News Remy's Ratatouille Adventure coming to Epcot

kap91

Well-Known Member
There has been discussion here as to how Rat can be improved. The question I have (not having ridden it) is whether there are truly simple tweaks to make it better? I would assume (ha!) that TWDC would be aware that something could be better and that a simple modification would be easy - especially in a new build.

So if it would be easy to do better, then why not? I don't believe that Disney is lazy, for the most part.
Finding a way to projection map onto the floor would be the biggest change I'd vote for.
 

rreading

Well-Known Member
Finding a way to projection map onto the floor would be the biggest change I'd vote for.

Would it need to be a projection map - since I assume that would be blocked by the cars and project on the riders. What about simply theming the floor, if that is what is needed?

edit: I suppose since they may take different paths, then it would be difficult to theme entirely, but what about the edges of the screens?
 

kap91

Well-Known Member
Would it need to be a projection map - since I assume that would be blocked by the cars and project on the riders. What about simply theming the floor, if that is what is needed?

edit: I suppose since they may take different paths, then it would be difficult to theme entirely, but what about the edges of the screens?
Painting the floor would help but since you see the floor in the animated segments ideally you'd want the floor you're on to move with it. Projection mapping could easily project around the cars.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Painting the floor would help but since you see the floor in the animated segments ideally you'd want the floor you're on to move with it. Projection mapping could easily project around the cars.
Projection mapping isn’t really what it would be as it is a flat surface that would function similar to a screen. The far bigger issue would be working in the new projector spaces and associated rooms to get that throw onto the floor without projecting onto the ride vehicle.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Seeing the gondola no more detracts from the immersion than seeing the monorail does. At least in principle. In practise, the monorail is a much better incorporated element, is part of EPCOT itself rather than a transport to it. The monorail furthers the story of FW and helps aesthetically to create the concentric rings design of FW. The gondola feels a bit like seeing the parking lot tram. Which still isn't a sin. Neither needs to be hidden from within the park. Plus the bigger sin is still EPCOT having a back entrance at WS.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Ratatouille is literally “around back.” It is spatially disconnected from the rest of the Pavilion.
I might actually prefer Ratland to be spatially disconnected from the rest of the pavilion. The France area and Rat area are distinct universes, with different settings, theme and atmosphere.

Star Trek and Star Wars nominally take place in the same space - spaceships hurling through space. Yet they completely crash, as do WS France and Ratland.

WS France takes place in an idealised, sentimentalised representation of France. Not a time or specific place. *Rat takes place in a cartoon environment also set in France. To add it to WS France is as fitting as Belle suddenly being revealed to be Anton Ego's girlfriend.

* Edit: Although recently the decision was made to set WS in 'now', i.e. real time, real world. Followed later by the rather incompatible decision to set WS into 'fantasy', i.e. not real world, nor hence here and now.
 
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britain

Well-Known Member
WS France takes place in an idealised, sentimentalised representation of France. Not a time or specific place. *Rat takes place in a cartoon environment also set in France.

Uh, I think you haven’t seen Ratatouille lately. Or at all.

The entire film is a love letter to France! I’ll grant that it’s Paris-centric. But saying that it’s set in a “cartoon” environment is mixing up its medium with its style. The medium is animation, yes, with some stylized exaggerations - but very minimal I’d say. To call something “cartoony” implies very wild exaggerations, like something from Phineas & Ferb.

In other words, the Rat ride fits WS better than the Perry interactive game.
 

GlacierGlacier

Well-Known Member
WS France takes place in an idealised, sentimentalised representation of France. Not a time or specific place. *Rat takes place in a cartoon environment also set in France. To add it to WS France is as fitting as Belle suddenly being revealed to be Anton Ego's girlfriend.
According to this article from 2007, the French were awfully fond of the film. Chefs praised the accuracy of not only the depiction of kitchen life, but the Parisian atmosphere and feeling.
 

HoldenC

Well-Known Member
Hopefully the ride opening has been pushed forward because people in charge are finally realizing Epcot desperately needs more than food and booze to keep the crowds flowing in AND interested in staying. The park was a ghost town both days we went this week, especially during EMH.
 

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
According to this article from 2007, the French were awfully fond of the film. Chefs praised the accuracy of not only the depiction of kitchen life, but the Parisian atmosphere and feeling.
Most certainly!

And Sleeping Beauty was a beautiful love letter to the ancient tale of Charles Perrault. And the Aristocats portray a lovely Paris. Yet it never, ever crossed the minds of the designers of WS to incorporate either. Because that would tell a completely different story than WS.

Cartoon IPs in WS are a very recent intrusion imposed from the top down by upper management. Not an organical growth or natural fit.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I might actually prefer Ratland to be spatially disconnected from the rest of the pavilion. The France area and Rat area are distinct universes, with different settings, theme and atmosphere.

Star Trek and Star Wars nominally take place in the same space - spaceships hurling through space. Yet they completely crash, as do WS France and Ratland.

WS France takes place in an idealised, sentimentalised representation of France. Not a time or specific place. *Rat takes place in a cartoon environment also set in France. To add it to WS France is as fitting as Belle suddenly being revealed to be Anton Ego's girlfriend.

* Edit: Although recently the decision was made to set WS in 'now', i.e. real time, real world. Followed later by the rather incompatible decision to set WS into 'fantasy', i.e. not real world, nor hence here and now.
I would say, if forced, the spaces should be distinct instead of disconnected. Turn a corner and find this alley that is cartoonishly askew or let that all occur beyond the portal of the attraction entrance. That’s a better spatial experience than, walk out the Pavilion, go around the corner, walk along the back of the building, turn the corner, walk between the back of that same building a small oddly detailed “Norman” building, walk through a marquee and then suddenly get to these buildings that are vertically askew but laid out on a rather formal plan. In the world of the movie the buildings are more whimsical and skewed but the plan of Paris becomes more of a grid? That doesn’t make sense.
 

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