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One of the most popular rides in the park, the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride is a roller coaster that winds its way through this faux albeit gigantic replica of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. The real one in the alps reaches over 14,000 feet, so this one is a 1/100th scale of the original. It's also one of the older rides, having opened on June 14, 1959, four years after the park first opened. The Matterhorn bobsleds are powered by the first tubular steel roller coaster system in the world. Unlike its Alpine counterpart, however, there are a number of holes in the shell which allows wind to pass through and also allowed for the sky buckets to cross from one side of the park to the other, although they are no longer operating. Another major late addition was the Abominable Snowman, nicknamed Harold. The appearance has changed somewhat over time; notably, the snow has become more patchy which more closely replicates the sparse snow on the real mountain's sheer faces (which were carved by wind erosion), or it's a statement about global warming... who knows... in any case, it's about the only place you'll find snow year-round in Southern California!

One of the most significant tourist attractions in Southern California, the origianl Disneyland (now there are five) was dedicated on July 17, 1955 and opeend to the public the following day. It remains, however, the only theme park that was designed, built, opened and operated by Walt Disney. According to some statistics, it's been visited by more than 500 million guests, including presidents, royalty and, well, me! It was the second most visited park in the world in 2007, with an estimated 14.8 million people passing through. Allegedly the concept was born when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles with his two daughters; while watching them ride the Merry-Go-Round he thought of creating a place where adults and children could go to have fun together. His father had helped build the grounds for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, but the weather is generally more agreeable in California, so he conceived a park with various "lands" filled with rides and themes. The original "Mickey Mouse Park" was initially supposed to occupy about 8 acres but the concept grew. Walt then acquired 160 acres of orange groves and walnut trees in Anaheim. Construction began in 1954, and only a year later the park was opened. It reportedly cost about $17 million USD to complete, a considerable sum at the time. US Route 101 (now the 5 freeway) was also being built at the same time in preparation for the traffic. Numerous rides have been added, removed and added again over the years, and the area has expanded into literally a small city. The site is now home to a number of hotels, the California Adventure Park, and the Downtown Disney shopping complex. One parking structure can hold more than 10,000 cars and is the largest one in the US.