Walt Disney Imagineering has updated Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a new pre-show sequence featuring a character from the sequel film, Zootopia 2.
Disney shared the following video on social media:
The addition introduces Mayor Brian Winddancer before guests enter the Tree of Life Theater, helping set the stage for the attraction’s story before the main 4D presentation begins. In the new sequence, Mayor Winddancer welcomes guests to the celebration at a press conference, providing an introduction to the adventure ahead.
Patrick Warburton reprises his role as the character for the pre-show, with Walt Disney Animation Studios collaborating alongside Walt Disney Imagineering’s story team to bring the new scene to life.
Before debuting for guests, the new sequence underwent overnight testing inside the Tree of Life Theater. Imagineering teams worked through the complete presentation, checking audio, lighting, special effects, and figure animation to ensure each element was properly synchronized before the updated pre-show went live.
— A Patrick Warburton preshow is always a good idea… just ask Soarin‘.
The addition of Mayor Brian Winddancer marks the attraction’s first update since opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in November 2025, replacing the long-running It’s Tough to Be a Bug! attraction inside the Tree of Life Theater. Read our first review here! The show combines 4D effects with appearances from familiar characters Zootopia and Zootopia 2, inviting guests to join Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and their friends on an adventure through biomes of the animal metropolis.
When I reviewed Zootopia: Better Zoogether! after it first opened, I found the show to be colorful and family-friendly, but ultimately a step down from It’s Tough to Be a Bug!. While the addition of Mayor Brian Winddancer gives the attraction a stronger connection to Zootopia 2, it doesn’t address its fast-paced story, limited exploration of Zootopia’s biomes, and the loss of the immersive effects and nature-focused message that made its predecessor so memorable.
