What is the common point between the Disney Dream ship and the upcoming WDS Ratatouille ride ?

You'll probably be surprised to learn that the brand new Disney Dream ship and the awaited Ratatouille area opening in 2014 at the WDS have something in common! And what is it, you ask? Well, both of them have (or will have) a "Ratatouille" restaurant! Actually, as the Disney Dream is already operating it's the first one to have a table service restaurant inspired by Pixar's animated movie, and the place is called "Remy".



Now, when the Ratatouille ride will open sometime in 2014 at the Walt Disney Studios park there will be also a "Ratatouille" restaurant. We don't know yet what will be its name but chances are that he will be called also "Remy". So, when i heard that the Disney Dream had also a restaurant inspired by Ratatouille i thought it might be interesting to have a look at how it looks, precisely. Not that the decor of the restaurant that will be build at the WDS will be necessarily the same, probably not, but sometime WDI Imagineers keep the concepts of some elements previously designed to used them on something similar. Again, chances are that the decor won't be the same - and the WDS restaurant will certainly be much bigger than the one on the Disney Dream - but i would not be surprised if we found at WDS Ratatouille restaurant some designs used for the one of the Disney Dream.

So, have a look at this video - filmed recently by the always excellent Jeff Lange - showing the Disney Dream's Remy restaurant as may be we have a look at the future WDS Ratatouille restaurant without knowing it!




Video: copyright Jeff Lange

Picture: copyright Disney

Disneyland Paris Update !

Here is a new Disneyland Paris update thanks to pictures shot recently by a good friend of mine and we begin by the fountains installation all around Sleeping Beauty castle for the awaited 20th anniversary Disney Dreams! fountain show. Little by little the fountains mechanism are being installed in the castle ditches and, as the show is supposed to have its premiere at the beginning of April or the very last days of March, rehearsals should begin anytime soon. Below, pictures of some of the already installed fountains.







The World of Disney store located at the entrance of the Disney Village area is also part of what will be new at DLP this year. The scaffoldings that were still all around the building last month are down and we can now have a better look at the World of Disney art-deco sculptures and architecture. Note that the art-deco style will fit well with the backside of the Gaumont movie theaters but not the front side which will be partly hidden by the WOD store as you can see on the first picture below.









In the Disneyland Paris park, a small refurbishment can be seen on the Mark Twain - Molly Brown pier in Frontierland...



...but what each DLP fans is waiting for are the beginning of the works on the Ratatouille attraction at the Walt Disney Studios. On a picture shot by Theme Park Zone you can see the area located behind the Costuming building where DLPI Imagineers will build the ride. All trees of the land have been removed so the land is clear and works should begin anytime soon. Talking about its construction it's more official than ever now as we can see on all official notice boards like the one below. But if you have a closer look at it you'll note that is written "construction of an attraction AND a restaurant.." as it is now also official, thanks to a new construction permit, that a restaurant will be build in the Ratatouille area. Its name will be "La Ratatouille" and it's supposed to be a table service restaurant which will be more than logical if they want to stay in the theme of the movie.



Finally, as you might know we're preparing the re-print of the beloved Disneyland Paris book "From Sketch to Reality" - the printing should happen next march - and if you didn't came on Disney and more last week you might have missed a great video showing you each page of the book. You can watch it below and, as it is not too late to place your pre-order and have a 20% discount on the final price, please go HERE to learn how to pre-order and send your payment for a collector's edition copy! Note that the pre-order period will stop in February so don't wait too much to order your collector's copy to make sure you'll get it at the pre-order special price.







Pictures and video: copyright Disney and more, Disney Central Plaza

WDS Ratatouille Dark Ride Construction Will Begin Anytime Soon !

Okay, this time this is it, we can say that the construction of the awaited Ratatouille dark ride at DLP Walt Disney Studios will begin anytime soon! Not only as it was announced this week DLP now have an additional 150M € credit line from the WDC which is more or less the price of the ride and land - but, before they begin to build it, the french law request to display on site a construction announcement. That's what happened this week and generally when this is done construction begin anytime soon. You have a picture of it above, posted on the Disney Central Plaza forum by the always excellent Mouetto.

We also have new infos about the ride which is supposed to be called "Ratatouille Kitchen Calamity"! Note that this is the project title and that the final attraction title might change as it was the case on Toon Studio's Crush's Coaster previously called "Crush's Turtle Twister". Anyway, the project title bring some infos about the ride and it means that a big part of the ride should happen inside Gusteau's kitchen.

Some infos i had a few years ago - so the final script might have changed - were saying that guests will have the feeling to be reduced at the size of a rat and i agree that this could be fun. As far as i remember, after a start in Gusteau's kitchen guests will be "trapped" and throw in the sewers - which, if it's still in the storyline, could give a great visual scene and a reference to the sewers sequence at the opening of the movie. Then we will go out and all the goal would be to comeback to Gusteau's kitchen... Again, considering that these infos are two years old the script might have changed but it seems that's how it was envisioned originally.

Technically speaking we know that the ride will use a trackless vehicle system, that there will be 3D projections effects and it's also indicated on the construction permit that the ride will use 36 vehicles with 6 people inside each vehicle, including one vehicle for wheel chairs. Each vehicle is separated (not attached with others), have wheels, and energy is provided by electric batteries. The trackless technology should be close to the one used in Pooh's Honey Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland and the whole thing, technically speaking, might be close to how is done the famous Spiderman ride at IOA or the new Transformers ride at USS which also use a trackless vehicle and 3D projection effects.



You'll note that the picture on the top provides also interesting infos about the Ratatouille land. First, we can note that it's not written explicitly "Ratatouille attraction" but "Creation of attraction Toon Studio D", which is the code name of it, simply because it is located in the Toon Studio land. Then, we can see that the buildings construction is supposed to be almost 18 meters high which is as high as a six floor building in Paris! You can see above a rendering showing the Paris themed area, and i remind you that a restaurant will also open in the land, which is more than logical considering the Ratatouille original story.



We also see on the top picture the size of the land, in square meters, and i think that the "250796 sam" is referring to the total area of Toon Studio. The others 5719 sqm might refer to the Ratatouille land area, which makes an area of 57m x 100m, more or less. Logistically speaking the area is located close to the new Toy Story Playland and behind the Costuming building and as this is a kind of cul de sac let's hope that it won't create any guest flow problem - not sure, though, specially if the attraction is as popular as expected...



This next picture is a montage done by DCP Forum with the current WDS map, and although it shows precisely the location of the Ratatouille land we might not expect an Eiffel Tower small replica as it is shown on it.



The ride and Ratatouille area are supposed to need two years to be build, so don't expect an opening before fall 2013 at the earliest. But at least we know that the project is now a "go" and all we have to do is to wait, something that DLP fans are used to do (!).

In the meantime, i remind you to don't forget to pre-order a collector's copy of the Disneyland Paris book, on its way for reprinting. The book is absolutely gorgeous, Just go HERE to learn more about the book and how to place your order.




Attraction Pictures: copyright Disney, with all my thanks to Disney Central Plaza

Disneyland Paris obtains a 150M € revolving credit facility from WDC - Ratatouille Dark Ride now on its way at WDS

The sky is brighter over Disneyland Paris today, and especially over the Walt Disney Studios. I've told you recently that we'll have early January an announcement about DLP future, and here it is, as DLP officially announced today that "Euro Disney obtains a 150M € additional standby revolving credit facility from The Walt Disney Company in connection with an approval from its lenders to increase its investments." Here is the official release:

"(Marne-la-Vallée, January 10, 2012) Euro Disney S.C.A. (the "Company"), parent company of Euro Disney Associés S.C.A., operator of Disneyland® Paris (together the "Group"), announces that, on January 6, 2012, it has obtained an additional standby revolving credit facility (the "Additional Facility") of € 150 million from The Walt Disney Company. This Additional Facility expires on September 30, 2018 and was advanced in connection with the approval from its lenders to increase the Group’s investments by up to € 250 million. These investments correspond to the annual recurring investment budget for fiscal year 2012 and a multi-year expansion of the Walt Disney Studios® Park, which includes a new attraction. The Additional Facility is separate from the € 100 million existing standby revolving credit facility (the "Existing Facility"), which expires on September 30, 2014 and is still undrawn. The other terms and conditions of the Additional Facility are substantially the same as the Existing Facility.

Although no assurances can be given, the Group believes it has sufficient funds to finance these and other necessary investments and repay its borrowings consistent with the scheduled maturities, based on its existing cash position, liquidity from the Existing Facility and the benefit of certain conditional deferrals permitted under the Group’s existing debt agreements."

What does this mean, in clear? In clear, it means that DLP now have the money to build the Ratatouille dark ride as well as the mini land around the ride. It also means that the banks probably refused to deliver the cash without a kind of guarantee from the WDC. Now that the park have it works should begin anytime soon as they need two years to build the ride and land. You probably won't be surprised to learn that 150M € is more or less the cost of the Ratatouille ride, so basically what is happening is that the WDC provides to DLP the needed amount to build the ride ...money which will go back for a big part in the pocket of Disney as DLP is of course buying the new attractions to WDI, i.e Disney. Are not they smart at Burbank?

That said, even after paying for the Ratatouille ride the park will still have a credit facility of 100M €, that they had before today's announcement and that they can "use" until 2014. For sure you can build other rides with 100M € and we will know soon what the park expect to do with it. Although their priority is to expand the WDS chafes are that they will use a small part of this money to enhance some DLP ride - hello Jack Sparrow AAs in POTC - or a new placemaking in another part of the WDS, and why not another ride. In the meantime, today is a happy day for DLP fans as this time, this is it, a major E-Ticket ride is on its way!

Picture: copyright Disney

Don't forget to pre-order a collector's copy of the Disneyland Paris book, on its way for reprinting.Just go HERE to learn how.