Discover Remy’s World: 12 fun details in EPCOT’s France Pavilion
The France expansion in EPCOT, containing Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, more than doubles the size of the existing pavilion and has many fun details.
In addition there is also a new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, offering authentic French cuisine in both table- and quick-service options and a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
The expansion begins in a scene reminiscent of the Seine River of Paris. You start your journey with a stroll down a waterside pathway near the EPCOT International Gateway. You walk under an art nouveau-style archway evoking a Paris Metro station before rounding a corner and entering a French market street called Alleé des Marchands (“Alley of the Merchants”)
Disney Imagineers made sure to keep us all on our toes, And with the expansion is a veritable feast of “Ratatouille”-related details for fans of the film.
After passing La Crêperie de Paris, guests walk under an ornate, cast-iron arcade that serves as the transition from real-world France to the fantastical vision of Paris from “Ratatouille.”
Pixar artists coined the term “crookedology” to describe the fanciful interpretation of the “City of Light” in their film, and Disney Imagineers applied this aesthetic to Remy’s Paris at EPCOT.
According to Disney, Imagineers worked with Pixar to design buildings in the pavilion that evoke the whimsical, handmade architectural style seen in “Ratatouille,” where lines become a bit less straight, colors are bolder, and other exaggerated details create the feel of an animated film.
The Imagineers also made sure there was a veritable feast of “Ratatouille”-related details fans of the film would find. Here are a dozen to look for on your visit:
1. The Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure marquee is 10 feet tall and more than 14 feet wide, featuring nearly 200 lights, hand-applied gold leaf and a sculpture of Chef Remy.
2. The iconic Gusteau’s restaurant sign hangs in the distance past the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure theater, hinting at the fun awaiting within the attraction. When guests enter the queue, they see the sign up close and receive a special magical message from Gusteau reminding them “anyone can cook.”
3. Also in the queue, guests enter a French artist’s loft created especially for the EPCOT attraction, modeled after the art studio seen briefly in the film. As you pass through the room, guests see French-inspired paintings, cupboards filled with art supplies and two magical canvases that come to life.
4. The attraction finds inspiration in several scenes from the film, including Remy’s first view of Paris, his fall through a skylight into Gusteau’s kitchen, the pantry where he hides from Chef Skinner, and the leafy restaurant Remy creates for himself and his family and friends.
5. A number of the oversized products seen throughout the attraction call back to the film, including olive oil named for Linguini and sparkling wine named for Gusteau.
6. The massive ham hanging from the ceiling in the pantry weighs 2.7 tons. The fish in the same scene is 26 feet long.
7. Inside the attraction entrance, large posters depict Remy, Linguini and Chef Skinner.
8. Outside the theater are Chef Skinner’s scooter and Chef Colette’s motorbike. This is a perfect photo op.
9. Guests can peer into La Cave D’Ego, a wine shop owned by famed food critic Anton Ego. The vintages of wine bottles on display hold special significance to the “Ratatouille” story in both the film and Disney parks.
10. The health inspector who plays an important role in the film has an office located along the Alleé des Marchands.
11. A Remy motif runs throughout the pavilion expansion, with his image incorporated into a manhole cover, park benches, iron railings, a newsstand and a fountain.
12. The waterside pathway leading to the France pavilion expansion is called Rue Auguste Gusteau, an homage to the famous chef.
