With Danny McBride
With Kathleen Wolfe
ZOOTOPIA
VS .
UP
DANNY SAYS : With its star-studded cast , heartwarming message , and exceptionally catchy featured song , Zootopia became an instant classic that I always keep in my Disney + watch list .
RELEASE HISTORY : Released March 4 , 2016 .
PLOT : Set in the city of Zootopia , a metropolis filled with human-like animals , the film follows a determined rabbit ( Judy Hopps ) and a con artist fox ( Nick Wilde ) for an exciting , mystery-filled adventure . Throughout the film , Judy and Nick develop an unlikely friendship while solving a tough case .
PARK PRESENCE : You won ’ t find any Zootopiathemed experiences in WDW ( aside from merchandise ), but there is a Zootopia-themed land coming to Shanghai Disneyland . That just might be the extra reason I ’ m looking for to eventually travel there …
MERCHANDISE : My favorite Zootopia merch is the Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde Big Feet plush .
CHARACTERS : While I wish many of the film ’ s other characters ( Chief Bogo , Bellwether , and , my personal favorite , Gazelle , voiced by Shakira ) could be found at the parks , the aforementioned merch is all there is to be discovered .
HIGHLIGHT : I can ’ t pick a better highlight than when Gazelle sings “ Try Everything !” Whether you ’ re feeling a little down or just longing to relive a feel-good moment from a Disney movie , watching this scene ( luckily , it ’ s easily accessible on YouTube ) is sure to do the trick .
FUN FACT : Research for Zootopia took place in Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom , the San Diego Zoo , and even
Kenya . Filmmakers researched animal walk patterns and fur colors to get every last detail just right .
KAT SAYS : As someone who just celebrated 20 years of marriage , the love story that is UP is the clear choice for me .
RELEASE HISTORY : Released in May of 2009 at the
El Capitan Theatre in California and opened the Cannes Film Festival .
PLOT : A broken-hearted widower ( Carl ) sets out on an adventure to fulfill a lifelong dream he had with his wife ( Ellie ). Unwittingly , he takes a sweet Wilderness Explorer ( Russell ), who is dedicated to earning his final “ Assisting the Elderly ” badge , along for the ride .
PARK PRESENCE : Russell and Doug star in UP ! A Great Bird Adventure Show at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom . The interactive Wilderness Explorers program throughout Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom is inspired by the film .
MERCHANDISE : The Carl and Ellie “ Adventure Book ” replica — where guests can scrapbook their own love stories — is one that surely outshines the standard theme park souvenir . Though the Christmas ornaments designed to look like the UP house are difficult to resist .
CHARACTERS : The park locations of UP characters have changed over the years . Most recently , Doug and Russell hosted a meet-and-greet at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom while Kevin roamed the park freely .
HIGHLIGHT : There are so many in this film , but the most exuberating is when Carl escapes the clutches of the retirement home nurses . He inflates enough balloons to turn his home into a dirigible to fly him up and away on his quest to Paradise Falls .
FUN FACT : There is an exact full-size replica of Carl ’ s and Ellie ’ s house in Herriman , Utah .
ON DEBATING DISNEY TONIGHT , KAT AND DANNY GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH OPPOSING VIEWS ON A VARIETY OF MAGICAL SUBJECTS RELATING TO THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT . TUNE IN ON SELECT THURSDAYS AT 8PM ET LIVE ON FACEBOOK . COM / DEBATINGDISNEY / TO BE THOROUGHLY EDUTAINED !