Zootopia: Better Zoogether Review: Disney’s New 3D Show Misses the Magic Mark

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I watched Zootopia: Better Zoogether and am sharing my review to save you the trouble – and yes, be warned, it contains spoilers!

The new Zootopia-themed land, called Zootopia: Better Zoogether, officially opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this Friday, November 7, 2025. I had the chance to experience it early today.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether is a 3D show located inside the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, in the space that formerly housed “It’s Tough To Be A Bug.” The show takes guests on an adventurous journey through the different environments, or biomes, of the Zootopia world.

The Celebration of “Zoogether Day” – Sabotaged!

Zootopia is hosting “Zoogether Day,” a city-wide celebration bringing all of its different animal communities together.

Okay, so when you go to see this show, they give you these cool 3D glasses called “CarrotVision 3D” to wear in the Tree of Life Theater at Animal Kingdom. Just a heads-up, be careful when you put them on so you don’t poke yourself! The show starts with Heidi Howler, a wolf, hosting, but she disappears pretty quickly and leaves Officer Clawhauser to take over. You can actually see an animatronic version of him right next to the stage, which is really neat!

The show begins with an ice skating performance in Tundratown, but it’s quickly disrupted when flames burst through the ice. This creates a hole and sends cracks spreading across the rink, causing the polar bear and other animal skaters to fall into the frigid water.

Okay, so things really kick into high gear when Judy and Nick show up to investigate. The movie just flies from one amazing environment to the next, with each scene messed with in a different way. Honestly, it wasn’t that shocking to find out Bellwether, disguised as this other sheep, was the one behind everything – a sheep in wolf’s clothing, literally! It was a clever twist, but I kind of saw it coming.

3D Effects, Gags, and Spit In Your Face

One specific scene “got me in the feels”, and not in a good way.

The show features a beaver and a walrus having a conversation, but they deliver every line by spitting it out. To add a 4D effect, the audience gets sprayed with water from sprinklers – and the spraying lasts way too long.

Although some people may have laughed, I personally found it irritating and unpleasant. Similar jokes in the previous show, “It’s Tough To Be A Bug,” also seemed to split the audience.

The experience also features dynamic seating, simulated snowfall, bubbles, and gusts of air to enhance the sensation of movement and immersion.

Gazelle shows up briefly a couple of times, but its main song, “Try Everything,” isn’t featured much.

I showed this to the cast and their friends and family, but the reaction was pretty lukewarm. People said it was ‘okay’ or ‘cute,’ but didn’t seem very enthusiastic beyond that.

Not one single “Wow!” No one around me seemed overly excited.

I didn’t enjoy it very much. The story felt rushed and hard to follow, and while the setting made sense for It’s Tough to Be a Bug – bugs naturally live under trees – it didn’t feel right for Zootopia. There wasn’t a clear reason why Zootopia was placed in that environment.

Disney Makes Due

Many people will enjoy this new 4D movie, and Zootopia is a more popular choice than A Bug’s Life right now, especially with a Zootopia sequel coming out soon.

The waiting area has been decorated with a Zootopia theme, featuring playful details like “Pawdora” jewelry instead of the usual “Pandora” brand. A large, creatively repurposed “dung ball” sculpture is also prominently displayed right outside the theater entrance.

Leading up to the theater are a number of themed posters retelling the history of Zootopia.

This show is expected to be quite polarizing, similar to how ‘It’s Tough To Be a Bug’ was received, but it doesn’t offer the same strong underlying message.

If your child is easily bothered by flashing lights, water sprays, sudden movements, loud noises, or other strong sensory experiences, I suggest avoiding this attraction. Between the two, I would have chosen to keep ‘It’s Tough to Be a Bug!’ open instead.

To wrap up my review of Zootopia: Better Zoogether, I’d say the show isn’t worse than the original, but it doesn’t really improve upon it either. It feels like changes were made just for the sake of change, and it doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table.

Disney, under its current leaders, doesn’t seem to have the same creative spark and imagination that it was once known for.

Now – they just make due.

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2025-11-03 23:59