This was the first Saturday morning network cartoon series produced by Walt Disney Productions. To finance this series, Disney Television Animation was able to draw upon financial resources supplied by the corporation in anticipation of profiting when the series entered syndication in 1990 during its last season, as opposed to established TV animation competitors, like Hanna-Barbera, who had to depend primarily on network TV license fees to finance their content. This allowed the series to be produced on a comparatively lavish budget for higher quality writing and animation for television. With this series becoming a major success because of these production values, it made Disney Television Animation immediately a major force in the medium.
One of two series in the Disney Afternoon line-up not based on existing Disney properties. The other was Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles (1994).
Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner was a co-creator of this show. He is said to have come up with the idea when his son asked him for the gummy bear candies.
In 1991, a small part of Disneyland in California was temporarily outfitted as Disney Afternoon Avenue, featuring characters from The Disney Afternoon series of shows, including "Gummi Bears", which led to temporarily re-themeing the Disneyland attraction the Motor Boat Cruise as the Motor Boat Cruise To Gummi Glen. Plywood characters from the show were displayed during the ride.