At this moment, the city of Zootopia is being erected at Shanghai Disneyland, becoming the 8th themed land in the park. The city based on the 2016 movie of the same name will truly come to life here, with park guests being immersed in the mammal metropolis alongside its inhabitants. The zone includes a large dark ride as major attraction. Today, the invites for the Creative Preview were sent out, taking place on 5 September, which is a strong indication that the zone will open to the general public before the end of the year.
Construction of the Zootopia zone, including the dark ride of which the name is yet unknown, started in fall 2019. The area has been erected adjacent to Fantasyland, covering a space behind the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and close to Pirates of the Carribean: Battle of the Sunken Treasure. Apart from the large dark ride, the area is going to be an immersive world, transporting visitors to the city of Zootopia. Not many details are yet revealed on the contents of the land, though the ride vehicles were presented at the last D23 Expo in September 2022.
“This is an immensely exciting time for Shanghai Disney Resort and Zootopia fans alike,” said Joe Schott, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, at ofiicial start of construction in December 2019. “Since we announced the development of our new Zootopia-themed land earlier this year we have been overwhelmed by the excitement and anticipation expressed by fans from across China and around the world.”
Zootopia, also known as Zootropolis in some regions, is an animated film by Disney Animation Studios, released in 2016. The film takes place in the city of Zootopia, a large metropolis home to all kinds of mammals. The film follows Judy Hopps, a rabbit coming to the city from her rural birthplace to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. It grossed a total of over $1 billion worldwide, and was received well by critics. A spin-off television mini-series was released on Disney+ in 2022, and a sequel movie is said to be in development.
