AgentExeider here and I’m back with another interesting and possibly incredible development for the Zootopia fandom to date.
“Zootopia at a Disney theme park” Sounds like the mad dream of some over excited fans doesn’t it? Well not for long if the rumors hold true. Disney insider Jim Hill has backed up the claims by telling us that Disney is planning on replacing the “Rafiki’s Planet Watch” and part of the conservation watch section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom with none other than a Zootopia themed area.
Check after the break for more information including a podcast by Jim Hill Media and a Youtube video by Mikey Views talking about it more.
Edit June 25th 12:00: fixed podcast link.
Check out the recent podcast (Jump to 21:10 to start hearing the Zootopia related part).
The area of the park in question is located a fair ways away from the main center and is accessible by the “Wildlife Express Train”
The thinking is that all of this could be given the Zootopia themed flair, and that its unique location will allow visitors to be in the world of Zootopia without any other parts of the park offering distractions or otherwise breaking immersion. It’s been suggested that Disney could even renovate the Wildlife Express Train to be more in line with the “Bunnyburrow Express” train from the movie and that visitors will board and be whisked down the line out to the city of Zootopia much like in the movie, arriving at a Zootopia themed train station much like Central Station and from there into Zootopia.
Now going from the following google satellite images it seems that Disney is already starting to clear area for “something” out in this area of the park. Though we here at ZNN don’t take this as confirmation but it does present the question “What are they clearing the land for?”
Now keep in mind this information is subject to change and Disney can always change their minds even before the first girder is lain. But Jim Hill himself says with confident flair “There will be a 2-3 year lag time but Zootopia IS coming.”
What we have researched is that the “World of Pandora” has not generated the interest that Disney was expecting from it, and is likely exploring something that will bring in the attendance they are looking for. Now with Zootopia being the award winning, billion dollar winning IP that has become, it stands to reason that this might be the option they will go with to increase interest and attendance at Animal Kingdom. This combined with the “water cooler” talk of notable Disney insiders, and the idea that Disney may be exploring incorporating Zootopia into Animal Kingdom falls into the arena of credible.
We here at ZNN will keep you up to date on any news of this incredible development as we find it.
Who knows? Once they do come out with a Zootopia area in the Disney Animal Kingdom, they might go back to selling Zootopia merchandise again, most particularly the plush dolls.
They should start doing that now.
Amazing as this is I wouldn't go packing your bags just yet, at the rate it takes to build these add-ons the sequel could be upon us if not longer, all the same thought this is big news!
Interestingly, at 2-3 years lead time, "Zootopialand" might go online earlier than "Zootopia 2"…
Hoping that it's true. That would be awesome.
If it pans out, I know my next major vacation goal…now just to start scrounging up a few thousand bucks to spend there 😛
I visited Animal Kingdom just this month and Pandora was AMAZING. I practically spent the whole day just in that area of the park.
So it would be nice to also have Zootopia to visit as well. Hopefully that means character meet-and-greets for Disney's second-biggest film of all time? And maybe a shop or two with, I don't know, MERCHANDISE? there were FIVE pieces of Zootopia merch in all of Walt Disney World when I visited this month, and four of them were pins.
I would spend my whole day there is Zootopia land is there
If it happens, I would definitely visit.
Oh man, that would be so cool! Like the people above said, hopefully it would mean more merchandise (even if a lot of it might be park-exclusive). I wonder if there would be rides or anything like that (like, I think something like "Judy and Nick's Police Chase" would work well as either a roller coaster or one of those simulation rides). Infinite bonus points if the rides would be enclosed in a building that just so happens to be named "Wilde Times". Bonus points (but not infinite) if the area the rides are in is named "Wilde Times" on the map (and obviously this is assuming not only that this is happening, but there will also be rides, rather than it just being an immersion area – I dunno how Disney World works, I've only ever been to Disneyland and California Adventure, haha). Still, the fact that Jim Hill seems so confident about it lends a bit more credence to it than the average rumor, I feel.
What would also be cool would be if there were a Zootopia area/ride added at one of the California parks (mainly so I don't have to worry about plane tickets and hotels and all that jazz, haha), though that seems like more of a pipe dream at this point, considering I don't think there's been anything said one way or the other about that.
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My name is Sean Sessing, and am an anthropromorphic fan, Zootopia changed my life, my obsession for anthropromorphics, and the way I think of them. I pray to Jesus every day and night that a Zootopia land will happen at Disney. I just hope it will happen.