Zootopia: Better Zoogether is now in previews, and we have a full tour of Walt Disney World’s newest show. Better Zoogether replaced the It’s Tough to be a Bug show in the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In this article, we’ll have a full Zootopia Better Zoogether review, along with a photo tour of the queue and a full recording of the show.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether Review – An IP Mandate That Misses The Mark
Zootopia: Better Zoogether is an all-new show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, located on Discovery Island. The new show features 3D, as well as in-theater effects and a new, full-scale Audio-Animatronic. The show is roughly 10 minutes long, and it runs continuously from park open to park close.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether Exterior Queue
The entrance to Zootopia: Better Zoogether is the same spot where the old It’s Tough to be a Bug attraction entrance was. We’ll backfill this article with a proper photo of the entrance once the final construction shrubs are removed from the area.
The exterior queue is mostly the same as you might remember from It’s Tough to be a Bug. The major difference is the presence of safety nets throughout much of the exterior queue. These new safety nets have been installed as a temporary measure for an upcoming scheduled maintenance of the iconic Tree of Life.
Another change in the exterior queue was the installation of new posters. These posters highlight how Zoogether Day came to be. In short, the world of Zootopia began with predator and prey (much like how the animal world operates today, and will always operate), then the animals evolved and moved beyond their ancient and wild ways. This harmony between all animals is now celebrated as Zoogether Day in the Zootopia universe. Oh, and Disney also retconned the Tree of Life backstory to say that it was, in fact, Zootopia residents who created the animal carvings on the exterior of the iconic centerpiece of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Just as a little bit of housekeeping, clicking on any of the photos in this article will bring up a larger version of the photo if you want to examine more of the details.
That’s pretty much it for the exterior queue. Some areas were still blocked off during our preview, so we’ll be sure to update this article with more photos should there be anything of note that has changed.
One noteworthy thing that has remained is that of the carved chimpanzee known as David Greybeard and the plaque honoring Dr. Jane Goodall. Here are some archive photos of an area that was blocked off, but still visible enough to confirm that there were no changes. For a closer look at the plaque and more on the impact of Dr. Jane Goodall, check out our earlier article.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether Interior Queue/Pre-Show
Heading inside the Tree of Life now, we see a familiar holding area with brand new props. There is also some new upbeat music, replacing the former bug-buzzing renditions of classic Disney songs. We’ll take a very detailed look at this holding area before moving on to the Tree of Life Theater and a scene-by-scene breakdown of the Zootopia: Better Zoogether show.
Ok, buckle up, because we have a lot to explore in the interior portion of the queue. In fact, we found that there is too much to explore here, and that guests in this final waiting area will not be able to see it all in the time between grabbing your CarrotVision 3D glasses and when the theater doors open. Therefore, we took a photo of everything we could find within the queue. Let’s explore together zoogether!
When you first walk in, you’ll be asked to pick up your 3D glasses. Don’t put them on just yet, though; everything in this part of the queue is already in 3D.
The first thing that we see, and get a chuckle out of, is a large ball of dirt. When this attraction was It’s Tough to be a Bug, this queue prop was a ball of dung. Now, it is a display of soil from each of the biomes in Zootopia, with paw prints in honor of the first Zoogether Day. A nearby poster explains the significance of this ball of “dirt”, but also contains a fun nod to when the ball used to be made of dung. There are a few plays on words in the poster, but one caught our eye: “a shared commitment of the highest ordure“. The first definition of “ordure” is excrement, with dung listed as a synonym. I’m assuming that was intentional.
Another portion of the queue shows how residents from Little Rodentia enter the theater. A tube system acts as their transportation, while mini versions of the CarrotVision case, trash can, and theater entrance doors paint a cute scene.
Increasingly, it seems like Pandora, sorry, Pawdora, is a presenting sponsor for not only Disney offerings, but the Zootopia-themed takeover of the Tree of Life Theater as well. The Better Zoogether queue features display cases of jewelry from different biomes. Here’s a detailed look at every piece of jewelry on display.
TIGER
GIRAFFE | SAVANNA CENTRAL
SHREW | LITTLE RODENTIA
POLAR BEAR | TUNDRATOWN
BEAVER | MARSHLANDS
Across from the Pawdora jewelry display is a bulletin board filled with tons of paper material to read, all loaded up with Easter Eggs. There is even a set of keys that has the iconic The Big Donut as a keychain charm!
Other areas of the queue contain posters for the acts that we’ll see during Zoogether Day. There is even a map of Zootopia, showcasing the different biomes and locations for the Zoogether Day celebrations.
Here are a few more photos from the pre-show holding area, including a closer look at some new Zootopia theming. Overall, the pre-show holding area is wonderfully detailed – exactly what we would expect from a retheme like this.
Stepping inside the theater, we find a familiar layout. Bench seating runs the length of the screen, and then some. There is a platform to the right of the screen that will be home to an all-new Audio-Animatronic. The interior of the theater retains the gnarled roots theming. Here’s a look back at the theater as we were leaving the show.
And here’s a look at the theater from near the back, looking toward the screen with the theater entrance on the right and theater exit to the left.
Overall, you can expect the same or similar theater effects, with a couple of effects cut from the show when compared to It’s Tough to be a Bug.
Now that we’re seated, let’s take a closer look at the show itself. As has been previewed, we’re here to watch a live stream of Zoogether Day celebrations from around the various Zootopia biomes. The Tree of Life, which exists in Zootopia, is located in the southern part of Savanna Central. That said, we’ll check out celebrations from Tundratown, Marsh Market, Little Rodentia, and the Canyonlands.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether Full Show Photos & Video
Here’s our full video of the all-new Zootopia: Better Zoogether at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
We’ll go scene by scene, describing what we see, hear, and experience during Zootopia: Better Zoogether. The show begins with some ads for fictional companies as guests fill into the theater. Some of these companies are new to us, and some, like Pawdora, we were introduced to in the pre-show holding area.
The show opens with some pre-recorded and in-theme safety remarks before the curtains lift on the Tree of Life Theater stage, where a new character, Heidi Howler, plays host for the celebration. The conceit here is that Howler will serve as the master of ceremonies for the live stream, which is presented in CarrotVision 3D. CarrotVision allows guests to see, hear, smell, and feel what it’s like to be at the various celebrations around Zootopia.
We’re quickly thrown into the “4D” in-theater effects when Howler takes out a t-shirt cannon and launches shirts “into” the crowd. Blasts of air set expectations for guests who may not have known or expected in-theater effects.
Howler sends a drone into the crowd to pick out a VIZ (Very Important Zootopian) to kick off the show. The camera pans to Flash the sloth sitting in the audience, but he is too slow to react to being chosen, and Benjamin Clawhauser jumps in front of the screen, stealing the role of VIZ for the day. Howler calls for “the sloth”, but Clawhauser is already making his way to the front of the room. Spatial audio plays on the right side of the theater, cueing you to look toward the right side of the stage.
Before we know it, a physical Audio-Animatronic of Clawhauser has popped up to the right of the stage. Clawhauser will remain in view during most of the show. In fact, he’s so prevalent during the show that we created a “Clawhauser Cam” video that keeps an eye on the lovable cheetah during his entire time on stage. You can check out that video below!
Howler asks Clawhauser to kick off the show by pressing the giant red button in front of him. In theory, his task and appearance in the show should be limited. However, Clawhauser manages to press a number of buttons before finding the correct giant red button. This creates some more in-theater effects, such as special lighting when a disco ball shows up on screen and more blasts of air as confetti cannons emerge from the front of the screen.
Eventually, Clawhauser presses one too many buttons, causing a confetti cannon to blast Howler off stage. This is when Sam, the stage manager, makes a shadowy appearance from the wings, asking Clawhauser to narrate the live stream ceremony by reading the teleprompter. Clawhauser is overwhelmed with excitement at his new job for the day.
Our first stop on the Zoogether Day live stream is Tundratown, where polar bears and moose have come together for a predator and prey ice ballet. Just seconds into the ballet, someone shows up with fire – not exactly something that blends well with ice. Before we know it, the entire performance has been derailed as the ice starts to crack, and performers fly everywhere. Not a great start to Zoogether Day!
During the mayhem, there is a slow-motion segment where a moose comes flying out of the screen toward us via 3D. I’ll take a moment here to both praise the 3D as some of the best in Walt Disney World, and complain that the show uses it for the same sort of cheap tricks that MuppetVision poked fun at. At the end of the day, the average Walt Disney World guest will enjoy these types of moments, and Disney fans will be left wanting more. As we’ve seen through countless decisions from Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Experiences, Disney plays to the average guest – not the fan who recalls days of higher standards. Continuing on.
Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps make their first appearance at the end of the Tundratown scene. Something is fishy here, and Judy suspects foul play. Could Zoogether Day be sabotaged somehow? We’ll have to go to other locations as they celebrate the big day to see if this is a one-off or if there is something bigger at play.
Before we leave Tundratown, Nick pulls an animal out of a cannon, which triggers another in-theater effect of a blast of fog. Fans of It’s Tough to be a Bug will remember this effect as being sprayed by bug killer. In Better Zoogether, the effect is used for a bit of comedy, but it is no less intense!
Our next stop is Marsh Market, where we find that the entire marsh has dried up! Now it’s starting to look like sabotage. An opening performance from the Marshmaids finds sea lions swimming and diving in muck instead of water. Nick quickly takes off to inspect the pipes that would fill the marsh with water, while Judy asks the locals for help.
A beaver named Nibbles rings a bell, and Russ the walrus appears. A comedic back-and-forth of “hey bub” ensues, leading to another in-theater effect. As the duo starts to spit during their greeting, increasing amounts of water spray from the back of the seat in front of you. It’s more than a sprinkle! Some of our viewings, we still walked out of the theater wet. It’ll be interesting to see if Disney tones this down or keeps it as is.
Russ then says that he didn’t see who sabotaged the pipes, grabs a fish as a snack, and takes off. I guess we’ll find out more about why fish are considered food in Zootopia 2, but right now it remains a little odd.
Before we know it, Nick comes zipping through the pipes with the built-up water pushing him through. He’s unclogged the pipes, finding some wool as the source of the blockage.
The next stop is Little Rodentia, where Fru Fru introduces us to the festivities, which include a drone flyover show from the Shrew Angels. A wonderful performance starts to turn sideways as flashes of what appear to be lightning start striking the drones out of the sky.
In trying to escape from an incoming drone, Fru Fru accidentally jumps on top of the drone, leading to an aerial maze through the skyscrapers of Little Rodentia. As the pilot abandons the drone, our view cuts to a city street of running rodents as Fru Fru’s drone zips around overhead. Another in-theater effect plays as the rodents run around. You’ll feel this one in the seat of the theater, creating an effect of something small running through the seat of the benches. This effect will be familiar to fans of It’s Tough to be a Bug. Thankfully, the stinging effect on your back has been cut from the new show.
Eventually, Nick and Judy save Fru Fru by catching her in The Big Donut.
Our view pans over to what we thought were storm clouds and lightning, only to find two sheep rubbing balloons across their wool to create static electricity. It was the sheep who were sabotaging the Zoogether Day events!
As Nick and Judy give chase, we cut to the next celebration. It’s finally time to head to the Gazelle concert as Try Everything plays in the background. Gazelle flies overhead (on screen), brought in by a helicopter over the tops of the dancing crowd.
As the camera pulls back, a tall buffalo blocks our view of the stage. It is revealed that the buffalo is actually Chief Bogo of the Zootopia Police Department. Bogo tries to play it cool, even though he is clearly a fan of Gazelle and the party. Before the conversation can get too far, we turn to find Nick and Judy giving chase into the tent of a yak. Once we get into the tent, we get a sort of unidentifiable scent as another in-theater effect.
As “Gazelle’s Biggest Fan” (a literal large fan) starts to blow and cause a tornado-like effect, Gazelle comes in to save Nick and Judy before the feed is cut. With the feed cut, we’re back in the Tree of Life Theater, where Heidi Howler comes stumbling in from the left side of the stage, still recovering from the confetti cannon blast at the start of the show.
We’re going to pause here before we enter the final act of the show to give you a chance to avoid spoiling the ending of the show. If you’ve made it this far, there’s a good chance that you either don’t care about spoilers or have already watched one or both of our videos from the show. If that’s the case, keep reading after the break!
Ok, if you’ve made it this far, you’re ok with us spoiling the twist at the end of the show.
Before we can even start to try and piece the clues together, Heidi Howler is back on stage, this time celebrating the news that Zoogether Day has been ruined. Judy then comes swinging in, knocking Heidi’s “head” off to reveal that escaped fugitive Dawn Bellwether has been puppeteering “Heidi” this entire time! A sheep in wolf’s clothing.
Bellwether was not a fan of the Zoogetherness of the day and decided to sabotage the celebrations. As Nick complains about her monologue, Clawhauser prepares a confetti cannon and blasts Bellwether off the stage (and screen!). A physical representation of Bellwether appears in the Tree of Life Theater, lodged in the gnarled roots of the venue. This in-theater effect is similar to another in-theater effect that saw a simple figure in the same spot during the It’s Tough to be a Bug show.
With Bellwether taken care of, Clawhauser sadly exclaims, “We never got our big finale”. That prompts Gazelle to emerge from the rafters (on screen) and launch us into the original finale song for the attraction. Interestingly, and with a bit of comedy, Gazelle asks us to sing along as she can’t, for legal reasons. I’d imagine that there is something at play here between Shakira and Disney that says should Gazelle be present, it must be Shakira who sings. I’m assuming that Shakira was either unavailable or Disney didn’t want to pay.
Either way, we’re thrown into a 60-second original song called “We Are Zoonited”. The song was written by Michael Giacchino, Elyssa Samsel, and Kate Anderson, while it was composed by Michael and Mick Giacchino.
The song may be catchy if you watch the show back-to-back a number of times, but we found ourselves wishing that the finale song was Try Everything instead. In fact, the snippet of Try Everything that we heard during the concert sequence was stuck in our head immediately, and We Are Zoonited never really stood a chance.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether Review & Closing Thoughts
Ok, time to offer some thoughts about Zootopia: Better Zoogether. In short, I’m not a fan. Before we get into why I personally don’t like the show, I want to start with some positives. I will say that the 3D is phenomenal, so kudos to the collaboration between Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios for creating the best 3D in Walt Disney World. The video is crisp, and the 3D is convincing. If the wait time is short, I’d almost recommend seeing the show for the 3D alone, it’s that good. The first time the curtain “lifted” to show Heidi Howler on stage, it was nearly a blockbuster movie-quality moment.
Another thing that I liked, which is absolutely going to sound like a backhanded compliment, is that the implementation of Zootopia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is entirely avoidable. The placement of Zootopia in a theater show out of sight is the most respectful way that Imagineering could’ve implemented the IP mandate that was surely handed down from on high. I guess that argument falls apart a little bit once the Zootopia meet and greet opens, but I digress.
Zootopia doesn’t belong in Animal Kingdom, and this new show makes it painfully obvious, but the alternative of creating a Zootopia metropolis where the DINOSAUR attraction is currently located would’ve probably been inexcusable.
As a reminder, here’s an early concept of what DinoLand USA was going to be transformed into. Basically, instead of Encanto and Indiana Jones, we would’ve received Moana and Zootopia.
Another positive from the show is the Clawhauser Audio-Animatronic. I’m happy to see Disney invest some money here and utilize the Audio-Animatronic platform in this theater, even if the Hopper Audio-Animatronic was more impressive.
The props in the queue were executed well and were more plentiful than I thought, which was another bonus for the attraction.
Turning to criticisms, of which there are many, we’ll start with the obvious: this show doesn’t belong in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There isn’t a single element of the show that furthers the mission of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, let alone even come close to tying in with the themes of the park.
According to Animal Kingdom’s braintrust and creator Joe Rohde, the theme park is based on three themes:
- The intrinsic value of nature
- Psychological transformation through adventure
- A personal call to action
Zootopia: Better Zoogether fails to even get close to any of those themes. The former attraction, It’s Tough to be a Bug, hit the mark on all three of those values. A new attraction should be just as good, if not significantly better, than the attraction it replaces. When compared to It’s Tough to be a Bug, Zootopia: Better Zoogether isn’t an improvement in any way except for the quality of the video. It’s Tough to be a Bug may not have been super popular, but it was pitch-perfect for its place in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Putting Rohde’s words aside for a moment, here’s how Walt Disney World described Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park during the park’s 25th Anniversary in 2023.
Walt Disney World Resort invited guests to discover a one-of-a-kind theme park where they could be inspired by the magic of the natural world. The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park introduced a whole new way to appreciate, enjoy and interact with animals while also delivering incredible new stories that celebrated our relationship with the environment.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom combined Walt Disney’s love of animals, both real and imaginary, with exciting attractions, spectacular stage shows and entertaining characters.
True, there were – and are – breathtaking animal encounters, from an African safari adventure to a meandering, mystical trail that leads guests on an exciting search for tigers, to live shows highlighting animal behaviors and beauty – and so much more. But this park was also a way for Disney to inspire people with the spectacular breadth and beauty of nature and animals through the power of entertainment and attractions, including a hysterical 3D journey into the world of insects (It’s Tough to Be a Bug!), a larger-than-life musical celebrating the circle of life (Festival of the Lion King), and encounters with beloved characters.
Everything in Disney’s Animal Kingdom takes inspiration from nature and the animal world. For example, the park icon – the towering Tree of Life – features 337 sculpted animals in its trunk. Similarly, building architecture, light poles, benches and countless other elements feature animal designs that range from subtle to dramatic. Nowhere else are animals so richly and creatively celebrated.
There really isn’t anything even in that description that justifies the presence of Zootopia: Better Zoogether. The main theme of the show – we’re better together – is a theme so generic that it could fit in anywhere. There’s nothing special about the show or its existence in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
More recently, Imagineers explained how Zootopia: Better Zoogether focuses on a theme of Disney’s Animal Kingdom tied to “the interconnectedness of all living things“. While I certainly think that the Imagineers were focused on that message, Zootopia even falls short when compared to It’s Tough to be a Bug, which even delivered that message more effectively.
Ultimately, I think that Zootopia: Better Zoogether is a sloppy IP mandate in a theme park that deserves a much more focused lineup of attractions. Listen, Better Zoogether will be enjoyed by more people than It’s Tough to be a Bug, and for that, Disney will call it a job well done. Maybe they’re right. Maybe Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and all theme parks for that matter, will survive straying from “theme” to simply inject IP that will drive ticket sales. Walt Disney World is a business, after all.
Before I wrap up, I want to take a step further back. Taking the cerebral out of this review for a moment, I want to just focus on the in-theater experience. If we simply disregard where this attraction is located and what it means for Disney’s Animal Kingdom as a whole, we can certainly enjoy it a lot more.
There are some fun and funny moments throughout the show, and maybe that’s all that matters at the end of the day. This is a Disney fan blog that will always try to dissect an experience far more than the average guest will, so maybe my opinion doesn’t matter. What matters most is the experience that paying guests will have when visiting the theme park.
Whereas It’s Tough to be a Bug featured moments that scared guests, both young and old, Zootopia keeps it light. Better Zoogether is a fast-paced adventure that allows guests to smile, laugh, and offer up some fun surprises. Kids will love it far more than It’s Tough to be a Bug, and maybe that’s the only barometer that should matter.
Do guests visiting Animal Kingdom care to dive deeper into what the park has to offer and the messages it delivers? A million comments about how Animal Kingdom is a “half-day park” would suggest that the answer is no.
For the average Disney park guest, Zootopia: Better Zoogether will be a fun 10 minutes with an action-packed video and some fun in-theater effects. For Disney fans who are looking for something more from Imagineering and the Walt Disney World theme park experience, don’t expect Zootopia: Better Zoogether to deliver anything of substance.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
