A new attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom puts polar bears in your face, introduces one very wet walrus, presents a buff buffalo clad in Lycra and solves a mystery, all in 10 minutes.
It’s all digital, fortunately. “Zootopia: Better Zoogether,” an animated 4D show, opens to the public inside the park’s Tree of Life Theater on Friday.
Its arrival comes just ahead of the release of “Zootopia 2,” which comes to theaters Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving. It’s the sequel to 2016’s “Zootopia” from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
“Better Zoogether” and the new film were in production at the same time, which allowed for cross-over and cooperation between Walt Disney Imagineering and the studios.
The two creative arms bounced back ideas for a couple of years, Jared Bush, chief creative officer at the studios, said after a preview of “Better Zoogether” at the theme park this week.
“Obviously, they can do things that we can’t. We can’t get someone to be spit upon by a walrus,” Bush said. “That’s the sort of interactive, immersive quality … that’s really, really spectacular.”
In the Tree of Life production’s story, the biomes of Zootopia are celebrating Zoogether Day in their own fashions, anchored by a concert by superstar Gazelle, a gazelle. As is theme park tradition, something goes horribly wrong, leaving Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde to investigate. They are again voiced by Gennifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, respectively.
“We had a huge responsibility to fit into the themes of Animal Kingdom. We explored a lot of different options, and it eventually came into how are animals interconnected together and how do we celebrate that?” said Priya Sampat, a producer with Walt Disney Imagineering. “After exploring additional options, we came upon Zoogether Day, which is a holiday that all of Zootopia is celebrating together in their own different ways, but eventually they come together at the end.”
The theater was previously the setting for “It’s Tough to Be a Bug,” a show that closed in March after a 27-year run.
“The Tree of Life theater has robust effects, you know, from the previous show,” said Danny Handke, senior creative director with Imagineering. “We’re like, we got to reuse all these, except for the back poke, which I don’t think anyone liked. So we took that one out, but we’ll keep little seat bumps. We’ll keep all the others, the water, everything else.”
So visitors are treated with puffs of air, sprays of water, flaming snowflakes and other jump-off-the-screen moments themed to the adventurous story. It’s fun and punny. The theater and queue have been rethemed from the insect world to a more four-legged experience, including the sponsorship of Paw-dora.
Among the other sights are Benjamin Clawhauser, an animatronic cheetah who has the day off from the Zootopia Police Department, and Flash Slothmore, a sloth, in 3D glasses. (He’s also spotted, comically, above the entrance to the attraction’s Lightning Lane queue.)
The show is stocked with “Zootopia”-related Easter eggs and some characters and settings that will be seen in “Zootopia 2” this month, including Clawhauser’s fashion choices. The two projects had the same Disney animators.
Zootopia characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde greet invited guests during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom visitors get a preview of ‘Zootopia: Better Together,’ which debuts in the Tree of Life Theater on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from a first look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
An animatronic version of Benjamin Clawhauser flanks the stage of “Zootopia: Better Together,” a new 4D show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from the line queue as invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Zootopia characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde greet invited guests during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from a first look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from the line queue as invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Products from the fictions Paw-dora are part of the queue area for “Better Zoogether” inside the Tree of Life. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from the line queue as invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Invited guests get a first look of merchandise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Scenes from a first look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Members of the creative team behind “Zootopia: Better Together” discuss the show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during a preview Monday. From left are Chris Beaty with Walt Disney Imagineering, Jared Bush from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Imagineer Priya Sampat, actress Gennifer Goodwin (the voice of Judy Hopps) and actor Nate Torrence, who voices Clawhauser. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
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Zootopia characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde greet invited guests during a sneak peek of the Zootopia: Better Together! 4D show, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The new attraction, based on the Disney “Zootopia” movies, opens to guests at Walt Disney World on Friday. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
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“The entire location of Marshmarket is a big one that plays a major role in ‘Zootopia 2.’ That’s where you get to hang out with Nibbles Maplestick (voiced by Fortune Feimster). She’s part of this, which is mind-boggling to me. … And I love that she’s in this attraction,” Bush said. “You’ll see Gary the snake at the very end of this one, which is really fun.”
Imagineers had access to the Marshmarket setting, which gives the Animal Kingdom show some Marshmaid moments.
“You gave us a little peek when we were at WDS, and we loved it instantly,” said Chris Beatty, creative portfolio executive with WDI. “We’re like, oh, that’s kind of cool. We get to actually reveal something that has not yet been seen.”
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Ketan Sardeshmukh, who became vice president for Disney’s Animal Kingdom this year, said the show is a good fit for the park.
“It’s at the icon for the park. It’s at the Tree of Life. And you have all these different species that are celebrated on the Tree of Life, and you even got lots of species coming together to put that to bear,” he said.
The show’s finale is an all-hooves-on-deck musical number to an original song titled “We Are Zoonited.”
“I’m really hoping that people walk out energized, they had a great time, but also that they start to think a little about how our world works,” Bush said.
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