March 1991 – June 1993
LOCATION
Tomorrowland – The Motorboat Cruise to Gummi Glen technically sat in Tomorrowland, though its location is now considered part of Fantasyland. To find the loading dock, visitors followed the Fantasyland walkway toward It’s A Small World. They’d see the dock on the right, just after Autopia’s track and before the Small World plaza.
BACKGROUND
Disneyland already had an existing Motorboat Cruise attraction in operation, so the Gummi Glen addition was a re-theming, not a completely new ride. The re-theme occurred as part of the “Disney Afternoon Avenue” event, which featured new overlays and character appearances across Fantasyland. The event proved to be a massive failure, closing by the end of 1991. But the Gummi Glen theming lasted until 1993, until the attraction closed for good.
EXPERIENCE
Travelers aboard the Cruise to Gummi Glen ventured along a hidden track within the lagoon. The tour looped around the base of the Monorail, the edges of Autopia, and the shores of the Small World Plaza. Along the way, the boats passed plywood characters from the Gummi Bears television series.
CLOSURE
The Motorboat Cruise to Gummi Glen never became a popular attraction in the park, but it stayed open a solid two years after the rest of the Afternoon Avenue attractions closed. Finally, Disney closed the waterway in 1993, giving full attention to the brand new Mickey’s Toontown. The original Motorboat Cruise never returned, and the dock transformed into a popular seating area in the rear of Fantasyland.
TRIVIA
The Motorboat loading dock is still in the park; today it’s a covered seating area.
It took me so many years to confirm that this attraction existed. I had such foggy childhood memories about this, that at one point I wasn’t sure if this was even real or just a dream. I believe a few years back I commented on your Rescue Rangers Raceway article that I was looking for evidence of both of these ride and it how I ended up finding your website.
Haha I’m so glad you found it!!! I hate when you vaguely remember something and aren’t totally sure if you’re imagining it or not 🙂
I feel like you are me, because I too thought this ride was a dream after years of explaining it to people and NO ONE knowing what I was talking about.
I just caught Gummi Glen being shown for about 2 seconds in a YouTube about the history of Toontown and was like what!??.. rewound, paused the video and freaked out!!
So happy this actually existed, life feels more real now. 🙂 Thanks for providing the details about it!
Yeah, it was a real itch in my brain for the longest time. Like you, once I found this I felt like something had finally been put to rest. You don’t often get that kind of resolution in your life.
I have a photo of us on it but I could never explain to anyone what film it was of or where the ride was!
My earliest memories are going to Disneyland during the Disney Afternoon stint, and seeing Plane Crazy, and while I know I rode this, I don’t remember it at all!
When I was a Cast Member I dined inside the Eat Ticket, one of the backstage commissaries, which has many attraction vehicles and signs, one of the Motor Boats, complete with Gummi Bear name, hangs from the ceiling!
That’s super cool to hear one of the Motor Boats survived! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yikes. This is like worse quality overlay than six flags. Shocked it even lasted a few months.