Disney World is in the midst of a massive expansion currently, with major projects under construction across three of its four theme parks. One of these expansions, opening in 2027, is introducing a major new Indiana Jones ride with a very unique storyline. We expect that this new ride will be majorly thrilling, and each new piece of information we receive makes us even more excited for its opening.
After D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we now have more details on the storyline of the ride, “revolutionary Audio-Animatronics figures,” and more. Keep reading for all of the details! Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including eight changes made to Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash and the full menu for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2026.
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Revolutionary New Animatronics Coming to Indiana Jones Ride at Animal Kingdom
Dinoland U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom closed to make room for the new Tropical Americas land, which will feature rides based on Encanto and the Indiana Jones franchise, among some other attractions. Most of the land was demolished completely for this new project, giving Imagineers space to build several new rides and attractions from the ground up to create a brand new landscape.
The show building that previously housed DINOSAUR will be reused for the new Indiana Jones ride that will be coming to the Tropical Americas land.
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As you can see below, parts of the DINOSAUR building have been completely gutted to make room for the new queue, show scenes, and animatronics that will bring this new ride to life:
Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is the name of the new ride coming to Animal Kingdom, and it will feature a massive Audio-Animatronics figure of the titular jade serpent.
Disney shared more details about the premise of the ride. Indiana Jones is exploring a temple near a water-filled underground cave, and the passageway directly to the Maya Underworld, which is protected by a serpentine creature called the Tsukán. When riders are pulled into a portal to the Underworld, they’ll encounter various dangers, like monstrous bats, larger-than-life scorpions, fire and flame, and snakes.
With the new storyline details, we have a better sense of how this ties into the overall theming of Animal Kingdom. When the attraction was originally announced, fans were hesitant about how Indiana Jones fit into the park, but now we have a clearer picture. Disney says that the ride is a perfect fit for Animal Kingdom, “a park that is dedicated to creatures both real and imagined.” The ride aims to showcase Maya culture and its connection to nature, with the team “working closely with archaeologists, anthropologists, and Maya experts to ensure that every element is accurate for the region. ”
After riders encounter the serpent throughout the ride, they’ll have a final confrontation with it. Disney shared concept artwork of the Tsukán above, but the most incredible part of this reveal is the scale of the new figure. Check out how massive this is compared to the size of a human in the model below.
Disney also shared a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the figure in development, and you can really see how huge it is up against the Imagineer working on it. Based on concept art, this appears to be the serpent’s snout area. As of right now, there is no information about what kind of movements this animatronic will be capable of, but we expect it will be reflective of the most cutting-edge animatronic technology Disney has to offer.
Disney shared that the Imagineering team is sculpting the figure by hand in an attempt to make it more lifelike and scary.
We also got some more context on the story of the serpent itself from legendary former Imagineer Joe Rohde. Here’s what he wrote in a recent Instagram caption:
“Back at D23 a week ago, I’m sure visitors to the Imagineering booth would’ve noticed the big jade-colored, serpent-like creature who will be featured in the new attraction, Indiana Jones and the myth of the Jade Serpent.
But what exactly is the myth of the Jade Serpent? Well, much like the myth of the yeti at Expedition Everest, it is not something the team made up. Like all Disney’s Animal Kingdom teams, Joan Hartwig’s team has done their homework. This “Jade Serpent” called Tsukan, is a real living, contemporary Maya myth, in exactly the same way that the yeti is a living Himalayan oral tradition. And like the yeti, this creature is another kind of environmental protector, defending the sanctity, purity, and fertility of the cenote, and the water contained within.
In the Mayan language, the idea of serpents, and the idea of heavenly things is sort of conflated because when spoken out loud, the original word for snake and heavens sounds almost identical. Kaan. So you will often see stylized snakes represented in Maya art, where no snake is intended. Instead the snake is supposed to represent the sky or the heavens in some way. The last image included here of the woman encircled by a snake is more or less symbolically the moon in the sky. As a matter of fact, if you look straight at the head of Tsukan you can see one of these heavenly serpents across its brow.
So, while there is, of course, the superficially humorous juxtaposition of Indiana Jones versus a giant snake, there is, as with everything at Animal Kingdom, much more to be learned, and a richer, more culturally, and environmentally relevant story to be told. so when the attraction finally opens, do not rush to be first in line, walk very slowly… looking closely at every detail.”
While this ride will not be an exact one-to-one copy of Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland, it will have some similarities because of the shared ride system. Riders can expect a similar physical experience, but the sets and storylines will be completely different.
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Thinking of how popular Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure continues to be, after 30 years, we have very high expectations for this new iteration. Combining modern technology with the incredible world and thrills of Indiana Jones, this should be a mind-blowing new addition. Disney also shared that, for the first time, Harrison Ford will be the actual model for the next Indiana Jones animatronic.
You can see all of the major Disney World announcements at D23 withm projects revealed across all four theme parks.
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