The world-famous MiceChat Gumball Rally was held once again on February 4, 2023. This family-friendly competition challenges teams of Disney fans to see how many attractions they can ride in a single day. And you don’t have to be an expert on trivia or theme parks to win. The gameplay, where guests answer questions and riddles based on things found in rides and queues, is designed to put everyone on a level playing field and allow them to play at their own pace. Every year, there are new twists to the rules. And to celebrate the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland, the questions were written by the ‘toons themselves (with assistance from Matt Jeurgens and Dusty Sage).

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
In our original logo art by David Derks, The figure on the left is named Walter, the dog is Dusty, and the character on the right is named Pixel.

 

 
 
GUMBALL RALLY 2024
Sign up today to receive information when we announce dates & info for our next big Gumball rally!



Thank you for subscribing!
 
Off the Rails Surprises!
The theme for 2023’s Gumball Rally was “Off the Rails,” which referenced more than one aspect of the event. One was the magnificent trophy, inspired by the Disneyland Railroad, created for us by Topher Hayes. The base of this work of art rotates to reveal different portions of the Grand Canyon and Primeval World scenes from the ride!

But it is also a not-so-subtle node to the newly opened Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in ToonTown. 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
Attraction Poster for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Clever Gameplay Twist # 1

There were also some big twists in this year’s rules. The riddles were split into two gamebooks… One booklet was titled “On the Rails” and the other “Off the Rails.” The teams were not told what the titles meant, but they were instructed to choose between them at the Rally’s start (it would be swapped out for the other at some point in the afternoon). It turns out that the titles of the booklets indicated which type of ride was featured inside the book. For example, “On the Rails” included attractions that used rails or tracks.

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
Beautiful artwork by David Derks with layout and design by Anthony Hays. 

Twist #2 Runaway Railway!

And this year’s rally was extra-special (and extra crazy!) because it fell one week after the opening of Disneyland’s Disney 100 Years of Wonder Celebration. Also known as Disney100, the celebration brought new nighttime spectaculars and the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway to the Disneyland Resort. So… that just had to be part of the game!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

To accommodate the popularity of the brand-new attraction, the question for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was included in both gamebooks (although the teams were only supposed to ride it once).  

Off the Charts Fun!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Once the teams were checked in and the rules were laid out, it was time for the wild adventure to finally begin!

Off to a Great Start

The teams made it from The Anaheim Hotel (a MiceChat sponsor!) to Disneyland’s Main Street, USA, just in time for Rope Drop.

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Once Rope Drop concluded, our teams were off and running (well, speed-walking).

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Teams at Play

It was a madcap day of attraction-riding for our Gumball Rally teams. Thankfully, the weather was on our side. It was mild and lightly cloudy – perfect Rally weather compared to the 100º+ weather last year or the torrential rain in 2020!  (click for full-sized images):

Toward the middle of the day, teams began swapping out the game books they had chosen that morning for the alternate book.

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
Here, Stephenie and Beverly assist a team with their booklet swap while Dusty encourages the teams that they are doing great

And teams made sure to attend the 3pm group photo near “it’s a small world.” Beyond making a great memory, it also garnered them 10 points (while answering ride questions was worth 1 point each… it’s a great way to ensure that everyone shows up and takes a very quick break).

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Riding Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

One of the highlights this year was undoubtedly Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. These happy Gumball Rally teams were among the first to ride. Nothing can stop us now!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Some of our staff joined the teams for this portion of the competition. Everyone agreed that this ride truly is a work of art, seamlessly weaving together animatronics, whimsical sets, and state-of-the-art digital mapping projections to create a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. With so much to see in each scene (look for the Dapper Dans on their bicycle built for 4 for example), there is a huge incentive to ride the attraction more than once. 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

The attraction utilizes its trackless vehicles in clever ways that add flavor to the story. And the transitions to certain scenes, especially the finale, are inventive from both a storytelling standpoint and a technological one. 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

With so many tributes to Disney history and hidden Mickeys, we were all well entertained in queue as well. But… teams had an important decision to make. All rides were worth just 1 point. So… if the ride was down, they had to decide if they should skip it, wait, or come back later. With almost every Disneyland attraction included in the game this year, time is always a factor. 

More about the incredible details in the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in this amazing MiceChat feature:

Hidden Disney Details in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway!

 

A Strong Finish

As the clock ran down, teams had to make the short walk from the Disneyland Resort across the street to The Anaheim Hotel to turn in their game books in time!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

There is a real sense of accomplishment from completing a Rally, and it is wonderful to see teams high-fiving and cheering each other on. Over the years, the many returning teams have become like family, with tons of new people joining the fold each year. 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

While our volunteers took on the gargantuan endeavor of tallying up each team’s score, we entertained our guests with a lively panel of voice actors/actresses while also giving away some amazing Loungefly prizes donated by #TheHappiestClubOnEarth and special tiki mugs from Lost Temple Traders, as well as a 2-night stay at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground (check out our special Disneyland area hotel deals HERE)!  

Moderated by David Derks (VP of ASIFA Hollywood, the animation academy which produces the annual Annie Awards), the panel consisted of Kaitlyn Robrock (notable for voicing Minnie Mouse among many other characters), John Omohundro (the voice of Bravest Warrior’s Danny Vasquez and other roles), Joe Hernandez (voice of Daruk from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and a friend of Crush the turtle at Turtle Talk), and John Chen (voice coach at Universal Studios Hollywood). They regaled everyone with stories of finding their characters, working in the voiceover field, and even their most memorably difficult sessions. It was both enlightening and entertaining!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
From left to right: David Derks, Kaitlyn Robrock, John Omohundro, Joe Hernandez, John Chen (The beautiful MiceChat backdrop was a joint effort of Ape Pen Publishing and Anthony Hays Design)
gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
From left to right: Joe Hernandez and John Chen
gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
From left to right: David Derks, John Omohundro, Kaitlyn Robrock, John Chen, and Joe Hernandez

The panel concluded as the final results came in.

Gumball Rally Photos 2023

We have more photos for you in this album assembled by Mike Kindrich: 

<MICECHAT GUMBALL RALLY 2023 PHOTO ALBUM – CLICK HERE>

And the Winners of the MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 are…

The Gumball Rally is about finding out how many attractions you are capable of riding in a single day. Many teams compete year after year to see if they can improve their scores. But, there is an element of bragging rights to being the team that takes the top spot as well. While the event is a great excuse to spend a day riding attractions with friends and family, the friendly competition element keeps teams going when they might otherwise call it quits. 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

1st Place – Coolant Runnings – And also winning the Gumball Machine Trophy and a $250 travel gift certificate from Get Away Today (the main sponsor of MiceChat and the Gumball Rally… give them your support, folks!)

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

2nd Place – Dusty’s Park Hopping Crop Dusters, who were unfortunately absent from the awards ceremony. We’ll be mailing them their medals so they can wear them with pride.

3rd Place – The EnginEARS

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

4th Place –  Hitchhiking Heffalumps

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
This team originally scored in 5th place but was then corrected to 4th place.

5th place – The Stacey Must-Do’s

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

6th Place – Wicked Stepsisters

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

7th Place – Beware the Twoozle (Heffalump and Woozle)

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

8th Place – Locomotivated Enginears: Lost and Derailed

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

9th Place – Double Dose

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

10th Place – Are you not enterTRAINed

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
The 10th-place winners are on the right.

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

As is our tradition, there were several special awards presented to teams who bring a special spirit and creativity to the game:

Best Team Name – The Ward Gumballs (Ward Kimball was a Disney animator and one of Walt’s “Nine old men.” He was also a model train enthusiast who helped inspire Walt to the craft which was one of the inspirations for the building of Disneyland).

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Best Team Logo – The Grand Canyon as We Know It Today

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Spirit of MiceChat – The Apple Dumpling Railcar Wranglers (a new team who joined us all the way from Texas)

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Spirit(s) of MiceChat – The Ghost Hosts (10/10 – Would love to have them haunt the Rally every year. Their social posts were perfectly themed to every attraction they completed)

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Social Superstar – Are you not enterTRAINed  (Faublous social posts)

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

And here are the total results for this year’s Gumball Rally! 

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

We’re bringing you the top 100 teams this year. If your team fell below that mark, you can contact your Rally hostess for your score.

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
Count the caves and tunnels… harder than it sounds like

There were a small number of questions this year which created some discrepancies in results. But as our team instructions indicate, just do your best and when necessary explain your answer. We accepted a number of different answers as long as it was clear the teams completed the attraction (number of hula dancers could have included the cutout figures or hula boy for example, or any combination thereof. If you left Daisy’s Dance Studio forward or backward, you got different answers, both of which counted…

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

…And we knew from the start that counting the cave entries on Tom Sawyer Island was difficult, but we not only accepted a wide range of answers, we also had a staff member logging the teams who came over on the raft! If you mentioned any of the words on the explosion clouds in Mr. Toad you were fine. Etc.). Since the Rally was spread across two game books this year, we were able to score the morning books and have staff members re-ride any attraction which we received answers for that we weren’t expecting.  

The maximum number of points this year was 49. No teams completed all attractions, which indicates it was a difficult year. We almost always have a team or two (or more) complete everything. You’ll see many ties. Ties are broken by the order the teams return.  

And here’s how you placed. 

PLACE TEAM NAME TEAM # TOTAL POINTS
1 Coolant Runnings 286 47
2 Dusty’s Park Hopping Crop Dusters 248 44
3 The EnginEARS 241 43
4 Hitchhiking Heffalumps 238 43
5 Stacey Must-Do’s, The 266 42
6 Wicked Stepsisters 288 41
7 Beware the Twoozle (Heffalump and Woozle) 212 41
8 Locomotivated Engine-Ears: lost and derailed 306 41
9 Double Dose 254 41
10 Are you not enterTRAINed 477 40
11 Toy Yodas, The 253 40
12 Ricky and Ryan’s Runaway Gumball 240 40
13 Canoes Blues (don’t paddle with your mouth open), The 275 40
14 Tweedle Tall and Tweedle Small 296 40
15 Baxter Boys, The 232 40
16 Moms’ Day Off 237 40
17 Yeehaw! It’s the wildest princesses in the rally! 214 39
18 OO-DE-LALLY 272 39
19 Grogu’s Gumball Adventurers 200 39
20 Train or Shine, We’ll Ride! 355 39
21 Sleeping Zebra Security 245 39
22 Loco-motives 383 39
23 Mix In Some Magic 9202 39
24 We think we can, we think we can… 353 39
25 Dole Whip It RAIL Good 298 39
26 Central Coasters 284 39
27 T-Town Tinkerbelles 342 39
28 Crazy Train 273 38
29 Snuggly Ducklings Gone Wild 228 38
30 Hunny Bunny Run-(a)-way Dream Team 211 38
31 Team Green 312 38
32 LGM 311 38
33 Nu?Orleans² 222 38
34 Frontside of Rock 226 38
35 Learning Disney 9285 38
36 Coco Puffs 203 38
37 T.B.D. – They Brought Dynamite 270 38
38 Loosey Goosey Caboosey 267 38
39 Sharkbait! HOO HA HA! 261 38
40 Nothing Can Stop Us Now 9258 37
41 Ropedrop & Parkhop 9268 37
42 Yellow Strappers, The 201 37
43 Askins in Wonderland 263 37
44 Spells, Ursula, Please! 411 37
45 Big Thunder 347 37
46 Grand Canyon As We Know It Today, The 217 37
47 Neverland Express 309 37
48 Frankie’s Girls-Slow and Steady 233 36
49 Yeti Hunting Sherpas 274 36
50 Junior Society of Explorers and Adventurers 252 36
51 Hill 287 36
52 D-Railed in D-Land 236 36
53 Ghost Hosts, The 417 36
54 D-Railed Wasteland Limited, The 256 36
55 Fragments 424 36
56 Straight Outta The Tiki Room 478 36
57 WaQUANda Forever 264 36
58 Going Off The Rails On The Casey Train 205 36
59 Foolish Mortals Hexpress 333 35
60 Rally Rat Racers 250 35
61 Hidden Mickey Hunters 365 35
62 Ward Gumballs, The 244 35
63 Witch, Please 292 35
64 Trident 280 35
65 Lilly Belles 234 35
66 California Adventurers, The 271 35
67 Train of Thought Derailed 230 35
68 Joy to the Small World 246 35
69 Car Noises 278 35
70 No Rest for the Wicked 207 34
71 Snuggly Ducklings 262 34
72 Get Away Today 9229 34
73 AT-AT 247 33
74 Pixie Chicks 276 33
75 Mouse Mafia 315 33
76 Love Me Tender 323 33
77 Queens of the Rails 277 32
78 A&R Railroad 235 32
79 Rogue Churro Cart Crew 407 32
80 Fauntleroy Fans 213 32
81 The Trolley Track Ankle Breaker Protection Society 291 32
82 Unidentified Flying Oddballs, The 210 32
83 Grape Soda Gals 251 32
84 Step Into Your Power 9279 32
85 Neon Dole Whippers 345 32
86 Derailed Engineers 302 31
87 Rescue Racers 444 31
88 Apple Dumpling Railcar Wranglers 375 31
89 Wandering Wayfarers, The 269 31
90 Team Snipae 295 31
91 Team ToonTastics 255 31
92 Tigger Tails Off The Rails 218 30
93 more than one hour… 243 30
94 Toasted Roasties, The 321 28
95 Castle Crusaders 399 27
96 Pink Elephants 208 26
97 Ratatouille Rat Racers 259 26
98 Riders of the Lost Ark 9265 22
99 Livin’ La Vida Yoda 9227 20
100 Dead Men Blow No Bubbles 282 18

*If you scored below 100th place and want to know how you did, please contact our Rally Team Coordinator. Note, we do not discuss specific scores or questions and scores are never changed once the event ends. 

A Cast of Thousands…

It takes a tremendous number of helpers to make this event happen. Some folks spend more than a year on the event. Others sign up close to game day. And while we mention our producers, creatives, and captains below… it’s the hundred+ event day volunteers who check the teams in, watch the teams in the parks, and assist with greeting and wrangling that really make this event run so smoothly. THANK YOU!

Gumball Rally Producer & Host Dusty Sage
Gumball Rally Writers Dusty Sage & Matt Juergens
Gumball Rally Logo & Artwork David Derks
Gumball Rally Layout and Design Anthony Hays
Gumball Rally Entertainment Producer David Derks
Gumball Rally Team Coordinator Michele King
Gumball Rally Staffing Coordinator Tiffany Wilhelm
Gumball Rally Score Team Captain Matt Juergens
VIP Coordinator Stephanie Fix
Gumball Rally Registration Host Jennifer Chavez
Influencer/Creator Coordinator Kristen Carr
Gumball Rally Trophy Topher Hays
Gumball Rally Decor Kristen Carr
Photography Coordinator Mike Kindrich
Photographers Scott Attula, Matt Bumgardner, Kurt Schneider
Technical Coordinator Kurt Schneider
And hundreds of spotters, hosts, coordinators, cheer team & scorers: !!! THANK YOU !!!

They Made It Happen! 

And we really, really couldn’t do it without our amazing sponsors, who donated and helped pay for a million little things. It’s because of them that we are still charging the same price we did in 2019, even though our costs went up dramatically this year. We love them all and hope you’ll support their businesses a show of support and thanks!

Main Sponsor Get Away Today

Please start all your vacations by clicking any Get Away Today link on any page of MiceChat.com!

Supporting Sponsor The Anaheim Hotel -Use THIS LINK and promo code MC23 to save 20% and get a $20 resort credit through April 1st.
Supporting Sponsor The Pizza Press
Donor & Creative Anthony Hays Design
Donor & Event Support (Loungefly & Award Party design) @TheHappiestClubOnEarth
Donor (Tiki Mugs) Lost Temple Traders
Special Thanks (Castle banner creative) Ape Pen Publishing
Special Thanks (Balloon Sculpture) Simply Wild Party

 


Discount Disney Theme Park Tickets & Hotels!!!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results
The Disney100 celebration is coming up. Time to start planning!

MiceChat brings you the BEST theme park ticket, hotel & package deals! (You’ll find extra nights free, big discounts, and special offers as well).

Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Knott’s Berry Farm:

If you live in Southern California, there’s a very special ticket offer for you that runs from January 9th through May 25th: 

(MiceChat works with Get Away Today to provide you with the best theme park travel deals and we may make a small commission on any sales made through our links)


Thank You, Everyone!

Thanks to all who came out for this year’s MiceChat Gumball Rally, showed up before sunrise to participate, all who volunteered for any position, individuals and businesses who supported the event through donations or sponsorships, and all of you who cheered the teams on from the other side of a computer screen! To relive this year’s Gumball Rally, take a look at the hashtag #mcGumballRally on social media!

We’re already cooking up some amazing ideas for next year. We can’t wait to see you all again before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

gumball rally 2023, MiceChat Gumball Rally 2023 Results

Sharing is caring!

Natalie Kipper
Merchandise Editor for MiceChat. A native of Southern California, Natalie’s first visit to Disneyland was on her second birthday. She has been returning regularly ever since. With a love of toys and collectibles, she is constantly scouring the shops to see what is new and fun. When she isn’t in a store, you can usually spot her in line for The Haunted Mansion. Follow Natalie on Instagram @Kipperbun and @TravelswithToys.