Walt Disney World Imagineers have been hard at work in EPCOT’s France Pavilion preparing for the grand opening of the highly anticipated Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction. While the attraction is not yet open, the France Pavilion expansion has officially opened for guests to explore! Disney Imagineer and WDW Site Portfolio Executive, Zach Riddley, took to Instagram to share some insight and photos about the new expansion.
As shared via Zach Riddley’s Instagram: I’ve loved seeing your reactions and fan photos from our recently opened portion of the France pavilion expansion at EPCOT! There’s still more to come when Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens this year, but I wanted to share some of the fun design details our Imagineering team has created to bring this little piece of Paris directly to EPCOT.
The first thing you’ll notice as you approach this new area is the ornate, Art Nouveau-style archway which is reminiscent of the iconic entrances to some of Paris’ Metro stations. Made of cast-iron and displaying a “Ratatouille” sign inspired by font used throughout the Paris Metro, the entrance to our new neighborhood instantly establishes both our setting and the exciting attraction that will await Guests around the corner. Just beyond the marquee, Imagineers designed a beautiful allée along the waterway. For those of you that have visited the city of Paris, this extension will take you right back to those wonderful strolls along the river Seine.
Textures and materials play an important role here in creating a sense of place that feels authentically Parisian with its own stories to tell. Historically accurate lampposts line a hardscape designed to look like decomposed granite, with cast-iron benches sitting adjacent to ornate wrought iron railings- each revealing subtle hints of Chef Remy in their design. We have paid attention to all the details – down to the exact species of trees, the materials, colors and signage. This is a small section in the grand design of EPCOT and even the forthcoming France pavilion expansion, but the details we are revealing are important when building upon stories of the real world and those inspired by it! C’est magnifique!”
