It is time to celebrate Zoogether Day! We finally got the chance to see the NEW show inside the Tree of Life Theatre at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and you are coming along with us. After all, you can’t celebrate Zoogether Day unless you do it “zoogether”, right? We have been eagerly awaiting the opening of this new show since it was announced back in 2023, and we had the opportunity to get a preview before it officially opens.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Sign
“Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” officially opens on November 7th, but we were lucky enough to check it out a bit early. And, y’all, we have so much to tell you! Let’s get into it and find out what you should look (and listen!) out for when you experience this all-new attraction.
We checked out “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” at Animal Kingdom, and we have some stuff to tell you! This post contains spoilers, so don’t read it if you want to be surprised when you see the show for the first time! The all-new 4D show (as viewed through your Carrot Vision 3D Glasses!) begins when you arrive at the main stage just in time for Zoogether Day festivities! Here, you’ll spot some new and familiar faces, including Heidi Howler, a wolf who hosts the Zoogether Day LIVE! broadcast. Joining the gang for Zoogether Day is an audio-animatronic of none other than Benjamin Clawhauser, who is decked out in glow necklaces, bracelets, and his favorite glittery Gazelle tee shirt for the celebration! We can’t wait for you to see this new show.
Celebrating Zoogether Day!
It Isn’t Reinventing the Wheel, But It Is Still Enjoyable
This is an overlay on the old It’s Tough to Be a Bug show. While it is now distinctly Zootopia-themed, it still uses the existing theatrical and sensory effects from It’s Tough to Be a Bug. The show has an all-new story, and it is now focused on the characters of Zootopia, but you can still feel the ghost of It’s Tough to Be a Bug in the theater. This wasn’t a complete demolition and rebuilding, but instead, Imagineers used what was already in the Tree of Life to bring this new show to life.
Our carrot vision glasses!
Don’t get us wrong — we still greatly enjoyed this new show — but it won’t feel like a completely new experience if you have seen It’s Tough to Be a Bug. You will notice that many of the effects are used again in this new show, and the theater looks very similar to how it used to. Good news, though, the “stinging” effect from It’s Tough to Be a Bug is gone, but the effect that was supposed to feel like bugs crawling under your seat is still there.
You Might Get Wet
You might just be in the splash zone during this show! Water effects were also used during It’s Tough to Be a Bug, but we felt this show used them more. While the effect is used in clever and funny ways, be prepared that you might be leaving with a wetter outfit than when you entered.
Be prepared for water effects
Depending on where you sit in the theater, you might get semi-drenched during this show. Although we visited the show during a preview, so it is possible that the water effect may be scaled back in the future.
The Animatronic Is One of Our Favorite Parts
Benjamin Clawhauser has arrived, and he is a star! While he is truly the star of the show, he was also one of our favorite parts. The animatronic is well-done and has incredibly smooth movements. It is integrated seamlessly with the screen, and at one point even transitions from a physical animatronic to an animated form. Benjamin Clawhauser is present throughout the show, and he is the biggest reason you should see this show.
We love the animatronic!
We are officially starting a Benjamin Clawhauser fan club, and we are inviting you to join!
SPOILER ALERT: Everything You Need To Know About the 4D Effects at Disney’s New Zootopia Show
Be Prepared for Fun Effects
Just like It’s Tough to Be a Bug, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! is a 4D show that features lots of fun effects. During the show, we noticed air, water, smoke, and bubble effects. Like we mentioned before, the show still utilizes the bugs crawling under your seat effect, but the poking effect is NOT in this show.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
We thought the effects were used thoughtfully throughout the show, which helped you feel more immersed in the storytelling.
Where Is “Try Everything”?
We were SO ready to sing along to “Try Everything.” Our vocal cords were warmed up, and we were jamming on our way over to the show: “I won’t give up, no, I won’t give in. ‘Til I reach the end, and then I’ll start again.” However, we are sad to report that this song was NOT included in the new show. There were still plenty of fun tunes, but we were definitely hoping for this song to be included! We’ll be alright, but we just wanted to send out a PSA in case you were also expecting this song in the show.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
Overall, this was a very enjoyable show! It is on the shorter side, at about 9 minutes, but it was fast-paced and kept us engaged. The story quickly jumped through multiple scenes and settings, offering viewers a lot of variety in a relatively short time. We’ll be on the lookout for more updates from Disney World you need to know about. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and beyond!
EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
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Are you looking forward to seeing this new show at Disney World? Let us know in the comments.
Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their preview of Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Note that when we attend events as media, we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ
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I knew it. The imagineers have lost their cutting ended out of the box Mojo that make WDW special. Using old gag’s as Walt would say, is not the best show in town. To bad. Another great attraction is replaced by a not go great, cutting edge or new and improved one.