Ratatouille invades Manhattan Restaurant (Has now retreated)

[Festival Disney]

Bye Bye New York!

A very suprising change to say the least, as Remi can already be found at Restaurant des Stars and soon, at the likely future restaurant in WDS... but now Ratatouille has invaded the Manhattan restaurant at [strike:1o2sdhbb]Pixar's[/strike:1o2sdhbb] Disney's Hotel New York.

The beautiful black and white photo frames have been changed to feature artwork of the rat, which certainly does not clash with the decor but they're still much less elegant and completely out of theme.

On the exterior windows, giant semi-transparent stickers with the scenery of Paris have been stuck on. You can't see it from the outside of the hotel though, apparently.

Moreover, outside the restaurant, the canopy bearing the restaurant name has also disappeared. Prospective name change? Fortunately, the waiting room has retained its original theme and the furniture seems also to have been changed, everything is new and very classy.

So what do you guys think of this bizzare change of theme?
Personally, I think it's the most bizzare thing ever to have a Parisian themed restaurant in a New York themed hotel  :| Why, oh why did they do this!  :roll:


Source: Disney Central Plaza

[pussinboots]

Every time you think they've learned just a little tiny bit, they find a way to prove you wrong, don't they?

It is depressing to say the least to see Disney brazenly reviving such forgotten characters as Clarabelle Cow at Disneyland whilst Paris is still only entrusted with Pixar's Greatest Hits. You have to wonder whether it's the management underestimating the public or whether management itself has spent so long slapping Buzz Lightyear on everything that they themselves have forgotten there's more to the company than Pixar.

Even the most uninformed guest will realize that a Ratatouille restaurant at "Hotel New York" presents a slight incongruity.

If we're really lucky, they might make an effort to back-story their way around this. The Ratatouille chain of restaurants opening a branch in Manhattan or something similar. But probably not.

[dagobert]

It is really depressing what's happening at DLRP at the moment. I wonder when the whole resort is called Pixarland.
Like you have already said, it makes no sense to have a Paris themed restaurant in New York.

Who is responsible for this? DLP-I seems to like Pixar a lot.

Next is Hotel Cheyenne. I'm sure Woody and Jessie will invade that hotel.

If we're really lucky, they might make an effort to back-story their way around this. The Ratatouille chain of restaurants opening a branch in Manhattan or something similar. But probably not.

I wouldn't count on that.

[RiverRogue]

I don't know... Maybe I just tolerate those deviations from the theme much easier when it comes to the hotels... I've always been somewhat annoyed by the fact that we had Tarzan in Frontierland and the Lion King in Discoveryland.... but this really doesn't bother me. You know, it really can't be said that the hotels are rich in back-stories which could be messed up.... at best they have a more or less consistent feel.

I guess it's also the fact that they used the Eric Tan artwork which works in the hotel's art deco context, rather than put up simple film stills as can be found at the Santa Fe.

[dagobert]

I don't know... Maybe I just tolerate those deviations from the theme much easier when it comes to the hotels... I've always been somewhat annoyed by the fact that we had Tarzan in Frontierland and the Lion King in Discoveryland.... but this really doesn't bother me. You know, it really can't be said that the hotels are rich in back-stories which could be messed up.... at best they have a more or less consistent feel.

I guess it's also the fact that they used the Eric Tan artwork which works in the hotel's art deco context, rather than put up simple film stills as can be found at the Santa Fe.

You have made some good points and I agree with some of them, especially with the last sentence. I just don't get it why these things have to be done in the first place. In my opinion the hotels are well themed, the problem is the bad quality of the Disney hotels compared to others. Why is Disney spending money on things that aren't necessary, while other more important things should be fixed.

[ford prefect]

My hope is they revert to a french menu (as oiginally at the restaurant)

[Martyn]

I actually like them pictures, though it is still strange.

But the worst thing is, what on earth next? With this, Santa Fe and Sequoia, its obvious that everything is going to be commercialised/ruined.

Seriously though, Paris themed restaurant in Hotel New York? Mindless morons.

[CafeFantasia]

Yeah, I mean, if they insist on putting characters into the Manhattan Restaurant, they should've at least looked at some Disney films set in New York:

• Oliver & Company
• Fantasia 2000, Rhapsody in Blue" sequence
• Bolt

Of course, non of those are Pixar films. Ratatouille is very obviously set in Paris. But the Incredibles, while set in a fictional city called Metroville, is at least a better match stylistically. If you didn't know much about it, you could think that the Incredibles was set in New York. It's at least set in an American city, not a French one.

[andrewuk]

Or Enchanted!

[ford prefect]

I actually like them pictures, though it is still strange.

But the worst thing is, what on earth next? With this, Santa Fe and Sequoia, its obvious that everything is going to be commercialised/ruined.

Seriously though, Paris themed restaurant in Hotel New York? Mindless morons.

I hope you are being ironic, as that last sentance is rather harsh, not to mention insulting!  There are lots of Paris themed restaurants in New York city, so since New York City (New Amstersdam)  can embrace european culture I don't see a problem.

The Ratatouille theme is suitable art deco, and this restaurant NEEDS to attract customers.  

I do wish people would be less anti change!

[pussinboots]

I guess it's also the fact that they used the Eric Tan artwork which works in the hotel's art deco context, rather than put up simple film stills as can be found at the Santa Fe.

That is definitely the silver lining. But cut to next month's Disney Gazette update on the new sign of the restaurant bearing the new name. (Or me eating crow.)

And themeing is important at the hotels too; there's just a lot more room for abstraction and dilution. That doesn't negate the fact that it's a good idea to keep Hotel New York slightly New York-ish. If they get that at the chain hotels a mile away, Disney surely ought to.

If they so needed to up the character quota, they could have picked Mickey Mouse or any other character who could at the very least pass for American, never mind New York. Mickey's 5th Avenue something something. Donald's Deli. Clarabelle Cow's Coffee 'N' Cookie Corner (she's made a real comeback that girl), Minnie's a-Muffins; slap a handful of Big Apple puns on it and you're done. And as for the argument that the public no longer responds to those characters; you can't tell me Cafe Mickey isn't doing brisk business around the corner.

But really, I'm just trying to think of one proper act of in-theme decorating or designing they've done at any of the hotels in the past five or even ten years. Where have they actually improved upon something. Until something springs to mind, I'll remain bitter about this, haha.

In the mean time, here's my suggestion. Slap an I Heart New York T-shirt on Remy. One of those styrofoam Statue of Liberty crowns and a hot dog. Presto.

[ford prefect]

I think Minnie's Muffins would be best avoided.

[davewasbaloo]

I actually like them pictures, though it is still strange.

But the worst thing is, what on earth next? With this, Santa Fe and Sequoia, its obvious that everything is going to be commercialised/ruined.

Seriously though, Paris themed restaurant in Hotel New York? Mindless morons.

I hope you are being ironic, as that last sentance is rather harsh, not to mention insulting!  There are lots of Paris themed restaurants in New York city, so since New York City (New Amstersdam)  can embrace european culture I don't see a problem.

The Ratatouille theme is suitable art deco, and this restaurant NEEDS to attract customers.  

I do wish people would be less anti change!

I am not anti change, I am anti theme dillution. If the made it un upcharge jazz club, or if they have to cram more characters, made it appropriate to theme (New York) then I would be perfectly fine with it. I am getting sick of Disney shilling characters and reducing quality. And I am getting to the point where I really am starting to hate toons. Disney was not always about toons, but the decline is starting to really make people think it is.

[ford prefect]

Hi, Davewasbaloo

I agree (as always) that Disney should not just be about 'Toons.  

Manhatten used to  be mine and Sarah's favourite restaurant.  We used to eat there every trip, the food and service was exemplary.  

When it became a "mediterranean buffet" and then an italian restaurant I stopped going.

If this change triggered a return to the high quality (franco-american) menu standards of 2004 and before, there is a continuation of the art theming, and it increases footfall in the restaurant then that is all to the good.

DLP currently has only 1 top quality table service restaurant and it desperately needs another location where the food is the attraction!

Failing that I can't see that Disney would have any alternative but to shut the restaurant for all except breakfasts.

[Riebi]

I don´t know who need something like this. Shouldn´t they try to support the theme of something with their updates and changes???

If you look some years back, the restaurant attract a lot more people. Why? Cause they had over there this wonderful themed rockefeller court with a fountain, glittering trees and all this stuff. It was simply a better quality of theme (and maybe food).

Now they seem to take everything that could fit in a very strange way to sell more convenience food.

They simply should stop that and came back to the original story. Do they believe someone could get a story like "And then some day the rat was over at new york and said OKIDOKI WE MAKE HERE ALSO A RESTAURANT! and so they open the 5. Avenue Paris-Rat-a-touie-Remy-Restaurant. Know as 5APRRR."

What´s next??? And then Pocahontas was at New York thinking about a table dance club like she saw one day at Las Vegas....
And then Rapunzel comes to the sea and make an original restaurant for bad guys at Cape Cod...
And then Buzz think that he and woody are real wonderful friends and to mark this he decided to open a Space Rangers Restaurant at the woods of Sequoia....

I mean storytelling doesn´t seem to be what it was before...