Disney Files Zootopia Set Installation Permit for New Animal Kingdom Attraction

Mar 03, 2025 in "Zootopia: Better Zoogether"

Posted: Monday March 3, 2025 11:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a Notice of Commencement construction permit for Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, the upcoming attraction set to replace It's Tough to be a Bug! at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The permit, assigned to longtime collaborator Icarus Exhibits, is titled "Install Set Elements," indicating that early work on the new show's staging and themed environments will begin very soon.

Announced as part of Disney's ongoing refresh of Animal Kingdom, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! will bring guests into the diverse biomes of the city of Zootopia, introducing characters from the 2016 animated film. The attraction will utilize the existing Tree of Life Theater, though significant modifications are anticipated to accommodate the new show.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether Poster

While Disney has not revealed full details, the show is expected to blend 3D projection technology, immersive effects, and animatronic elements to create a dynamic, multi-sensory experience. It will mark the first permanent Zootopia-themed attraction at Walt Disney World.

The Tree of Life Theater at Disney's Animal Kingdom will be home ot hte new Zootopia Show

Closure of It's Tough to be a Bug! and Upcoming Changes

To make way for Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, It's Tough to be a Bug! will close permanently on March 17, 2025. The attraction, which debuted with Animal Kingdom in 1998, blends 3D visuals, in-theater effects, and animatronics featuring characters from Pixar's A Bug's Life.

'It's Tough to be a Bug' theater

With the latest permit filing, construction appears set to begin soon after the closure of Tough To Be a Bug. A separate Notice of Commencement was recently filed for "Facility Demo, General Construction, Electrical, and Area Development" at the Tree of Life Theater, suggesting that the theater will undergo a significant transformation before the new show debuts in winter 2025.

The Tree of Life Theater

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Cmdr_Crimson24 days ago

With the Zootopia 2 opening Nov 26th this would fit that timeline so after it gets released the new attraction opens just around afterwards...

FrontierSpirit25 days ago

Think I like Meteorological and Astronomical Winters better. I’ll assume it’s not open by Dec. and if it is my girls will love it! If not, I won’t mention it.

MisterPenguin25 days ago

Take the earliest time that anyone would say it is "Winter" and the latest time anyone would say it's still "Winter." That.

FrontierSpirit25 days ago

What does opening Winter 2025 mean? Meteorological Winter: December, January, and February. Astronomical Winter: Approximately late December to late March. What’s a Disney winter type timeline?

FigmentFan8226 days ago

2 Posters, one of which was a foreign market poster, and being 3rd in line in a huge cast picture list is NOT at all making a "big deal" out of it. You're stretching this farther than silly putty.

Brer Panther27 days ago

I recall she was the first cast member to be announced after Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman. There were articles online about her being in the film. The character got at least two posters. When the full "main" cast of the film was announced at the 2015 D23 Expo, she was right next to Ginnifer and Jason, the third listed in the cast list - BEFORE characters who actually had a role in the film's plot like Chief Bogo, Mayor Lionheart, and Dawn Bellwether and instead of Mr. Big, who ALSO had a role in the film's plot unlike Gazelle but wasn't listed because he wasn't voiced by a celebrity. There was definitely a big deal made about Shakira being in the movie.

peter1143527 days ago

Explain when and how they “made a huge deal about the fact that Shakira was in the movie”?

FettFan27 days ago

"Smithers....release the sea lions."

FigmentFan8227 days ago

Um, I'm not recalling at all any type of marketing or promotion of the Gizelle character to make people aware there was a character voiced by Shakira. No trailers focused on her at all. They never attempted to misdirect you that Gizelle was a major character.

Brer Panther27 days ago

Y'know what I love about Zootopia? They created a character for the sole purpose of putting Shakira in their movie and then made such a huge deal about the fact that Shakira was in their movie, and the character only had, what, five lines outside of the song?

Disgruntled Walt28 days ago

So proud that we've got the OG one here, and it still holds up. I love the crashed police car in the queue. Best queue at Great America (though Viper is pretty good too).

FettFan29 days ago

Strong disagree; just look at Busch Gardens. It can be done, and can be done well….but not by the current leadership. I still greatly miss Warden Wilson. Even though we all knew he was a prerecorded sound effect and voice actor, I always got a kick out of seeing how many children (and quite a fair number of adults!) were craning their necks out of the trucks to try to spot him flying overhead.