Disney’s Ratatouille Problem

On November 10^th, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT will briefly close.

Disney will perform a simple refurbishment that changes only one thing on the ride.

However, that one thing exemplifies a larger issue facing Disney.

Let’s discuss Disney’s Ratatouille problem and a couple of future rides it could impact.

What’s the Ratatouille Problem?

In early October, I wrote this article, which contained one of my wife’s gripes.

In evaluating Disney rides that aren’t for everyone, I said this about Ratatouille:

“Do a Google search for “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure M,” and you’ll notice that “motion sickness” autofills.”

Then, I added this personal anecdote from 2024 that is unfortunately a real thing that happened:

“My wife exited Ratatouille and sprinted to the bathroom. When she returned, she looked like a victim of the zombie apocalypse.

“We needed to go somewhere and sit down so that she could catch her breath.”

My wife looked at me after she’d finally recovered enough to talk about what had happened.

The gist was, “I’m never riding Ratatouille again,” and she meant it!

I’ve ridden it with other people since then, but not her. She had said she was out on Ratatouille forever.

Well, forever came sooner than expected as Disney made an announcement a few days later.

EPCOT will follow the same path as Disneyland Paris and restructure Ratatouille.

Both versions of the attraction are dropping their 3D elements, which tells the whole story.

Ratatouille has been entertaining guests in Paris since 2014 and at EPCOT since 2021.

That is a LOT of “protein spills” Cast Members have had to clean up after nauseated guests.

Long story short, the 3D aspects of this trackless dark ride have caused sickness for riders.

That’s the problem with all attractions of this nature, especially motion simulators.

For whatever reason, Ratatouille impacts guests more than Star Tours – The Adventures continue, though.

For some guests, this ride proves even more challenging than Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind.

Long story short, Disney has a big problem here, and it exists beyond Ratatouille.

The Perils of Future Disney Rides

I’m going to show you this video from a recent episode of We Call It Imagineering:

I warmly encourage you to watch the whole thing, but I’ve time-stamped it at the big moment.

You’re watching highlights from the upcoming Avengers Campus attraction, Stark Flight Lab.

Hopefully, as you study the action, you’re thinking, “That looks like a joyously great time!”

You should be, as this is the type of ride we’ve all dreamt of trying since we were kids.

A giant robotic arm sweeps us into the air and starts twisting and turning us.

Presuming that’s not the description for some nightmarish industrial accident, it sounds like a blast.

Frankly, it looks like a blast, too. That robotic arm mirrors a former Disney attraction.

Are you familiar with Sum of All Thrills, an EPCOT attraction at the former Innoventions pavilion?

EPCOT fans of yesteryear remember this ride fondly, as it allowed us to build our own roller coaster.

 

We’d design the tracks and the intensity of the ride. Then, the robotic arm at the 7:45 mark would bring it to life.

Due to the simulation aspect, it’d feel like a true roller coaster experience.

Given the stylistic similarities with Stark Flight Lab, it’s fair to consider the new ride the evolution of this concept.

That knowledge makes me very nervous, as I remember the chief complaint about Sum of All Thrills.

Here’s a planDisney post from 15 (!) years ago. And here’s the relevant text:

“In Innoventions, there is an attraction called Sum of all Thrills where you create your own roller coaster, bobsled, or jet plane experience. 

“It’s definitely NOT for people prone to motion sickness.”

That kind of human behavior hasn’t changed over the past 15 years, as Ratatouille proves.

An Impossible Problem

Theme park designers have known about this potential problem for many years now.

Remember that Star Tours opened in 1987 (!), with countless motion simulation rides following it.

Universal Studios consists of an entire roster of these rides, and Disney has done more, too.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run counts as little more than an enhanced version of Star Tours.

You enter a cockpit and mash some buttons, but you’re still watching Star Wars scenes.

As the ground shakes beneath you, there’s a small chance your stomach will twist into knots.

That’s the thing about all these rides, existing and planned for the future. There’s an X-factor here.

Everyone’s body is different, which creates challenges for Imagineers, who must aim squarely for the middle.

Disney designs rides that most people will find perfectly normal in terms of physical wear and tear.

Then, attraction areas add backup plans for those who are more susceptible to motion sickness.

Some of you may have experienced these spots at Cosmic Rewind and Mission: SPACE.

I’ve never had an issue at either one, but I have watched people sprint to the restrooms near these locations.

They, like my wife, are the ones Disney must consider for these attractions.

So, I just listed two VERY different groups as the ones Disney must design rides to entertain.

There are those whose stomachs can handle anything and those who…may vomit.

That’s Disney’s Ratatouille problem in a nutshell. How does an Imagineer plan for both?

What’s the Solution?

We should be honest about the fact that Imagineers often don’t.

That’s precisely what happened with Ratatouille. Disney took a chance in France.

Since Disneyland Paris’s other park wasn’t drawing a crowd, Imagineers swung for the fence.

They designed a charming ride through the streets (and kitchens) of Paris, one featuring 3D effects.

We could debate when Disney realized that Ratatouille caused problems for some.

Presumably, nobody was especially worried about the matter since Disney duplicated Ratatouille at EPCOT, though.

Since then, someone important at Disney has reversed the company’s overall position.

Disney is removing the 3D aspect of both versions of the ride to negate motion sickness.

Simultaneously, Imagineers are working on Stark Flight Lab, which looks like it could be a vomit comet for some.

Also, the Cars off-road thrill ride at Magic Kingdom will be trackless, just like Ratatouille.

Some (but not all) of those rides cause motion sickness as well. And I could keep going.

Disney wants to remain on the cutting edge of theme park design, which requires a few risks.

One of those risks is the Ratatouille problem, a stress test to identify what the human body can tolerate.

Historically, Disney has erred on the side of caution, save for a few rare exceptions like those I’ve mentioned.

Stark Flight Lab suggests that Disney may take more chances in the future, a decision that could backfire.

I hope it doesn’t, but I’ll be genuinely curious to see how Disney addresses this Ratatouille problem.

The visuals of Stark Flight Lab have me worried that some people will never even give it a chance.

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