Dark Rides
parkworld-online.com
restaurant, where you see the continuation of the leaves and the lights from the ride’s finale. The complete experience lasts around five minutes. Bistrot Chez Rémy, the restaurant, is heavily themed.
Gusteau’s restaurant sign is visible in this rooftop view from the pre-show
Behind the scenes
Officially opened on 10 July after more than six years in development, Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy is the 60th attraction at Disneyland Paris. The multi-million euro dark ride is sited just beyond Walt Disney Studios’ Toy Story Playland in a new themed area called La Place de Rémy, where it is complemented by the table- service restaurant Bistrot Chez Rémy and, opening in the autumn, Chez Marianne –Souvenirs of Paris. Like the Ratatouille ride itself, the 370-cover restaurant offers a rat’s eye view of the world with its oversized tables, chairs and fun themed elements. A three- course meal will set you back €39.99 ($53.69). See the menu at
bit.ly/1px4Np5 The Paris of Ratatouille draws inspiration from several well-known neighbourhoods in the French capital. The fountain in La Place de Rémy at Walt Disney Studios Park was modelled on that in Place des Vosges, with finishing touches by designer Harley Jessup, who worked on the Ratatouille film, including gourmet rats holding up bottles of flowing champagne. Look too for little touches like the chefs’ hats adorning the handrails in the square. The colours of the building façades are purposefully more intense than real-life Paris, in keeping with the animated movie. The ride’s 36 six-seater ride vehicles were built in the United States, but otherwise the attraction was fabricated entirely in Europe, with Walt Disney Imagineering working alongside up to 40 other departments and a trusted team of vendors including UK Loco, P&P Projects, TAA Industries and many more.
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It’s a fantastic looking area with giant plates, ramekin tables, champagne cork chairs and so forth. We had over 2,000 leaves hand turned for this attraction! The restaurant is already doing really well, from lunch through to dinner, and we have extended the park hours from 1900 to 2100 in line with the opening of Ratatouille. It was always intended to be table service restaurant, never a fast food outlet, and obviously because of the French theme you have to go for high end gastronomy.
I am proud of the fact that 90% of this attraction was built in Europe, with only the ride vehicles developed in the States. I work for a European theme park and build practically everything in Europe; it’s a fact. We do go out and bid in the US, absolutely we do, but on this job that's just how it worked out. You have to use the best experience of everybody, and I think the creative side of the industry is very strong now in Europe.
Extra portions? This is the only existing Ratatouille attraction in the world, but I definitely think it’s exportable to other parks. Some people may disagree, because they want to keep it unique to Paris, but I personally do not think its appeal is about it being a French product; it’s about it being a great Disney product. The ride system is the same as that on Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. The two attractions were built around the same time, only ours is more advanced because of the number or ride paths and the fact the vehicles also tilt and turn. It’s important to be as open to new ideas as possible and the starting point for our technology actually came from automated warehousing systems.
Obviously we require a certain throughout from the attraction for our visitors, which the ride system helps us achieve, but the different pathways are also important to the show. Rats do not run in a straight line, they interweave with one another, so the movements go hand in hand with that. We can do quite a lot of things with the ride vehicles and the choice of so many different routes
Exit through the restaurant: Bistro Chez Rémy is heavily themed
through the attraction makes it a more interesting show, one that people will want to return to again and again. It’s a bit like riding a rollercoaster, where you get a completely different experience in the front seat to the back, only here we have 72 options. I’ve heard comments from guests like, “Yesterday I went on this vehicle and it was completely differently and didn’t come out first like last time.” They love it!
disneylandparis.com
Björn Heerwagen was in conversation with Owen Ralph following his presentation to the TEA’s (Themed Entertainment Association) SATE Academy Day at Disneyland Paris in June. For details of future SATE Academy Days in Europe and the Middle East see
teaconnect.org/tea-blog
The full size of the show building is evident in this aerial view
AUGUST 2014
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