Ever since the Matterhorn opened at Disneyland in 1959, Disney has become something of a specialist at building fake mountains. These towering structures are largely built using steel and concrete, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell them from the real thing at first glance. Particularly as you’ll usually be racing past them on a roller coaster or some other contraption.
There are 21 mountains in place at Disney’s theme parks at present, with several more under construction at Shanghai Disneyland. In the real world, mountaineers like to take on the “Seven Summits” challenge, scaling the highest peak on every continent. Disney fans could take on a similar challenge, attempting to scale all of the company’s faux mountains. How many Disney mountains have you summited? Have a read through and let us know in the comments!
Note: We’re a little dubious about some of the heights that Disney lists for its mountains. For example, we really doubt that Big Thunder Mountain is 90+ feet taller at the Magic Kingdom than it is at Disneyland, but that’s what Disney’s stats claim. The explanation is that sometimes Disney lists the height from sea level (as at the Magic Kingdom), and sometimes it lists it from ground level (as at Disneyland).
21. Splash Mountain (Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
Height: 86 feet
Not far from Big Thunder Mountain sits a slightly smaller peak. This one is populated by more than 65 audio-animatronic characters from Song of the South.
The climbing route: The concrete flume winds around Splash Mountain for more than 2,600 feet. You may get a little wet during the descent.
20. Splash Mountain (Disneyland)
Height: 87 feet
The creation of Splash Mountain was one of the most expensive projects ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering, at around $75 million. It also ran over budget, so Disney closed down America Sings and reused some of the audio-animatronic characters from that attraction.
The climbing route: Climb into a log for a nine minute journey around the inside and outside of Splash Mountain.
19. Big Grizzly Mountain (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Height: 88 feet
Opened as part of the Grizzly Gulch expansion in 2012, Big Grizzly Mountain took 14 months to create. More than 30 professional sculptors and 20 painters were involved, creating a peak that is inspired by Northern California’s National Parks.
The climbing route: Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars combines elements of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Expedition Everest.
18. Mount Gushmore (Disney’s Blizzard Beach)
Height: 90 feet
Mount Gushmore is the icon of Disney’s Blizzard Beach, the Walt Disney World water park that is themed around a freak snowstorm in Florida. Most of the park’s attractions are based around the artificial mountain, which is split into three colored slopes (red, green and purple).
The climbing route: You can take a leisurely trip to the top of Mount Gushmore via the park’s chairlift. You can then choose a route back to the bottom – from the extreme (Summit Plummet) to the relatively relaxed (Runoff Rapids).
17. Mount Mayday (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon)
Height: 95 feet
At the top of Mount Mayday sits “Miss Tilly”, a shrimp boat that has been impaled on its peak as the result of a massive storm. Every half an hour, a 50-foot geyser of water erupts before the bells of the watch sound on Miss Tilly.
The climbing route: You’ll have to clamber up the slopes of Mount Mayday, from which you can return to the ground via slides such as Mayday Falls.
16. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
Height: TBC
The mountain at the heart of the expanded New Fantasyland at Disney’s Magic Kingdom hosts a diamond mine that is worked by the dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The climbing route: The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train carries guests around the diamond mine and the surrounding enchanted forest. Its trains swing from side to side as they go.
15. Splash Mountain (Tokyo Disneyland)
Height: 100 feet
Splash Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland is a little larger than the versions at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. It opened in 1992, and Japanese versions of classic songs How Do You Do? and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah are played out to those who scale it.
The climbing route: The Splash Mountain log flume ride is slightly taller at Tokyo Disneyland than it is elsewhere, featuring a 60-foot drop.
14. Big Thunder Mountain (Disneyland)
Height: 104 feet
The first version of Big Thunder Mountain opened at Disneyland in 1979. While the original design (for the Magic Kingdom) featured sharp-edged mountains and was inspired by Monument Valley in Arizona, the Disneyland version was softened, with muted colors inspired by Bryce Canyon in Utah.
The climbing route: Clamber aboard the “wildest ride in the wilderness”, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
13. Big Thunder Mountain (Tokyo Disneyland)
Height: 108 feet
Tokyo Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain opened in 1987, and is almost identical to the Magic Kingdom’s.
The climbing route: Tokyo Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain was the first version of the ride to be manufactured by Dutch supplier Vekoma.
12. Grizzly Peak (Disney California Adventure)
Height: 110 feet
Shaped like a grizzly bear, Grizzly Peak was created using large steel cages, which were then lathed and covered to form rock-like shapes.
The climbing route: Grizzly River Run is a spinning rapids ride through caverns and mills, under bridges and past waterfalls.
11. Space Mountain (Disneyland)
Height: 118 feet
Disneyland’s version of Space Mountain is smaller than the Magic Kingdom version, and does not feature the same dual-track design. The exterior of the “mountain” itself is similar, though, and it hides galaxies within.
The climbing route: Hop into a “rocket” for a wild mouse roller coaster ride in the dark.
10. Space Mountain (Tokyo Disneyland)
Height: 118 feet
When it opened in 1983 alongside the rest of the park, Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain was almost an exact replica of Disneyland’s version of the ride (rather than the Magic Kingdom’s larger version). It has since been updated to feature a more futuristic look.
The climbing route: Board one of 14 rockets, which hit a maximum height of 85 feet inside the dome.
9. Space Mountain (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Height: 118 feet
Though very similar to the Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland versions of Space Mountain, the dome at Hong Kong Disneyland lacks its own Space Station-themed queue.
The climbing route: Hong Kong Disneyland’s Space Mountain roller coaster is another clone of the Disneyland version, featuring a similar soundtrack and the same layout.
8. Cadillac Mountain Range (Disney California Adventure)
Height: 125 feet
The eastern edge of Ornament Valley in the sprawling Cars Land features the Cadillac Mountain Range, which consists of Cadillac tail fins that are are 125 feet high and cover 300,000 square feet.
The climbing route: It doesn’t quite scale the mountains, but riding Radiator Springs Racers is the closest you’ll get
7. Matterhorn (Disneyland)
Height: 147 feet
Inspired by a break in the Swiss Alps, Walt Disney decided that he would take Disneyland guests on a journey around the iconic Matterhorn. An enormous fiberglass replica of the mountain was constructed, and opened in 1959.
The climbing route: You can climb the mountain in one of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The dual roller coaster tracks were installed by longtime Disney partner Arrow Development, and were the first to use a tubular steel design.
6. Space Mountain (Disneyland Paris)
Height: 155 feet
Located in Discoveryland, Disneyland Paris’ version of Space Mountain has a very different look to its counterparts at other Disney parks. It features a “steampunk”-style design, and the intimidating Columbiad Cannon runs up one side.
The climbing route: Get ready to be blasted into space by the cannon as you race around on Space Mountain: Mission 2, a much more intense coaster than the other versions of Space Mountain.
5. Mount Prometheus (Tokyo DisneySea)
Height: 168 feet
Mount Prometheus dominates Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea. The volcano houses Captain Nemo’s secret laboratory…
The climbing route: You can’t actually scale Mount Prometheus (and doing so may not be wise, given that it could erupt at any minute). However, you can head down into the earth’s core in one of the world’s best dark rides: Journey to the Center of the Earth.
4. Space Mountain (Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
Height: 180 feet
Space Mountain was added to the Magic Kingdom’s line-up in 1975. Unlike most Disney peaks, it doesn’t even pretend to be a real mountain. Instead, it is a towering structure that hides the entirety of space within.
The climbing route: Two wild mouse-style roller coasters race around the darkened interior of Space Mountain, hitting a top speed of 27 miles per hour.
3. Big Thunder Mountain (Disney’s Magic Kingdom)
Height: 197 feet
The second version of Big Thunder Mountain (opened in 1980) towers over Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom, and is 25 percent larger than the Disneyland original. It required 650 tons of steel, 4,675 tons of “mud” and more than 9,000 gallons of paint to construct.
The climbing route: Superstitious locals claim that the mountain is protective of the gold that it holds within, but that hasn’t stopped the Big Thunder Mining Co. from trying to extract it. Board one of its runaway trains on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to climb towards the top.
2. Big Thunder Mountain (Disneyland Paris)
Height: 197 feet
Disneyland Paris’ version of Big Thunder Mountain is unique in that it sits in the middle of the Rivers of the Wild West, and can only be reached via a tunnel. It dominates Frontierland to a greater extent than its counterparts at other Disney parks.
The climbing route: For our money, Disneyland Paris’ Big Thunder Mountain is the best version of the runaway train coaster in the world.
1. Forbidden Mountain (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Height: 199 feet
This huge mock mountain towers over Asia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Legend has it that it is guarded by a ferocious Yeti. In reality, it was created using 5,000 tons of structural steel and 10,000 tons of concrete.
The climbing route: Hop on board the former tea trains that serve the Expedition Everest roller coaster. But watch out for that Yeti!
