6 Things That Totally SURPRISED Us in the NEW Zootopia Show in Disney World

We finally got a chance to watch Disney’s NEW Zootopia: Better Zoogether! show in Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the special previews, and we’ve gotta tell you, we were shocked by some things!

This new show follows the many residents of Zootopia as they get ready to celebrate Zoogether Day, a day to support unity among the diverse biomes across the city. There are tons of talented animals performing, which we’ll get to watch via a livestream watch party, hosted by none other than Heidi Howler. We’ve been looking forward to it all year, and now that we’ve gotten a chance to check it out, we HAVE to point out these six things so you know what to expect! Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!

This is a true overlay

If you were a big fan of It’s Tough To Be A Bug, you’re going to think the new Zootopia show is haunted by that previous show. Almost all the theatrical and sensory effects from It’s Tough To Be a Bug remain, although they’re used as part of this new story.

The original skeleton of the attraction is still there. Remember the scene with the bugs crawling under your seat? Well, that effect is used again in this show.

It doesn’t have our favorite Zootopia song

We were looking forward to the appearance of Gazelle in the show, but we were really surprised when she didn’t perform “Try Everything.” That song is such a banger and one of the most memorable moments of the film, so we’re not sure why it wasn’t included.

Disney plays that song a LOT at various theme park events (if you know, you know), so maybe Imagineers had a little “Try Everything” fatigue.

It’s not ALL in 3D

One thing we really liked is that not all of the show requires 3D glasses. We appreciated that there were just some small 3D elements, and it wasn’t something required for the whole show.

The show is labeled as a 4D experience, which is where those special effects (like fog, water, and bubbles) come into play.

You might get wet

Okay, this is a warning: you might get wet during this show. There is a splash during the festivities, and it’s a lot bigger than we expected. Some parts of the theater get wetter than others, so if you have an issue with that, be sure to let a Cast Member know before you are seated.

In fact, you can get a pretty good idea of the special 4D effects in this video shared by Disney. There’s smoke, water, and bubbles!

A round of a-paws? Cast had a Wilde time at the preview of Zootopia: Better Zoogether! opening November 7 at Animal Kingdom ? pic.twitter.com/BgOBeBAMNn

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) November 1, 2025

That said, Disney may still be tweaking the squirt levels — this was a preview, after all!

The Clawhauser animatronic is great

We were very impressed with the Clawhauser animatronic, the true star of the show. His presence enhances everything, and he’s giving main character energy. He’s incredibly expressive for his size, and he’s a prime example of how far Disney has come with animatronics.

If you see the show for anything, see it for Clawhauser.

The animated parts of the show are great

With that said, we were also impressed with the quality of the animation and writing. The show is short — just nine minutes — but you get a very full experience in that short time frame.

Nothing feels forced or hurried. The pacing is perfect.

Overall, we really enjoyed this new show — it was cute, fun, and told a lot of story in a short time. Oh, and bonus — NO STINGING BUGS!

Looking for more recent Animal Kingdom news? Check out our posts below!

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Are you looking forward to seeing this new show? Tell us in the comments!

Disclosure: We were invited by Disney to attend a media preview of Zootopia: Better Zoogether. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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