Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT With Toddlers and Preschoolers
Part of what makes EPCOT so much fun for our family is how much there is to do together. With so many attractions without height requirements, plus experiences like the aquarium after riding The Seas with Nemo & Friends, there is more than enough to keep both toddlers and preschoolers entertained throughout the day.
One of the most popular rides in the park is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, located in the France Pavillion in World Showcase. During the ride, you’re shrunk down to the size of Remy and race through a busy kitchen and dining room inside Gusteau’s restaurant before arriving safely in Remy’s kitchen, where his friends and family are gathered around tiny tables for a meal.
My husband and I recently had the opportunity to ride this attraction for the first time with our two boys, ages 5 and 2 ½. In this post, I’ll share more details about the ride, what it was like for our kids, and whether I think it’s worth waiting in the often long standby line or using a Lightning Lane.
Ride Stats
Location: France Pavillion, World Showcase in EPCOT
Height Requirement: None
Ride Duration: About 5 minutes
Ride Type: Trackless dark ride
Ride Vehicle: Rat-shaped cars with seating for six (two rows of three) and a shared lap bar
3D Glasses: None
Lightning Lane Availability: Highly recommended
Wait Times and Queue Overview
Wait times for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure often exceed an hour, and Lightning Lanes can be difficult to secure for earlier in the day. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you can book Lightning Lanes up to seven days before your arrival, while other guests can begin booking three days in advance. That earlier booking window can make it easier to secure a more convenient return time.
Typically, when I check for Lightning Lanes for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the return times are around 7:00 or 8:00 PM, which doesn’t work well for our family. I was excited when I was able to grab a Lightning Lane for 2:00 PM on a Sunday afternoon. If this attraction is high on your priority list, keep checking the My Disney Experience app in the days leading up to your trip, as different Lightning Lane return times do occasionally become available.
Part of the queue is outdoors, although the area appeared to be mostly covered and shaded. The rest of the queue is indoors, but it still felt quite warm until we got much closer to the loading area. If you’re using Lightning Lane, there are no interactive elements and you won’t see much theming until you get near the front of the line.
There is a single rider line that is often available and can help reduce wait times, although it’s not a practical option for families with young children who want to ride together. If one of your little ones decides at the last minute that they don’t want to ride, Rider Switch is a great backup plan and alternative to the single rider option. With Rider Switch, one adult can stay behind with the child who doesn’t want to ride, while the rest of your group goes on, and then that adult can hop on afterward without having to wait through the entire line again.
Stroller parking is located deeper in the France Pavillion as you get closer to the attraction. As you make your way to the ride, take a few minutes to enjoy the details of the pavilion. The area is beautifully designed and helps set the stage for the experience.
We entered the Lightning Lane at the very end of our return window at 3:00 PM, when the posted standby wait was 60 minutes. From the time we entered the queue, it took us only about five or six minutes to board.
One thing that surprised us was that Cast Members used the single rider line to fill empty seats in our vehicle. Since our family of four did not fill all six seats, we were paired with two single riders, one in each row. This wasn’t a problem at all, but it is something to keep in mind if your group has fewer than six people.
Ride Experience With Young Kids
The ride vehicles on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure are surprisingly spacious and move very smoothly. As you make your way through Gusteau’s restaurant, the vehicles occasionally change direction, spin slightly, and make gentle turns to create the feeling that you’re scurrying through the kitchen like Remy.
The combination of oversized sets and large screens does a great job of making you feel as though you’ve been shrunk down to the size of a rat. You’ll see several familiar characters from Ratatouille, and the attention to detail throughout the attraction is incredible. My son’s favorite part was the scene inside the refrigerator, where you’re surrounded by giant pieces of food.
There are a few scenes that use screens and vehicle movement to make it feel as though you’re sliding or moving quickly, but the ride vehicle never actually leaves the ground. My 5-year-old was a little unsure during these parts at first, but he ended up really enjoying the ride. My 2 ½-year-old wasn’t bothered by the movement at all and simply enjoyed the experience.
The lighting is fairly dim throughout much of the attraction, but that didn’t seem to bother either of my kids.
My older son can sometimes be a little nervous when trying a new ride for the first time, so it helps when we talk about what to expect ahead of time and look at photos or videos together. I think that made a big difference for him on the ride.
Overall, both of my kids really enjoyed Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. My older son was able to follow the storyline and understood that we had been shrunk down to the size of Remy, which made the experience even more fun for him. My younger son was less focused on the story and simply enjoyed the ride itself.
Even though the attraction uses a trackless ride system, gentle spinning, and screens to create the feeling that you’re moving quickly throughout the restaurant, none of these effects felt overwhelming for either of my kids. Once my older son saw the ride vehicle and got a sense of how it moved, he settled in and really enjoyed the experience. By the time we got off, he was already asking if we could ride it again.
Is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Worth the Wait?
Although our whole family really enjoyed this ride, I personally wouldn’t wait in the standby line if the posted wait time was longer than 15 minutes. That’s usually about as long as my kids are willing to stand in line.
There are certainly times when we’ve chosen to wait longer. For example, during one afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios without Lightning Lanes, we decided it was worth waiting 45 minutes for Toy Story Mania! because it was a high priority for our family. In EPCOT, though, there are so many other rides and experiences we enjoy that we’d usually rather move on to something else than spend an hour or more in line.
Because standby lines do often exceed an hour, I would highly recommend using Lightning Lane if you’re able to secure a return time that works for your family. If you’re unable to get a convenient return time, rope dropping the attraction is a great alternative.
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can also take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry, which allows guests to enter any of the four theme parks 30 minutes before official park opening. If Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a must-do for your family, arriving early and heading straight to the France Pavillion will likely result in a much shorter wait.
This strategy works especially well for families trying to fit park time around naps, meals, and other plans. Getting an early start can help you experience one of EPCOT’s most popular attractions without spending a large part of your day standing in line.
Final Thoughts
I’m really glad we were able to enjoy Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure together for the first time. The France Pavillion is beautifully designed and truly makes you feel as though you’ve been transported to France, which adds to the overall experience before you even step onto the ride.
It’s easy to see why this attraction is one of the most popular rides in EPCOT. From the adorable rat-shaped ride vehicles to the oversized sets and screens that make you feel like you’ve been shrunk down to Remy’s size, it’s a very well done attraction that both of my kids thoroughly enjoyed.
That said, EPCOT offers so many rides and experiences that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers that we personally wouldn’t wait more than about 15 minutes in the standby line. Instead, I’d recommend using Lightning Lane or arriving early to ride with a shorter wait.
One of my kids’ favorite attractions in EPCOT is The Seas with Nemo & Friends, especially because they love exploring the aquarium afterward. If you’re planning a trip to EPCOT with little ones and are looking for another great attraction, you can read more about our experience here. Like The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a fun, family-friendly ride that is well worth experiencing when you can catch it with a short wait.