When a Disney World attraction closes for good, it’s usually a big deal.
Fans come out in droves, merchandise sells out, and wait times soar as guests try to experience the ride one last time. We’ve seen it before with Splash Mountain (closed in 2023), where people waited in line for hours to say goodbye, and with The Great Movie Ride (closed in 2017), which saw massive crowds on its final day. Even Maelstrom (closed 2014) in EPCOT, despite not being the park’s most beloved ride, had a significant send-off.
But It’s Tough To Be A Bug? The reaction has been, well, quiet.
The 3D attraction, which has been inside Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life since the park opened in 1998, officially experienced its final day of operation on March 16, 2025, to make way for Zootopia: Better Zoogether, a new show based on Disney’s Zootopia (2016).
Yet, unlike the fanfare surrounding other attraction closures, It’s Tough To Be A Bug had a surprisingly uneventful farewell. On its last day of operation, the wait times hovered between 10 and 20 minutes—nothing out of the ordinary and far from the soaring numbers we’ve seen with other Disney attractions bidding farewell.
A Disney World Farewell Without the Fanfare
To be fair, It’s Tough To Be A Bug was always a love-it-or-hate-it attraction. For some, it was a charming, educational show that brought the world of insects to life. For others—particularly those who weren’t fans of being “stung” by hornets or feeling bugs scurry under their seats—it was something to be avoided at all costs.
Still, you would think that its final day would have drawn a bigger crowd. After all, it was one of Animal Kingdom’s original attractions, surviving nearly 27 years before Disney decided to replace it. But the numbers don’t lie—guests weren’t exactly flocking to the theater for a final showing.
Compare this to Splash Mountain, which had an insane send-off. Guests waited in historically-long lines to ride it one last time, Disney cast members had to cap the queue, and people were even reselling water from the ride’s final day online. There was an energy surrounding that closure.
The Great Movie Ride— which would eventually be replaced by Mickey & Minnie’s Railway — had massive waits on its last day. The attraction had been a staple of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) since opening in 1989, and guests weren’t going to let it go without one final ride through classic Hollywood films.
With It’s Tough To Be A Bug, there was nothing of the sort.
Why the Lack of Interest?
So, what happened? Why didn’t It’s Tough To Be A Bug get the grand farewell treatment that other rides have received? A few possible reasons:
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It Was Never a Must-Do Attraction – Unlike Splash Mountain or The Great Movie Ride, It’s Tough To Be A Bug was never something guests built their day around. It was a solid show, but most people saw it once or twice and moved on.
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It Wasn’t Unique to Animal Kingdom – While the attraction did debut before A Bug’s Life (1998) hit theaters, it also had a second version at Disney California Adventure. That version closed in 2018 to make way for Avengers Campus, so the writing was already on the wall for the Florida version.
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The Replacement is Exciting – Unlike Maelstrom, which made way for Frozen Ever After, a controversial choice at the time, most Disney fans seem to be on board with Zootopia: Better Zoogether. The Zootopia franchise has remained popular since its 2016 debut, and the new show is expected to open around the same time as Zootopia 2 (2025), making it a timely addition to Animal Kingdom.
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The Show Itself Was… Terrifying for some – Let’s be real, It’s Tough To Be A Bug had a reputation for scaring the absolute daylights out of small children. The dark theater, sudden stings, and massive animatronic Hopper were nightmare fuel for many guests. While some nostalgic fans will miss it, plenty of parents won’t be sad to say goodbye to the “traumatized toddler” experience.
The End of an Era at Disney World (Even if It Doesn’t Feel Like One)
Disney likely expected It’s Tough To Be A Bug to have a bigger send-off than it did. After all, it had been around for nearly three decades. But the attraction’s final day came and went with barely a whisper.
Instead of a grand goodbye, it ended just as it had operated for years—running its regular show, with guests casually walking in and out. There were no massive wait times, no hours-long queues, no desperate last-minute rides. Just a 10-20 minute wait and a quiet farewell.
In a way, it’s fitting. It’s Tough To Be A Bug was never a headliner, never a ride with massive fandom, and never the type of attraction people built their trips around. It was a fun, quirky little show that scared kids, made adults chuckle, and filled a 4D-theater-sized hole in Animal Kingdom’s lineup.
Now, as Zootopia: Better Zoogether moves in, It’s Tough To Be A Bug fades into Disney history. No major farewell events, no skyrocketing wait times—just one last show before the doors closed for good.
Was it a disturbing end? Maybe not in the way the title suggests. But for an attraction that had been part of Animal Kingdom for so long, it’s definitely a little sad to see it go out with such little fanfare.
RIP, It’s Tough To Be A Bug. You made us laugh, you made us scream, and you certainly made us think twice about stepping on ants.
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