Gulliver’s Rub-A-Dub

Opened: 1972

Closed: 1981

Location: The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera Land (today known as Planet Snoopy), approximately where the restrooms now are

Manufacturer: Arrow Development

Model: Rub-a-Dub

Vehicles: Circular boats

Description: Gulliver’s Rub-a-Dub was a slow-moving water ride past different props. After it was refurbished in 1978, riders would pass miniature scenes from Hanna-Barbera cartoons. It was named after The Adventures of Gulliver show.

History: Gulliver’s Rub-a-Dub opened with Kings Island in 1972. Riders would slowly drift past props like a large castle, a lighthouse, and an oversized clock (relocated from Cincinnati’s Coney Island). The circular boats had faux sails during the attraction’s first year, but those were not returned to the boats 1973 onward.

The attraction underwent a large refurbishment in 1978, adding miniature scenes from Hanna-Barbera cartoons like Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones.

The attraction was removed after the 1981 season and was replaced with the Hanna-Barbera Amphitheater in 1982. Decades later, a few of the miniature props from the ride would appear for sale on eBay.

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