Disney World’s new Zootopia experience is fun, fast, and full of fur – literally, thanks to one incredible animatronic
A big part of the appeal of any Disney park is that you can step into some of your favorite worlds, whether Star Wars at Galaxy’s Edge, with walking, talking, beeping BDX droids or a Jack Sparrow-worthy bar at The Beak and Barrel. And while guests can visit Zootopia At Shanghai Disney, there’s now another way to explore the animal-filled metropolis.
Opening today – November 7, 2025 – at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, is a new immersive 4D show, Zootopia: a better Zoogether!. It replaces the old It’s hard to be a bug show (film theme The life of an insect) inside the Tree of Life Theater near the front of the park and marks the park’s first new attraction in years.
THE Zootopia the show debuts as the Animal Kingdom park undergoes major changes, including a new Indiana Jones-a themed walk and a Encanto attraction in the next land of tropical Americas. TechRadar had the chance to preview the new 4D show before it opened, experiencing the production – created by the same animation team behind Zootopia 2 – and get a close look at a brand new animatronic from Walt Disney Imagineering.
It’s a fitting start to an attraction so deeply tied to Zootopia universe, arriving a few weeks before Zootopia 2 hits the big screen on November 26, 2025. The series even introduces a new location – Marsh Market – which will appear in the film, features the same voice talent and was developed by the same storytellers behind the sequel. This is a perfect example of synergy between Disney Parks, Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Zootopia: a better Zoogether! is approximately 10 minutes long and takes guests through various celebrations centered around Zoogether Day – a day similar to Earth Day – exploring different biomes. Along the way, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde guide the story through an investigation. It’s engaging and resembles the short films we’ve seen from Walt Disney Animation Studios on Disney+.
The art style and animation are almost identical to the world of the film – a major plus that enhances the experience. This looks a lot like a Zootopia story, and while it’s not full-scale thematic territory, it nonetheless draws you deep into the world of the film. Everything is presented under the name “CarrotVision”, accompanied by orange 3D glasses which help to bring the “third” dimension to life. During this time, Disney also added a fourth dimension through effects such as fans, wind turbines, smoke and water sprays.
All of this enhances immersion and gets you looking beyond the walls of the screen – sometimes up or down, left or right – to see where the next special effect might come from.
The real star, however, is the use of the original voice cast – Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy, Jason Bateman as Nick, and Nate Torrence as Benjamin Clawhauser – as well as an all-new animatronic version of Clawhauser. Installed on a platform on the right side of the theater, the animatronics swivels and rotates, giving the impression of being a one-to-one recreation of the character we see behind his desk in Zootopia.
Clawhauser in this form is very expressive, with detailed facial movements – eyebrows, cheeks, smiles and other emotional nuances – as well as realistic articulation of the hands and paws. It’s impressively executed. While Disney has another Clawhauser animatronic in line at Shanghai Disney, the eyes here are not screens, which enhances the realism.
Nate Torrence, who plays Clawhauser in the Zootopia films, also lends his voice to this attraction. Speaking to TechRadar, Torrence said he was thrilled to be immortalized in this form. For Zootopia: a better Zoogether!he recorded lines at Disney Imagineering, where the crew also filmed him for facial reference.
He remembers being self-conscious about his expressions: “There were specific moments where they would come in and say, ‘we just want to see how you would say that and how you move – like when you grimace out of the water’. Those kinds of things aren’t written into the process,” Torrence explained. “It was great to be included in this process.” He added that while watching the attraction, he became more aware of how he uses his hands – and became even more animated.
Ginnifer Goodwin also shared her insights into the process of recording the attraction and the film. “It was explained to me that the way we move changes the way we speak, and that makes us seem more human – the same way we want our Zootopia the characters should have human overlap,” she said. That expressiveness — like Torrence’s grimace — translates directly into Clawhauser’s animated performance.
Although the attraction is presented as a 4D show, the animatronics are visible, moving and interacting for most of the runtime before the character comes on screen for a musical number – something that will likely surprise and delight. Zootopia fans.
Speaking to TechRadar, Priya Sampat, lead producer at Walt Disney Imagineering for the attraction, said the Clawhauser animatronic is more interactive than previous models, replacing the projected eyes with mechanical eyes and adding “additional features on his face as well as his wrists to lean into what the characters are doing on screen.”
You’ll also notice that Clawhauser’s lighting is intentional: it gets brighter as he moves, depending on the biomes, and slightly darker when the focus is on the screen or other theater effects.
Sampat also noted that Imagineering worked hand-in-hand with Walt Disney Animation Studios to ensure “he is properly represented in the series.” This collaboration shines through in the visuals, as shown by the same animation team behind Zootopia 2 worked on the attraction. The result fits perfectly into the universe – a family experience that will have you humming the original song created for this purpose.
The various immersive elements go beyond the standard 3D tricks: being sprayed with jets of water while two otters depict a scene in Marsh Market, feeling your seat rumble during a chaotic chase through Rodentia, or being surrounded by smoke, fog, and wind as you race. Zootopia. These moments enhance the pacing and keep you fully engaged throughout the show.
Zootopia: a better Zoogether! is now open at Animal Kingdom at Disney World, and entry to the attraction is free with a park ticket – there’s also a Lightning Lane option. You’ll want to take the time to browse the queue as there are posters advertising Zoogether Day that feature excellent artwork, a mini-entry for Rodentia guests attending the show, and a “Pawdora” exhibit while you wait to enter the theater.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
