He was right to do so, the film is superb

[W]hen the concept for Zootopia—basically just the real world, but with anthropomorphized animals only—was pitched to Lasseter, he was so thrilled that he lifted the idea man, co-director Byron Howard, in the air like Simba in the “Circle Of Life” scene of The Lion King.

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Note also: big shoutout to Bob and Ray in this movie.