After over a quarter century as a beloved icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the Tree of Life is officially closing its doors. Walt Disney World Resort has confirmed that after 26 years of operation, this iconic structure faces imminent demolition to make way for a brand-new attraction.
It’s Tough to Be a Bug! Bids Farewell
March 16, 2025, marks the final day of operations for It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, the opening-day attraction inside the Tree of Life. The immersive 3D experience brought Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998) to life in stunning and sometimes startling detail, leaving Disney Park guests with unforgettable memories of hornet stings, stink bug smells, and insects crawling under their seats.
Guests stepping into the Tree of Life theater today will have their last chance to join Flik and friends in learning about the challenges of insect life. Beginning March 17, demolition crews will begin dismantling the attraction and preparing the space for a new show inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia (2016).
Zootopia Takes Over Animal Kingdom
The new 3D show, “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” was first announced at Destination D23 in 2023. Disney has shared that the new attraction will feature an original song performed by Ginnifer Goodwin, the voice of Judy Hopps. Concept art hints at an advanced Clawhauser audio-animatronic modeled after the one at Shanghai Disneyland.
Although Walt Disney World Resort has not specified an exact opening date, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! is expected to debut later this year, aligning with the theatrical release of Zootopia 2 on November 26, 2025.
A Look Back at the Tree of Life Icon
Debuting on April 22, 1998, It’s Tough to Be a Bug! predated the release of A Bug’s Life by several months. Guests entering the Tree of Life theater became honorary insects, donning bug-eye glasses and braving in-theater effects that ranged from harmless sprays to surprise pokes from the seats. As Walt Disney World Resort described in the attraction’s final days:
Become an honorary insect as you take your seat in the theater hidden at the base of the Tree of Life and don a pair of “bug eye” glasses. Enjoy a delightful 3D movie and live show hosted by Flik, the loveable ant from A Bug’s Life, and learn how insects survive in the wild.
Bug Out!
During the show, dodge flying quills from a tarantula, feel a harmless spray from a soldier termite and sniff the putrid “defense stench” from a stink bug.
When Hopper—the grasshopper villain from A Bug’s Life—unexpectedly shows up, the theater goes bug-wild!
The moral of the story? It really is tough to be a bug. With dazzling 3D movie effects, Audio-Animatronics figures and in-theater 4D surprises, this is one show you’ll be buzzing about for a long time.
A similar version operated in A Bug’s Land at Disney California Adventure Park until 2018, when it closed to make way for Avengers Campus.
Tree of Life Demolition Ahead
The Tree of Life has been a park centerpiece since opening day, and the exterior structure will remain after It’s Tough To Be A Bug! closes. Walt Disney World Resort has confirmed that only the interior theater will be demolished and remodeled for Zootopia: Better Zoogether!. It remains unclear how much of the Tree of Life structure will be affected or if any exterior changes will be made.
Stay tuned to Disney Dining for updates on the Tree of Life demolition and other major projects underway at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Is Zootopia the right property to move into the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Though everyone will miss Its tough to be a bug Zootopia should have its own area and if Disney is going to replace anything inside the tree it should be replaced by Tinkerbell and her fairy crew.
The title of this article is not just misleading… it is a lie!
Disney World Says Goodbye to Tree of Life After 26 Years, Demolition Underway
and then your wrote this sentence…
It remains unclear how much of the Tree of Life structure will be affected or if any exterior changes will be made.
why does it seem okay to just lie in reporting these days… so disappointed in this publication.