In conjunction with the release of the latest Disney/Pixar animated movie, "Ratatouille," Disney kicked off the "Big Cheese Tour" this past weekend at Disney World and will land in various cities across the U.S. through May, June, and July.

The "Big Cheese Tour" for the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie "Ratatouille."
Photo by Jeffrey Glickman

At this event, kids will have a chance to slide down a 25' wedge of cheese on the "Big Cheese Slide" and audiences will be treated to a special sneak peek of the movie in the 30’ state-of-the-art “Eiffel Tower Digital Theater.” A Center Stage area will feature cooking demonstrations with a real chef featuring "Tasty Treats and Healthy Snacks for busy families" as well as daily shows featuring Ratatouille Video Game demonstrations, radio promotions and an inside look at how the animation was created. Visitors will also be able to see multiple making-of pieces at various kiosks.

There will also be samples of Chocolate Chex cereal and roaming ambassadors will offer to take photos of attendees and superimpose them with characters from the movie, play interactive games, and sign up for sweepstakes.

The festivities began at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida this past weekend and will be hitting the following cities and events in the upcoming weeks:

In "Ratatouille," a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession.

When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely -- and certainly unwanted -- visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

The movie is rated G and opens in theaters Friday, June 29th, 2007. You can view photos, videos and trailers, and other information for the movie, and be sure to add the movie to your Favorite Movies list so you can be the first to know when tickets go on sale!

Press Release

Disney/Pixar’s RATATOUILLE to Kick off the Summer with "Big Cheese Tour"

May 11, 2007 01:02 PM Central Daylight Time

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios will celebrate this summer’s most original animated-comedy, RATATOUILLE, by bringing a mouthwatering experience to cities across the country with “The Big Cheese Tour” it was announced today by Jim Gallagher, President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing. The tour will kick off today, May 11, 2007, at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL and continue to cross the country stopping at many events and major food festivals throughout the summer.

Inspired by Disney/Pixar’s RATATOUILLE, a hilarious comedy about a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a great French chef, the interactive experience will be highlighted by a thrilling “Big Cheese Slide” which will give kids an exciting ride down a 25’ wedge of cheese. Audiences will also be treated to a special sneak peek at RATATOUILLE inside the 30’ state-of-the-art “Eiffel Tower Digital Theater.” A Center Stage area features daily cooking demonstrations with a real chef featuring Tasty Treats and Healthy Snacks for busy families as well as daily shows featuring Ratatouille Video Game demonstrations, radio promotions and an inside look at how the animation for RATATOUILLE was created. Tour goers will also be able to see multiple making-of pieces at various kiosks.

The tour is being supported by a fantastic lineup of promotional partners. Tour goers can interact with Intel Corporation’s roaming ambassador chefs, equipped with Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology-based laptops using Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors, where they can take photos with the RATATOUILLE characters superimposed into the picture, play an interactive game or register for a chance to win an array of prizes. The tour chefs will feature recipes from the General Mills’ portfolio of brands and attendees will be able to sample Chocolate Chex® cereal as available. Samsung is providing all of the appliances on stage and plasma screens throughout the tour. THQ will provide video game demonstration kiosks where consumers get a chance to sample the latest game.

“RATATOUILLE is the one truly original comedy this summer and we are very excited to let families all over the country get a unique and up close flavor for the film’s humor, exciting Parisian backdrop and its wonderful characters through the ‘Big Cheese Tour’ experience,” commented Jim Gallagher, President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to slide down a 25’ wedge of cheese?” he joked.

“This experience promises to bring the magic and excitement of RATATOUILLE to families across the country,” promises Eddie Newquist, President of The Becker Group’s Creative Studio, who designed and is managing the touring experience. “Guests will feel like they stepped into the world of RATATOUILLE.”

Directed by Academy Award®-winner Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”), RATATOUILLE is the hilarious tale of a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris’ most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy’s amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a hilarious and exciting chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. RATATOUILLE opens in theaters nationwide on June 29, 2007.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios combines creative and technical artistry to create original stories in the medium of computer animation. Pixar has created several of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time: “Toy Story,” “A Bug's Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” and “Cars.” Pixar has won 20 Academy Awards® and its films have grossed more than $3.7 billion at the worldwide box office to date.

About Intel

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

About Chocolate Chex®

Chocolate Chex® cereal is a chocolaty breakfast option that’s wholesome – true to the 70-year Chex® cereal tradition. With 12 vitamins and minerals, chocolate flavor is hero in this oven toasted rice and corn cereal. One serving of Chocolate Chex® cereal is a good source of whole grain (at least 8g per serving), delivers an excellent source of iron and has only 8 grams of sugar. For more information and recipe ideas, visit chex.com.

About Samsung

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA) markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products; and oversees Samsung’s North American operations, including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Semiconductor Inc., Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Its parent company, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., ranks #5 in the 2006 Consumer Electronics segment of the Fortune Magazine “America’s Most Admired Companies,” and ranks # 20 in the BusinessWeek “The Best Global Brand 100 2006.” Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. is a top patent holder, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2006. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

About Becker Group

The Becker Group is an experiential marketing company that has over fifty years of experience creating immersive, entertaining attractions and brand-based experiences for a wide variety of clients and venues including top consumer brands, movie studios, shopping malls, television networks, theme parks, museums and casinos around the globe. The award-winning company is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and has offices in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Miami, Barcelona, Spain and San Paulo, Brazil.

RATATOUILLE “Big Cheese Tour” stops will include: