you want a cookie?

[@ThatOpalGuy]

@@organlover1988 I want to see disney keep owning that floriduh fascist, ron.

[@haileybalmer9722]

Somehow I never thought of all of the anxious parents that day, sweating it out and waiting for their kids to come home. What a terrible day!

[@imxploring]

The fact the first death occurred when the kid stood up kind of makes it obvious he had undone his belt intentionally. Had it not been secure or come undone accidently during the ride there would have been no reason that he would attempt to stand up.

[@jimmiller5600]

As a former 15 y/o male, there is little limit to what could have happened.

[@imxploring]

@@jimmiller5600 Unfortunately very true.... and very often with unintended results.

[@jimmiller5600]

@@imxploring Longer, older version of expectations from young males from a sergeant -- "if I leave the squad in a locked room with three steel bowling balls and come back in a couple hours, one will be broken, one will be missing and the third will be pregnant.......... and nobody will have seen anything".

[@OffhandDisney]

There have been very few deaths at Disneyland compared to the amount of people who've ever been, but when it does happen it's usually a horrible way to go.

[@marhawkman303]

Well, the medics who work there won't declare anyone dead if they can get away with shoving the corpse into an ambulance and saying they died en route to the hospital. So the only ones are the ones where it's blatantly obvious.

[@laras678]

@@marhawkman303 Well, the fact that the first person in this story, the 15-year-old, spent 3 days in the hospital before he died and yet is still known as dying from a Disney ride would seem to counteract your "fact". There have been other known deaths at Disney Parks over the years. Why would they acknowledge some, but cover up others?

[@marhawkman303]

@@laras678 The key here is dying IN the park, not hiding THAT the person died. To you it seems like a trivial technicality, but it matters for casualty statistics. Arguably those numbers don't really mean anything, but PR people like to wave them around. "only one person has ever died here" sounds kind of impressive. doesn't count the number who sustained fatal injuries in the park though. Again, the trickery is in concealing the LOCATION of the death, not the nature of death. Also, it has a warm fuzzy feeling that the medics "did everything they could" to save the guy while en route to the hospital... it might be a lie where the guy is known to the medics be dead already, but the public doesn't know that.

[@absinthealice]

​@Mar Hawkman You are correct. If at all possible, NO ONE dies "AT" Disneyland/Disneyworld.

[@onbearfeet]

​@@marhawkman303 Actually, that's less about Disneyland's image (though Disney does guard that like a dragon) than it is about California law. The circumstances under which a death can be declared are unlikely to be met at a theme park; usually it has to be done by a medical professional, iirc. (I've lived most of my life close enough to Disneyland to set my watch by the fireworks.) And while there is a police substation and a first-aid station at the park, there isn't a full medical facility. Ask A Mortician made a great video series about death at Disneyland with a more detailed explanation, if you'd like that. Tl;dr: Nobody dies at Disneyland because nobody dies at a theme park in California.

[@reachandler3655]

I can't help but think that 2 fatal accidents on a roller coaster in 60+ years is not bad. Of course, the question then becomes how many non-fatal accidents were there?

[@ethribin4188]

2 accidents in 60 years is not a terrible ratio. No. But its way higher then it should be.

[@rinjaniii326]

Good question 😬

[@LMB222]

You mean the number of children conceived? The park doesn't sell alcohol, so probably not many 😂

[@tin2001]

@@ethribin4188 By today's standards sure, but even in the 80's, theme parks rides were fairly unregulated across much of the world. And technology has advanced significantly since the 50's. A friction adjustment lap seatbelt would have been considered fairly high safety in an era when cars generally didn't have seatbelts. Related to that, the riders also wouldn't have had that automatic reaction of doing up their seatbelt like we all do today.

[@ArtemkaPannat]

I do not think there is a road anyplace that can have that safety record

[@Absolutely_Nobody]

Good on the ride worker who first found Dolly telling his co-workers not to look.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

Good for him for not doing his job in the first place. It's okay, Dolly probably would've queefed out a bunch of moron children anyways.

[@kamakaziozzie3038]

The problem is human nature. when someone tells you not to see something, that’s when you want to look.

[@Absolutely_Nobody]

@@kamakaziozzie3038 I wouldn't exactly say it is unanimous human nature. Thankfully, I've been able to say it plenty of times, and the recipient listened to me.

[@AirDOGGe]

Not hard to do. Decapitation scenes are very gory.

[@MarsJenkar]

Briefly, at the beginning of the video, the narrator mentioned that the Matterhorn Bobsleds were the first tubular steel roller coaster. What was not mentioned is that tubular steel rails very quickly became the standard for steel roller coasters, and only recently have alternatives been used with any serious frequency. If you're riding a steel roller coaster today, then unless it features Rocky Mountain Construction's I-Box track, or is a single-rail coaster, it's probably a tubular steel coaster. Arrow Development came up with the design of the tubular steel rails. This was also the start of Arrow Development's involvement with roller coasters, which would continue until 2001, when the company (since renamed to Arrow Dynamics after a series of mergers) would go bankrupt, in part as a result of the building of their X coaster at Magic Mountain (now X2).

[@stevebounds4285]

I had never been scared on a rollercoaster until I rode X at Magic Mountain the first time then again when it became X2. Man that ride scared me half to death…

[@luckyzert]

Thankyou for mentioning this. The ARROW DEVELOPMENT COMPANY gets the credit for coming up with the tubular track idea.

[@AirDOGGe]

I know it well. My first home when I was born was right across the street from Arrow's first site at Moffett blvd. and Jackson st.. Today the building (that they built themselves) still stands with an auto body shop as resident. In the early 1970s a water softening business occupied the back of the building. Arrow had moved out of the building to the bigger site before I was born in 1960, but I have fond memories of my mother telling me of seeing them make the cups for the teacup ride, and apparently much more was made for Disney within those walls too. I saw many test rides set up in their back lot next to Moffett Drive-in. I recall a log flume track and a waterslide at different times. Last thing I saw there looked like a "dangle" coaster with the train suspended below the track and free to swing to the side in turns. Just a simple square-oval layout with a lift hill. That eventually led to the NINJA suspended coaster at Magic Mountain. I eventually got to ride it in the early 1990s. Both company and drive-in were gone by the mid 1980s. Google has a building on the site now. It wasn't just the X-coaster that took them down but also fierce competition in making new rides.

[@susanowen1709]

I'm glad they changed the lap belts. When they still had the old style, I had one come partially undone while I was riding. I was able to pull it tight but it slipped again immediately. I yanked it tight, passed the end to my friend (who was sitting behind me) and screamed, "DON'T LET GO!!" Luckily she was a big, strong girl and was able to hang onto it for the remainder of the ride. It was pretty darn scary, I tell you what.

[@approximateknowledge5577]

😰😰😰

[@snakeplissken2148]

probably the belt was worn out by the overweight chubby americans that nowadays are cheered for their "empowerment" and "happysize"

[@AK-jt7kh]

I had something similar happen on a rollercoaster once with a lap bar! It was one of the scariest experiences in my life. You become properly aware of just how fast you're moving and how rough those sharp turns are - it's not possible to hold on. Without that gear you will be flung out of that seat.

[@KYLE1654-v7m]

Nice story bro.

[@Brinta3]

Now I finally undersrand why Americans are so enormously fat! It’s their safety measure for when they make a trip to Disney.

[@manuelacosta9463]

What an absolute nightmare that second incident was. Surviving only to be unable to move then a second bobsled arrives. Can't imagine the PTSD the witnesses have endured, something like that stays with one. The happiest place on earth has it's tragic side alright.

[@paulcooper8818]

Yeah, its like a scene from a *_Final Destination_* movie.

[@ManabiLT]

It had to be most horrifying for the people in the skyway car. They saw the whole thing, while the people in the other car only saw the fatal collision. Traumatic as hell for both, though.

[@Jlipnicki]

You honestly believe Disneyland is ' the happiest place on earth ' ?

[@JarethTheGoblinKingForever]

@@Jlipnicki Disneyland is an overpriced, tacky hellhole and its Floridian brother has pushed so many animals out of their natural habitat. Just a bunch of sweaty summer students dressed as cartoon characters, lame-ass rides and meals that cost more than law school textbooks. I will never understand why grown-ass adults love it so much.

[@James-kv6kb]

Millions and millions of people using that facility and only a couple of accidents I think they're doing fairly well considering the amount of stupid people that would have gone through the park in that time

[@RaineStudio]

The sky ride predates the Matterhorn bobsleds. They built the "mountain" around the gondola ride, which was a stroke of entertainment genius.

[@pocketmarcy6990]

Are the Gondolas still there? I’ve only ever been to Disney world and the Magic Kingdom had its sky-tram removes

[@jaytee2642]

​@@pocketmarcy6990 8:55 It said the sky way has been retired and no longer passes through the Matterhorn. That's a shame. I went fairly often back in the 70's. Then I went once years later after they had retired the Light Parade and replaced it with The Lion King Parade. It just wasn't the same.😢

[@turtlejeepjen314]

The LIGHT PARADE is GONE??!!😭☹️

[@peggyl2849]

When Great America opened in Illinois, (at that time it was owned by Marriott, not Six Flags) they had a cable car/sky ride too, but those are long gone. I used to love riding those! It was a little scary when the wheels rolled over one of the support towers and there was a little jolt, but it was a fun way to get from one side of the park to the other. Somewhere I still have a keychain that says Marriott's Great America.

[@elizabethw.6154]

As someone who's nearly died from malfunctioning safety harnesses in a roller coaster before, I understand the terror from these incidents . I haven't been on a roller coaster since then, nearly 20 years.

[@PawsOnTheBalcony]

Holy crap, what happened? (If you don't want to talk about it, that's alright. I'm just curious)

[@orkokts]

Story time?

[@paulcooper8818]

Don't leave us hanging.

[@davedunks4647]

remindme! 1 day

[@Queenmarie88]

I'm glad you're ok. Please share your story ♥️

[@tikitavi7120]

One thing for sure, that ride is hard on your back. It's like riding a sled down a hill of rocks.

[@Backstabmacro]

You know, this video brought back a very old memory. My little sister stood up and hit her head on the Matterhorn sometime around ‘97. I wasn’t riding that time because I didn’t feel like standing in line and went on Peter Pan with a younger cousin instead. We came back from the ride and met up with the grandparents who told us mom and dad were with park staff getting my sister some medical assistance. I guess she was small enough to slip her restraint and get vertical before dad could stop her? Man, that’s a throwback memory. Good video as always!

[@simonisenberg4516]

Considering the volume of passengers and reliance on them to stay safe, it's amazing that only two fatalities happened in all this time.

[@naughtiusmaximus830]

The ceilings and walls seem really close on the Matterhorn. Standing up is insane.

[@lalathebenificent1335]

I didn't understand why Dolly stood up? Did they give an explanation?

[@obeseperson]

@@lalathebenificent1335it was fun

[@anonymous-wk1nh]

@lalathebenificent1335 she didn't stand up, she fell

[@kafkaseyebrows]

the first victim stood up, not dolly. dolly fell. ​@@lalathebenificent1335

[@Emily-the_funny_guys]

Sounds like Mark the first story intentionally stood up and took off belt

[@damonroberts7372]

They _said_ the ride attendants had been trained to check the seat belts before the ride departed the boarding area, _but_ in any system where humans are responsible for checking something there is going to be an error rate. I'm amazed they only had two fatalities in two and a half decades. I wonder how many "near misses" they had in that time?

[@margin606]

Speculation dude. The error rate could have been zero

[@DragoEpyon]

Of the thousands of rides that were sent through that mountain there were only two deaths. I'm no disney shill, far from it, but I've noticed watching these videos that there's always a need to implicate the company, even if its likely the accident was just that an accident. Why is this? Well because the victims survivors got to get their money out of it. Look at Dolly's husband, he was so incensed about what happened to his wife but that all seemed to go away once Disney decided to give him some go away money.

[@poeticsilence047]

​@TheDragonEpyon I never understood that either. People suing for so much money. Millions are not going to bring her back. Unfortunately, it was an accident. No disrespect to her.

[@TuriGamer]

@@DragoEpyon Watching this channel for months you hear that a lot accident happens, people sue and then just quietly leave after getting their money

[@jtgd]

@@margin606 true, but given the tendency of human error with every job, I’d think the number of unknowing chances is non-zero. All it requires is not saying or doing one thing

[@joannewilson1162]

I had heard about dollys accident before. (I think it may have been from another video on this channel)what I can’t imagine is how powerless that family that was riding the cable cars felt…there was a father and his kids and I remember hearing that he pulled them close to him so they couldn’t see dolly get hit. And those people in the other train…that had to be horrible.😢

[@craigmeyer6957]

A big issue I have with DisneyLand is that they are notorious for not taking responsibility for their actions. Whenever somebody gets injured on a ride, the park is very quick to blame the guest for their injuries. They’ll say that “it’s your fault for not following the rules”. Even if the guests weren’t following the rules, constantly blaming the guests for their injuries is not a very good look for the park management

[@j.d.e.7416]

@@craigmeyer6957, when they tell you to keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the ride vehicle at all times, they do so for a reason. It's not to be a killjoy, but to keep you from being killed. And let's face it, the majority of accidents are because people don't follow the rules.

[@marhawkman303]

@@j.d.e.7416 These two here? yeah... hard to say. from the looks of it holding on to the rails on the sides with your hands should be all you need to avoid falling out.

[@ducatisti]

@@marhawkman303 Not even that would be required. The high sides on the vehicle and lack of any "air time" means that unless someone intentionally moved their center of mass higher than the sides of the car, they would not fall out.

[@dianecelento4974]

@@ducatisti You're absolutely right. You have to try hard to fall out of that ride. I've been going there for years before I had kids and now w my kids. 4 year old kids are safe riding that ride. I feel sorry for Disney when people pull this and they have to pay out.

[@doctordolldesigns4009]

Would you please consider doing a video on the ride the ducks attraction in Branson? There was a horrific incident there where I believe over 20 people died in the lake nine of which belong to the same family

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Why? It's all over Google. Wasn't that long ago.

[@shaquille.oatmeal9934]

My family and I were in branson when it happened. My dad had scheduled a time for us on the boats 40 mins before the accident. He decided not to go because he thought they would be canceled from the weather. We were in the lobby helping people come in from thw storm when we saw three of thw firetrucks pass us. We thought someone just didn't know how to drive in the rain. We didn't realize it was something serious untill the third one passed us and then the videos came out. We haven't been on the lake since. We have dozens of photos of me and my siblings driving the ducks on the water as kids.

[@mrselfdestruct7605]

@@wintersbattleofbands1144this videos story is all over google too. Your point?

[@seandelap8587]

If Mark deliberately took off his belt and stood up on the ride then what else did he expect was going to happen

[@AaronShenghao]

Kids.

[@seandelap8587]

He was a teenager so he really should have known better at his age not to do something like that

[@kriscynical]

That's the thing; the majority of serious injuries and fatalities at Disneyland/World have been because of guests ignoring safety instructions, doing things they had been warned not to do, or going where they weren't supposed to go. It's like... safety protocols are there for a reason, people! It's why I am always flabbergasted by parents who put their small children in clunky shoes or stuff the shoes with tissue to make them reach the height requirements for certain rides. If your kid is too short, they're too short and the ride is potentially dangerous because the restraints aren't made for people their size. Why put your kids in danger like that?!🤦‍♀️

[@missbearlockholmes]

​@@seandelap8587 teenagers do some of the most stupid things.

[@AscendancyLF]

@@seandelap8587 Yeah he should have, but teens in his age have a lot higher chance of doing stupid things. That's why safety regulations are needed, to protect them from themself. Being able to undo your seatbelt by your own screams for kids to do stupid stuff. And 99% of teens can be rational, it only takes 1 kid to be irrational for a few seconds for accidents like this to happen. I've been to alot of parks and i think i have never seen a ride where you could undo your seatbelt (or whatever) yourself. And that's a good thing.

[@flyoverkid55]

That only two such incidents have occurred in 60 years of operation is testament to the safety of that particular attraction.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Both were rider error. Both people tried to stand up.

[@parrot849]

Where is the evidence the second, 1984 victim attempted to stand up?​@@wintersbattleofbands1144

[@kafkaseyebrows]

​@@wintersbattleofbands1144 dolly *fell* she did not try to stand up.

[@lipstickcats2047]

I was mulling this over, and while I think Mark probably intentionally removed his lap belt and stood up for whatever dumb teenage reason, Dolly's death made me think. Even if her lap belt had not been fastened from the beginning, would she have fallen out if she hadn't stood up, and if that was the case, why on earth would a grown woman described as very cautious stand up in the middle of a roller coaster ride? I wonder if she might have experienced some kind of medical event during the course of the ride that caused her to act irrationally or try to signal for help. Considering that from the description given it would be reasonable to believe her injuries were likely catastrophic, it's possible that the evidence for some kind of medical crisis precipitating the accident would have been overlooked or possibly completely destroyed by the injuries caused by falling out of the ride and then being struck by the second sled.

[@WholeWheatWhale]

I wonder if she didn't experience a panic attack. The attack comes on quickly and feels like impending death. While experiencing an attack, you feel the intense need to flee, regardless of whether you safely can or not. Personally, I tried to get out of a car while on the highway during one of my first panic attacks. It could explain why a cautious person attempted to stand on a moving roller coaster.

[@dianecelento4974]

@@WholeWheatWhale What you say makes sense. I've been riding those bobsleds for years. Even without a seatbelt on it would be hard to fly out. They don't go very fast.

[@YerALizard]

I think the belt may have squeezed her a bit too hard and made her uncomfortable, it's why some people refuse to wear seatbelts in cars after all, she probably thought it was not a big deal to just unfasten it, after all ,that ride doesn't do any loops

[@VeronicaWarlock]

@@YerALizard possibly even with the intention to refasten it in a more comfortable position, but it was just at the exact wrong moment.

[@skyden24195]

Another thing, not mentioned in the video, each car is equipped with handgrips inside for additional security. Why weren't these utilized if the seatbelt suddenly became faulty? It's not like the grips are difficult to see or grasp.

[@freedomthroughspirit]

Anyone else's jaw drop at the newspaper showing the home addresses of the 15-year olds??? I know security was lax back then but that seems completely unnecessary and a huge overshare. Make them at least look you up in the phone book, eh? 🤔

[@kurtbilinski1723]

I agree; for what possible purpose could it serve to print the address? So people could slowly drive by and whisper, "Their kid died at Disneyland." Why?

[@dezaki96]

Ooh, my mom was almost the second victim on the Matterhorn. When she was a kid in the 60's she got on the ride but her belt didn't fasten and the attendant didn't check, he just sent the ride going. Mom said that she was so scared and held on as hard as she could to not get thrown out of the seat. She never got on the Matterhorn again and would never let us ride it at all! It wasn't until my Grad Night in the 90's that I got to ride it for the first time.

[@joanhoffman3702]

Wow! Your mom lived to tell the tale.

[@skyden24195]

Apologies if this is from left field, but you had your Grad Night in the 90s? Nice. Me too (Class of '93.)

[@phinhnanthasone1231]

For a second I thought that you can use a bobsled on the Matterhorn for real

[@andruwowen8485]

You can but only once.

[@phinhnanthasone1231]

@@andruwowen8485 😂

[@Datadog-1]

So the whole “no one dies at Disney” thing is complete nonsense? I always thought it was an obvious dilution of the truth, but I didn’t know it was this clearly untrue….

[@Missglam67]

The Matterhorn used to be my favorite ride at Disneyland. I liked it because as a young child I was able to ride it and it was still thrilling. I wanted to ride the rides that were not specifically for kids because I thought they were too slow. The Matterhorn I guess you could say was my first roller coaster

[@mjwbulich]

With all due respect to Dolly and her family, I think she had a panic attack or some sort of episode. It's not a super aggressive thrill Ride. Even if the lap belt were to malfunction if you remain calmly seated I don't see how you get thrown from the ride.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

Forget her family. Their faulty DNA produced a moron. She probably caused the ride to be shut down and forced hundreds to miss their chance of the ride.

[@jamie1602]

Panic attacks are nothing to be ashamed of and that's a very claustrophobic ride. For her husband to completely dismiss that feels rather offensive to me. Nobody is a perfect person and she was likely suffering and confused in those final moments. Even people without prior mental health issues can have severe panic attacks. It just takes one to cause something unfortunate and deadly to happen. It's that type of horrible reasoning insisting "I would know" when truly, none of us would know. It's like insisting you'd know exactly when a heart attack would happen.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

I've been on it - in the original bobsleds (yes, I'm that old). You sat WAY down inside them. There's no way to get thrown out.

[@evelynwilson1566]

@@jamie1602 He probably wasn't thinking about that. I took his comment to mean that she wouldn't be messing around and standing up for a dare like a teenager might do. People often don't think about how someone might react when they're panicking, especially if she wasn't prone to panic attacks severe anxiety or claustrophobia (which I'm assuming she wasn't as she probably wouldn't have gone on the ride). He probably didn't mean to be judgemental or unsympathetic, he might just have no experience of panic/severe anxiety. Then again I think there seems to be a sort of denial which happens with these accidents - 'someone has to be to blame, the victim can't have done anything wrong...'It must be terrible to know that your loved one died in this way, when they were supposed to be having fun. Personally, I'd feel seriously anxious just looking at one of those rides, those tunnels look very small and confined

[@felonious_c]

I absolutely love this channel, and squeal when I get the "new upload" notification. It's been so cool watching the channel grow. ❤

[@ulvesparker]

Whimsical topiary and flower beds, thousands of magical lights, exotic theme areas, strolling musicians and costumed characters, theme restaurants, adjacent hotel next to the park, quiet expo type exhibits, and a Matterhorn themed roller coaster ride (one of the oldest continuously running). Sound familar? This is Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, which Walt Disney visited, and which clearly was his inspiration for Disneyland and the Matterhorn ride.

[@gallagherwitt]

While deaths are relatively rare, people don't realize how often injuries happen at the Disney parks, and that's very much by design. Cast members are trained to keep things on the DL as much as possible. I was injured on a ride in 1997, and they went to a lot of trouble to keep a "nothing to see here" facade. I didn't get a C-collar until I was in their medical facility, and instead of an ambulance, I literally left in an unmarked van (sitting upright, too, when I 100% should've been on a backboard). Someone at the hospital remarked to me that they see at least one person there *daily* from Disneyland, and this wasn't even the hospital closest to the park. Rides malfunction. People get hurt. The parks try their best not to let people see it, but it absolutely happens.

[@gallagherwitt]

And because I realize I didn't make it clear: the hospital staff told me that patients with injuries from ride malfunctions are very, very common. They get people in all the time for things like heat exhaustion and turned ankles, but people coming into the ER because of a malfunctioning ride are *very* common. I had been hurt on a malfunctioning ride and commented about how unexpected that was, and the response was essentially, "We see people like you every day." Sorry I didn't make that clearer!

[@jackburton2680]

What was your settlement amount?

[@deprofundis3293]

It's always so interest to hear about Disneyland tragedies, given my prior know bc of living so locally (and working there myself for several years long ago). The safety rate at Disneyland is SO dramatically higher than other theme parks, let alone just driving everyday. It's really the high profile nature that brings it to life!

[@craigmeyer6957]

A big issue I have with DisneyLand is that they are notorious for not taking responsibility for their actions. Whenever somebody gets injured on a ride, the park is very quick to blame the guest for their injuries. They’ll say that “it’s your fault for not following the rules”. Even if the guests weren’t following the rules, the park is still liable for all injuries that occur within its boundaries, you can’t just always blame the guest

[@skyden24195]

The reality is you are more likely to be in an accident to or from Disneyland than at Disneyland.

[@skyden24195]

@@craigmeyer6957 this is true to an extent perhaps, but Disney shouldn't have to take complete responsibility of the actions of fools. Disney does take actions to rectify bad situations such as with what happened on "America Sings" when a cast member got caught between two stages of the ride and was crushed to death. Disney did take responsibility and immediately made safety improvements to the ride. Disneyland has, over the years, strived to make their rides "idiot-proof," but it does suck that dumb people do dumb things that "ruin it for everybody else." (So to speak.)

[@deprofundis3293]

​@@skyden24195 Exactly. Thank you for responding to this, as I don't check my notifications often! I always believe in safety first, but reckless people will ALWAYS find a way to hurt (or kill) themselves, no matter how many safety measures you have in place.

[@Secretarian]

Until I found this video, I hadn't realized that people have died on this ride. I had my close call on the Matterhorn ride in Summer 1972 during a family vacation to California. My brother and I went on this ride together. The bobsleds then were a 2x2 arrangement, two in front and two in back. We were in the back seat, I was on the right side. They were using lap belts. I was not very familiar with lap belts and was struggling to figure it out. The park attendant was helping the people in the front seat. Just when I realized that I needed help, I lifted up the two halves of my lap belt and started to say to the attendant,"I can't get this' JOLT suddenly the car started moving. It was either on a timing mechanism or somebody in the hut next to the start triggered our car to start moving. I looked at my brother with my fear mounting and said,"I can't get this to work!" He laughed. So, I spent the whole ride trying to get myself as low in the car as I could. I thought I was going to be thrown out, especially on the left hand turns as I was on the right side. Even years later, when I told this story to my brother and mentioned his nonchalance toward my predicament, he would laugh. The physics of it may have been that I wouldn't have been thrown out, but it certainly seemed imminent at the time. One minute of absolute stark terror. I've been on rollercoasters since then, but have no desire to revisit the "Matterhorn".

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

People sit in tandem on the Matterhorn. There aren't now, and never have been, left and right seats. The original cars were so deep, you really couldn't have been thrown out. It's not that wild of a ride. Both of these people stood up.

[@Secretarian]

@@wintersbattleofbands1144 they were bench seats which could seat two smaller people per seat. We were like 9 and 11 years old. Check Wikipedia entry for this ride. It shows the bobsleds as they were from 1959-78 and has a picture of the bobsled with occupants seated side by side.

[@pvb876287]

I know exactly how you feel. I almost bought it too.

[@KrystolGrayson]

We just went to Disneyland in February and I told my niece that no one had ever been hurt on the Matterhorn, trying to get her to not sit out every single ride. Turns out I unwittingly lied to her... oops! (And no, she didn't end up riding the Matterhorn!!)

[@peachesx]

@@Mugwump7 not everyone likes thrill rides 🤷‍♀️ that doesn’t make them not fun

[@aishwaryachopra5351]

@@Mugwump7 maybe she’s a kid dude jeez

[@jlcii]

In the case of Dolly in 1984, she had been decapitated by the ride when she was hit. For those wondering what happened.

[@chrispalmer3548]

Oh no way 🙃🙃🙃🙃

[@TheWanderingFire]

I was happy not having this information.

[@thebirdee55]

Thank you, because I was wondering. I'm not being disrespectful, it just doesn't bother me unless I know the person.

[@jemlyn67]

When you hear that someone was decapitated in an accident it really means the person's head was smashed like a pumpkin. Decapitation just sounds nicer.

[@ihategooglesomuch]

@@jemlyn67 wrong, it simply means the head is separated from the body.

[@kevintemple245]

Still in my top 3 favorite Disneyland rides, along with Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad.

[@lucsmith2092]

I think I went on Thunder Mountain Railroad 3 or 4 times on my visit to the park! Love it.

[@MrZoolook]

Space Mountain.... Wooooooooooooooo!

[@AirDOGGe]

The first star tours was fun. Not caring for the newer version

[@VeraBean]

I'm all for holding companies responsible for accidents. Especially if they lead to death but only two deaths in all these years I'm inclined to believe it was rider error. Stil glad Disney changed the belt design, to bad it took them so long to do it.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

I think Disney should be given an award each time they eliminate an idiot from the genepool. Those two morons would probably have caused deaths had they gone on to live.

[@thetoughcookie3665]

Not bad, since this ride seem to kicked in on a time when for example cars on roads had no winter tires, no abs, no belts necessarily, atleast not on backseat, no neck supports and.. you get my point. This ride on that time was probably more safe than a ride with a passenger car! Amazing facts!

[@danpedersen55]

Winter tires was invented in the 1930s, but i get your point. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, living the way we did then, would be considered an extreme sport, by todays standard...

[@thetoughcookie3665]

@@danpedersen55 Winter tires were invented then here in Finland, but they were not used immediately by all. They were forced to use at 1978 onwards only, so... the reality was there was no winter tires on that time.

[@danpedersen55]

@@thetoughcookie3665 I know my late Dad had winter tires on his cars, even in the 70s, but his job involved a lot of driving, maybe that had something to do with it.

[@sandybruce9092]

There was no way that Dolly could have just fallen out of a car!

[@deprofundis3293]

Many sources feel there's strong evidence for suicide, unfortunately.

[@dindog22]

Arrow Dynamics built the roller coaster part of Matterhorn Bobsleds. American Bridge built the steel structure that holds up the mountain

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Um, yeah. He said as much in the video. Thanks for repeating facts, brainiac.

[@timd4524]

Went on it in 74'. Awesome ride. The boy who went to stand up implies he or one of his friends had to undo the belt. Millions of people have had safe trips on this ride.

[@dercorta-noyokamiboyteenpr2166]

''manufacturer of the old belt system went out of business'' i wonder why? considering that they randomly undo themselves and are clearly unsafe

[@Mrs.Self.Distruct]

Can't imagine being able to get over if I were to unbuckle a seat belt as a prank or be apart and that were to happen. Hope his friends didn't do that...

[@kurtbilinski1723]

Doubtful since he stood up.

[@mariebelladonna437]

I saw another video that said there was speculation that Dolly may have unbuckled her belt in order to turn around and assist the person (child) behind her, for some reason. Also, he kind of glossed over it, probably for delicacy (which I understand), she wasn't just hit by the second sled. She was dragged by it, and her body was pinned under it. They had to remove the sled from the tracks, to be able to remove her body. She was-I'm sorry, there's no other way to put it-mangled.

[@hollyann9610]

I actually covered my eyes and shivered when it got to the part about Dolly being hit by the second bob sled. I feel so bad for the family on the cable car.

[@CrackingCody]

You covered your eyes to words being said? Kind of odd of you to do….

[@weightedtraininggear]

@@CrackingCody thanks for the commentary cody

[@hollyann9610]

@@CrackingCody I know! It makes no sense, but for some reason that was my reaction.

[@TheoneandonlyJobis]

Toughen up or you're going to have a very bad time in life. It's a cruel world

[@margin606]

Pull yourself together

[@princessmarlena1359]

I grew up one county away from Disneyland, and visited frequently. I’ve been on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, they’re fun. Typically it’s hard to get on them because the line is always so long, it’s a very popular attraction. I’ve been on it back when it had the growling yeti animatronic, and then later when they removed it and replaced it with the digital screens featuring the yeti moving around and growling on them. I loved to ride the Skyway through the Matterhorn as well.

[@j.d.e.7416]

Original Harold (the Abominable Snowman) is presently hanging out at Disney's California Adventure as part of The Collector's collection in the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! ride.

[@skyden24195]

Know what's (ironically) funny that I just thought of? The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride, for a long time, had no seatbelts in the cars, it was just a "Hold onto the handrail, because this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness." kind of ride. Thunder Mountain is about as wild as Matterhorn yet, even without seatbelts, it hasn't seen nearly as many (although there has been a few) fatal accidents as one would think in consideration of this fact.

[@skyden24195]

@@j.d.e.7416 Yeup, I just recently saw it last December. Pretty neat.

[@caljones]

The yeti is still there as an animatronic, he moves a bit, tracking the bobsled. It’s pretty cool

[@j.d.e.7416]

@@caljones, that's Harold 2.0. The original one is across the courtyard at DCA.

[@JasonRasmussen]

8:20 This new restraint was implemented DECADES later in 2012 when the cars design was changed, NOT "in the aftermath of the accident". I know, I live next to the park and the traditional belt lock was used up until then.

[@rdaw33]

I remember the first time I rode the Matterhorn, at that time the tunnel linings were not complete, and you could see around the inside of the mountain. Years later when I went again, I was disappointed that you could only see the lining of the tunnels, still fun anyway!! Also weird how the mountain "healed" from when the overhead tram that used to go through the big holes was removed. It was always interesting to see the changes as the years go by.

[@garyfrancis6193]

I liked the overhead tram.

[@theresadimaggio7241]

Terrible tragedy. God bless them

[@mikeschlau4501]

He stood up? And what did he think would happen next? No further questions your honor.... 🤨

[@AscendancyLF]

Kids doing stupid things, what did you expect? Or what did Disneyland expect? That over decades with millions of kids riding this ride, there won't be one single child who is stupid enough to undo the seat belt and stand up for fun? Yeah the blame is on the kid for sure, but it could also have been easily prevented, like they did decades later with the new seatbelt design. And that is why in todays time and since decades there have been put regulations in place so people (kids and adults) are protected from themself.

[@teaguejelinek4038]

Quit lyin

[@jasonstalder5208]

its sad how fun can be turned to terror so quickly

[@trinidadmetroid]

So true

[@updatedotexe]

is kinda funny actually

[@jasonstalder5208]

@@updatedotexe you need help then

[@ethribin4188]

Considering the type of belt used, I 99% believe these accidents were not a fault of employees or the riders. The fault lies simply with the belt designe. A friction belt is less reliable then a locking belt. Slightly less reliable. But less reliable. And when you have hundreds per day going through the ride and roll the chances, that tiny chance will occure eventually.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

In America, you cannot make anything fully teenage idiot proof or fatty fat fat proof. I'd estimate that about 95% of Americans are burdens to the state and without intervention they'd most likely die or cause others to die with their incompetence. I say loosen the belts, have younger, more stoned teens in charge of the rides because the faster we weed out these unsafe human hazards from society, the quicker we can arrive at Star Trek times.

[@ronkemperful]

Way back in 1960, when I was four, for a trivial amount of money, my parents purchased season passes for Disneyland. So many, many times I rode the Matterhorn Bobsled ride, and it was my favorite ride. Years later in 1986 I rode it again but this time I had severe claustrophobia for as an adult I felt like my head was going to be lopped off by the low ceilings of the tunnels.

[@tikitavi7120]

They did not sell season passes in the 60's.

[@ronkemperful]

Good comment. My parents, perhaps incorrectly referred to as a "Season Pass" was to a "Big Ticket Book" which had ten tickets for $3.75, for adults... 1959 prices were much cheaper, even factoring inflation.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Actually in the 60s, the mountain WAS more open. The late 70s is when the icy tunnels were installed. Not to worry, a rig known as the "envelope" of protection is used to check clearances around the track for seated people, even with long arms or very tall.

[@thestars386]

​@@tikitavi7120 wow you had to go out of your way just to make this comment. Who cares if it was called a season pass or kiss my ass it's the same f****** concept. You must be a woman.

[@lowtechredneck6704]

I think I rode the Matterhorn as a little boy, I have memories of an ice-cave themed ride with an abominable snowman....but I mostly remember my dad trying to hold my head and neck in place so I wouldn't hurt myself

[@theplinko9840]

If he was sitting next to you then it wasn’t the Matterhorn. Maybe you’re thinking of Expedition Everest, which is a similar themed coaster in Disney World in Florida.

[@Steve-fv7zc]

@@theplinko9840Yes that was it, I knew there was some similar themed roller coaster from way back then that I rode, because this one seemed similar to it, but never have been to Disney Land so I wasn’t sure if it was like a fever dream or something lol.

[@Annie_Annie__]

@@Steve-fv7zcExpedition Everest is at Animal Kingdom at Disney World, but it didn’t open until 2006. So, if you’re thinking of a ride from back when the incident in the video took place (the 80s), neither Expedition Everest (nor Animal Kingdom) were there yet.

[@teaguejelinek4038]

Quit lyin

[@princessmarlena1359]

@@teaguejelinek4038 quit trolling

[@nmsidewinder]

How many people do not check their own safety straps or safety bars when getting on a ride, only stupid people accept the employee of the ride to do it for them. The way people do their jobs nowadays I would triple check it myself after all it is your safety and life in the balance.

[@jamesmck896]

Remember to take breaks as a video a week isn’t easy :)

[@patriciacrumrine5890]

I rode it age 4 in 1959. The unfinished interior was the scariest part of the ride. My mom and her cousin were terrified I'd fly out. I was sitting in the lap of the cousin and boy did she hold me tight!

[@AirDOGGe]

It was faster back then.

[@mtmadigan82]

I'm not sure whats worse with that 48 yr old woman. That she either undone that seat belt and was screwing around. Or she was on a roller coaster and didnt say something about her seatbelt not being fastened or didn't do it herself. You cant tell me any adult wouldnt know that.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

One less burden on the state. I think all Americans should be forced to go on an unsafe amusement park ride as a Darwin Gate. A final test prior to receiving the license to procreate.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

She HAD to have stood up or done something else stupid. The seats in those cars are deep and it's not like a wild coaster. It's a bobsled ride.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

@@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368 Unfortunately, at 48, she'd probably already had a couple litters....

[@evelynwilson1566]

As others have said, it could have been that she took ill. If she was having a severe panic attack, or something physical like an heart attack (although I'm guessing they would have done an autopsy) she might just have been thinking 'I have to get out of here'.. When the mind is in fight or flight mode you don't always do the rational thing. I wouldn't think she was screwing around, unless she had been drinking. I think that most people of her age who have panic attacks, claustrophobia or severe anxiety would probably avoid rides like that, but maybe she had no previous history, or she made a bad judgement. I'm not saying that is what happened just that having an extreme ' funny turn' of some sort is a possibility.

[@xcoder1122]

Why is customer safety almost always left to the companies/operators in the USA? In much of the rest of the world, there are legal requirements that must be met and inspectors who ensure that these requirements are met. Maybe not in some non-industrialized countries or in countries where human lives are not worth anything anyway, but it would be new to me that the USA is such a country. I mean, what people do in their backyard, that's their business, who gets into a privately built roller coaster is his own fault, but everything that is offered publicly, must have a minimum level of safety and it is one of the basic tasks of a state to take care of the safety of its residents. For this reason there are police, for this reason there are fire departments, for this reason a country has an army. And for the same reason there must be safety standards, no matter whether you run an elevator, a transport company or an amusement park.

[@sennadesillva]

I'm 37 and am very much a norcal/socal kid. My family has always been Disney heads and a trip to Disneyland was always our family vacation through out the years. My parents were born, raised and lived in that area until getting him a new job, then moving to, where I am now in the SF bay area. When I was younger and once the internet came about and we all got more information, I had learned about this. One family trip there, I had mentioned I read about this and asked if they had seen about it at the time in newspapers or whatever. My dad just looked down and off to the side. He wasn't super close friends to Mark, but, someone he knew at highschool and had classes with. I couldn't find anything exact, but I think this was a special event for HS students that night. My dad said he was there that night, but not around all this happening. From what he said (this being about 20 years ago and I don't want to ask him again. Plus this was 40 years after the event and it was off of what he had heard through friends/classmates at the time, so don't take this as fact.) that Mark had removed his seatbelt on his own. He was going to stand up for just a quick bit as the bobsleds were going to be outside of the mountain, raise his hands and yell to get peoples eyes on him. Just some silly stuff you do at 15 but unfortunately with some terrible consequences. Those on the bobsled didn't know how low the clearances were from the sleds to the top of the parts of the ride and......well, you've already stated what happened after he stood up. It made my dad sad about 40 years later, so I can't even imagine what those that saw it all are thinking today. :(

[@emmmkay9041]

So this reminds me of a time I went to Disney World when I was in college. The Space Mountain ride at the time had a similar seat belt system to the one featured here. I had my seat belt fastened when we left the boarding area, but some how, some way I was squeezing my purse against my side to make sure I didn't lose hold of it caused the seat belt to become undone (that is a guess, I still have no idea how the seat belt came undone, I definitely was NOT trying to undo it). The inside of the car had handrails you could hold onto, so I just grabbed those and braced my feet against the sides of the car and held on for dear life. I have to say that was my scariest roller coaster ride ever. Now I am wondering if this seat belt thing was more of an issue, but we don't hear about it because most people survive....

[@ducatisti]

The seat belt was there just to keep riders from standing up during the ride, even though I'm sure it was scary, you were in no danger of being ejected.

[@largebills337]

Children do dangerous things all the time so I'm not that surprised about the first incident but a grown woman is much more cautious for the most part. Very strange turn of events altogether.

[@CrackingCody]

Having been on this ride many times while working at Disney, there’s no way a person can just fall out when still sitting. There’s no real steep slopes, it’s not terribly fast of a ride, and the ride cars are deep. These 2 people would have HAD to be standing or doing something they weren’t supposed to do, regardless if they had the belt locked or not.

[@briewhit1312]

Victim blaming is not a good look

[@SofaKingShit]

Exactly what a PR employee would say. Sorry for that but you know. Stranger things have been known to happen. Disney is rich as all hell.

[@rinjaniii326]

Neither is the lack of counter-argument. But yeah, this is disney we talking about... Who knows really, just what went wrong on that two unfortunate instances *by this point in time*

[@poochy2479]

@@briewhit1312 i mean it's not victim blaming if it's true, and it's not like there have never been victims who caused their own accidents before

[@margin606]

​@@briewhit1312 Naturally you prefer people muzzled

[@mercator79]

Matterhorn is going offline for a refurb next week (4/17/2023)

[@byzyt6931]

For the British viewers in particular, I have a question about the narrator's accent. I've noticed a pattern over quite a few videos that he pronounces certain two-syllable words as one syllable: "collapse" sounds like "clapse" and "believe" sounds like "blieve." Also, "collision" comes out like "clision." I'm curious if this is a regional accent of some sort or just a personal idiosyncrasy. He is very well spoken, of course, so this is not a criticism.

[@ComaDave]

Aussie here. Don't forget "pleece". He was born with an exceedingly rare genetic disorder called "Polysyllabic Deficit Syndrome". 😉

[@StAlphonsusHasAPosse]

To me, it sounds like English is not his 1st language (no guess as to what it may be tho)

[@JamesBond-pu6qf]

You can't win either way- it's the nature of theme parks. If they made the locks automatic so they couldn't be undone, there'd be an accident where patrons needed to escape cars and not be able to and people would be suing regardless. Disney has an amazing track record (pun intended) given how massive their visitor base over 60 years

[@hushingsilence]

I know it's Tuesday when I see a new Fascinating Horror vid pop up. ❤

[@noralewis5390]

Looking at the article it's amazing they gave the street address of the two 15 year olds. Don't think they'd do that nowadays.

[@bepowerification]

So someone has undone his belt AND he stood up? Well.. some Darwin stuff. You cant prevent people from killing themselves.. like.. who would blame Switzerland because someone jumps off a mountain there?

[@chad9166]

Lesson: don't take off your seat belt on rollercoasters

[@TheoneandonlyJobis]

They still have very little regulation. I worked maintenance for lake winnepesaukah in Georgia and was fired once I spoke up about them cutting corners on safety inspections and refusing to approve some rides for use. Sorry, I won't be responsible for dead kids. Mark my words, they will make content for this channel.

[@lillard.lover07]

wait what? im in georgia (if ur talking about the USA) and i need to know where to avoid lol

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

​@@lillard.lover07 from what I've seen, avoid everywhere, ride nothing lol

[@default_user_id]

I rode it twice earlier this year and it's still a fun ride

[@lifewuzonceezr]

In agony ..can't sleep..bet money it's FH time.. yep!! LOL

[@lyedavide]

No system, however well designed, is completely risk free. Every piece of legislation implemented to enhance safety is written in blood. That is the unfortunate truth. Two deaths in over 70 years is an exceptional record.

[@cassandrascanlon1378]

This one time you made me believe jurassic park really happened for like 5 mins 😂

[@ogzombiebreakfast]

The ride is really tight. Even though I'm sure it's safe (now), but the walls and everything are so close to you, I always feel like a too-tall person could hit their head.

[@Bsquaredplus2]

I find it very hard to believe that the first kid didn't unbuckle his belt or one of his "friends" did. Seems too suspicious

[@user-gp5kh5tu4k]

Many congratulations for these videos, you really do reinforce the need to learn from these awful disasters. Just in case you are looking for material. The tram accident from Vienna-Döbling on 2. August 1960 was the worst accident in the history of the Vienna tram. He occurred in the 19th Vienna municipality district Döbling at the then unregulated intersection Billrothstraße / Bald street with the Döbling main street. Two train sets of line 39 going in the opposite direction, each consisting of a Type K locomotive and a Type M3, were affected. A total of 19 people (according to other sources: 20 or 21) died directly at the accident or as a result, over a hundred people were partially seriously injured. To date, the accident is considered the most serious traffic accident in Vienna. Source: ÖNB, Wikipedia

[@SuperCoolHandle94]

Im baffled by the fact that at 4:54 they SHOWED the other kids addresses, actually doxed them on the front page, wild.

[@donkeydan5996]

I’ve always been enamored with the Matterhorn , never knew they had a ride based on it!

[@mikmik9034]

Narrator says, "... with guest sitting in single file..." although the image @2:18 shows side by side seating in "Bobsled" car. Then @2:35 image shows single occupany seats.

[@mindyschocolate]

The ride had been refurbished multiple times. Likely used pics at different points of time. Even the park location could be a factor in seats. For example, WDW version f Splash Mountain had people sitting side by side, but the Disneyland version they’re single file in the log.

[@skyden24195]

The issue with the seatbelts in both of these deaths is highly questionable as to being the fault of Disneyland or the park's cast members. I've been on the ride many times, even when the ride featured the older belt system. These belts are not easily undone, so an accidental unfastening is likely impossible. As well, the belts were highly visible and thick in width so as to be easily seen and checked by cast members. What needs to be considered is how many persons were in the particular seat that the victims "fell" from, because prior to the change in seating arrangements of the bobsled-cars around the turn of the millennium, each individual seat held two people together with two separate belts. (Yes, one person sat between the legs of the other.) Thus, each car contained two seats so could hold four people to a car, and two cars were coupled together for a total of 8 passengers per bobsled carriage. In each case, it needs to be clarified if the victim was in the seat alone or with another person because that can make a difference as the belt of the person in the rear of a double occupied seat is more difficult to check as the body of the front rider can be obscuring to the belt of the rear rider. However, if the rear rider's belt was undone, they still have the front rider and their belt as an obstacle to leaving the car. This being the case, it must be assumed that the victims were both in their seats alone. This being so, the belts are even more difficult to not be noticed as being unsecured. Now, if you are on the ride there are also handgrips inside the car that can be held for additional security. If the belts had not been fastened or by some seriously freaky accidental way came undone, the riders could have certainly held these grips and easily remained inside the car as the ride will not generate enough force to overpower the grip a person would have on the car's handles, (unless the person was a smaller child under ten years old, which neither victim was.) The fact that the first victim was reported to have tried standing up during the ride gives obvious suggestion that he had unfastened the belt himself in order to perform a foolish stunt which cost him his life. As for the second victim, perhaps likely she did not unfasten the belt herself, but if the belt had not been checked or somehow came undone on its own accord, the grips would still have been available and could have prevented the woman's ejection from the car had they been utilized. I find this incident highly questionable as to how it could have possibly happened without the victim's actions being a direct contributor to the fatal results. I don't mean to be disrespectful or dismissive of the victims or their families, but historically speaking, people can do dumb things in the midst of a good time.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

You're right. This is a bobsled ride, not some big-drop, high-G force coaster. I've been on it several times. It's virtually impossible to be "thrown" out. I'm betting Dolly partially stood to try to pull her polyester pants out of her buttcrack. I'm not saying it to be funny, but she did ~something~ stupid.

[@MrDibbons]

I've ridden the Matterhorn Bobsleds a few times. However, because my first visit to Disneyland was in 1958 (I was 3 years-old), I can still remember the hammering sounds going on while the Matterhorn ride was still under construction. I do remember while on the ride that took us on a trip to the moon, I tugged on my mother's sleeve and asked her: "Can we go back to Disneyland now?". I must have believed we had really travelled to outer space.

[@kimmer6]

I remember the moon ride. The seat actually moved and pushed your butt up like you were accelerating. Cool stuff back then.

[@opwave79]

I’ve ridden this many times. It can get claustrophobic at times but it’s generally fun. RIP to the victims. Safety tech back then was so different.

[@danielcelano5570]

Nice documentary. I saw that as an exhibit at the Disney 100 Exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

[@kristy9337]

You couldn't pay me to go to DL.

[@mnoker3023]

Back in the early 1970s, my brother and I went to Disneyland with some other young men. We were paperboys for The Deseret News. We loved the Matterhorn ride. We formed a cohesive bobsled team and were able to anticipate and lean into each curve. What an awesome thrill! We were going so fast that at the end we by-passed the stopping mechanisms and went a second time up the starting ramp to ride down the rails again. Every corner and every place where there was a braking system, the operators slowed us almost to a complete stop. At the end, the security people escorted us off and banned us from riding the Matterhorn again. A decade later, as we entered adulthood, we realized how really stupid and foolish we had been. Thanks to the operators we didn't kill ourselves. But.... I still, to this day, remember the adrenaline rush as we zipped through that mountain!

[@ob1coyote]

I was there in the early ‘80s. My parents thought we were too young to ride the Matterhorn. I cannot remember if we rode the skyway, but I remember seeing it running through the Matterhorn. From the ground you could easily see the bobsled cars peeking in and out of the mountain and it looked fast and scary. I distinctly remember that from quite a distance you could hear the riders screaming as they popped out of the mountain.

[@SWISS-1337]

2:38 - well fatalities are bound to happen when you hire Lazer eyes bigfoot to scare guests. He just can't stop his violent animalistic nature.

[@brett.taylor]

As a kid this was one of my favorite rides at dienseyland.

[@skylined5534]

Pun intended I hope!

[@brett.taylor]

@@skylined5534 I actually misspelled it on accident 😅

[@ginavelasquez5453]

My cousins lived in Anaheim and we used to go yearly to Disneyland from 1979-1984 (age 6 to 10) The Matterhorn was one of my favorites! The tragedies seem to happen when those involved dont follow safety rules. Sorry and RIP

[@PhilipMurphyExtra]

Thanks for the respectful coverage of this topic.

[@SamanthaVimes]

They don't always test the belts correctly. An attendant touched mine, but didn't adjust it. It was loose, but I thought it must be okay based on them doing a "check", but it turned out to be too superficial. When we hit a curve, I started to be pulled out of my seat. My brother was able to grab me and force me back down. Since he saved my life, I can say clearly that I never touched my belt, the attendant just wasn't paying enough attention.

[@leeweesquee]

What a horrible way to go for Dolly

[@jmflyer55]

MILLIONS ride the coaster each year. It’s been operating 60 YEARS! That’s well over 60 MILLION riders with 2 deaths ensuing. The 15 year old boys, we can accurately assume he had released his safety belt himself, likely to stand up on the ride. As a young person I’d seen many other young people do that, hell, I’ve even done it myself! That’s not the rides fault, it’s the riders fault. As for the 48 year old woman, she was most likely not properly belted in when the ride started. Probably overlooked by staff, or her seatbelt not tightened down enough. So IMO, again, this says nothing of the rides safety, it was likely an oversight of the rides operated AND the woman herself, that didn’t tighten her belt down enough. We cannot make every single thing in this world idiot proof. (Like seat belts that cannot be unfastened etc) That in itself is a terrible safety hazard and worse than the original problem. Some things in life DO pose a very small, minuscule element of risk. Those who can’t understand that, and don’t have any common sense, would be better off to stay in a padded cell somewhere so they don’t hurt themself and can remain “safe”.

[@SlowRiderDucati]

I grew up in LA in the 1980s and I rode the Matterhorn many times. I remember it was really rough and jerky unlike modern roller coasters so I can see how you could get thrown out. I also ride the skyway and my favorite Captain Nemo's submarine ride which actually went underwater! I never knew we were flirting with disaster

[@mmburgess11]

A 48 year-old married woman on that ride by herself? And from the information given, it seems she was at Disneyland by herself as well......makes you go "Hmmmmmmm". I wonder how many suicidal people have gone to an amusement park to try and cheer up or something else......

[@runawaycat4594]

Apparently the 1st victim had recently been dumped by his girlfriend or was having a fight with her at the time, his friends reported irrational behavior before he got on the ride

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

The deaths of idiots are always a bonus for others at the amusement park.

[@jamie1602]

So he was trying to show off and unfortunately, that happens. It's a shame.

[@AirDOGGe]

Two key details left out of this video: 1. The Matterhorn originally ran single cars and was faster. Eventually they coupled 2 cars together as seen in this video and slowed the ride down so that they could put more cars on the track. It's almost too slow to be fun these days. I doubt anyone could get thrown out now even without a belt. 2. Dolly did not survive her injuries because she was decapitated by the coaster car when it struck her.