Within the game's code are 22 unused reactions; while several of them are animations designed for interactions with Wisp, Gulliver, K.K. Slider, and campers, many others are standard emotions, leaving it unknown why these ones were removed. While additional reactions would be added in various updates, none of the 22 unused ones were among them.

Additionally, one unused reaction is the Shrunk Funk Shuffle; this was previously obtainable in Animal Crossing: New Leaf after obtaining all other reactions from Dr. Shrunk. Its presence in the game's code thus implies that at one point in development, players were intended to learn reactions from him like in previous titles. In the final game, players instead obtain them through a variety of methods (i.e. being taught them by villagers and Jack, purchasing Nook Miles rewards, attending aerobics classes for 50 days, and completing the Happy Home Paradise DLC), while Dr. Shrunk only appears as an occasional visitor in the Roost from Version 2.0 onward.