Walt Disney World Resort has made an official announcement regarding changes to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. On Wednesday, Disney confirmed it would not fully overhaul the Tree of Life Theater for the upcoming Zootopia: Better Zoogether! attraction.
The news comes shortly after the closure of It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, the 3D show that had been part of the Tree of Life Theater since Animal Kingdom first opened in 1998. On March 16, It’s Tough to Be a Bug! played its final performance.
At the 2023 Destination D23 event, Walt Disney Imagineering revealed plans to replace It’s Tough to Be a Bug! with an all-new show based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios film Zootopia (2016). The new show, Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, will be a 4D experience featuring animatronics and an all-new 3D film. The attraction will see Ginnifer Goodwin reprise her role as Judy Hopps, and the show will include a new song performed by her. Early concept art has teased an advanced Clawhauser audio-animatronic, similar to one featured in the Zootopia: Hot Pursuit ride at Shanghai Disneyland.
Although Walt Disney World Resort has yet to confirm an exact opening date, the new attraction is expected to debut in late 2025, coinciding with the theatrical release of Zootopia 2 (2025).
On Wednesday, a Disney official confirmed to WDWNT that Walt Disney Imagineers plan to reuse multiple special effects elements from It’s Tough To Be A Bug! for Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, shutting down rumors of a complete demolition inside the Tree of Life Theater.
Construction is underway, with Disney filing permits to install new set elements and perform electrical work inside the Tree of Life Theater. While the permits do not provide full details, one permit has listed Incryo Systems Inc. as the contractor, suggesting that some of the existing fog machine infrastructure from It’s Tough to Be a Bug! will be reused in the new show. However, Walt Disney World Resort wouldn’t publicly confirm which special effects it plans to reuse.
Do you agree with Walt Disney World Resort’s decision to replace It’s Tough To Be A Bug! with Zootopia: Better Zoogether!? Share your thoughts with Disney Dining in the comments.
