It's Tough to Be a Bug!
Encyclopedia
It's Tough to Be a Bug! is a 9-minute long 3-D film
based on the Disney·Pixar
film, A Bug's Life
. The film, created by Rhythm and Hues Studios
, is the main component of a theme park attraction at several Walt Disney theme parks
. Using theater lighting, 3-D filming techniques, audio-animatronics and various special effects, the show gives the audience an idea of what it would be like to be an insect. Flik, from A Bug's Life, hosts the show and educates the viewer on why bugs shouldn't be seen as pests, but more as friends.
The attraction opened in Disney's Animal Kingdom
at the Walt Disney World Resort
on April 22, 1998, a full seven months before the actual feature debuted in theaters. It has since opened at Disney California Adventure Park on February 8, 2001.
, the Bug's Life theater is located inside The Tree of Life. As the queue winds around the tree, visitors can glimpse animal carvings on the tree that aren't visible from other vantage points. The "underground" pre-show area features posters of various bug acts from the show, as well as those for all-insect parodies of Broadway musicals, such as Beauty and the Beast
, Web Side Story, Little Shop of Hoppers
and My Fair Lady
bug.
At Disney California Adventure, the Bug's Life theater is located in a bug's land
. There, the queue passes through a replica of Ant Island before heading underground, where the queue appears the same as the one at Disney's Animal Kingdom
.
bites the leaf. Then, jungle music is heard, and a Mexican redknee tarantula
(called Chilean Tarantula) named Chili walks to see Flik. Flik screams and Chili laughs. A pair of Acorn Weevils place a trident like item on the stage with a web. Chili shoots the acorn with a quill. Then, the acorn weevils got an acorn with Weevil Kneevil and Chili didn't shoot him. He misses the acorn and Weevil escapes and Chili chases him. The next guest is a soldier termite
who defends his mound by spraying intruders with acid. The piece of wood falls and makes a loud rumble. The termite shoots at the flea
and shoots at the audience. He ran out of acid and went away. A Stink Bug named Claire de Room walks to the stage and is silent. The acorn weevils place a flower and Weevil enters the flower; Claire passes gas and then walks away. An explosion is heard when Hopper jumps into stage. Hopper was mad at Flik. A Rhinoceros beetle
chases Flik and four Acorn Weevils hold a picture of the movie, "Knock em Dead". and then, the film shows up a live boy screaming and a tarantula
about to destroy the home. Two soldiers shoot at a grasshopper
in the park. A pair of Fireflies
climb up the building and two ant
s walk to the boat and a man hits the ant on the boat. A fly
was hit by the fly swatter three times and the human uses a Bug Spray. It's so dark and wasp
s poke the audience. Several Black widow spider
s go up and down trying to capture the audience and go up and went up and are gone. Hopper says that nothing can stop him, but a chameleon
eats Hopper and spits out Hopper and Hopper flies away. Some bug audience members talk at once while Flik said that he forgot to mention about reptile
s. On the song, several bee
s start to sing, along with severalDung beetle
s, The Dung Brothers, several dragonflies and several ladybugs in the song. In addition, it frightens adolecenes to the point of tears. Weevil returns holding a cupcake and the bugs chase him. The butterflies come back to form as curtains and Flik says that a magnifying glass is for looking at little things, not for burning. He lets the little butterfly fly into the butterfly curtains and the show ends. The announcer says that audience members should be seated, so the beetle
s, maggot
s and cockroach
es can leave the show safely. The bugs start to talk at once and the announcer says to pick up the grubby things before they exit. In the Animal Kingdom show, the female voice says to exit through the doors to the left, while the male voice says to exit through the doors to the right. The guests put their bugs eyes in the bins outside the theater and exit.
The show's score was composed and conducted by Bruce Broughton
.
with lyrics by Kevin Rafferty
,
and is available on Music from Disney's California Adventure.
Note: Weevil Kneevil, Henry the Bee, Additional Singing and Speaking Voices and the Announcer appear and sing and speak, but their voice actors are unknown.
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
based on the Disney·Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
film, A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life
A Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...
. The film, created by Rhythm and Hues Studios
Rhythm and Hues Studios
Rhythm & Hues Studios is a visual effects studio serving the major film studios. It is known for its computer-generated 3D character animation. Recognized as one of the top facilities of its kind in the world, Rhythm & Hues has contributed to more than 150 feature films...
, is the main component of a theme park attraction at several Walt Disney theme parks
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
. Using theater lighting, 3-D filming techniques, audio-animatronics and various special effects, the show gives the audience an idea of what it would be like to be an insect. Flik, from A Bug's Life, hosts the show and educates the viewer on why bugs shouldn't be seen as pests, but more as friends.
The attraction opened in Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
on April 22, 1998, a full seven months before the actual feature debuted in theaters. It has since opened at Disney California Adventure Park on February 8, 2001.
Setting
At Disney's Animal KingdomDisney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
, the Bug's Life theater is located inside The Tree of Life. As the queue winds around the tree, visitors can glimpse animal carvings on the tree that aren't visible from other vantage points. The "underground" pre-show area features posters of various bug acts from the show, as well as those for all-insect parodies of Broadway musicals, such as Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, Web Side Story, Little Shop of Hoppers
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
and My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
bug.
At Disney California Adventure, the Bug's Life theater is located in a bug's land
A bug's land
"A Bug's Land" is a section of Disney's California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The area is based on the Disney·Pixar film "A Bug's Life"...
. There, the queue passes through a replica of Ant Island before heading underground, where the queue appears the same as the one at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
.
Plot
In Disney's Animal Kingdom, a female bug voice says "Ten minutes till showtime." before the song "One" plays. After the song, "Tomorrow", the voice says, "Five minutes till showtime.". When "Tonight" is playing, the voice says "One minute till showtime." After the song, the doors open. But in California Adventure, the voice is a male bug and has "Flight of the Bumblebee". The doors close, and the announcer tells the audience to never buzz, sting, pollinate and chirp. Flik pops up upside-down behind the butterfly curtains. Then, Flik talks and the butterflies fly. The leaf is the title card and says "IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG!". Then, the little butterfly flies away and a millipedeMillipede
Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment . Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments fused together as one...
bites the leaf. Then, jungle music is heard, and a Mexican redknee tarantula
Mexican redknee tarantula
The Brachypelma smithi , is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, of which are a popular choice for enthusiasts...
(called Chilean Tarantula) named Chili walks to see Flik. Flik screams and Chili laughs. A pair of Acorn Weevils place a trident like item on the stage with a web. Chili shoots the acorn with a quill. Then, the acorn weevils got an acorn with Weevil Kneevil and Chili didn't shoot him. He misses the acorn and Weevil escapes and Chili chases him. The next guest is a soldier termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
who defends his mound by spraying intruders with acid. The piece of wood falls and makes a loud rumble. The termite shoots at the flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
and shoots at the audience. He ran out of acid and went away. A Stink Bug named Claire de Room walks to the stage and is silent. The acorn weevils place a flower and Weevil enters the flower; Claire passes gas and then walks away. An explosion is heard when Hopper jumps into stage. Hopper was mad at Flik. A Rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros beetle
The Rhinoceros Beetles or Rhino Beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family . Other common names – some for particular groups of rhino beetles – are for example Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles...
chases Flik and four Acorn Weevils hold a picture of the movie, "Knock em Dead". and then, the film shows up a live boy screaming and a tarantula
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
about to destroy the home. Two soldiers shoot at a grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
in the park. A pair of Fireflies
Fireflies
Fireflies is a novel by Shiva Naipaul originally published in 1970. It was his first book, a comic novel set in Trinidad. In an essay in An Unfinished Journey, Naipaul described how in 1968 as a final year student at Oxford University studying Chinese, he had been moved to write down a sentence,...
climb up the building and two ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s walk to the boat and a man hits the ant on the boat. A fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
was hit by the fly swatter three times and the human uses a Bug Spray. It's so dark and wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s poke the audience. Several Black widow spider
Black widow spider
Latrodectus mactans, the Southern black widow, is a highly venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The species is...
s go up and down trying to capture the audience and go up and went up and are gone. Hopper says that nothing can stop him, but a chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
eats Hopper and spits out Hopper and Hopper flies away. Some bug audience members talk at once while Flik said that he forgot to mention about reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s. On the song, several bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s start to sing, along with severalDung beetle
Dung beetle
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
s, The Dung Brothers, several dragonflies and several ladybugs in the song. In addition, it frightens adolecenes to the point of tears. Weevil returns holding a cupcake and the bugs chase him. The butterflies come back to form as curtains and Flik says that a magnifying glass is for looking at little things, not for burning. He lets the little butterfly fly into the butterfly curtains and the show ends. The announcer says that audience members should be seated, so the beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, maggot
Maggot
In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s and cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
es can leave the show safely. The bugs start to talk at once and the announcer says to pick up the grubby things before they exit. In the Animal Kingdom show, the female voice says to exit through the doors to the left, while the male voice says to exit through the doors to the right. The guests put their bugs eyes in the bins outside the theater and exit.
Queue music
The queue features parodies or renditions of songs from famous Broadway shows using bug sounds.| Track | Name | Parody / rendition of |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One" (A Cockroach Line) | "One" (A Chorus Line A Chorus Line A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch.... ) |
| 2 | "Beauty and the Bees" (Beauty and the Bees) | "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast (musical) Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical... ) |
| 3 | "Tomorrow" (Antie) | "Tomorrow Tomorrow (1977 song) "Tomorrow" is a song from the musical Annie, with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin, published in 1977.-Production history in the musical:... " (Annie Annie (musical) Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster... ) |
| 4 | "I Feel Pretty" (Web Side Story) | "I Feel Pretty" (West Side Story) |
| 5 | "Hello Dung Lovers" (The Sting and I) | "Hello Young Lovers" (The King and I The King and I The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in... ) |
| 6 | "Tonight" | "Tonight Tonight (1956 song) "Tonight" is a popular song with music written by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and was published in 1956.It was introduced in the Broadway musical West Side Story. The song was revived in 1961 on single records in versions by Ferrante & Teicher and Eddie Fisher, whose... " mixed with Flight of the Bumblebee Flight of the Bumblebee "Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to... (West Side Story) |
The show's score was composed and conducted by Bruce Broughton
Bruce Broughton
Bruce Broughton is a film, video game, and television soundtrack composer who has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career, including American music classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Silverado", "Tombstone," and wonderfully lyric music for "Miracle on 34th...
.
Theme song
The theme song, "It's Tough to be a Bug," was written by George WilkinsGeorge Wilkins
George Wilkins was an English dramatist and pamphleteer best known for his probable collaboration with Shakespeare on the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently involved in criminal activities.-Life:Wilkins was an inn-keeper in Cow-Cross,...
with lyrics by Kevin Rafferty
Kevin Rafferty
Kevin Rafferty is an American documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe.-Background:...
,
and is available on Music from Disney's California Adventure.
Cast
- Dave FoleyDave FoleyDavid Scott "Dave" Foley is a Canadian comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, and Celebrity Poker Showdown...
- Flik, a blue ant and the main protagonist in the show. - Andrew StantonAndrew StantonAndrew Stanton is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional voice actor based at Pixar Animation Studios. His film work includes writing and directing Finding Nemo and WALL-E; both films earned him the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.-Life and career:Stanton was...
- Hopper, a grasshopper and the main antagonist in the show. (Kevin SpaceyKevin SpaceyKevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
- the voice of Hopper in the film- had a clause written into his contract stating that he would not be required to reprise his role for any A Bug's Life toys or theme park rides.) - Cheech MarinCheech MarinRichard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
- Chili, a Mexican redknee tarantulaMexican redknee tarantulaThe Brachypelma smithi , is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, of which are a popular choice for enthusiasts...
. - French StewartFrench StewartMilton French Stewart , better known by his stage name French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for his role as Harry Solomon on the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.-Early life:...
- The Termite-ator, a termiteTermiteTermites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
. - Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
- The Dung Beetle Brothers, two dung beetlesDung beetleDung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
who only had singing roles during the show. - Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
- unnamed bug.
Note: Weevil Kneevil, Henry the Bee, Additional Singing and Speaking Voices and the Announcer appear and sing and speak, but their voice actors are unknown.
See also
- Disney's Animal Kingdom attraction and entertainment history
- List of current Disney California Adventure attractions
- List of 3-D films
- Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! - A similar attraction at EpcotEpcotEpcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
and Disneyland - A Bug's LifeA Bug's LifeA Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...
- Bruce Broughton