MiceChat Gumball Rally – May 1st, 2010 – Now Sold Out!

UPDATE (April 23, 2010) – PLEASE NOTE – All versions of the Gumball Rally are now SOLD OUT!  Please bookmark this page and sign up for our newsletter below for information on next year’s event.  

Welcome to the ultimate theme park fan event, the world famous MiceChat Gumball Rally. The Race that answers the question “How many rides can you complete in a day at Disneyland”!

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to ride all of the attractions at Disneyland in a single day? We’ve devised the ultimate theme park event which answers that question.  And this year, we’ve added a 4 hour Lite version of the Rally for families and those who don’t think they can handle the full day event.

The MiceChat Gumball Rally is an extremely fun and creative contest which awards prizes to teams who are able to ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day. You need only ask previous competitors to know that this is one event that you won’t want to miss!

SIGN UP NOW – HERE!

For discussion and questions about the Rally, visit the Discussion on MiceChat: Gumball Rally Discussion and Reader Poll

Over the years, we have conducted the Gumball Rally event at Disneyland in California and at Walt Disney World in Florida. But, wherever the race is held, it is ALWAYS an amazing day of fun, friendship, and teamwork. People of all ages can participate in the Gumball Rally. Whether you are playing to win or just to spend a day in the park with your friends and family, you’ll be glad you joined the fun. Certain events in life are truly magic, previous participants would tell you that this is one of those special events.

Results and photos from our May 2009 Gumball Rally can be found HERE

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. But you’ll learn a lot about the parks throughout the day. Hundreds of people of all ages and all walks of life attended our 2009 Rally.  We are inviting you to join the fun in 2010!

Awards will be given for 1st – 10th 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.

Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort – MiceChat Discounts
The major sponsor for this year’s Gumball Rally is the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort. To celebrate the occasion, HoJo is offering special rates to MiceChat readers and Gumball Rally participants. To ensure the best rooms at the best rates, call the Howard Johnson Anaheim Resort today;

Call 800-422-4228 Between the hours of 8am to 5pm (Pacific Time)
Monday through Friday and ask for the “MiceChat discount“.

The HoJo always offers great MiceChat discounts, so bookmark http://www.hojoanaheim.com/micechat/ in your browser for great deals on all of your Disneyland family vacations!

Other Gumball Discussions to explore:

• Who’s the fastest rider in Disneyland? – OC Register
• Disney winners credit strategy in fastest riders’
  contest – OC Register
• Gumball Rally ‘08 Results – Who won last year’s events
• Fishbulb’s Gumball Rally Trip Report – The 2007 Gumball Rally occurred on a rainy weekend – but everyone still had a tremendous time.

Gumball Rally Event Rules

We use an army of spotters and volunteers 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 it is always tempting to ask questions of castmembers or call a friend, doing so will result in your disqualification from the event.  These events are designed for everyone to have a great time, but it is important that we not have our good time at the expense of others. Please be respectful of Disney staff, guests, and park rules at all times!  If you have any questions regarding the rules, please contact the MiceChat Gumball Rally Hotline at 949-274-8778.

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 participate (under-age 14 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 on MiceChat that you are looking to join a team. OR contact your friends and drag them kicking and screaming to the Rally!

• Q – What is the “Family” Rally?

A – The Family Rally is a shorter and less competitive 4 hour version of the Gumball Rally.  It starts at the same time as the Regular Rally but ends just 4 hours later.  It uses the same questions as the Full Rally but gives you the option of leaving the big E-Tickets and less family friendly attractions off the list.  All participants are awarded a participant ribbon.?  Family teams may have up to 6 participants.

• Q – What is the “Lite” Rally?

A – The Lite Rally is a 4 hour version of the Gumball Rally.  It starts at the same time as the Regular Rally but ends just 4 hours later.  It uses the same questions as the Full Rally.  This is a wonderful event for folks who want a fun and competitive experience which doesn’t last all day.

• 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. It is highly likely that the winning team will simply have completed the most attractions (or collected the most points), and not actually completed all attractions (though completing all attractions may in fact be possible under perfect conditions).

• 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.  Points first, then number of attractions, followed by time.

• 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 penalty 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.  In addition, we now have a 4 hour “Family” version of the Rally which you might enjoy participating in.

• 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 questions 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 whether 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. Once you register, you will be contacted by our staff with more details regarding where the check in and start locations will be held.

• 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.  Due to tremendous expense in putting on this event, there are no refunds.  The advantage to you if it rains is that the park is usually less crowded.  Some folks actually hope for rain!

• 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, you may be able to sell your ticket to someone else who would like to compete. Simply let us know who you sold the ticket to and give us their contact information. These events tend to sell out, so someone always seems to be looking for a ticket at the last minute.  We are also keeping a waiting list, so please let us know if you are having trouble selling your tickets and we’ll try to help you.

• 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 15 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 – Can I have someone bring us food or water to help save time?

A – Under no circumstance may anyone help you during the day.  Teams consist of 2 to 4 members.  If anyone outside of your immediate team assists you in any way (Answers, wait time information, food, water, fastpasses, etc) you will be disqualified.  Please DO NOT seek the help of those outside of your team.

• 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 – dustysage@micechat.com

• 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 must use the regular queue whenever possible. 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.  That ensures that your team always waits the same length of time as any other team in the competition.

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 (18 years of age 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. 12 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.

In short, be a good sport and play fair, even as you roll your way to victory!

• If you have any further questions, press inquires, or requests
  for additional information, please contact dustysage@micechat.com

ARE YOU READY TO ROLL?

SIGN UP For Gumball Rally TODAY – HERE!