The fedora and the whip are coming back out. Harrison Ford, the 84-year-old actor behind Indiana Jones, told fans on Saturday, August 15, 2026, that he will reprise the role for a new Walt Disney World attraction — an announcement made in a pre-recorded message played at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, where the Imagineers Michael Hundgen and Chris Beatty laid out the ride alongside it.
Titled “Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent,” the ride will sit in Tropical Americas, the land replacing DinoLand U.S.A. at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Bay Lake, Florida. Disney has slated the land for 2027 and has announced no date for the attraction itself. With characteristic wit, Ford delivered the kicker himself: he will serve as the actual physical model for an Indiana Jones animatronic featured in the ride, which Lucasfilm called the first time his face has appeared on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world; the Indy figures at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea were never modeled on him. Disney has not said whether Ford will also voice the figure.
The new ride will center on the world of the ancient Maya. Guests join Dr. Jones at a temple beside a cenote — a water-filled cave that local legend says leads to the Maya Underworld, guarded by a serpentine creature called the Tsukán. Scares along the way include scorpions, bats and, inevitably, snakes.
A New Ride, and a First for Ford
“I’m pleased to share that for the first time ever, I’m the actual model of the Indiana Jones animatronic,” Ford told the D23 crowd, “fear of snakes included.”
“I’m excited for you to see his next epic adventure,” he added, “and I’m coming to Walt Disney World soon.” Social media lit up after Disney Parks posted his message to Instagram, and the comments filled quickly. Affection for the actor’s decades-long bond with the character ran through much of the response, including one commenter who wrote that Ford’s legacy would be “forever enshrined” through the attraction. Others insisted that no one else should ever be cast in the role.
Five feature films spanning more than four decades preceded “Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.” The adventurous archaeology professor was Ford’s from the start, beginning with Steven Spielberg’s 1981 hit “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Director and star teamed again on 1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” followed by 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” James Mangold took over for the fifth.
A Franchise Looking to Rebound
Then came 2023’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which took about $384 million worldwide against a budget reported at roughly $387 million and was widely written up as a bomb; one analysis put Disney’s theatrical loss at about $134 million. The five films together have grossed more than $2.3 billion. For Disney, a new theme park attraction is a chance to revitalize the property and remind audiences why the character remains beloved.
Whether Ford still had the energy was never much of a question. Cameras caught him cycling through Los Angeles in July, days before his 84th birthday, with a notably fit physique. And on March 1, six decades of work earned him the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award at the 32nd Actor Awards. Fighting back tears, he opened with a joke at the award’s expense: “It’s a little weird to be getting a lifetime achievement award at the half point of my career. It’s a little early.” Then: “I’m still a working actor.”
Fans Weigh in on the Legacy Move
Online, the reaction skewed overwhelmingly positive. Devoted followers of the franchise rushed to declare Ford the one and only Indiana Jones, and several called on Disney to ensure contractually that no other actor ever replaces him. A character who has shaped popular culture since the early 1980s carries a deep well of nostalgia, and preserving Ford’s likeness in animatronic form struck many as a fittingly enduring tribute.
Ford, for his part, opened his message to the D23 crowd on a warm note, thanking audiences for coming along on the character’s many adventures over the years. That relationship with the franchise’s fans has held up across generations, and the Walt Disney World announcement cements it in a tangible, permanent way at one of the world’s most visited theme parks.
A Career That Shows No Signs of Slowing
That he is this productive at 84 is a story in itself. He is still shooting “Shrinking,” in which he plays the therapist Dr. Paul Rhoades and which returns for a fourth season, and he has otherwise stayed a visible and active presence in Hollywood. The Life Achievement Award he collected on March 1 celebrated a career spanning iconic roles including Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
Now that “Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent” is confirmed, with Ford personally involved as the model for its centerpiece animatronic, Disney is banking on the original Indy’s enduring appeal — both to pull new generations toward Animal Kingdom and to remind longtime fans why they fell in love with the character in the first place.