RUMOR: Disneyland could tear down and rebuild the Matterhorn?

A rumor says Disneyland could tear down Matterhorn Bobsleds and rebuild it nearby to make room for the new Tomorrowland. Disney hasn’t confirmed it, and a move would really mean a rebuild.

Could Disneyland really move a mountain?

That’s the question after WDW News Today reported a rumor on Sept. 25 that Matterhorn Bobsleds could be torn down and rebuilt somewhere else in the park. The idea is to free up room for Disney’s planned makeover of Tomorrowland.

Not everyone is buying it. “This is literally impossible,” Disney parks commentator Matt Desmond posted on X the same day.

Disney hasn’t said a word about the Matterhorn. This is a rumor, and we’re treating it like one.

Where did the Matterhorn rumor come from?

WDW News Today was the first outlet to run it. The site didn’t name a source. It said only that “a rumor is circulating” that Disney will need more space for Tomorrowland, “requiring the Matterhorn to be removed from its current location.”

Other Disney sites, including Inside the Magic and Disney Dining, picked it up from there.

WDWNT also mentioned speculation that Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Autopia and the old Carousel Theater building could be torn down. Instagram account @sometimescastles told the site he finds those changes more believable than losing the Matterhorn, because the mountain helps keep the park’s sightlines in check.

What is Disney changing in Tomorrowland?

Something big, but the details are still under wraps.

At D23 on Aug. 16, Disney Experiences chairman Thomas Mazloum announced that “a reimagining of Tomorrowland in Disneyland park is in the works!” Disney promised new attractions and more open space, with plans to come “in the years ahead.”

The Matterhorn wasn’t part of that announcement. It sits right where Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and the submarine lagoon meet, though, and that’s why fans keep eyeing it.

Is it possible to move the Matterhorn?

In one piece, no. Rebuilding it somewhere else is a different story.

The Matterhorn opened on June 14, 1959. It stands 147 feet tall, built at 1/100th the scale of the real mountain in Switzerland, per Disney. Its frame is steel, with fake rock wrapped around it and two coaster tracks running through the middle.

Desmond, for one, doesn’t see it happening. In a follow-up post, he said the structure “would be impossible to move,” and that Disney would “never get the permits to build this in 2026.”

He has a point about the first part. Nobody is putting a 147-foot mountain on a truck. Any “move” would really mean building a brand-new Matterhorn and demolishing the old one.

How would Disney rebuild the Matterhorn somewhere else?

The logical way would be to build first and tear down second.

Disney could put up a new mountain on another spot while the old one keeps running. Once the new one opened, crews could knock down the original and clear the land for Tomorrowland.

The new version would get fresh steel track and a structure built to modern safety and earthquake codes. The bobsleds, the roaring Yeti and the Swiss look could all carry over.

As for where, WDWNT admitted it’s unclear. The site guessed it “could be just across the path” near “it’s a small world.”

Has Disney ever moved a ride before?

Yes. The Carousel of Progress is the famous one.

It started at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, reopened at Disneyland on July 2, 1967, and closed there on Sept. 9, 1973. It then moved to Magic Kingdom, where it opened on Jan. 15, 1975, and it’s still running.

That show was a rotating theater with stages, though, so its sets could travel. The Matterhorn’s mountain can’t.

Disneyland has also reshaped whole chunks of land before. Rivers of America closed on Jan. 11, 2016, for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction and reopened in July 2017 on a new route.

Why would Disney want to replace the Matterhorn?

Age and comfort are the usual reasons fans give.

The ride is 67 years old, and WDWNT pointed to its reputation as “notoriously rough and bumpy.” The site also said the rumor fits earlier chatter that Disney wants to rebuild its older, bumpier coasters, including a possible Space Mountain overhaul at Magic Kingdom.

There’s also a story angle. WDWNT noted that Imagineering has been teasing a link between the Matterhorn and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, the storyline that ties rides together across Disney parks.

For now, the Matterhorn is exactly where it’s been since 1959, and the Yeti is still roaring at bobsledders every few minutes.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• WDW News Today (Sept. 25, 2026), the rumor, the other rumored demolitions, the @sometimescastles comment, the possible new spot and the S.E.A. teases

• Matt Desmond on X (Sept. 25, 2026), the “literally impossible” post and his follow-up on moving and permits

• Disney Parks Blog (Aug. 16, 2026), the Tomorrowland reimagining announcement

• Disney Parks Blog (Matterhorn history), the opening date, 147-foot height and scale

• Wikipedia (accessed Sept. 26, 2026), the steel frame, the Carousel of Progress dates and the Rivers of America closure, as a starting point only

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