The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith attraction is now permanently closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was dedicated on July 29, 1999, and opened to the public the next day. The attraction took guests on a twisting, turning journey through a Hollywood night in a stretch limo booming to the driving beat of rock ‘n’ roll music performed by Aerosmith. Now, it is permanently closed.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Permanently Closed
Construction on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster began in early 1998, opening to the public some 17 months later. The grand opening of the ride took place on July 29, 1999, with thousands of fans welcoming five members of the Aerosmith band to the then-named Disney-MGM Studios. After a motorcade and handprint ceremony, the band boarded the stretch limo roller coaster ride vehicles for a twisting, turning trip through the Hollywood Hills in the indoor attraction.
At the time, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was part of the Sunset Boulevard expansion – the largest at Walt Disney World to that point. The roller coaster featured a 0-57mph launch in 2.8 seconds. Disney’s first-ever roller coaster to feature multiple inversions had three inversions in total.
Each coaster train, themed to a stretch limo and influenced by the 1962-era Cadillac, featured an Aerosmith soundtrack delivered by 125 onboard speakers, 24 sub-woofers, and more than 32k watts of audio amplifier output. Each of the 24 guests on board a train was surrounded by five speakers – four around the head and one subwoofer under the seat.
Each vehicle featured a different Aerosmith song or medley. Original tracks were: “Nine Lives”; “Sweet Emotion”; a “Back in the Saddle”/”Dude Looks Like a Lady” medley; a “Love in an Elevator”/”Walk This Way” medley; and a “Young Lust”/”F.I.N.E.”/”Love in an Elevator” medley.
In total, the attraction featured more than 900 speakers. The track length clocked in at 3,403 feet long, with elements of the ride manufactured as far away as the Netherlands and Germany.
The attraction imparts nearly 5 Gs on guests as they transition from the high-speed launch to an immediate loop inversion. This is nearly 2 Gs more than astronauts experienced during a Space Shuttle launch.
When you’ve toured the world as much as we have, it’s a real thrill to find a new audience. Coming up with a soundtrack for this Disney ride really brought the kid out in all of us and has given us the opportunity to play audio gymnastics with our music.
The facade of the attraction featured a 40-foot-tall guitar, with the fretboard transforming and twisting into a roller coaster track where a stylized limo sits at the entrance archway into the courtyard.
In the queue, guests get to walk through the fictional G-Force Records, where they stumble upon the Aerosmith band, represented in video, as they finish up a recording session. After being invited to see them in concert, guests make their way to the loading area in a parking garage before zipping across town in a darkened show building with black-light vignettes of Hollywood. Perhaps the most iconic part of the ride is a twisting portion through the Hollywood sign.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Photos
New Headliner: The Muppets
So, why is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith closing? Back in November 2024, Walt Disney World announced that The Muppets would take over the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster attraction. That said, the first time that we heard that The Muppets may take over for Aerosmith was back in June 2023 when Jeff Yorkes, the co-creator of the Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem confirmed that the original pitch for the show included a retheme of the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster attraction.
Here’s everything we know about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets so far! The attraction will open sometime in Summer 2026, fueled by the tasty tunes of the Electric Mayhem and the high-speed hijinks of The Muppets.
The Electric Mayhem are headlining their biggest Hollywood concert ever! Anyone who’s anyone is in attendance to witness Animal, Dr. Teeth, and the rest of this groove-tastic group rock the house down. There’s just one little problem: the band is nowhere to be found!
Across town at G-Force Records, we’re treated to a VIP tour of the legendary rock and roll recording studio. Things might look a little different around this Hollywood institution, as the label has recently come under new management – The Muppets!
We’re happy to say that our colorful crew has landed some new digs… with just a little help from Scooter’s uncle, real estate tycoon and owner of the Muppet Theatre, J.P. Grosse (he really puts the G in G-Force). Just wait until you see how they’ve made these hallowed halls their own, creating the perfect place to make sweet, sweet Muppet music together!
For fans of that big – really big – hilariously big guitar, you’ll be stoked to know that the newest residents of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are putting their own spin on that ruby red paint job.
A vibrant and psychedelic new design will grace the bottom of the guitar (inspired by a classic Muppet car paint job), and the piano motif at the base will feature a golden key as a nod to a certain far-out band leader.
With your VIP passes, you’ll be welcomed inside the recording studio, where – wouldn’t you know it – you’ll find the Electric Mayhem are cranking out some seriously rocking tunes. Along with the finest audio engineers (all penguins, of course) we’ll see Scooter doing his best to convince Electric Mayhem to stop jamming and get to their increasingly restless fans. But will it be enough to get the band across town and onstage in time?
With the help from our friends at Muppet Labs and a very fast limousine, we’ll take a twisting, turning, and screamingly fun road trip across Hollywood to reach the concert in time. The iconic scenery and landmarks of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist when the attraction debuts in summer 2026.
And throughout the journey, you’ll hear the Electric Mayhem playing some of the most iconic, rockin’ hits in your ears to keep the music and adrenaline pumping. I’m sure G Force Records will release a concert setlist soon.
For everything we know about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets, check out our dedicated attraction page below!
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