Need a Little Help Please

[BAM]

I'm doing a Biography for a research paper for English Class and I had a couple of Questions.

Was the Matterhorn the first steel coaster ever built? For some reason I think I remember hearing that somewhere, but I'm not sure.

That was the main question, but if anyone else has some really unique information about firsts from Disney; I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

 

[NowInc]

Originally posted by BAM
I'm doing a Biography for a research paper for English Class and I had a couple of Questions.

Was the Matterhorn the first steel coaster ever built? For some reason I think I remember hearing that somewhere, but I'm not sure.

That was the main question, but if anyone else has some really unique information about firsts from Disney; I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

As far as I can remember...yes....

 

[MobileBadBoy]

The turning point came for roller coasters, inseparable from their amusement park hosts, in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland. A new company called Arrow Development, originally intended as a "problem-solving" business, developed and opened the Matterhorn Bobsled at Disneyland in 1959. It was the first roller coaster to incorporate tubular steel tracks, polyurethane wheels and lightweight fiberglass cars, three innovations that made the great diversity of track elements and shapes possible.

Found: <a href="http://www.me.utexas.edu/~uer/roller/history.html" target="_blank">Here</a>

 

[Goofster]

World's First Water Park: River Country

 

[ToTBellHop]

Test Track and Mission: Space are both worlds-firsts and they will never be duplicated (a) too expensive b) their ride systems are copyrighted). Disneyland was the worlds first theme park. Summit Plummet may still be the tallest, fastest water slide. I'm sure there are other "worlds first" ride systems. I don't remember hearing of any drop-towers pulling you down like the ToT...disney created on-ride audio. This may be a stretch and I don't have the info to back it up but...World's first geosphere with an attraction inside? World's first four theme park vacation resort. I'm fairly certain no one has more resorts than disney world. Fastpass was a world's first which no one seems to find a good way to copy. That double drop thing on Splash Mountain that everyone loves...never seen that anywhere else. Same with the spinning mechanism on the drop of Grizzly River Run. Soarin' Over California is a world's first. I think disney was the first to have in-theater effects for their 3D (4D) shows. They may have created Circlevision360. Firework/music synchronization.

 

[MobileBadBoy]

Space Mountain was the first indoor steel coaster, hence being the first "dark" coaster. It's also the first computer controlled coaster.