Zootopia: Better Zoogether (DAK)

[Skold]

Fine I'll admit it - I snuck it in there.

 

[Brian G.]

Zootopia Residents Created the Animal Carvings on the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

A poster within the Zootopia: Better Zoogether queue offers a new backstory for how the iconic animal carvings appeared on the Tree of Life

blogmickey.com

The show is whatever (I can easily walk past it and never give it any thought), but I absolutely hate this. ZOOTOPIA was already incongruous-enough to the themes of Animal Kingdom, and now they've saddled the Tree of Life with that incongruity.

The Tree is meant to represent a living embodiment of the natural animal world, almost mystically created and existing. But nah, now in this new backstory, it was carved by anthropomorphized animals in construction vests and hardhats.

Get outta here.

This is way more infantilizing to Animal Kingdom's thematics than even the show itself.

 

[AustinT]

Yeah, isn't it just a fun nod to the dude who had a massive impact on the development of the park? What are we doing here?

Isn't this the same imagineer whose passion project's lore was just re-written, who was vehemently against the inclusion of animals wearing pants/anthropomorphized characters in this park? They may have intended for this to be a silly tribute to him, but I can't help but see it as a complete lack of forethought or care. This entire attraction feels insulting to everyone. Rhode, AK park fans, and people who just want well-made attractions.

 

[Jake S]

…okay man, whatever you say!

 

[GAcoaster]

I'm sure y'all already saw that Disney couldn't help but insult Joe Rhode in the queue. They turned him into a rat named Joe Rhodent. Talk about disrespectful.

I’m sure he loves it! Does the rat have a giant earring that looks like a wind chime one one ear?

 

[Pacific]

So in review…

ITTBAB had a great message completely undermined by the fact that it was terrifying for many. Which in turn, ruined the message and just made people even more afraid of bugs.

Better Toogether has a message that could work (its sort of the same deal as ITTBAB) but its incredibly underutilized and a thematic mess (like the former).

Third time’s the charm? Maybe in 20 years, they’ll finally get this coexistence 4D attraction right?

Unfortunate because Mickey's PhilharMagic and Muppet Vision 3D prove a 4D attraction can be phenomenal.

 

[Clive]

So in review…

ITTBAB had a great message completely undermined by the fact that it was terrifying for many. Which in turn, ruined the message and just made people even more afraid of bugs.

Better Toogether has a message that could work (its sort of the same deal as ITTBAB) but its incredibly underutilized and a thematic mess (like the former).

Third time’s the charm? Maybe in 20 years, they’ll finally get this coexistence 4D attraction right?

Unfortunate because Mickey's PhilharMagic and Muppet Vision 3D prove a 4D attraction can be phenomenal.

Hadn’t seen it phrased quite like this, but I’m into this take, as much as I loved Bugs.

 

[belloq87]

ITTBAB had a much clearer and cleaner message connecting to Animal Kingdom ("Don't take bugs for granted, or see them just as pests, because the world literally doesn't function without them").

Better Zoogether's message is entirely in a human frame of reference, and has nothing to do with illuminating anything about the actual experience of the animal world. The animal characters are just human proxies.