Perhaps no Disney story is more popular in China than “Zootopia,” the 2016 animated hit that grossed more than US$1 billion worldwide. The film, which debuted three months before the opening of Shanghai Disneyland, broke box office records in China to become the country’s highest grossing, imported, animated feature film. The movie’s theme song, “Try Everything,” performed by Shakira, is popular in karaoke clubs and has even been used to teach Chinese kindergarteners to dance.
Disney aims to cement this success with the recent opening of a real-life Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland, described as “a mammalian destination where anyone can be anything.”
First announced in January 2019, it is the second major expansion at the resort as well as the second themed land launched by Disney in recent months, following the opening of a Frozen land that debuted in Hong Kong in November 2023.
Shanghai’s Zootopia features iconic landmarks from the film, themed restaurants, meet-and-greets with the characters, and a special nighttime projection show. Disney’s Imagineers worked to add fun, engaging elements into the themed land. Street signs warn animals to “mind your horns.”
Restrooms and other buildings have entries for animals of diverse sizes. Doors for humans and smaller mammals—like mice—are fitted into larger doors for elephants. Crosswalks feature buttons at various heights, while water fountains and park benches are scaled as well.
“During the design process, we thought about how Zootopia would be like if this metropolis was actually built and run by mammals. We hope our guests can really feel the vibrancy and vitality of this land,” says Xu Chang, a producer with Walt Disney Imagineering Shanghai.
“Audio-Animatronic figures allow us to bring the smallest mouse to the tallest giraffe (who can both be seen working out in the local fitness club) to life in this vibrant city,” adds Stuart Calder, a Walt Disney Imagineering principal show mechanical engineer.
The centerpiece of Zootopia is Hot Pursuit, a trackless dark ride where visitors become rookies on the Zootopia police force. The pre-show contextualizes Zootopia for anyone who missed the film.
Once on the ride—built around Audio-Animatronic figures as well as animated characters who appear on large wrap-around screens—an alarm goes off, signaling that the singer Gazelle has been kidnapped. An action-filled chase ensues across Zootopia’s disparate climates, before culminating at a Zootopia Unity Concert.
“We make the vehicles swing and spin a little bit, mirroring how Gazelle sways on stage,” explains Luo Jun, a Shanghai Disney Resort senior ride development engineer. “We combined these movements together to immerse our guests in the scene and make them feel like they’re at a real concert.”
Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia features several local elements, such as Gazelle KTV, that were not in the original movie but have been added in line with the resort’s promise to be “Authentically Disney, Distinctly Chinese.” Particular attention was given to the translation of puns, which are at the heart of Zootopia’s humor. One character, Fru Fru, even speaks in Shanghainese.
In honor of the grand opening, Disney donated ¥1 million to the China Environment Protection Foundation. The donation will aid in funding a nationwide essay campaign, “My Hometown Animals and Me,” as well as the distribution of themed activity books in Shanghai, Sichuan province, and Yunnan province to encourage conservation.
