Every Francophile foodie’s favorite Pixar film has finally come to life at EPCOT, and we have your Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World’s long-awaited Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the new trackless 4-D dark ride at EPCOT’s France Pavilion, officially opens to the public on October 1, 2021. But thanks to reservation-only previews for Annual Passholders, we got a sneak peek at the anticipated attraction in order to bring you this excerpt from the upcoming Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2022.
The new addition occupies its own cozy courtyard on the back side of the original France pavilion’s movie theater.
A crepe restaurant (which was not yet open) and souvenir stand round out the Parisian cul de sac.
Be sure to check out the champange-inspired fountain before getting in line, and look down at the manhole covers for another hidden Remy.
Remy’s queue snakes through corridors of rat-themed wallpaper before emerging onto a lovely nighttime rooftop, where Gusteau’s spirt greets guests.
Next, waiting riders pass through an artist’s loft, where a video “canvas” imparts safety information. Then, it’s time to pick up your 3-D glasses before stepping back onto the rooftops, where you’ve seemingly been shrunk to the size of a rat.
Now, it’s time to board your adorable 6-person rat-shaped ride vehicle and be whisked through Paris for a quick scurry through environments you’ll remember from the Ratatouille film.
The ride’s storyline is a condensed recapitulation of memorable moments from the movie. As one of Remy’s vermin pals, you follow the epicurean rodent with a dream as he escapes the sinister clutches of Chef Skinner, and then watch him assemble the perfect meal in his own pint-size restaurant.
Remy’s storytelling combines 3-D films shown on room-size screens with large, detailed, ride-through sets that include water and heat effects. Along with the ride and film, Remy’s building and show scenes feature more three-dimensional depth than we expected, adding to the illusion you’re in Paris.
If you’ve already experienced Rise of the Resistance, or even Universal Orlando’s decades-old Spider-Man ride, this clone of an attraction that originally debuted at Walt Disney Studios Paris in 2014 won’t appear particularly ground-breaking. It’s also surprising that the French-heavy dialogue wasn’t redubbed into English; just think of it as bilingual edutainment.
However, not unlike Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Remy’s is charming and accessible for the entire family, with enough detail to reward re-rides.
Unofficial Guide Score: 4 Stars
Vicariously experience EPCOT’s new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, including the queue and entire ride, with our POV video:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Touring Tips
Remy’s is the first all-new major attraction at EPCOT in more than a decade—and the first in World Showcase since 1988. It’s also family-friendly, with good theming and a lead character who’s as lovable as any disease vector could ever hope to be. In order to handle the demand, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open with Virtual Queue access only, similar to the system that Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios used until September 23. Guests with EPCOT park reservations can confirm their traveling party starting at 6 a.m. and request to join a boarding group at 7 a.m..
When Lightning Lane launches later in 2021, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be available via paid individual attraction access, but it will not be included in Genie+. The attraction was originally designed with a single rider queue, but that option will not be offered when the ride opens.
If and when a standby line becomes available for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, your best bet for riding without a long wait will be to arrive at EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance at least an hour before the park opens. (If you’re driving, the easiest approach is to park at one of the EPCOT resorts—the Swan and Dolphin allow it and are the closest; parking currently costs $27 a day.) That will give you a 10-minute head start on folks walking from the park’s front entrance.
As soon as the park opens, ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. If you have small children, head next to experience Frozen Ever After in Norway, a walk of about 0.5 mile either way around World Showcase. After experiencing Frozen Ever After, you will have completed two of the park’s four headliner rides, with Test Track and Soarin’ Around the World remaining.
The adorable rat-shaped ride vehicles in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure have lap bars, and they take you through some mild simulated movement, but there is no minimum height requirement. A couple of frenetic scenes, such as one in which Remy is chased with a cleaver, may frighten small children.
For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, or to plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids.
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