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EPCOT Update: ‘Zootopia’ Joins World Showcase, Effective Immediately

Get ready for more Zootopia (2016) in Disney theme parks thanks to a new addition at EPCOT’s World Showcase.

If Disney has made one thing clear in regards to its theme parks lately, it’s that IP is king. Looking back at additions to Walt Disney World Resort over the past 10 years, you’ll see a string of IP-driven attractions and lands, such as Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Pandora – World of Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and more.

Guests visiting Toy Story Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort
Credit: Disney

Of course, IP has always played a huge part in Disney theme parks. However, so have broader, more conceptual ideas. It’s tough to picture Walt Disney Imagineering announcing plans for something akin to Tomorrowland, Frontierland, or anything else that doesn’t rely solely on existing characters or storylines today.

While some IP-based attractions and lands are well-received, others (such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) have proven a little more divisive in the past. This primarily happens when the IP in question doesn’t gel with a land or park’s original vision.

Zootopia land building at Shanghai Disneyland concept art
Credit: Disney

That’s why the idea of adding a Zootopia land to Disney’s Animal Kingdom has gone down so poorly with a lot of diehard parkgoers. Beyond the fact that it features animals, it bears no relevance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s original vision of a park that celebrates conservation.

Fortunately, it seems like Walt Disney Imagineering has scrapped the idea of replacing DinoLand U.S.A. with a Zootopia land (and replaced it with the equally nonsensical additions of Coco (2017), Encanto (2021), and the Indiana Jones franchise, but that’s a conversation for another day). For now, the only Zootopia land in existence is located at Shanghai Disneyland, where it opened late last year.

But Disney’s Zootopia goals don’t end there. This week, Disney has dropped a new Zootopia Land exhibit in EPCOT’s China Pavilion, which reopened after its refurbishment yesterday (June 26).

Colorful, whimsical street in Shanghai Disneyland, styled like a cartoon with vibrant buildings, quirky sculptures, and playful architectural elements. Bright sky and empty path suggest a lively yet serene setting.
Credit: Disney

Related: Marvel IP Taking Over Entire Park After “it’s a small world” Backlash, Disney Reveals

The exhibit is located inside the House of the Whispering Willows Gallery, where guests making their way around World Showcase have been able to learn more about Shanghai Disneyland – which is also home to attractions inspired by franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean and TRON – since June 2016.

This is just the beginning of Zootopia at Disney World. As was announced during the “A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” presentation at Destination D23 last September, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will apparently soon swap out its version of It’s Tough to be a Bug! – the (mildly traumatic) 4-D show based on A Bug’s Life (1998) under the Tree of Life – with a Zootopia show.

Red paw popsicle from Shanghai Disneyland's Zootopia land
Credit: Disney

With Zootopia 2 on the way in November 2025, we wouldn’t be surprised if this is just the tip of the iceberg for the franchise at Disney Parks. Grossing over $1 billion at the box office upon release, the first film – which stars Ginnifer Goodwin as optimistic bunny cop Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as the enigmatic rogue-turned-cop Nick Wilde – features a highly distinctive, colorful world that Disney has already proven translates well into a theme park environment. We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds (but catch us manifesting no Zootopia in Animal Kingdom in the meantime).

Would you like to see more Zootopia in the Disney theme parks?

Chloe James

Chloë is a theme park addict and self-proclaimed novelty hunter. She's obsessed with all things Star Wars, loves roller coasters (but hates Pixar Pal-A-Round), and lives for Disney's next Muppets project.

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