Will Ratatouille become Disneyland Paris' Mystic Manor?

October 1, 2013 at 10:39 AM · The trackless ride system is clearly a winner for WDI. It reminds me of when they first introduced EMVs (Enhanced Motion Vehicles) for Indiana Jones and later Dinosaur. When done right (unlike Antarctica), storytelling can be very much enhanced with the trackless ride system. Its a beautiful merge of technology and storytelling that Imagineering is so great at. Which means we really need it here in the States. As previously discussed, the ride system would be perfect for a Journey into Imagination revamp at Epcot.

I do hope if/when it does come here, that it is a unique ride, not a clone of Mystic Manor, Ratatouille, or Winnie the Pooh. Although, the Ratatouille ride could work in France at Epcot as a replacement for Impressions de France. Or in DHS at an expanded Pixar Place.

October 1, 2013 at 11:44 AM · I wish they would build a Mystic Manor type ride at Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure. That part of DCA is so junky and ugly.

I'd love to see Mystic Manor at DCA and have it be themed to a magician's house, like a Harry Houdini kind of person. Or a fortune teller or something. That would work great at Paradise Pier.

I'd also like to see a straight-up clone of Mystic Manor at Disney Animal Kingdom. I think the story fits in great there...an adventurer and his monkey and he has collected all these animal artifacts of mythological creatures from around the world. And they come to life in his mansion.

I'm never going to go to Hong Kong in my lifetime and I would love to experience Mystic Manor in Florida.

October 1, 2013 at 11:50 AM · Sea World really laid an egg with Antarctica. A neighbor friend of mine went on that when they were in vacation in Orlando last month. She said it was the dumbest thing she had ever been on. People were ANGRY when they got off that ride. She told me her son said it looked like a bad haunted house or a fun house from a carnvial. I saw the concept art and thought you'd be interacting with real penguins while in the ride vehicles, which seemed strange and I didn't know how they would pull it off, but that's what the concept art showed.

October 1, 2013 at 12:28 PM · I still don't think Mystic Manor would work in Animal Kingdom. Logistically, I just do not see where it would go, especially with Avatar Land coming. Thematically, I also do not think it fits. Animal Kingdom is a theme park about conservation. Every single attraction at Animal Kingdom has a conservation message, some more obvious than others. I don't see how a conservation message could be tied into Mystic Manor. In fact, a ride about a guy who collects rare animal artifacts sounds to me like the complete opposite of a conservation message. Unless they use the ride as an example of how not to be a proponent of wildlife conservation.

October 1, 2013 at 12:45 PM · I think it's interesting (promising?) that Disney's used the trackless system for a different themed experience in each park. And that for the two most recent implementations, it's tried to create a themed experience that "pushes the buttons" of the local culture.

So I think we can forget about Mystic Manor at WDW or DL. That's an experience for Hong Kong. Now, how would WDI employ this tech to tell an American story?

October 1, 2013 at 1:08 PM · DLHK has a 5 year exclusive on Mystic Manor. That means it is available for other parks after 2018. I don't see why we can't have it in the states for either ride version.

Ratatouille would work better in Disneyland or DCA. Whereas both would work well at WDW with all the space they have. Ratatouille can either be installed in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot (France Pavilion). Mystic Manor would work in Animal Kingdom or DHS. I'm just not sure it will make it anytime soon to WDW with all the Avatar and Star Wars action plans.

Thus, I think Disneyland or DCA should be the right candidate for the rides, but who knows if the Tomorrowland renovation or Monsters takes priority.

October 1, 2013 at 1:28 PM · I've been thinking of this ride system and where it would make a good fit. Of course, I think it would work anywhere, but I would most like to see it used in an Imagination redo! Keep Figment, return Dreamfinder, and utilize this new system to tell the story in a new way....

October 1, 2013 at 4:24 PM · Mystic Manor would work just fine in AK if they ever finally develop an Australian expansion. There is still a massive expansion pad in the North East region of the park just begging for another continent to be featured. The story barely needs tweaking, only some clever writing to tie it into a conservation theme if that's such a bugaboo. I fail to see how a park that conjures up the feeling of adventurous exploration more so than any of the four in WDW couldn't somehow feature a ride based around the adventures of a world re-known adventurer/explorer such as Lord Henry Mystic.

October 2, 2013 at 3:12 AM · To put Ratatouille in the same league as Mystic Manor is a bit premature. A ride system doesn't result in a great ride. Look at the Haunted Mansion, it's a great ride, look at The Seas with Nemo and Friends and you see a piece a stinking peace of crap.
I'm afraid it won't put a dent in the visitor numbers for the Disney Studios. Why visit a fake chunk of Paris when the real thing is a short ride away? And although the movie did fine in Europe I don't think it had any staying power.

I hope Disney gives their franchises a rest (except for the DHS) and put more original stories and characters in their parks.

October 2, 2013 at 4:30 AM · As a regular visitor to DLP, I would have liked to have seen something like Mystic Manor at the WDS park, rather than a Paris based ride. I mean I go to Disney parks to see something I don't see on a regular basis, like a ride based in some far flung land that may not be real. I don't really want to see a fake version of Paris attractions at DLP when the real ones are just outside the gates.

October 2, 2013 at 10:56 AM · There is a rumor that Disney’s trackless guidance system is not based on a local-positioning system, but it is guided by some wire track under the floor.

Did anyone else heard that?

October 2, 2013 at 11:04 AM · Ratatouille will mix the trackless system with gigantic AAs and 3D projections. It should be a great ride no matter if you live in Paris or Timbuktu, since it is not about the place it stands, but about the experience of been the size of a rat and have to run from gigantic people.

October 2, 2013 at 1:41 PM · I don't think Ratatouille being based in Paris somehow diminishes its value being at DLP.

DCA is a park themed around California...based in California...with the name California is it's title.

No one is going to DLP for a true, authentic, Paris experience. It's a theme park & the fact Ratatouille is based in Paris is just gives the ride a nice "local" flavor.

It's a new attraction......in a secondary park that desperately needs it. While I agree it won't suddenly elevate the park, it's a nice, solid step in the right direction.