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Lake Buena Vista, Florida (IAAPA News) - Inside the Tree of Life Theater at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a new 4D show premiered on Nov. 7. As the story goes, in honor of the Zootopia’s Zoogether Day, guests join characters Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and friends in celebration of the fictional world’s diverse biomes.
With original animation, special effects, animatronics, a catchy musical score, and the help of “Carrot Vision” glasses, Zootopia: Better Zoogether is a humorous, lighthearted, and family-friendly experience.
Weeks ahead of “Zootopia 2’s” scheduled release date, the new Walt Disney World attraction will open to the public with the film and attraction developed in tandem. This represents the culmination of creative storytelling and vision between two branches of The Walt Disney Company.
Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios explains to Funworld how there was a complementary collaboration between the studio and Walt Disney Imagineering. “When you team up for something like an attraction—you have this amazing opportunity to figure out what each other can do and what you do best,” says Bush.
Animation meets its physical form as the result of a synergistic relationship. Animators bring their knowledge and understanding of the characters to the table, combining it with Imagineering’s technical know-how—whether that’s programming the show’s special effects to splash water on the audience, or the natural movements of the animatronics on stage. “What we really do is say, ‘Okay, you know this character really well.’ That person is teaming up with Imagineering and saying, ‘Here's the best way to get that character across.’”
Priya Sampat, a producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, says it’s important to ensure a cohesive storytelling experience, particularly as it relates to transporting guests from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Zootopia. From scriptwriting to designing and implementing props, to graphics and physical thematic elements seen throughout the theater and in the queue, Sampat and Danny Hankey, senior creative director, effectively led the creative teams across the finish line.
“We wanted to make sure we honored that IP in the right way—that the characters reflected in that movie are being reflected in our show the same way, with the same sense of humor—but also to make sure that the world of Zootopia fits within Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and making sure that it fit the themes of our park,” Sampat says.
She adds it was important to the producers to connect the show’s overarching theme of interconnectedness among all living beings. “From that (interconnectedness), Zoogether day was kind of born. And it really shows how all the different animals from the different districts and biomes kind of celebrate, have their own celebrations, but then eventually come together to celebrate their interconnectedness,” Sampat says.
Bush shares the key to successful storytelling is grounded in making connections. “It's the same as our films, which is wanting to spend time with the characters. I'm going to just go and hang out with these characters and then be immersed in a world.”
