LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Walt Disney World shared new details Friday about its upcoming new family attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT.
The new attraction invites guests into the larger-than-life world of “Ratatouille.” When guests step inside they will feel as if they shrink to the size of a rat and race through Gusteau’s restaurant, joining the “Little Chef” in creating a culinary masterpiece.
The attraction’s entrance, located at the end of the France pavilion’s new plaza, looks like a Parisian theater and features a classic marquee with hand-laid gold leaf and nearly 200 lights.
Guests will board colorful rat-shaped vehicles and wear 3D glasses to begin their adventure, seeing everything from a “rat’s-eye view.”
Take a look at some ride footage below.
Disney said Imagineers worked with Pixar artists to create animated 3D scenes that feel as if the film has come to life right before guests’ eyes, blending with oversized sets to provide an immersive environment full of sights, sounds, smells and other effects celebrating “Ratatouille.
Joining the attraction is La Crêperie de Paris, a new restaurant offering authentic French cuisine and style in both table and quick-service options and a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
The restaurant was inspired by the Brittany region of France.
“As is tradition in Brittany, La Crêperie de Paris offers thin galettes cooked at a high temperature to allow the outside to crisp while warming the various fillings,” Disney described in a press release. “The gluten-friendly galettes are made with buckwheat imported from France and feature classic fillings with special twists. Perhaps the best-known combination is the Classique, which includes ham, eggs and Swiss cheese. The Ratatouille, inspired by the “Little Chef” down the street, features tomato, zucchini and eggplant.”
Disney said that the new additions double the size of the existing France pavilion, with a seamless transition between the original and new sections.
In a scene reminiscent of the Seine River of Paris, Disney said guests will begin their journey to this new area of the park with a stroll down a waterside pathway near the EPCOT International Gateway, with Disney Skyliner gondolas gliding majestically nearby.
They’ll walk under an art nouveau-style archway evoking a Paris Metro station before rounding a corner and entering a French market street called Alleé des Marchands (“Alley of the Merchants”).
“As you take a stroll along this path, made to look like the decomposed granite often found in parks and gardens throughout Paris, be on the lookout for rat motifs in the railing and cast-iron benches that begin to hint at the world of Chef Remy awaiting you around the corner,” said Joe Vitale, Senior Production Designer with Walt Disney Imagineering.
Imagineers worked with Pixar to design buildings in the pavilion that evoke the whimsical, handmade architectural style seen in “Ratatouille,” where lines become a bit less straight, colors are bolder, and other exaggerated details create the feel of an animated film.
The area also has small hidden Easter eggs to the film including Anton Ego wine bottles and Chef Skinner’s scooter and Chef Colette’s motorbike.
The focal point of the new expansion is a “Ratatouille” inspired fountain as features rats holding bottles and flutes of champagne. Remy nears the top of the fountain wearing his classic French toque hat and cooking spoon.
“Over the last few years, we had the pleasure of watching this attraction literally rise out of the ground, and it’s always an unforgettable experience for us as Imagineers to be this close to opening a project and seeing the excited reactions of cast members and guests as they experience it for the first time,” Vitale concluded on Disney’s blog.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure inspires a new line of merchandise available at the newsstand in the new France pavilion expansion and other select retail locations at EPCOT. From apparel to accessories, guests can purchase fashionable finds perfect for Remy-inspired looks and the “Little Chef” in everyone.
The new attraction opens on Oct. 1 just in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration.
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