While Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida was generating buzz last week over its preview of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, Disneyland Paris was holding its own with a first look at its (breathtaking) new Ratatouille mini-land, attraction, and restaurant. A fitting home for the film’s Paris setting, the huge new addition to the European Disney Park has been in development for approximately six years, and it looks like it has been worth the wait. After the break, get your closest look yet at the fantastic detail in the land and restaurant’s design, and get a glimpse at first footage from the headlining attraction!
via DLP Welcome
Adding to Cars Land in Disney California Adventure and to Toy Story Playland in Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, the addition of the Ratatouille plaza shines a light on the expanding importance of Pixar to Disney Parks. In just under 20 years, the animation studio has released a wealth of instant classics that audiences around the world have connected with. Actually, Pixar films are the first properties within Disney Parks to get entire lands themed around them, allowing visitors to be transported to massive environments that look like they were ripped right out of the film. Previously, it was mostly the interior of the attractions and the exterior of the buildings that housed them that were themed to a film – think Pirates of the Caribbean. There has been a transition in recent years, though, such as with Cars Land, where a large area, which also includes shops and restaurants, completely envelops guests into the film’s story.
Disneyland Paris invited European press to its Walt Disney Studios Park to partake in the official dedication of the attraction. In attendance were Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Joining them on stage, and giving us a preview of some of the characters we may see roaming around the area for guests to interact with was Linguini. The park released a video providing an overview of the ceremony and much of what visitors will see when it all opens officially next month. Although the brief interviews seen in the video are in French, there’s no translation needed for their excitement (just watch, you’ll want to visit before the end of the video, too). Watch it below:
via Designing Disney
The attraction, officially called Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy or simply Ratatouille: The Adventure, “shrinks” guests to the size of a rat before taking them on a ride through of areas such as a kitchen. Of course, from the perspective of a small rodent, everything appears to be huge. A key feature of the attraction is that it is trackless, meaning there is much more flexibility for the vehicles to move as there is no “track” guiding all vehicles in a single line, allowing for more unique experiences than traditional dark rides.
via Designing Disney
Similarly, the restaurant, Bistrot Chez Remy, is decorated so that it looks like you are dining as a rat – the size of the wine bottles, the design of the tables and chairs, all extend the theme so that when characters such as Emile come out to greet you, it makes sense as to why you are of a similar size to them. Given the nature of the restaurant and the title of the film, a dish of Ratatouille is one of the main courses.
A few of our European friends, including DLP Today was covering the event. Take a look at some of the images they shared on Twitter below. From the wine bottles integrated into the fountain in the square and the design of the manhole covers, to the restaurant’s decor, it is clear that Imagineers put in a great amount of work to capture the world of Ratatouille:
It's so hot in Marne-la-Vallée today! Time for a close-up look at the new fountain #Ratatouille pic.twitter.com/An8MoXyF3y
— DLP Today (@DLPToday) June 21, 2014
Detail, detail, detail… #Ratatouille pic.twitter.com/gqpnkf8C4C
— DLP Today (@DLPToday) June 21, 2014
For the manhole covers, Rémy defiantly rides his cookbook through the sewers. Brilliant detail. #Ratatouille pic.twitter.com/jwac5DsMgp
— DLP Today (@DLPToday) June 21, 2014
The terrace area has two giant wine bottles, dated 2007 and 2014 – get it? #Ratatouille #BistrotChezRemy pic.twitter.com/v1BOqGUASh
— DLP Today (@DLPToday) June 22, 2014
The bar #BistrotChezRemy #Ratatouille pic.twitter.com/7r5pqpTFFS
— DLP Today (@DLPToday) June 22, 2014
Discovering Disney also posted a series of articles covering the design and development process of the land. Head over to their site for a closer look!
A themed souvenir shop for the area, called Chez Marianne Souvenirs de Paris, is set to open soon after the land’s grand opening.
The Ratatouille-themed land is set to open in Disneyland Paris on July 10th!
