The Motor Boat Cruise was located in the man-made pond in between It’s A Small World and the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction. Wait, are you confused? Maybe you have never heard of or seen this spot. We don’t blame you. Disney does a pretty good job of keeping this area a little hidden. If you aren’t looking for it, you will probably miss it. But it wasn’t always that way. This body of water once housed a fun boat ride for all ages. The best way to find the abandoned area is to head over to Edelweiss Snacks in Fantasyland. Walk behind the tiny food stand where you’ll find a seating area. This was once the loading dock for the former attraction.

Once upon a time, there were three different Autopia attractions in the park: Fantasyland Autopia, Tomorrowland Autopia, and the (now problematic, we know) “Midget” Autopia. That last one was for children only, no adults were allowed. Even though there were three official Autopia attractions, there was an unofficial fourth version. This version did not allow guests to drive cars around though. Instead, they got to drive motorboats around the small waterway. It was called the Motor Boat Cruise.

Once on board your own small boat, you could push the pedals at your feet, place your hands on the wheel and drive all around. You could venture through secret canals and enjoy the view of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland around you–and Disneyland ducks. Parents need not worry about their kids behind the wheel though, it didn’t actually work. The boats were guided by a metal track. Each boat could fit about 2-3 people. The boats were all different colours, just like the Autopia cars.

Gummi Bears Re-Theme

As part of the Disney Afternoon Avenue event in 1991, the Motor Boat Cruise received an interesting overlay. One of the popular shows on Disney Afternoon was Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears. So 2D plywood set pieces of the Gummi Bear characters were added around the land of the attraction. The attraction became The Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen.

Needless to say, this was not a popular decision. It felt cheap and rushed. Not to mention the fact that the idea of it was just kind of odd.

Closure

The Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen only lasted about two years. In 1993, the whole attraction was shut down permanently. This decision was made in part because of the negative reactions to the Gummi Bear overlay. However, the main reason for its final closure was that Disney needed more room in the budget to create Mickey’s Toontown.

The boats and plywood characters were removed. However, the former loading dock is still there. For several years following the closure, it was a guest smoking area. When Disney banned all smoking in their theme parks, the area became a quiet, little-known seating area. Occasionally, you can find Alice and the Mad Hatter meeting and greeting guests in this area as well.