Harrison Ford is set to appear in a new Indiana Jones attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, marking the first time his actual likeness has been used for an Indy animatronic anywhere in a Disney park.
The announcement came via a surprise video message from Ford at Disney’s D23 Expo on August 16, unveiling the ride’s name: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
Ford addressed the crowd directly in the video, saying, “I’m pleased to share that for the first time ever, I’m the actual model for the animatronic, fear of snakes included. I’m excited for you to see his next epic adventure and I’m coming to Walt Disney World soon.”
Previous Indiana Jones attractions at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea never had access to Ford’s likeness or voice.
The new ride, set in the 1950s prior to the events of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will be one of the anchor attractions in Animal Kingdom’s new Tropical Americas land, replacing the space previously occupied by the Dinosaur ride.
According to Disney Parks Imagineers, the story follows Indiana Jones searching for a mysterious artifact in South America before being pulled into an underworld guarded by a massive feathered serpent creature called the Tsukán, encountering dangers including giant scorpions and swarms of bats along the way.
No opening date has been announced yet.
