Indoor roller coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios This article is about the roller coaster at Disney parks. For the roller coaster formerly at Opryland, see Canyon Blaster (Six Flags Great Escape).

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
A large, red Fender Stratocaster on display outside the attraction in Florida
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Park section	Sunset Boulevard
Coordinates	28°21′33.9″N 81°33′38.5″W / 28.359417°N 81.560694°W / 28.359417; -81.560694
Status	Operating
Opening date	July 29, 1999 (1999-07-29)
Replaced by	Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
Single rider line available
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios at RCDB
Disneyland Paris
Name	Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith
Park section	Backlot
Coordinates	48°51′53″N 2°46′48″E / 48.864850°N 2.779931°E / 48.864850; 2.779931
Status	Closed
Opening date	March 16, 2002 (2002-03-16)
Closing date	September 2, 2019 (2019-09-02)
Replaced by	Avengers Assemble: Flight Force
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disneyland Paris at RCDB
General statistics
Type	Steel – Enclosed – Launched
Manufacturer	Vekoma
Designer	Walt Disney Imagineering
Model	LSM Coaster
Lift/launch system	LSM launch
Height	80 ft (24 m)
Length	3,267.7 ft (996.0 m)
Speed	57 mph (92 km/h)
Inversions	3
Duration	1:22
Capacity	1,800 riders per hour
Acceleration	0 to 57 mph (0 to 92 km/h) in 2.8 seconds
G-force	5
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Sponsor	Gibson (Florida)
Hosts	Aerosmith
Must transfer from wheelchair

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is an indoor launched roller coaster located at Disney's Hollywood Studios within Walt Disney World. Manufactured by Vekoma, the roller coaster opened to the public on July 29, 1999. It uses linear motor electromagnetic technology for acceleration, which propels riders from 0 to 57 mph (92 km/h) in 2.8 seconds. Riders experience up to 5 Gs and travel through three inversions, which include a sea serpent and a corkscrew. The attraction also features recorded music and appearances from American rock band Aerosmith.

A second installation with an identical track layout opened within Disneyland Paris as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith in time for the opening of Walt Disney Studios Park on March 16, 2002. The attraction was later re-themed to Avengers Assemble: Flight Force as part of the new Avengers Campus at the park.

The original attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios will close on March 2, 2026.[1] The coaster will be rethemed to The Muppets[2] and reopen later in the year.[3]

History

[edit]

In April 1998, Disney-MGM Studios (later named Disney's Hollywood Studios) announced that they would be adding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.[4] The ride was set to open in 1999 for the park's tenth anniversary.[4] The park hired Vekoma to build the launched indoor roller coaster, and construction began two months prior to the announcement in February 1998.[5] The track layout was completed by June 1998.[6]

Soft opening cast member previews began in June 1999.[5] The following month,[7] the attraction held its grand opening on July 29 with a special, invitation-only party featuring Aerosmith as the guests of honor.[8] Winners were taken to the park, in stretch limousines and received complimentary meals.[9] After a special performance by painter Denny Dent, winners received the chance to ride the roller coaster with one of the Aerosmith band members. A picture from the special event is on display near the exit of the ride. In each train, there are a total of 120 speakers. There are five surrounding each rider, consisting of two mid-range speakers, two tweeters, and a subwoofer placed under the seat.[10]

The Walt Disney Studios Park version of the ride officially made its debut in time for the park's grand opening on March 16, 2002.[11][12] It featured the same track layout as the Walt Disney World installation, but the theme and queue line were different.[13] The attraction was located in the Backlot area near Moteurs... Action!: Stunt Show Spectacular, becoming one of the park's only three opening day rides, with Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah being the others.[14] In 2007, the queue was modified to accommodate single riders in addition to FASTPASS.

On December 17, 2015, the location at Disney's Hollywood Studios hosted a special event to promote the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The queue line featured Star Wars movie posters, the Aerosmith pre-show was disabled and the speakers played music from the film.[15] The same Star Wars overlay also occurred on April 14, 2017.[16]

In 2016, the pre-show at Disney Hollywood Studios was edited to digitally remove a "crude hand gesture" known as "The Shocker" made by Steven Tyler.[17]

In 2017, the Disney's Hollywood Studios location received new television screens mounted in spaces prior to the boarding area. They show loading and safety tips in an effort to reduce boarding time.[18] In addition, the exterior of the main ride building was given a new coat of paint.[19]

It was announced at the 2018 D23 Expo in Japan that the Walt Disney Studios Park location would be receiving a complete remodel that would feature a new theme based on the Iron Man and Avengers franchises of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[20] The attraction officially closed on September 2, 2019 for its transformation,[21][22] reopening as the newly revamped Avengers Assemble: Flight Force on July 20, 2022, as part of the new Avengers Campus Paris themed land.[23][20][24]

On November 22, 2024 in conjunction with the announcement of the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D, Disney announced that Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be re-themed to feature The Muppets, but would retain the same name.[2][25][26] The re-theme is scheduled to open in summer 2026.[27]

On December 1, 2025, it was announced that the pre-show with Aerosmith was removed from the attraction.[28][better source needed] On December 12, 2025, it was announced the attraction will close on March 2, 2026.[1]

Ride experience

[edit]

The pre-show of the attraction was modified over time. The most recent version features band member Joe Perry asking Chris, the Disney cast member in the pre-show, to grab his black Les Paul guitar. The cast member in the pre-show area then proceeds to pick up and remove a black guitar signed by Joe Perry from the set. The pre-show film also includes a roadie saying "Hey, Joe, I'll get it for ya." in the background as a backup, in the event that a cast member is not available to participate.[29]

Queue

[edit]

Disney's Hollywood Studios

[edit]

As guests enter the queue line, they walk into a high-ceilinged circular room themed to a fictional record label called G-Force Records. Walls are decorated with ceiling-high guitars and digital posters of Hollywood Records artists, and the floor depicts a giant record. These digital posters sometimes display guests' names as recording artists, accomplished by short-range RFID scanners that read their MagicBands and Magicband+'s[30] Also on display to guests is a small exhibit of recording instruments in the stand-by queue.

As part of the pre-show experience, guests are asked to wait outside the doors of Studio C. Different musical instruments can be heard being played in Studio B during a rehearsal. As guests enter Studio C, Aerosmith is working on an instrumental recording of "Walk This Way" with a sound engineer (Ken Marino). The band greets the guests as their manager (Illeana Douglas) walks in interrupting, telling the band they're running late to a scheduled show. As the band gets ready to depart, Steven Tyler stops and says they can't leave the guests behind. Joe Perry and the rest of the band agree, as the manager sarcastically replies, "Well, guys, what do you expect me to do? Send them all with you?" Steven pauses and says, "Wait a minute. I love that idea. How about some backstage passes?" The manager reluctantly agrees and makes a phone call ordering a "super stretch" limo, calling it a "really fast car" that will take everyone across town to the show. The limo that Aerosmith boarded in the background peels out, leaving their manager behind to her disappointment. As the scene ends, "Walk This Way" resumes playing but this time with vocals. Guests are permitted to exit the pre-show area and board the ride.[31]

Walt Disney Studios Park

[edit]

The former Paris version was similar, except guests entered a building themed to the fictional Tour de Force Records. The queue line's background music consisted of individual songs from a variety of different bands, including 3 Doors Down, Limp Bizkit, Texas, Blink-182, Creed, Korn, Coldplay, P.O.D., Linkin Park, Oasis and The Chemical Brothers.[32] Upon entering the studio, guests were first greeted by the reception area, a circular room with the Tour de Force Records logo, guitar-shaped columns and guitars on the right wall.[32] In the next area, guests passed by numerous concert posters and an exhibit filled with several musical items like guitars, gold records, drum heads and jackets.[32] The ride's story focused on Aerosmith, working with engineers, creating a revolutionary new music experience at the Tour De Force Records studios. After watching the pre-show which features Aerosmith's Steven Tyler hyping up the ride, guests were lured into the testing area where they boarded one of five Soundtrackers, the prototype vehicles for the new experience.

On-ride

[edit]

As the limo leaves the parking garage, Bill St. James, the radio DJ of LA's Classic Rock Station, begins a short commentary, usually followed by a traffic report in the surrounding area where Aerosmith's concert is taking place. The limo stops in front of a highway tunnel where a highway sign flashes humorous messages like: "Traffic bug you? Then STEP on it!". (In the Paris version, instead of guests being taken on the Los Angeles freeways, the Paris version is based around an Aerosmith music video.) Building up anticipation, seconds before the limo is launched, Steven Tyler counts down from five, launching the limo from 0 to 57 mph (92 km/h) in less than 2.8 seconds at "one!". As the limo enters the tunnel, the on-ride photo is taken and a selection of Aerosmith songs play.

After a long straightway, the limo rises up into the sea serpent element, which is a two inversion element,[33] and then some less intense over-banked turns. During the ride, there are neon signs on the side of the track, designed to mimic road signs; in the Paris version, lighting rigs, projectors, strobes, and smoke effects are used in place of the road signs that exist in the U.S. version. The limo continues along the track, until it reaches the third and final inversion, a corkscrew, and ending the ride with more banked turns as well as a camelback hill. The limo proceeds to the VIP backstage area, where guests exit through the red carpet towards the on-ride photo screens at the gift shop.

Soundtrack

[edit]

Disney's Hollywood Studios

[edit]

Walt Disney Imagineering worked with Aerosmith to produce a special soundtrack for the roller coaster. Each coaster train features different Aerosmith songs, some containing some new lyrics written specifically for the attraction; for example, "Love in an Elevator" is sung as "Love in a Rollercoaster".

• License plates and songs heard on each limo:
  • 1QKLIMO: Plays "Nine Lives"
  • UGOBABE: Plays "Love in an Elevator" and "Walk This Way"
  • BUHBYE: Plays "Young Lust", "F.I.N.E.", and "Love in an Elevator" (sung as "Love in a Rollercoaster" in the last line)
  • H8TRFFC: Plays "Back in the Saddle" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"
  • 2FAST4U: Plays "Sweet Emotion" (live, as featured in A Little South of Sanity)
  • There is an unused song that is only used during testing and maintenance known as "What Kind of Love Are You On" (sung as "What Kind of Ride Are You On" in the last line)

There is a 6th limo in the fleet that has no license plate and is always "in refurbishment." The vehicles are rotated in and out of use after a period of many thousands of laps around the track. However, the maintenance teams will switch out the plate and add the proper song to the new vehicle every time a rotation is made.

In addition, prior to the 2007 refurbishment:

• The ride featured Uncle Joe Benson, a well-known Los Angeles rock radio DJ, as the station's DJ. Bill St. James, former host of ABC Radio's Flashback, currently provides his own voice as the DJ of "LA's Classic Rock Station."
• The UGOBABE license plate has been used as UGOGIRL.
• Steven Tyler displayed the Shocker gesture when agreeing to offer backstage passes.
• The "Chris" that Joe Perry asked to grabbed the black Les Paul was portrayed by a cast member who took a black Les Paul off of the recording studio set.[34] Currently, this effect is done on rare occasions.[35]
• Only the UGOGIRL and BUHBYE limos had actual countdowns[36] (As a result, Steven Tyler has commentary while counting down when it was added to the other limos).

Walt Disney Studios Park

[edit]

The vehicles in Paris were called "Soundtrackers" instead of limousines. A unique aspect of the Walt Disney Studios version is that each Soundtracker had its own theme. There were five different light shows and five different soundtracks, one for each Soundtracker. The themes were as follows:

• Soundtracker 1: green lightshow theme; played "Back in the Saddle" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"
• Soundtracker 2: purple lightshow theme; played "Young Lust", "F.I.N.E.", and "Love in an Elevator"
• Soundtracker 3: multicolour lightshow theme; played "Love in an Elevator" and "Walk This Way"
• Soundtracker 4: red lightshow theme; played "Nine Lives"
• Soundtracker 5: blue lightshow theme; played "Sweet Emotion" (live, as featured in A Little South of Sanity)

See also

[edit]

• Xpress: Platform 13, an identical roller coaster at Walibi Holland

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Ace, Shannen (December 12, 2025). "BREAKING: Closing Date for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith". WDW News Today. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
2. ^ a b Rachel (November 22, 2024). "Monsters and Muppet Updates for Hollywood Studios". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
3. ^ "Update: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Closing Spring 2026 for Muppet Transformation". WDW News Today. December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
4. ^ a b "Roller coaster rides new-attraction wave". The Orlando Sentinel. April 22, 1998. Retrieved October 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com .
5. ^ a b Anderson, Jamie J. (July 23, 1999). "Wild ride of music and speed". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
6. ^ Stilwell, Andrew (May 23, 1999). "19 for 99: Rock 'N' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios". Coaster101. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
7. ^ Abbott, Jim (July 30, 1999). "Aerosmith rocks, new coaster rolls". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
8. ^ "Best bets". The Orlando Sentinel. July 30, 1999. Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
9. ^ "WHTQ Rock n Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith - Photo Gallery". 96.5 WHTQ. Archived from the original on December 2, 2000. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
10. ^ Thomas, Mike (August 1, 1999). "Episode I: The Coaster Wars". Restless Native. The Orlando Sentinel - Florida Magazine. Retrieved January 30, 2018. Under your seat is a giant woofer. Surrounding you but unseen are two mid-range speakers and two tweeters. So you get five speakers blasting you with concert-quality sound.
11. ^ "Movie Theme Park to Be New Neighbor for Disneyland Paris".
12. ^ "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith". D23. August 10, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Disneyland Paris)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
14. ^ "From Box Office Bomb to Would-Be Blockbuster: The Cinematic Story of Walt Disney Studios Paris".
15. ^ "Star Wars takes over Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios for one night only". December 18, 2015.
16. ^ "Full Schedule and List of Events Released for Star Wars Galactic Nights; Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Overlay Returns". April 14, 2017.
17. ^ "Disney removes Steven Tyler's shocking hand gesture from Rock 'n' Roller Coaster". Orlando Weekly. August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
18. ^ "PHOTOS, VIDEO: New Safety Pre-Show at Rock 'N' Roller Coaster". January 23, 2017.
19. ^ "PHOTOS: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Gravity Building Being Repainted For New Lands". August 20, 2017.
20. ^ a b "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Walt Disney Studios Park to Receive Marvel Transformation". Disney Parks Blog. February 11, 2018. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
21. ^ Tuttle, Brittani (February 1, 2019). "Disneyland Paris announces closing date for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
22. ^ "Confirmed "Closing Dooowwwnnnnn" Date for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disneyland Paris". EndorExpress. January 31, 2019.
23. ^ "Disneyland Paris reveals new image of Marvel-themed area coming to Walt Disney Studios Park". news.disneylandparis.com. Disney. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
24. ^ "Avengers Campus – DisneylandParis News". Retrieved May 25, 2022.
25. ^ Diller, Nathan (November 22, 2024). "Disney closing beloved Muppets film attraction, relocate characters". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
26. ^ McCarthy, Kelly (November 22, 2024). "MuppetVision 3D closing for new Monsters, Inc. Land, but characters will relocate to Rock 'n' Roller Coaster". ABC News. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
27. ^ "Update: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Closing Spring 2026 for Muppet Transformation". WDW News Today. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
28. ^ Mike (December 1, 2025). "BREAKING: Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Pre-Show with Aerosmith Permanently Removed Already". WDW News Today. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
29. ^ "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Disney MGM Studios (1999 Pre-Show)". YouTube. December 15, 2020.
30. ^ McCabe, Adam (April 19, 2016). "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster introduces personalized rock posters at Walt Disney World". Retrieved October 21, 2016.
31. ^ "7 Facts And Secrets About The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith". March 18, 2017.
32. ^ a b c "Rock'n'Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith".
33. ^ "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios (Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
34. ^ Travel Jack (December 15, 2020). Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Disney MGM Studios (1999 Pre-Show). Retrieved May 31, 2025 – via YouTube.
35. ^ Boomeroni (June 13, 2022). Cast Members RETURN to pre-show at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster!. Retrieved May 31, 2025 – via YouTube.
36. ^ Rock 'n Roll sound clip. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2023.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links

[edit]

• Official website

v t e Disney's Hollywood Studios
Attractions
Hollywood Boulevard	Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Echo Lake	For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
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Entertainment	Disney Movie Magic Fantasmic! Wonderful World of Animation
Restaurants	50's Prime Time Café ABC Commissary Hollywood & Vine Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
Future	The Magic of Disney Animation Monstropolis Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
Other	Disney Skyliner

v t e Roller coasters at Walt Disney World
Current	Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Expedition Everest Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Slinky Dog Dash Space Mountain TRON Lightcycle / Run Future Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets Former Primeval Whirl

v t e Aerosmith
Steven Tyler Tom Hamilton Joey Kramer Joe Perry Brad Whitford Ray Tabano Jimmy Crespo Rick Dufay
Studio albums	Aerosmith Get Your Wings Toys in the Attic Rocks Draw the Line Night in the Ruts Rock in a Hard Place Done with Mirrors Permanent Vacation Pump Get a Grip Nine Lives Just Push Play Honkin' on Bobo Music from Another Dimension!
Live albums	Live! Bootleg Classics Live I and II A Little South of Sanity Rockin' the Joint
Extended plays	Made in America One More Time (with Yungblud)
Singles	"Dream On" "Mama Kin" "Same Old Song and Dance" "Train Kept A-Rollin'" "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" "Sweet Emotion" "Walk This Way" "You See Me Crying" "Toys in the Attic" "Last Child" "Home Tonight" "Back in the Saddle" "Draw the Line" "Kings and Queens" "Get It Up" "Come Together" "Chip Away the Stone" "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" "Bitch's Brew" "Let the Music Do the Talking" "Shela" "My Fist Your Face" "Darkness" "Walk This Way" (with Run-DMC) "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" "Hangman Jury" "Angel" "Rag Doll" "Love in an Elevator" "F.I.N.E.*" "Janie's Got a Gun" "What It Takes" "The Other Side" "Love Me Two Times" "Helter Skelter" "Livin' on the Edge" "Eat the Rich" "Fever" "Cryin'" "Amazing" "Shut Up and Dance" "Deuces Are Wild" "Crazy" "Blind Man" "Walk on Water" "Nine Lives" "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" "Hole in My Soul" "Pink" "Taste of India" "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" "What Kind of Love Are You On" "Angel's Eye" "Jaded" "Fly Away from Here" "Sunshine" "Just Push Play" "Girls of Summer" "Baby, Please Don't Go" "Devil's Got a New Disguise" "Legendary Child" "Lover Alot" "What Could Have Been Love" "Can't Stop Lovin' You"
Compilations	Greatest Hits (1980) Gems Pandora's Box Pandora's Toys Big Ones Box of Fire Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith Tough Love: Best of the Ballads Greatest Hits (2023)
Videos and DVDs	Aerosmith Video Scrapbook Live Texxas Jam '78 Big Ones You Can Look At You Gotta Move Rock for the Rising Sun
Concert tours	Back in the Saddle Tour Permanent Vacation Tour Pump Tour Get a Grip Tour Nine Lives Tour Just Push Play Tour Aerosmith World Tour 2007 Aerosmith/ZZ Top Tour Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour Global Warming Tour Let Rock Rule Tour Blue Army Tour Rock 'N' Roll Rumble Tour Aero-Vederci Baby! Tour Deuces Are Wild Peace Out: The Farewell Tour
Related articles	Discography Videography Songs Band members Concert tours Awards Super Bowl XXXV halftime show Toxic Twins The Strangeurs/Chain Reaction Whitford/St. Holmes The Joe Perry Project Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith Wherehouse Aero Force One Blue Army Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Quest for Fame Revolution X Guitar Hero: Aerosmith songs "Boulevard of Broken Songs"
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