Shrinking Down with Remy at Epcot’s France Pavilion
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure recently opened at Epcot as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Located within the newly expanded France Pavilion in World Showcase, the ride is a whimsical addition that immerses guests in the culinary world of Disney and Pixar’sRatatouille.
The attraction allows guests to shrink to the size of Chef Remy and scurry through Gusteau’s kitchen, dining room, and pantry in a trackless dark ride that blends practical sets and digital animation. The expansion brings the real and the animated together, transforming Paris into something delightful.
A Pixar Presence in the Parks
What does it take to bring a Pixar story to a Disney park? I had the opportunity to speak with members of Pixar’s Theme Parks team to find out.
Yes, you read that right—Pixar has an entire department dedicated to the parks. Pixar in the Parks is a creative group that collaborates closely with Walt Disney Imagineering to ensure that the heart and authenticity of each Pixar story translate to physical environments.
Krista Sheffler and Jerome Ranft, two key castmembers members, shared some insights into how Remy’s world came to life.
A Passion for Storytelling, Shared Across Teams
According to Krista Sheffler, storytelling was the top priority from day one. The ride needed to reflect the magic of Ratatouille while allowing guests to play an active role in the adventure. Jerome Ranft, who sculpted many of the original Ratatouille maquettes, noted how rewarding it was to see his character designs move from the screen to the real world.
The collaboration between Pixar and Imagineering was seamless. “We’re all storytellers at heart,” Sheffler explained, “so working together came naturally. The ride is a love letter to fans of the film.”
Pixar’s Growing Impact on Disney Parks
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is just one of many Pixar-inspired attractions in Disney Parks. From Toy Story Land to Cars Land and now the Worlds of Pixar at Disneyland Paris, Pixar stories are everywhere—and they’re more immersive than ever.
Sheffler and Ranft hinted that more collaborations are always underway. “When we see guests react emotionally to these experiences, it reminds us why we do what we do,” said Ranft.
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary | Pixar in the Parks | Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure | Epcot | France | World Showcase Pixar’s Krista Sheffler and Jerome Ranft
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a family-friendly attraction where guests feel as if they shrink to the size of a rat and race through Gusteau’s restaurant in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
A “Ratatouille”-inspired fountain features rats holding bottles and flutes of champagne as water shoots out of the bottles toward the top basin in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Chef Remy stands atop the fountain wearing his classic French toque (hat) and holding a cooking spoon. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
Guests can peer into La Cave D’Ego, a wine shop owned by famed food critic Anton Ego, in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The vintages of wine bottles on display hold special significance to the “Ratatouille” story in both the film and Disney parks. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
In a scene reminiscent of the Seine River of Paris, guests stroll down a waterside pathway and walk under an art nouveau-style archway evoking a Paris Metro station before rounding a corner to the expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
The grand opening for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is set for Oct. 1, 2021, at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The family-friendly attraction makes guests feel as if they shrink to the size of Chef Remy as they scurry through Gusteau’s restaurant. It will open in an expanded section of the park’s France pavilion and will open as part of the 50th anniversary celebration for Walt Disney World. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Guests enter a French artist’s loft featuring French-inspired paintings, cupboards filled with art supplies and two magical canvases that come to life in the queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Gusteau magically invites guests to join Chef Remy for a special meal in the attraction queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
The real is made fantastic in a reimagining of Paris in a new section of the France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., featuring the new family-friendly attraction Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and new restaurant La Crêperie de Paris. The grand opening for the pavilion’s new section is set for Oct. 1, 2021, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
The newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., features a cast-iron arcade that serves as a transition from real-world France to the fantastical vision of Paris from “Ratatouille.” (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
A Remy motif runs like the detail found on this bench runs throughout the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
The iconic Gusteau’s restaurant sign hangs in the distance past the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
A “Ratatouille”-inspired fountain features rats holding bottles and flutes of champagne as water shoots out of the bottles toward the top basin in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Chef Remy stands atop the fountain wearing his classic French toque (hat) and holding a cooking spoon. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
Posters depicting Remy, Linguini and Chef Skinner from “Ratatouille” hang in the queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the new attraction inside the expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
Chef Skinner’s scooter and Chef Colette’s motorbike are some of the “Ratatouille” details found within the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
This themed manhole cover is just one of many Remy-themed details throughout the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a family-friendly attraction where guests feel as if they shrink to the size of a rat and race through Gusteau’s restaurant in the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Harrison Cooney, photographer)
