After the permanent closure of It’s Tough to Be a Bug! on March 16, 2025, many assumed the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park attraction was gone for good, especially with the announcement that it would be replaced by a Zootopia (2016)-themed 3D show. However, a recent discovery has revealed that the iconic Tree of Life show is still very much a part of Walt Disney World Resort.
In September 2023, Walt Disney Imagineering unveiled plans to replace It’s Tough to Be a Bug! with a Zootopia (2016) attraction. By February 2025, Walt Disney World Resort confirmed the March closure of It’s Tough to Be a Bug! for the new attraction, “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” The new show is expected to open later this year, in conjunction with the release of Zootopia 2 (2025).
But just a few months after the closure, Disney Parks fans stumbled upon a surprise—It’s Tough to Be a Bug! isn’t completely gone. A Reddit user, u/Hal0927, recently shared a photo of a sign next to a Tree of Life model in the Walt Disney Presents exhibit at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The sign still reads: “Inside the massive trunk, guests experience the 3-D adventure ‘It’s Tough to Be a Bug!’”
When will they notice?
Most Disney Parks fans weren’t entirely shocked by the discovery. They’ve seen similar situations in the past where outdated signage has lingered for extended periods. Reddit users shared their thoughts on the situation:
“More than likely they’re just leaving it until the new show and honestly possibly beyond that until they decide to renovate or remove this display,” said u/fishofhappiness.
“There’s a bunch of smaller details on signage throughout the resort that gets missed for years simply because they get forgotten about or they were never thoroughly documented to begin with,” u/itsmleonard replied.
What Does This Mean for the Tree of Life?
It’s still unclear when Disney will update or replace the sign. Many fans believe the sign will remain in place until Zootopia: Better Zoogether! opens later this year. The new attraction will reportedly feature a new song by Ginnifer Goodwin (the voice of Judy Hopps) and a new Clawhauser animatronic similar to the one featured in Zootopia: Hot Pursuit at Shanghai Disney Resort.
The It’s Tough to Be a Bug! retheme isn’t the only major change happening at Animal Kingdom. Earlier this year, much of DinoLand U.S.A. closed to make way for a new land called Pueblo Esperanza, inspired by the Tropical Americas. The area will include two new attractions based on Encanto (2021) and an Indiana Jones version of DINOSAUR.
The original DINOSAUR ride, The Boneyard play area, and several DinoLand U.S.A. Quick Service dining locations will remain open through the end of 2025. These attractions are expected to close in 2026, though no official date has been confirmed yet.
What’s Next for Animal Kingdom?
Walt Disney World Resort has not yet announced the official opening dates for Zootopia: Better Zoogether! or the new Pueblo Esperanza area at Animal Kingdom. Follow Disney Fanatic for updates on the ongoing construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park!
Which characters do you want to see in “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!”? Share your ideas with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
