If you tuned in to the news from the D23 Expo last year, then you know that there are some BIG things coming in the future for The Walt Disney Company.
D23 Expo
The panels at the fan event discussed everything from movies to shows to theme park projects around the world. Many of the Disney parks projects that were discussed were things we already knew about, but then towards the end of the presentation, we ventured into “Blue Sky” territory — things that MIGHT come to the parks in the future. And now we’re left wondering which of those ideas will actually come to fruition!
During the “Blue Sky” presentation, one of the possibilities that was discussed is an update for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This would include changes to the area that is currently Dinoland, U.S.A. A few different options were thrown around for IP that could be added to the space, including Moana and Zootopia. Now, we already know that Moana has been a big hit in the past few years, but let’s talk about Zootopia for a second.
Concept art of possible changes
The movie seems to be at the forefront of the minds at Disney currently. There’s a new Zootopia-themed land coming to Shanghai Disneyland this year, a series of shorts with the characters were recently dropped on Disney+, clips from the film have been featured in recent fireworks shows at Disney World, and finally, Bob Iger announced not too long ago that the movie is getting a sequel. So why is Zootopia such a hot topic?
©Disney
Well, as we mentioned in another post recently, Zootopia actually performed pretty spectacularly at the box office when it was released in 2016. It grossed $1.025 billion worldwide, significantly beating out other hits of that time period like Moana and Coco (both of which didn’t pass the $1 billion mark). Two-thirds of that figure came from its performance at the international box office, so it seems to be a big hit overseas.
©Disney
With numbers like that, it makes sense that Disney really wants to capitalize on the characters and the franchise. And perhaps the best way to do that is by bringing MORE Zootopia into the parks.
At the time when the Zootopia sequel was announced, Bob Iger also revealed that we’d be getting more movies from the Frozen and Toy Story franchises. Both of those are already represented heavily in Disney World, with Frozen-themed offerings in EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion and Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios. So if Disney is betting big on Zootopia as well…will it get its own attraction or land?
Nick Wilde in Disney World
Well, Disney wouldn’t have mentioned it at the D23 Expo if it weren’t a possibility. It seems that something of that caliber would likely attract international Zootopia fans, and guests coming from across the world tend to be big spenders in the parks — the kind of guests that Disney wants.
Plus, releasing a sequel film before announcing a Zootopia-themed land or attraction would help build some of the hype that Disney needs and/or gauge the fandom to see if it’s truly a good idea. With fans talking about Zootopia now, CEO Bob Iger has a better outlook on how the fans feel about the franchise coming to the parks.
©Disney
So we’ll be on the lookout for any more Zootopia announcements, especially if Disney reveals plans to bring the characters and themes to the parks. And of course, we’ll keep you updated with any more movie announcements you need to know!
Click Here to Find Out Why Bob Iger Is Obsessed With Zootopia!
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I actually wish they would build a full Zootopia land in place of Dinoland. Don’t split it with Moana. A Moana attraction should be in EPCOT near the new walk-thru (between The Land and Nemo.
Completely agree with Marcus. Disney needs to step up their game in the parks!