First Disneyland fatality, 1964
Mark Maples, 15, was the first person to die at Disneyland after being thrown from the Matterhorn Bobsleds in 1964.
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Disneyland's Origins and the Matterhorn's Creation
At 15:05 · chapter starts 12:30
Ash sets the scene with Disneyland's July 1955 opening, when early rides like the Railroad and Astro Jets were a far cry from today's hyper-modern attractions. The Matterhorn's origin story is perhaps the episode's first surprise: engineers repurposed the massive pile of excavation debris from Sleeping Beauty's Castle rather than hauling it away, eventually shaping it into the iconic 'mountain.' Named Holiday Hill, then Lookout Mountain, it became the Matterhorn in 1956. Walt Disney then conceived a toboggan-style ride through the structure, which opened in 1959 as the world's first tubular roller coaster — allowing the sled to pass through tunnels and holes in the mountain's walls.
The Matterhorn's Dark Secret: Built from Castle Dirt
The Matterhorn at Disneyland isn't an engineered masterpiece — it started as a giant pile of dirt left over from building Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Engineers repurposed the debris into what eventually became the world's first tubular roller coaster when it opened in 1959.
Matterhorn built on castle excavation dirt
The Matterhorn at Disneyland was literally built from a pile of dirt excavated during the construction of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, originally called Holiday Hill.
Matterhorn opened 1959
The Matterhorn Bobsleds, opened in 1959, was the world's first tubular roller coaster, a revolutionary design for its time.
Mark Maples: Disneyland's First Fatality
In 1964, 15-year-old Mark Maples became the first person to die at Disneyland after being thrown from the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The coroner determined he had unbuckled his own seatbelt, but the circumstances — including a possible hazing from a social club — were never fully resolved.
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