Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature film is swiftly approaching, or should we say hopping toward, its theatrical release date. Nearly a decade after the original, Zootopia 2 arrives in theaters on November 26, 2025. But ahead of the film’s release, Disney Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering are teaming up to celebrate another major milestone: a brand-new theme park experience.
Opening November 7, 2025, inside the Tree of Life Theater at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! is a cutting-edge 4D attraction that immerses guests in the bustling, animal-filled metropolis, complete with animation by the same team as the film, paired with an entirely new animatronic from Imagineering. It’s not another Walt Disney; this time, it is Benjamin Clawhauser from the film.
TechRadar got an early look at the show and caught up with Zootopia stars Ginnifer Goodwin (the voice of Judy Hopps), Nate Torrence (Benjamin Clawhauser), and Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, to talk about both the attraction and the upcoming sequel.
The new show reunites much of the creative team and animation talent behind Zootopia 2 and even features the same voice cast. Fans can expect a few surprises too, including a sneak peek at some of the new districts featured in the upcoming movie.
Reflecting on returning to Judy Hopps, Goodwin shared: “It was incredible to revisit something frankly this much later, like the fact that it’s been almost a decade.” To prepare for recording, she re-listened rather than rewatched the first film “over and over and over again” to rediscover her character’s voice and spirit.
Goodwin added that working with Disney always brings a sense of creative freedom: “They want you to give it your all.”
In Zootopia 2, Judy once again teams up with Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) on a mysterious new case – one that centers on a never-before-seen reptilian character. We asked Bush what we can expect from the sequel, and he said that the new story will be relevant today, years ago, or years into the future – “things that will always resonate, regardless of when it is or where”.
That’s reminiscent of the first Zootopia story, which he said is really about using animals “to look at human nature.”
Premiering a new setting ahead of the film
Bush also highlighted the partnership between Animation Studios and Imagineering. Zootopia: Better Zoogether! not only looks like it’s part of the Zootopia universe, but it also debuts a setting from the sequel before it hits the big screen. The new Marsh Market Area really comes to life in 4D, as the show can put you there courtesy of some water elements.
“Early on, knowing this is going to be a 4D attraction and that they have things that can splash you, we said we had this new environment for semi-aquatic animals,” Bush explained, noting that they shared early looks at it with Imagineers. The fact that the timing worked out for two weeks beforehand was “absolutely bonkers.”
Bush shared that the animators used the same tools when working on the attraction as they did in the film, with the main adjustment being an additional dimension for immersion. In our viewing of the attraction, the art is fluid and looks identical to the film’s art.
The Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘stereo team’ – aka the 3D team – traditionally works on the elements of 3D that pop in a typical movie theater, but for the 4D theater at the Disney Park, they pushed far beyond that.
Taken together, it’s clear that Goodwin is thrilled to return to a beloved character and franchise, while Bush, one of the original writers of the film and now head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, shares that excitement – not just for the release of Zootopia 2, but also for the unique partnership behind an attraction that immerses guests directly in the film’s world.
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