Disney World Adding New Set Elements to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to Improve Immersion

After receiving a brief refurbishment to convert the attraction to 2D last year, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT should soon receive the promised props that were also teased at that time. This covers the controversial change removing 3D, our recent experience with the updated version in Paris, and why we view this as a net positive based on having ridden the refreshed ride in (real) France.

As you might recall, Walt Disney World already announced these changes coming to the Rat Ride in the (fake) France pavilion at EPCOT. Back in October of last year, a ‘warning’ bulletin appeared on the attraction page for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure indicating that the attraction would close from November 10-13, and return with enhanced digital visuals and clearer imagery projected in 2D.

That already happened. If you’ve ridden Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure since November 13th, you’ve experienced the attraction without 3D. Here’s the other part of the bulletin that has yet to be completed: “Remy’s fans will spot new props and lighting enhancements when they are added to the queue and attraction over the next few months.”

Fast-forward to May 27, 2026 and Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new Notice of Commencement to install set elements at an address that corresponds with the Rat Ride in the France pavilion.

The contractor listed on the construction permit is Icarus Exhibits, which is a longtime Walt Disney World collaborator and one of the big names that works on major projects. They’ve been involved with Indiana Jones Adventure, Monstropolis, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, TRON Lightcycle Run, Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and much more.

Between the involvement of Icarus and the install set elements description, it’s a near certainty that this permit is for the new set pieces in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

Ride Closure Coming?

No start or completion date has been announced for this project, nor has another refurbishment been scheduled for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 2026.

The previous bulletin implied that the removal of 3D would be the first phase of the project, followed by the appearance of these props in the queue and on the ride. While it didn’t state as much, a reasonable interpretation was that only the 3D to 2D conversion would involve downtime.

Of course, it’s also possible that Walt Disney World simply did not know when the second phase would occur at that time, so it was premature to mention future downtime last year. Our expectation, however, is that the prop installation is accomplished via overnight shifts as opposed to a scheduled refurbishment.

If that’s not possible, the attraction might have early closing times or delayed openings for a few days to accommodate the work. At the absolute most, expect a few days of downtime for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. I doubt that’ll be necessary, though. This should be the type of work that has minimal impact on guests.

From a planning perspective, there’s no need to worry about the Rat Ride being closed for the duration of an upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. However, if Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a must-do for your family, it is worth keeping an eye on any potential closure, however brief, so you can plan around it.

Changes Already Made at DLP

If this news sounds familiar, it’s because Disneyland Paris has already done the same with Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy. Even though EPCOT guests haven’t experienced the changes, we got a squeak peek at what’s on the horizon during our trip to France.

The refreshed Rat Ride at Disneyland Paris reopened to guests as part of the relaunch of Disney Adventure World, and flew relatively under the radar. That was a much longer closure that involved technical upgrades and scenic enhancements, all crafted to offer a better guest experience according to Disney.

Most notable for our purposes were the additions onboard the attraction, including enhanced projections, and larger-than-life props and set pieces to add extra ‘flavor’ to key scenes. These changes were aimed at enhancing guests’ perception of being shrunk to the size of Remy and his rodent pals.

Our Experience on the Refreshed Rat Ride (DLP)

We had the chance to experience Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy a couple of times last month, and there are definitely improvements over the EPCOT version thanks to these new props. The most effective to me were objects meant to conceal where the screen and floor meet, which has always stuck out to me as ruining the illusion.

As one example, there’s a scene where an oversized box of noodles has spilled out across the floor, obscuring where the screen and floor converge. It’s subtle, but surprisingly effective. The noodles are sufficiently non-descript so they don’t attract undesired attention, but also draw the eye away from the edge. This is like the screen-based attraction version of blend-in blue or go-away green (color schemes Disney uses to “hide” massive show buildings), and it works!

Walt Disney Imagineering has not announced the props that’ll be coming to the Walt Disney World version (and they probably won’t), but I’d expect something similar–if not identical–to what was done at Disneyland Paris. Maybe there will be a few twists, but the animating idea will probably be the same. (These props are so unobtrusive that it didn’t even cross my mind to capture photos at DLP. I feel like I’ve violated the Sacred Bloggers’ Oath.)

Our Experience on the 2D Rat Ride (EPCOT)

Following the conversion to 2D, we never circled back and re-reviewed Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT. That’s largely because I don’t have a ton to say about the change that hasn’t already been said. The visuals are brighter and crisper, but they’re also not as good as perfect 3D. The change definitely comes with tradeoffs, and they are pretty much as expected.

As previously discussed, there are several reasons for ditching 3D. One is not needing to clean 3D glasses or replace stolen ones. There are also maintenance expenses associated with keeping the projections calibrated. It’s safe to assume 2D is less costly and labor-intensive than 3D. It also seems more operationally predictable, as you’re not rolling the dice with visuals being blurry or out of focus.

Then there’s the straightforward explanation for dropping 3D, which is creating a more accessible guest experience. Some guests are more prone to motion sickness, and 3D can exacerbate that. Others wear prescription glasses and a pair of 3D glasses on top of that poses challenges. Perhaps there are other ailments of which I’m unaware.

As someone who has no issues whatsoever with any of this, my complaint is simply that 3D effects don’t always work. When 3D projections are in perfect alignment, it can be fantastic. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 3D back in October 2021 looked better than Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 2D today.

But the practical reality is that I’ve experienced many attractions with subpar calibration, and that immediately took me out of the experience. It’s easy to say that theme parks should be better about preventative maintenance and calibration, but sometimes this stuff just happens.

Nevertheless, I still view the switch from 3D to 2D as a net positive for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

Even assuming the calibration was always perfect and the 3D was never blurry (which absolutely was not the case), I appreciate that this family-friendly attraction can be experienced by everyone in the family.

I don’t know what percentage of guests had issues with the 3D in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure before, but let’s conservatively estimate it at 10% (data suggests it’s closer to 1 in 3 people). In my view, the attraction is less than 10% worse than it was previously, making that an acceptable trade-off.

Broadly speaking, most rides are better off without 3D. Films are a different story, often “needing” it to differentiate themselves from ordinary movies, so their use of 3D is more understandable. They also lean into 3D better, with visuals and gags that would fall flat in 2D. But for the most part, rides are different than shows, and good ones shouldn’t need the crutch of 3D.

The problem with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is that it’s not a good ride and kind of does need the crutch. So it’s arguably the one exception to that general rule. Even so, most of the Rat Ride’s issues could be better remedied with new props, adding to the immersion and better-concealing the screens.

This is precisely why the switch from 3D to 2D has been controversial among Walt Disney World fans. Without the crutch, there’s the potential for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to fall flat. For it to be even more noticeable that you’re parked in front of a screen, watching a film. The argument could be made that 75% of the current attraction is basically a 3D movie on wheels!

Even as someone who thinks Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is overhyped, that’s too harsh for me. While there are extended periods of screen-centric action, there’s also a lot to love about the Rat Ride.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure has scenes that are dynamic and engaging. There’s a lot of swift but smooth movement as you race around the restaurant. It is a really fluid and fun family-friendly experience, and the ride profile alone ensures it’s enjoyable.

The high point is darting through and under oversized props that sell the idea that you’re a rat running around a kitchen. There’s also some stage dressing in other areas in an attempt to suspend ride disbelief. The portions of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure that feature physical props and dimensional environments work incredibly well. Those flashes of brilliance reveal what could’ve been a 10/10 attraction.

Unfortunately, that does not describe most of the ride experience. Most of the attraction lacks fully dimensional sets. The bulk of it takes place in front of a series of gigantic screens–and it’s very obvious that you’re watching action unfold on a screen rather than actively participating in the shenanigans. The prospect of fixing the problems in these scenes to increase immersion is why we’re optimistic about phase two of this project.

New Props Are Promising

This is ultimately why I’m pleased by the addition of props to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. These aren’t going to be marquee new additions in the kitchen that you notice while riding…but that’s precisely the point!

They are the screen-based equivalent of blend-in blue or go-away green, because what the Rat Ride really needs is to direct the eye away from the bottom edge of the screen to increase immersion. As a result, this should be the more consequential change to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and mitigate some of what was lost in the 2D conversion.

Ultimately, we’re pleased and pleasantly surprised that Walt Disney World is moving forward with the new props and other enhancements in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Imagineering set the table for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to be an excellent attraction, but failed to deliver on the main course.

More and better props and other ways to distract from the large empty rooms with big screens could really spice up the attraction and elevate it from Chefs de France caliber to Monsieur Paul level. These changes are minor in the grand scheme of things, but the new nondescript props in Paris really do improve the guest experience.

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Your Thoughts

Have you experienced Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure since WDW ditched 3D? What do you think of the change? Cautiously optimistic about the new props and enhancements being added to the attraction? Have you done the Rat Ride at DLP since it reopened as part of the Disney Adventure World relaunch? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!