Disneyland Paris 2014: 'Ratatouille' dark ride

[Joelio]

I do find myself agreeing with Sam, wth a budget of €150+m for Ratatouillie if its mostly screens i'll be very disappointed, especially for an attraction that's taken so long to see the light of day.

 

[Sam]

I do find myself agreeing with Sam, wth a budget of €150+m for Ratatouillie if its mostly screens i'll be very disappointed, especially for an attraction that's taken so long to see the light of day.

I really don't think it will be. We've never seen Disney go down the Transformers/Spiderman route, because I think the Imagineers probably feel exactly the same way as me. What I found most amazing when I watched the first Radiator Springs Racers POV was the almost entire absence of screens. Same with the Little Mermaid ride.

 

[Scott]

I know this pic is almost identical to the one in the first post, but as I never get to post GEEK pictures on the forum, here is an image from Wednesday, taken from Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop

 

[Sam]

New photos from Screamscape:

Given that they've started vertical construction before SW7, and the ride is opening a year later, it really shows the scale of this project!

 

[Alastair]

I agree that screens are good when used in moderation. Very limited moderation. Effects like making a portrait come to life, are great.

But I do not see the point, at all, of going through a dark ride and looking at screens. I have a television. I've been to the cinema.

We've seen incredible special effects in films for twenty years now. They're not special anymore, I can see them at home. When I go on a dark ride, I want to see amazing physical effects and awe-inspiring sets!

I thought Spiderman was OK, but very overrated. The ride car is amazing, but it basically transports you from television to television. Obviously it's better than that, with the 3D effects and the movement of the car, but you're basically watching television. In a really cool way, granted.

Compare that to Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. A truly astonishing ride, where you move in a similar ride car through beautifully decorated sets in real life, not on a screen. With falling pillars and rickety rope bridges that really exist, and interact with you in the physical world. Same with Tower of Terror, with uses video very minimally.

Spiderman is OK, but Indiana Jones and TOT are ten times better. One is an interesting diversion that lets you watch awe-inspiring action. The other two actually take you inside awe-inspiring action, as it happens all around you.

It terrifies me that screens are the future of dark rides, but it seems that's the way we're going because it's so much cheaper. It'll be the death of dark rides, as they merely become high-tech cinema.

In certain cases though you simply can't get around using screens - especially for IP based rides. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses them perfectly in conjunction with the movement and real props - I can't see how else they could have made you feel like you were flying with Harry without Daniel Radcliffe on a screen? It's the same for many other rides that rely on characters for their theme. They don't take away from the experience, especially if done properly.

 

[Ramius]

Why is this ride so expensive?

Many other parks would build 10 coasters with that amount of money.

 

[Ian]

Because Disney quite literally have money to burn

They do seem to like to spend a lot of money when they do their projects. Look at Expedition Everest. $100,000,000! It's madness! I'm sure they could have achieved the same results and spent less, but hey ho, if that's how Disney see money

 

[Sam]

From Disney and More:

"More interesting are the works on the awaited Ratatouille ride at the Walt Disney Studios. As you will see on the pictures below which, just like the one above, are courtesy of Max Fan aka DLRP Welcome the ride building structure (the black metallic structure in the background) as well as the one of the restaurant (on the top left, last picture below) are growing quite quickly. The pictures were shot from the Toy Story Playland parachute ride, and the already built building on the left was DLP costuming building."

"As you can see the Ratatouille area is a pretty large one and so looks the ride building. As i've said the ride opening is expected for 2014, probably April 2014 but so many things can happen during the construction and ride testing that i wouldn't bet right now on any "sure" opening date."

 

[Sam]

More and more from Disney and More.

 

[PG Ricey]

So, if this is opening 2014 with such a massive budget, what should we expect to see next year? At least something minor I expect? A new parade perhaps?

 

[Lordy]

I agree on the screens front.

I love Finding Nemo, but I was very disappointed with the Nemo dark ride at EPCOT, which was just screens everywhere. It is a very low key ride though, where as this (Rat) is massive.

The Seas with Nemo was clearly made on a budget.

 

[Sam]

Startling new construction photos from Disney and More:

 

[Natalie]

Probably a revamp of Disney Dreams as they already have seasonal varients just about ready I believe and the 20th Birthday runs well into next year too, plus they were starting to clad the back of Ratatouille the other week with concrete arches being lifted into place on the main facade. They were moving the prefabricated concrete pieces at some rate whilst me and Wilsy were there!

 

[Sammy]

Startling new construction photos from Disney and More:

So yeah, that appeared rather suddenly didn't it! Guess we don't need to worry about SW7 as much as we are doing! (Though this is Towers we're talking about, wet paint on opening day and what not)

But yeah, joking aside, I am literally soo sooo excited about this ride, it is going to bring another much needed boost/expansion to Disney Studio's. It's unbelievable to think how little the park had when it opened back in 2001, and even by 2014 it will only just be getting there with this ride!

However, as we know, dark rides are what Disney do best really, so this should be a really well finished product and I can't wait to get on it when it opens!

 

[GeorgeT]

So...what I am asking myself is if there is some kind of "competion" between Europa Park and Paris Disney both offering huge new darkrides in 2014. I`m talking about even more competion that there usually is between these two parks.

Maybe the opening of "Arthur-The ride" was delayed to open at the same time that disney will open "ratatouille"...to show that even darkride-wise Europa (aka mackrides) is now on the same outstanding level that Disney is famous for ?

Just a thought...

 

[AstroDan]

Arthur isn't going to be on the same level as Ratatouille. I'm sure it'll be OK though.

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[GeorgeT]

Arthur isn't going to be on the same level as Ratatouille. I'm sure it'll be OK though.

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This is interesting...cause is sounds as if you already KNOW how Artur will turn out. I think what you wrote is VERY realistic...but I was talking to "someone" a few days ago who knows the detailled plans of Artur-the ride...and he said those do looks as if it will be on a higher level than we`re used to get at Europa. And when I was able to experience Wodans queuline for the first time, I immediatly thought about how incredible Artur`s theming could get. Guess we have to wait and see...

 

[AstroDan]

Yes - Arthur will no doubt be very good but the physical ride at Disney should be better.

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[Tim]

As good as Arthur could and probably will be Ratatouille is likely to be on a whole new level. It's been in planning for a very long time and given that it is based on a film that is set in France I suspect Disney are hoping that it’ll become the studios signature ride.

I’m expecting very good things from Ratatouille but even if it isn’t all it looks set to be it is still a Disney dark ride. Arthur would have to be something really special even to be on par with Disney standards.

 

[AstroDan]

It's not even some kind of contest. Europa have been planning their ride for three years already - I think it's just coincidence that it's falling at the same time at DLP.

I hope Ratatouille has dark and slightly scary scenes.

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