Walt Disney World has added a character to the pre-show of the “Zootopia” attraction that opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park last year.
Now appearing on-screen before “Zootopia: Better Zoogether,” a 4-D show in a theater nestled into the park’s iconic Tree of Life, is Mayor Brian Winddancer. He is a horse and an actor-turned-politican seen in “Zootopia 2” and is voiced by actor Patrick Warburton.
The Animal Kingdom attraction opened in early November last year, and the animated film was in theaters a couple of weeks later.
“We were so excited to bring him into our show as part of a brand new pre-show sequence,” David Brescia, story lead with Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a video on Disney World’s social media platforms.
“Anytime we get a chance to go in and add a little extra magic or just enhance the guest experience, we’re super-excited we get to do so,” he said.
Warburton recorded the Winddancer character for the attraction. The actor also is seen in the new pre-show video for Epcot’s Soarin’ Across America attraction.
Disney World: ‘Zoogether’ actor sinks teeth into Clawhauser character
The video also shows various Disney teams checking technical aspects of the addition inside the theater. The show itself features “Zootopia” characters Judy Hopps (voice by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) in a storyline that revolves around Zoogether Day and a concert by Gazelle (Shakira). The theater also includes an animatronic of Clawhauser, voiced by Nate Torrence. The attraction replaced the “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” show, an opening day attraction at the theme park.
An animatronic figure of Benjamin Clawhauser is part of the ‘Zootopia’ experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Walt Disney Co.)
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