Harrison Ford made a surprise virtual appearance at the D23 convention in Anaheim on Saturday to announce that he is closely involved in a new Indiana Jones ride at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom.
The 84-year-old actor revealed in a video message that he served as the direct physical model for an Audio-Animatronics figure created for the upcoming theme park attraction.
"I'm pleased to share that for the first time ever, I'm the actual model of the Indiana Jones animatronic," Ford announced in the video snippet, which was also shared on Instagram. "I'm excited to see his next adventure, and I'm coming to Walt Disney World soon."
Indiana Jones theme park attraction
The new attraction, titled Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, is set inside a Mayan temple, where park goers will experience an immersive underworld. According to Mayan mythology, deep caves are guarded by a giant snake named Tsukán.
Disney Parks highlighted the announcement across social media following the event presentation. "We have unearthed Indiana Jones news," an Instagram post from Disney Parks read. "For the first time, Harrison Ford is the actual model of the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronics figure, fear of snakes included."
A follow-up teaser post added: "Come face to face with the real-life Tsukán on Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent at Animal Kingdom."
The attraction is part of the new Tropical Americas land currently under construction at Animal Kingdom. The new area will replace DinoLand USA, which officially closed in February.
Although Ford has starred in multiple Disney-owned film franchises, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he has never previously appeared as a model for a Disney attraction figure. In the video snippet, Ford thanked fans, saying, "Thanks for coming along on all Indy's adventures."
Fitness routine and thoughts on aging
Ford celebrated his 84th birthday in July and continues to maintain an active acting career and personal routine. Weeks ago, the octogenarian actor was spotted taking a solo bicycle ride through Los Angeles.
"I believe in training for injury prevention more than anything else," Ford told Men's Health magazine in June regarding his fitness regime. "I'm an old fart and I need to protect myself."
In 2023, Ford reflected on aging in an interview with People magazine. "I don't want to be young again," he declared. "I was young, and now I enjoy being old. You are certainly physically diminished by age, but there are wonderful things about age, richness of experience, the full weight of all the time you've been spending getting to being old, and there's a certain ease in it for me."
Life achievement recognition
In March, Ford received the Life Achievement award at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards, growing emotional as he looked back on his decades-long entertainment career and describing himself as a "lucky guy."
"I feel incredibly grateful for this kind attention, but to be clear, I'm also quite humbled," Ford said during his acceptance speech. "I'm in a room of actors, many of whom are here because they've been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work. Well, I'm here to receive a prize for being alive."
