The MiceChat Gumball Rally was held on Saturday, May 3rd.  It was a race to see how many attractions teams could ride in a single day at Disneyland.  Players were divided into teams of two, three, or four and set loose on Disneyland Park. The day began bright and early at 6:30am as teams lined up outside the patio of ESPN Zone to begin registration.

GUMBALL RALLY GAME DAY!

A crisp morning greeted the cavalcade of costumed Rally players as they lined up to begin registration.

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MiceChat staff welcomed team captains at registration on the ESPN Zone patio.

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Players picked up their packets which included custom lanyards for each player, tickets into the breakfast kick off event indie ESPN Zone, and the rules for the game.  It did NOT include the game book (that would happen at the beginning of the game).

Next the players lined up outside the front door of ESPN Zone to enter the breakfast kick-off party.  The folks that attended the Carb Loading Pasta Party, the night before at the Anabella Hotel, enjoyed pre-registration the night before and got to skip the 6:30am registration line on Rally morning.

One by one the teams entered and stood in front of the big MiceChat and Gumball Rally banners for one official team picture.  They were then directed into the dining room.

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Give us your game face and smile!

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Once the guests were seated, the staff at ESPN Zone began serving up the delicious breakfast burritos.  Seriously they were soooooo good.  You have heard of the famous ESPN Zone bacon?  Well it was in there.  But what’s more, they had tater tots in it too!  Egg, Cheese, ESPN Zone Bacon, and the crunchiest tots ever. The burrito, along with a bowl of healthy fruit, you know, to offset the burrito, along with orange juice, water, and coffee, made for a great quick breakfast.

Here are some shots of the first folks to get registered and seated. . .

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There were so many players that we took over both dining rooms at ESPN Zone.  Sadly, the bar was not open.  😉

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Then the place really started getting packed . . .

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Drink stations were set up in the lobby.

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Here’s the huge trophy the teams were competing for.

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Soon, it was time to address the crowd.  Dusty went over all of the rules with the teams, made sure they all knew where the finish line was, and reminded them to keep hydrated.

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One half of the soon-to-be 1st place winners, Super Mouse Bros.

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AND THEY’RE OFF

Team captains were given the game books and the countdown began.  5,4,3,2,1 AND THEY’RE OFF!  The big choice was between riding the Monorail into Tomorrowland or racing through Downtown Disney to the front gates.  Most chose to trek to the front gate.

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Tearing through the front gate, the annual onslaught of Rally Stars rolled down Main Street U.S.A!

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Once inside, players spread out, following their own strategies on how to tackle the park.

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GROUP PICTURE AT THE CASTLE

One twist that the MiceChat staff tossed at Gumball Rally players this year was a big group photo in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at noon.  This was, by far, the item that offered the most points in the entire game.  In fact, if you missed this, there was little chance of winning.  Surprisingly, teams loved this chance to rest and grab a bite before the picture.

It was a bit like a flash mob. A small number of teams rolled in early. Then more and more gathered. Then just before noon, over 500 people filled the Castle courtyard. And 5 minutes later, after the photo, {poof} they were all gone.

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Click to enlarge

To see all of the PhotoPass group photos, log into your PhotoPass account (or register for one) and add this PhotoPass card to your account DLRC-9Y3T-34X4-H6W3.  Anyone can apply this number to their individual PhotoPass account and the all of the group photos will be added to your account. You can visit Disney PhotoPass HERE.

Once teams received their confirmation points for being in the pic, they were back off into the park to complete their mission.  Despite the heat, and the rigorous schedule, teams were all smiles! except for that Dumbo question. . . .

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Did we mention the event was sponsored by MiceChat’s official travel agency, Fairy Godmother Travel?

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Yet another twist (there were four twists this year) was the inclusion of the brilliant Soundsational Parade in the Rally.  Again, another pleasant surprise, this gave teams a chance to stay in one place and relax while the answers came to them.

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The last performance to the parade was at 6:30pm, just one half hour before the 7pm deadline to turn packets in at La Brea Bakery.  Teams flooded the patio of the al fresco eatery with their completed answered booklets.  After this, there was just a little time to kill before the awards party at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort’s Pirate’s Cove.

A full day of Rallying is hungry work.  The two restaurant sponsors offered players some good deals too.  Those who had an event lanyard on were offered a 10% discount on food at La Brea Bakery or %20 off at the delicious Pizza Press (located next to the Carousel Inn and Suites).

Awards Party

8:30pm came and guests were welcomed into the Pirate’s Cove area at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort and Water Playground.  Smart players headed straight for the kiddie pools and soaked their feet in the water.  Event Sponsor Fairy Godmother Travel ushered guests in with a magical smile and a glittering wand!

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She takes her job seriously folks. 🙂

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Ask Fairy Godmother Travel about all of your Disney Travel needs
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A few rows filled up toward the front. Folks have learned to take the spots up close so they don’t miss the amazing entertainment that comes later.
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After a costume change, Dusty arrives to interview the teams as they await the Game Show entertainment.

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The hot tub is always popular.

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The scoring Team was still hard at work, making sure all of the teams got credit for the rides they experienced.  But that takes a little bit of time.  So, MiceChat Admin, Hastin Zylstra (AKA Monorail Man), presented another one of his famous game shows to entertain the crowds while they patiently waited for the results of the rally. We gave away thousands of dollars in prizes, hotel stays, and theme park tickets.

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Monorail Man’s Game Show Legacy was a riotous send up of random game shows from years past including Bumper Stumpers, 100,000 Dollar Pyramid, and more.

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TOP 50 RESULTS

The time came, the scoring committee was done, and the crowd waited eagerly to hear the results.  Below is a full listing of the top 50 teams, along with their points and return times. There were 100 total points available this year.

1st Place • Super Mouse Bros.

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POINTS: 95   RETURN TIME: 6:57 PM

 

2nd Place • Quack Attack

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POINTS: 94 RETURN TIME: 6:40 PM

 

3rd Place Almost Newlyweds

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POINTS: 92 RETURN TIME: 6:41 PM

 

4th Place • Princess Protection

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POINTS: 90 RETURN TIME: 6:38 PM

 

5th Place • Golden Mickeys

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POINTS: 90 RETURN TIME: 6:48 PM

 

6th Place TIE • Rally Rookies

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POINTS: 88 RETURN TIME: 6:31 PM

 

6th Place TIE• Team MU

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POINTS: 88 RETURN TIME: 6:31 PM

 

7th Place • Main Attraction

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POINTS: 88 RETURN TIME: 6:48 PM

 

8th Place • The 1959 Yodeling Mountain Shark Bobsled Team of Tomorrowland Lagoon

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POINTS: 88 RETURN TIME: 6:57 PM

 

9th Place • OMG!!! IT’S OUR PRINCESSES!!!

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POINTS: 87 RETURN TIME: 6:42 PM

 

10th Place • Mickey’s Agents of M.O.U.S.E.

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POINTS: 86 RETURN TIME: 6:37 PM

 

Below are the the top 50 placing teams. We don’t make places available below the top 50.

11th Place • Powered by Pixie Dust
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME:6:23 PM

12th Place • Cherry Chasing Dot Munchers
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:42 PM

13th Place • Two-Horace Race(rs)
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:48 PM

14th Place • Los Disney Hermanos
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:49 PM

14th Place • Star Tourists
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:49 PM

14th Place • Big Thunder Down Under…Kachoo!
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:49 PM

15th Place • Tweedle He and Tweedle Mum
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:50 PM

16th Place • Team Heisenberg
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:51 PM

17th Place • Flynn’s Riders
POINTS: 85 RETURN TIME: 6:57 PM

18th Place • You Don’t Row, We Don’t Go
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:33 PM

19th Place • The Definition of Liberty
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:34 PM

20th Place • “The Girls”
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:37 PM

21st Place • T-Town Tinkerbells
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:38 PM

22nd Place • The Three Minnieateers
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:43 PM

23rd Place • Mr. Toad’s Defense Team
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:50 PM

23rd Place • We Are The Ones Who Rally
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:50 PM

24th Place • The Unofficial Team
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:53 PM

25th Place • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
POINTS: 84 RETURN TIME: 6:58 PM

26th Place • The Matterhorn Mounties
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:20 PM

27th Place • Team Mouse Expose
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:33 PM

28th Place • Harold Isn’t Going to Like This
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:34 PM

29th Place • The Bull-tastic 4
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:47 PM

30th Place • The Wildest Riders in the Wilderness
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:49 PM

31st Place • Gumball Gumshoes
POINTS: 83 RETURN TIME: 6:53 PM

32nd Place • Big Thunder Raiders
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME:  6:31 PM

33rd Place • Cinderella’s Speed-Step Sisters
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:36 PM

34th Place • No Time for Snack Bar
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:39 PM

35th Place • Firehouse One Plus Two
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:43 PM

35th Place • Honest Babes
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:43 PM

36th Place • Foxtasmic!
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:49 PM

37th Place • It Came From The Briar Patch
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:50 PM

38th Place • Club 34
POINTS: 82 RETURN TIME: 6:51 PM

39th Place • Team Hail Hydra
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:31 PM

40th Place • The Rebels of Baker Street
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:35 PM

41st Place • The 3 Mouseketeers
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:40 PM

42nd Place • The Abominables
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:41 PM

43rd Place • #teamname
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:43 PM

43rd Place • small world BIG PARK
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:43 PM

44th Place • Two Mouse Crew
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:48 PM

45th Place • Wandering Oakens
POINTS: 81 RETURN TIME: 6:57 PM

46th Place • Space Rangers
POINTS: 80 RETURN TIME: 6:33 PM

47th Place • Agents of D.I.S.N.E.Y.
POINTS: 80 RETURN TIME: 6:36 PM

48th • Place Aurora & Stitch
POINTS: 80 RETURN TIME: 6:40 PM

49th • Place MouseKATeers 
POINTS: 80 RETURN TIME: 6:41 PM

50th • Place Reasonably Priced Churros
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50th Place • Team Goofballz
POINTS: 80 RETURN TIME: 6:44 PM

We would like to thank EVERYONE who participated in the amazing 2014 Gumball Rally. We just couldn’t do it without all of the teams, staff, sponsors and supporters. THANK YOU and we can’t wait until the Rally rolls again!!!

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A very special thank you to all of our sponsors for the event.  We our could NOT have don't this without your help.
A very special thank you to all of our sponsors for the event. We our could NOT have don’t this without your help.

Our next Gumball Rally is in WALT DISNEY WORLD on October 25th, 2014.  For more information or to book your spot, please contact [email protected].  

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Norman Gidney
Norman Gidney, also known as Fishbulb, has produced and edited many of the articles on MiceChat over the years.