I applaud keeping the French dialogue… feels more authentic to the France pavilion
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News Remy's Ratatouille Adventure coming to Epcot
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
I applaud keeping the French dialogue… feels more authentic to the France pavilion
Doesn’t happen in any other Epcot attraction and you know the only reason they did it was budgetary.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
What they really should have kept is the French name! What’s a ratatouille adventure? Ratatouille: Remy’s Totally Zany Adventure is a much, much better name.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
Because the Paris iteration doesn't work in the story of Epcot as is. The attraction was originally designed to be part of Toon Studios. Meaning it was meant to showcase the fantasy version of Paris created for the cartoon film Ratatouille. And the story, architecture, etc. reflect that. And today, it is a main part of the Worlds of Pixar - meaning a land that recreates the fantasy locations created in beloved Pixar films to celebrate those Pixar films.
World Showcase is (or was) about showcasing the culture of countries around the world in, admittedly, a romanticized way.
That means it's not a huge leap - but the stories don't line up directly. For example, the cartoonish facades, Gusteau's being with a cartoon person vs. real person, the story being about Remy and his creation vs. him teaching about French culinary techniques. These are the missteps. It's not that the attraction couldn't have been 90% cloned. It's that it needed tweaks to work in its new location.
Perfect examples of this are things like MK's Pirates of the Caribbean and many of DLP's versions of attractions. If they had plopped the DL version into MK's Adventureland as is, it wouldn't work with the story of Adventureland. Similarly, if DLP's Space Mountain had been a gleaming white mountain with a modern launch cannon, it wouldn't work in the Verne-esque Discoveryland setting.
Here, because it takes place in Paris, it works as is - that's the mindset, I fear. (And, the execs have notably wanted to get away from the "barriers" they see to the lands being locked in story-wise. It was a main beef with Rhode, as I understand it.) The point RAT (and even FEA) makes is that the adjustments aren't tough. And, while some just let it slide, there is a significant amount of the fan base that sees this and is really, really put off by the constant destruction of what set Disney parks apart for so long.
I appreciate that you see the fit and may not see what I've raised as a big deal. But, there is no denying that Disney used to care about things like this far more than they do today. And, for many, that was the "Disney Difference".
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
Or - have adjusted the story so Remy was going to teach you how to make Ratatouille. (and, to drive merch, have you enter through the artist's loft where they are animating Remy's upcoming "How to Make Ratatouille and other French Classics" cookbook - when you get (figuratively) pulled into the animation. And, then sell said cookbook in the shop.)
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I get that. Over the years though, from my perception at least, I have seen this forum transition from majority "purists" to a much bigger mixed bag.
This.
Because there is no point to having four theme parks with four different "mission statements" only to plop attractions in all of them interchangeably without making them fit. This was snowballing since the 00's (technically since Splash in '92 but that was an outlier for a while) but now it seems they no longer care at all as long as they can point to something in the film that technically makes it fit. Though, sometimes they don't even do that (Monsters, Inc. in Tomorrowland for example). Ratatouille takes place in Paris so it "fits", even though the ride content itself has nothing to do with the purpose of World Showcase. Frozen "fits" because the film's setting is vaguely Nordic. Nemo "fits" with The Seas pavilion because fish.
Copying and pasting an existing attraction as-is is the cheapest and easiest way to add new attractions to a theme park. We know why they do it, but they are supposed to be better than this and make additions that fit.
Purduevian
Well-Known Member
Of the 3 world show case rides. 1 is bilingual, 1 has a small amount of Spanish mixed in, and 1 takes place in a made up country that speaks English.
If we include all of EPCOT, i think there is a little Whalish in Nemo.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
Not everything in World Showcase needs to be culturally enlightening/educational in order to be thematically fitting. Weren't they going to build a Mount Fuji rollercoaster at one point back in the day? That would have brought absolutely nothing of educational value, though it would have been great fun to ride.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
The purists don't speak for everyone. I for one am glad that multiple perspectives are represented in these forums.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
To me at least, a ride based around making ratatouille doesn't sound all that fun. One thing that strikes me about the original Mexico and Norway rides as well as the planned Germany ride is that they kind of fell into the same trap as the original Future World in all being more or less the same type of ride. In Future World, they were mostly slow-moving rides showing the past and potential future of their topic, whereas in World Showcase they were all boat rides through the past and present of the country. I think there is a place for something that is not so didactic but which celebrates an aspect of the culture of the country, such as this cartoony journey through French kitchens. FEA is a different case in that, whatever you think about the ride itself, it is fairly clearly focussed on celebrating Frozen rather than anything to do with Norway.
Not to mention the Greek, Latin, Arabic, Hieroglyphics, and Cro-Magnon!
And whatever trash language being spoken in the Canada pavilion.
Centauri Space Station
Well-Known Member
French?
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
You are honestly telling me that if the story was changed from - you going into a generic French building, along the rooftops so Remy can make you dinner as his special guest and he then laments what dish to make (and then all heck breaks loose as he tries to make that dinner) - to - you entering into an artist's loft where they are illustrating Remy's cookbook and then you walk around the rooftops where you learn Remy is going to teach you how to make Rattatouille (and then all heck breaks lose as he tries to collect all the ingredients and pull his lesson together) - you would find it fundamentally different.
I certainly can't speak to you personally - but I know most people who enjoy the characters don't even know the story. They just want to see the characters. (Much like most people think FEA is a retelling of the film like most FL rides - when it's actually not by its story.) I'm also not saying the above attraction would be great for those of us who loved Epcot's earlier mission. But, it would at least be focused on something French/French culture vs. solely focused on a Disney character who just so happens to be French (looking at you BatB sing along).
And, as I have said before, I actually would get behind this if they full transformed the story of World Showcase to be countries around the world that inspired some of our favorite Disney characters - with each country having a character anchor. While I don't personally love that, it would at least be one consistent story for the land. The mishmash I hate most and feels the most "un-Disney" parks-wise.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I actually agree with this. The edutainment approach had limits that weren't necessary. My point is rather that the attractions should focus on the country and its real world culture - with characters (if used or needed) being ambassadors/hosts/participants for that. Instead, the characters are the focus - which is why these rides are being cloned or have been cloned from fantasy-related areas in other parks across the world.
Maybe Guardians can help paint a clearer picture. The edutainment rumor we hear about Guardians where it is maybe tied to an outer space World Showcase pavilion would be a huge problem, because it's fantasy - even then being used to try and do some tiny bit of edutainment. On the other hand, if the first pre-show was effectively Stan Lee telling you about how he uses real world settings and science as inspiration create Marvel Characters and their stories ("Take for example, World Showcase here in Epcot - I could take the idea of an alien race wanting to showcase their culture and take us on an adventure to the beginning of the planet" - and you then enter that comic.) It's small - but it ties the pavilion to the real world, real world creativity and real things.
In short, Epcot should remain focused on the real world. It doesn't have to be educational - but at least inspiring (which I think is true for many Disney attractions, Epcot or otherwise). And, the characters should be inserted into the real world (even into a romanticized version of it). What we're seeing instead is Epcot turning into some weird blend of fantasy and reality so we can add attractions that exist solely as vehicles for characters, sacrificing a cohesive overall theme for each land/Neighborhood - let along the park itself. That's the issue IMHO.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I guess I just don't see how the proposed storyline would necessarily be better. The current ride makes sense in terms of a rat being chased through a kitchen. I'm not sure how the stakes could be equalled or improved if the storyline was Remy having trouble making ratatouille in his kitchen or even how it would particularly fit better into WS.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I don't know that it helps that much. But, it's at least some attempt at making it fit in Epcot and the World Showcase story. And it would throw a tiny bone for those who care about such things not to the detriment of those who enjoy it. For me, the story was stupid in Paris and felt like a silly short (as are many newer attractions) - so the story didn't add much to this ride and really reduces re-ride. You can see everything you need to in a couple of laps. I'm not saying my change would modify that really in any way, but the story of the ride isn't some great accomplishment of storytelling. So, to further sacrifice the story of the land for that is very disappointing.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I don’t view the attraction as a vehicle for characters. In Paris, I experienced it with a friend who’d never seen the film; she loved it. It’s a fun, zippy ride through a Parisian kitchen from the perspective of a rodent. What’s not to enjoy?
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I thought the idea was that the restaurant they've newly opened there is supposedly the one in the ride? So after the ride you can eat there if you wish. I'm not sure the percentage of people riding who micro analyse every part of the story to such a degree is going to be that high or how the story of him trying to make a meal would improve it. That's not a criticism of the alternate suggested story-line which I believe would work equally well, I just don't see it adding more to the overall experience. An interesting concept and discussion though.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Repetition is a problem with pretty much any theme. How many attractions are a variation of “And then something goes horribly wrong”? Why not stay more rooted in the actual cultures? Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, even with Remy being a cook, is still largely justified by its setting.
That sounds incredibly contrived. It’s not just that you become a rat but now you become an animated rat in a cookbook that has come to life. That’s a lot of setup that has to be conveyed and the whole entering the cookbook doesn’t really have any payoff for why that has to happen. Just jumping to a cooking demonstration would be simpler but not much more than lip service to an idea. The main portion would still be the chaotic running around.