Shanghai Disneyland’s new Zootopia land is a mammalian metropolis, home to innovative technologies and immersive theming. Based on the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios film, the world’s first and only Zootopia-themed land debuted in December 2023 in a ceremony attended by Shanghai city officials and senior leaders from Disney and Shanghai Shendi Group.
Joe Schott, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, is a 40-plus-year veteran of the Walt Disney Company. At Disney’s newest resort, Schott leads a talented team of cast members across a wide range of businesses.
He speaks to blooloop about Zootopia’s use of cutting-edge technology, the land’s exciting new experiences, and Shanghai Disneyland’s evolution and future plans.
Zootopia, a living, breathing experience
“We have to remember that this is the first and only Zootopia land in the world,” he says. So we’re excited to bring that to Shanghai for the very first time. It’s obviously a living, breathing experience; we wanted to immerse guests into the build for the very first time. They can expect to experience the world of animals as they saw in the movie and actually walk amongst those animals brought to life.”
Attention to detail is how Shanghai Disneyland achieved this unique level of immersion. “In Zootopia, you have small, medium, and large animals,” Schott adds. So even the crosswalks have a little button for the small animals to push, a medium animal to push, and an elephant to push.”
Zootopia: Hot Pursuit
The land’s signature attraction, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, is a new trackless dark ride.
He adds: “It is the first trackless ride system in mainland China that we have and that new experience frees the boundaries of storytelling. We also have state-of-the-art audio-animatronic figures that are a part of that experience, so it feels very lifelike as you move from scene to scene and develop the story. It’s a unique and family-friendly experience, so everybody can ride – it’s really important that they experience that. It’s been a huge thrill for all of us to debut it, and it has been really well received by the guests.”
As expected, the entire land has been a hit with the public. Schott says: “97% of our guests are aware of Zootopia as they come into the park, which is a phenomenal number, but more so because we went out and said we want you to identify with your favourite type of animal and dress up and be a part of that experience.
“They’ve embraced this in a special way because it’s full of picture-taking opportunities and ways to express yourself more as you truly are to bring your authenticity to life. We’re excited about the overwhelmingly positive feedback that we’ve had from debuting this new attraction and experience, so we couldn’t be more delighted about that.”
Why Zootopia appeals to the Chinese
Zootopia broke box office records in China, becoming the country’s highest-grossing imported animated feature film. Schott explains why the buddy-cop film appeals to the Chinese audience: “Zootopia debuted the year we opened because we’re just under eight years old at Shanghai Disneyland. It was a nice surprise to us that Zootopia did really well at the box office and still remains the number one imported animated film of all time in China.
“So it was a natural progression for us to bring that story to life for the first time in our park. I think it’s relevant for the guests because it’s a story of courage, perseverance and positivity. You can identify with it. If you think about Judy travelling from the countryside into the big city, a lot of people can identify with that story in Shanghai because it is the big city.”
“Many people can identify with the traits and attributes of what these animals are going through as they try to find their way in the world and accomplish things that they didn’t think were possible. As they say in Zootopia, anyone can be anything in Zootopia – and that’s the spirit we’re trying to create.”
Cutting-edge robotics technology at Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia
During the Zootopia opening ceremony at Shanghai Disneyland in December last year, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks division, was interrupted by an untethered, robotic Duke Weaselton that showcased the company’s cutting-edge robotics technology. Schott says Disney debuted a version of this robot in the shape of Judy Hopps at SXSW 2023. Duke Weaselton is an updated version.
“It really is a symbol of Disney always pursuing innovation and technology,” he adds. When you think about the cutting-edge robotics that are used, a lot of the basic features of that show up every day in our park, but in Zootopia, we have the best of and the newest generation of that technology, whether it be projection technology, audio technology, or communications with the vehicles.”
“We’re proud of where that is and what that’s about. In terms of innovation, we’ve had a long legacy of innovation from the very beginning with Walt Disney and in filmmaking – innovations that have been a hallmark and tradition for us and something that we embrace and continue to push the boundaries on. So it was a natural progression for us.”
Smart tourism in China
On the subject of innovation, Shanghai Disneyland is one of the first official trial sites in China for the country’s new ‘smart tourism’ initiative. Disneyland is one of 24 tourist attractions across mainland China that will take part in the project. Participating sites have been tasked with developing interactive experiences using advanced technologies such as 5G, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI).
“What the government is trying to accomplish through that is to encourage innovation when it comes to immersive storytelling in tourism sites. So the use of technology, the use of different types of experiences that tell a story in a more sophisticated way. They’re trying to encourage a lot of tourism sites in China to go in that direction,” says Schott.
“Again, this is what we continue to do normally: push the boundaries and open up new frontiers when it comes to innovation. The government is saying that the Chinese consumer is absolutely ready for this. We need to continue to give them high-quality experiences, and we’re proud to be on the front line of that.”
‘Pawpsicles’ and more unique F&B
Since opening late last year, guests and fans have highly appreciated the unique retail and F&B experiences in Zootopia. Dining outlets in the new land include Jumbeaux’s Cafe, an ice cream parlour and café owned by Jerry Jumbeaux, Jr. For Shanghai Disneyland, the Zootopia-themed eatery has been adapted to welcome animals of all sizes.
Dishes on offer in Zootopia include donuts in two different sizes for big and small animals, a carrot-shaped lollipop, a chocolate marshmallow inspired by the film’s Jumbo-pop, and a blueberry pie created by Gideon Grey.
“Animals don’t eat animals in Zootopia, so we had to come up with new and unique opportunities to serve food,” Schott says. “We actually recreated a lot of items from the film. My favourite is what we call a Pawpsicle; it looks like a paw-shaped popsicle. It’s made from hawthorn berry, and it is amazing. The hawthorn berry wasn’t something I was familiar with coming from the United States, but it’s like a mix between a raspberry and a blueberry. That’s definitely my favourite.”
As for retail at Disney’s Zootopia land, Schott continues:
“We definitely want guests to dress up and be a part of the experience. Coming in and identifying with your species or your herd is really important. Some guests will come dressed up. Others will be able to purchase things that will help them feel a part of the experience.
“This time of year, because it’s cold, we are positioning a lot of things that you can wear on your head and blankets that look like specific animals from the film. As you go into Zootopia, you see a lot of animals even walking next to you, which is actually quite fun.”
“We definitely want guests to dress up”
One shop in Zootopia, Fashions by Fru Fru, is owned by Fru Fru the arctic shrew. Polar bear Koslov, a member of the Tundratown mafia, can be seen guarding the main entrance. The store sells more than 200 products – many of which were designed exclusively for the land – including headwear, apparel and accessories based on characters such as Judy, Nick, Flash Slothmore and Officer Clawhauser.
Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016. Since then, there have been two park expansions: first in April 2018, when Toy Story Land opened, and then in December with Zootopia. In 2019, pre-pandemic, the theme park welcomed a whopping 11.2 million visitors.
“We were blessed to have a really strong response [upon opening]. I think over the last several years, we’ve developed a really strong emotional bond with our consumers in China by focusing on high-quality entertainment and telling our character stories throughout the year,” says Schott.
“We have nonstop seasonal celebrations. Seasonal activations are things that we do to recognise the importance of the change of season in China, which is part of being culturally relevant and connected to our consumers.”
“We’re also trying to promote Shanghai as a world-class tourism destination. I think as much as we can do to help Shanghai be successful, we’ll all be successful. Puy du Fou will open an experience later this year in China, and Legoland will open next year. So as we see new entries in the market, that’s great for the industry and for us to be able to encourage people to come to Shanghai and see it from a scenic standpoint.”
Shanghai Disneyland’s evolution
Shortly after opening Zootopia, Shanghai Disney Resort provided a construction update for its third hotel and teased another new land. Work on the 400-room hotel has been underway since August of last year. Regarding the new land, Shanghai Disneyland has started “initiation preparation work for construction of a separately themed attraction to be located within Shanghai Disneyland, adjacent to Zootopia,” according to a press release.
“We’re always working on new things,” Schott tells us. “We just opened Zootopia, so that’s a major focus for us at the moment, but we are working hard on our third hotel and hoping to reveal plans for new things at the park soon. So you have to stay tuned. We like to offer new things all the time, from seasonal celebrations to entertainment shows. The park will continue to grow. As Walt Disney once said, Disneyland will never be completed as long as there’s imagination left in the world.”
Finally, Schott adds:
“I’d like to credit the people we have, starting with Walt Disney Imagineering, for envisioning this fabulous place. It takes a lot to bring these stories to life, including enormous detail and hard work in researching. It’s really hard work to make sure that guests can see what you originally imagined when it gets to the final production.
Creating Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia
“The cast members who work at Shanghai Disney Resort and bring this magic to life for guests on a daily basis are simply incredible. The job they do daily to recognise and create these magical memories that will last a lifetime for our guests is truly incredible. These are the types of things we must continue to reinforce.”
“I know your readership – I’ve read your publication for years – focuses on the industry and leadership. Taking care of your cast or your employees is job number one if you hope to get success for the business. And remember what it’s like to be in those jobs, so you know what it takes to actually deliver the service that you hope to be able to accomplish.
“I’m really optimistic about our future and the things that we’re doing. I think you have to believe in what we do in the industry and what we do at Disney, which is bringing joy and happiness to people’s lives.”
Images courtesy of Disney
