MiceChat Spring Gumball Rally - May 30th - Info and Save the Date

[Dustysage]

MiceChat Proudly Announces The Spring 2009 Gumball Rally
May 30th, 2009 - SOLD OUT

RESULTS HAVE BEEN POSTED: http://micechat.com/micechat-news/gumball-rally-09-results/

To be placed on a waiting list (in the event someone cancels) please PM DustySage or email dustysage@micechat.com

UPDATE: Our Free "Practice" Rally was held on April 26th and was a huge hit! You will find photos and results here: Practice Rally Winners!

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to ride all of the attractions at Disneyland in a single day? What if you tried to ride all of the attractions in the entire Disneyland Resort? What if we made it a competition and you could win prizes for the most attractions completed in a single day? And what if we assembled it all in an extremely fun and creative way? The MiceChat Gumball Rally is all that and more. You need only ask previous competitors to know that this is an event you won't want to miss!

MiceChat's Gumball Rally is a uniquely fun event that nearly ANYONE can participate in. Being a Disney nut may make it more fun for you, but anyone can compete and do well in this event. You don't need to come to the event knowing any Disney or Theme Park trivia. We don't make you jump through hoops or count the number of bricks on Main Street. Instead, we set you on a course for adventure at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Compete in teams of 2 to 4 people. We have been told over and over again that this is the most fun you can have at the parks. It is the Disney Fan's version of a triathlon. A magical, pixie dusted, bibbidi-boppity, zippedeedodah, mega-Disney experience of a lifetime.

This year, we are holding the event in the late Spring (Saturday, May 30th)- a most beautiful time to be in the parks. We've planned a full weekend of activities for you to enjoy (Carbo-loading party on Friday night, Gumball Rally and Awards Party on Saturday, and Noon Meet and possible other activities for Sunday). The Friday and Sunday events are optional, but if you are able to attend, it makes for a fantastic weekend getaway! We are doing our best to keep the costs down and make this our most affordable Rally ever!

Awards
Awards will be given for 1st - 3rd place, Best Team Logo, Best Team Name, and Spirit of MiceChat Award. The entire MiceChat boards will vote on the Best Team Logo and Best Team Name Awards. Teams can enter their names and logos now through May 22 HERE. Voting will begin on May 23 through the day of the event.

NEW! Practice Rally
IN ADDITION, we are trying something fun and new this year. One month before the Gumball Rally, we'll be holding a FREE Practice Rally at the park on Sunday the 26th of April. Anyone who would like to do a short 4 hour Practice Rally with their teammates or anyone wanting to get a sense of how the Rally works is welcome to attend. We won't tell you exactly what we have in store, but the Practice Rally will be a super fun way to start your training or help you decide if you'd like to enter the full Rally. We'll end the Practice Rally with fun prizes and a little party. All for FREE. We promise to make it a very fun 4 hours!!!
UPDATE: Our Free "Practice" Rally was held on April 26th and was a huge hit! You will find photos and results here: Practice Rally Winners!


Book Your Room At The HoJo
This year's Gumball Rally is sponsored by Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort. To ensure the best rooms at the best rates, call the Howard Johnson today; they are offering a big MiceChat discount for the Rally Weekend: Call 800-422-4228 Between the hours of 8am to 5pm (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday and ask for the MiceChat discount.

How Do I Sign Up?
Vote in the poll above to let us know which events you are interested in attending. Then register your team here: SOLD OUT

Other threads to explore

• The Gumball Rally Trash Talk Thread - It is a time honored tradition to try to psych out your opponents. Give it your best shot; it's all in fun.
• Gumball Rally '08 Results - Who won last year's events
• Fishbulb's Gumball Rally Trip Report - Last years Gumball Rally occurred the same weekend as our 3rd anniversary in January. It also happened to be a rare rainy weekend. But we still had a tremendous time.
  

• YouTube - MiceChat Gumball Rally 2 Highlights

• FREE Practice Rally April 26th: COMPLETED

Start recruiting your teammates and thinking up a great team name. The most fantastic event in Disney Geekdom is headed your way in just a few short months!

Save the Date

• Gumball Rally Weekend - May 29th through 31st, 2009
  
• Gumball Rally FREE Practice - April 26th, 2009
  

ALL EVENTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT!



Gumball Rally Event Rules We will have lots of spotters working the event to make sure that everyone is playing fair and that no one is disrupting the enjoyment of the parks for the regular guests at the Resort. If you disrupt the normal functioning of the park by leaving attractions early, being overly loud in attractions, creating an unsafe environment for others, or disrupting cast members or guests, you will be disqualified from the event. You may NOT have anyone other than your own team members help you with the event. If we find that you are calling others for answers, sharing answers, or in any other way attempting to gain an unfair advantage, you will be disqualified. While these events are designed for everyone to have a great time, it is important that we not have our good time at the expense of others.

Please be respectful of Disney staff and guests at all times!


Frequently Asked Questions:

Q - Do I have to be a member of MiceChat to play?
A - Not at all. MiceChat produces the event, but ANYONE can play (under-age must play with a parent or guardian).

Q - I don't have a team and would like to play on one, what do I do?
A - Don't suffer in silence! Post in here letting everyone know that you are looking to join a team. OR contact your friends and drag them kicking and screaming to the Rally!

Q - How will the Rally be affected by rides that are closed or which close during the day.
A - That is part of the fun of this event. Everyone will be in the same boat (so to speak). Which attractions you choose to ride at any given time of the day, may impact how you finish. Park hours, ride hours, parades and fireworks, sudden ride closures, queue waits, weather, and many other factors will challenge you and your team!

Q - If you don't complete every attraction in the Rally, can you still finish.
A - Absolutely! Points will be awarded for each attraction completed. The team with the most points wins. With two parks worth of attractions and just one day to complete them all, it is highly likely that the winning team will simply have completed the most attractions (or collected the most points).

Q - What if there is a tie?
A - First we look for most points collected. In the event of a tie, the team which completed the most attractions to collect those points will win. If there is still a tie, the team which turned their packet in first will win.

Q - What if we finish late?
A - That is part of the game. You must finish by the time allotted or you will receive a peanalty equal to the number of minutes you are late x 2. For example being late by 2 minutes will result in a 4 point penalty. Being late by 15 minutes will result in a 30 point penalty.

Q - Can I bring my kids along?
A - Each person 8 years or older must be a registered part of your team. Kids have turned out to be very good participants in the Rally and have sharp eyes for potential answers.

Q - How do you know if we completed an attraction?
A - We have 3 very good ways of knowing. First, you are given a packet of questions (one or more question per attraction). The questions are easy to answer if you've been on the attraction, but difficult to guess if you haven't. Second, we have a team of spotters who are watching the teams as they make their way through the parks. They are keeping track of what you ride and wether or not your team is following the rules of the game. Finally, we rely on you to be honest. There isn't any joy in winning a competition if you had to cheat to do so.


Q - What time do the events start and when and where can I pick up my packet?
A - The Rally will start at approximately the same time Disneyland opens for the day. We will announce the time and location of Rally day registration as the event draws closer.

Q - Why are you asking for contact details?
A - We will need to contact the leader of each team prior to the event to let them know where the registration table will be located. Further, we may have additional information that we need you to be aware of.

Q - What if it rains?
A - The event will be held rain, shine, wind, or wonderful. As long as the parks remain open, we'll be playing.

Q - What if a member of my team is unable to ride an attraction?
A - All members of your team must go to the attraction as a group. Once all riding members have entered the queue, the member not riding must go straight to the exit to wait for the rest of the team. The non-riding member may not use this time to do anything else (no eating, using the rest room, shopping, gathering fastpass) you may ONLY wait at the attraction. In other words, all members of the team must be AT the attraction even if some of the members are not riding it. In addition, if the riding members of the team use fastpass to enter the attraction, the non-riding members of your team must have a fast pass ticket as well. Spotters may ask the waiting members of your team for proof that they are holding a fastpass ticket (if other members of your team entered the attraction with a pass).

Q - What if I can't compete but have already purchased a ticket?
A - Event tickets are non-refundable. However, if you contact us in time, you may be able to transfer your ticket to someone else who would like to compete. These events tend to sell out, so someone always seems to be looking for a ticket at the last minute.

Q - Can we use Fastpass on the Gumball Rally? What about Child Swap and other passes?
A - Aside from waiting in the general standby queue, only a valid Fastpass is allowed. teams must stay together and everyone in the party must have a ticket. HOWEVER, child swap, single rider, AAA, Special Birthday Fastpasses, any form of special assistance, or priority passes may NOT be used this year.

Q - Can the team split up during the Rally?
A - NO. This is a very important rule. Your whole team must stay together at all times. If one member of the team uses the rest room, all members of the team must wait at the exit. If one member is hungry, all must go to the restaurant together. You must not be more than 10 feet away from each other at any time (with the exception of restroom breaks and a member waiting at the exit of an attraction).

Q - How do I know if my registration has been accepted to the event
A - If you registered through PayPal, you will receive an email confirmation from PayPal - and an email from the MiceChat Store. About two weeks before the event, all team captains will receive an email asking them to confirm their team name and information regarding each member of the team. We will also post the same information to this thread. If you had difficulty during registration and are unsure if your order went through, please contact Dustysage.

Q - I use a wheel chair and/or have a special assistance pass, can I compete?
A - You can certainly participate, however, due to the fact that special assistance passes are an unfair competitive advantage to the other players, you may only compete if you wait in the regular queue. You may sit out on attractions which you can not ride or which it is impossible for you to navigate the regular queue. However, at least one member of your team MUST be able to ride the attraction and wait in the regular queue.

The small, but important print: For your safety and the safety of others, please follow all rules of the park you are in and obey the instructions of cast members at all times. No running, aggressive behavior, pushing, or in any way disrupting the enjoyment of regular park guests will be allowed. Those found cheating or breaking the rules of the event or of the park will have points deducted or will be asked to leave the events. Tickets are non-refundable. Those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult (21 years or older). All event participants must purchase an event ticket. Gumball Rally event tickets do not include theme park admission. Participation is at your own risk. 10 hours at Disneyland can be a very long time in potentially hot and humid conditions. You MUST take care of yourself. Try to keep cool, drink lots of water, and make sure that the members of your team are safe and healthy at all times. It isn't any fun to get heat stroke or worse! Again, YOU PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Be a good sport, even as you fight your way to victory!

A full set of rules will be forwarded to all team captains before the event and we will review prior to the competition. If you have any further questions, please post in this thread and we will do our best to answer.



-Dusty and the MiceChat Rally Crew

[sunnygirl]

I'm so excited! The last 2 Gumball Rallies have been so much fun. May 30th can't come soon enough!

[Circarama]

Woooooooooo, this is gonna be AWESOME!!!!

I like that date too... the weather's gonna be fabulous!

[Anders]

so awesome! I can't wait for the Gumball Rally this year!

[LuvsLilo]

Yay! I can't wait.

[elly]

YES!!!!!!!!

its on our weekend off!!!!!

someone's getting some sloppy kisses for that one

[mamabot]

This is going to be a huge event! I hope that we are able to break all sorts of records in terms of number of people participating in both the Gumball Rally and the Practice Rally.

[yoyoflamingo]

And if you're having trouble finding a teammate, never fear! As it gets closer to the Rally Date a thread will be created to match single Ralliers with fellow MCers...all to vie for the title, bragging rights, and the all important trophy!

[Snow_White_Raven]

Yay I can't wait. This is going to be soo much fun.

[sir clinksalot]

Highlights from Gumball Rally 2!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http:...?v=ge5qnAbCciw

[Kuzcochik]

Not a huge fan of the date. I'll be going to WDW two weeks before, going to the resort for my bday the week before and then the GR. Still gonna be legendary

[yoyoflamingo]

Gregg, I just have to say that for 2 people living on the other side of the country, we appreciate being in so many of these videos! Makes us feel like a part of the action, even if we live too far away.

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by Kuzcochik

Not a huge fan of the date. I'll be going to WDW two weeks before, going to the resort for my bday the week before and then the GR. Still gonna be legendary

No price is too great for bragging rights!!!

Thanks YoYo.

That's gotta be a record for putting that together. Probably 1/2 an hour from "Idea to YouTube".

[GoofyWife]

Well, you didn't pick dates when the Angels were on the road, but at least they are playing the Mariners.

[tinkermonkey]

OMG! Elly can be there? That's it for me then. I'm there.

(yes guys, the date will work for me, thank goodness)