It's Tough to be a Bug! Now Closed at Disney's Animal Kingdom

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Zootopia Better Zoogether construction - March 17 2025

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Posted: Monday March 17, 2025 9:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

It’s Tough to be a Bug! has now permanently closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom following its final performances on March 17, 2025. As work begins to prepare the Tree of Life Theater for its upcoming Zootopia: Better Zoogether! attraction, several noticeable changes have already taken place.

Tree of Life Theater Updates

The entrance marquee for It’s Tough to be a Bug! has been removed.

The former Tough to be a Bug entrance

The It's Tough To Be A Bug entrance marquee pictured last week

While the former entrance remains accessible, guests can now only use it to explore the Tree of Life Gardens — entry into the theater queue is blocked by a small construction wall.

The entrance to the theater is now blocked

A look down into the queue area

Zootopia Better Zoogether construction - March 17 2025

References to It’s Tough to be a Bug! have been removed from wayfinder signage throughout the park.

Tough to be a Bug signage has been removed from way finder signs

A new in-park map was released today reflecting these changes. The map no longer lists It’s Tough to be a Bug! and does not yet mention the upcoming Zootopia attraction.

What’s Next for the Tree of Life Theater?

Disney has confirmed that Zootopia: Better Zoogether! will debut in winter 2025, but no additional construction timeline details have been shared. Recent permits suggest infrastructure changes and set installation will begin very soon as part of the theater’s transformation.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether Poster

For now, guests can still enjoy the Tree of Life Gardens, offering scenic views of the park’s iconic centerpiece and opportunities to spot detailed animal carvings along the paths.

Zootopia Better Zoogether construction - March 17 2025

Discuss on the Forums

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Cmdr_Crimson26 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...

FrontierSpirit27 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.

MisterPenguin27 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.

FrontierSpirit27 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?

FigmentFan8229 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 Panther29 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.

peter1143529 days ago

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

FettFan29 days ago

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

FigmentFan8230 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 Panther30 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 Walt30 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).

FettFan31 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.