First Look at Muppets Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Audio Animatronics, On-Ride Photos, Giant Guitar & More!

Walt Disney World has given guests backstage passes for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, taking us behind the construction planters to reveal a first look at the trio of new Audio Animatronics in the pre-show, on-ride photos (featuring fresh ride vehicles), plus the gigantic guitar out front, and more.

As basic background, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will soon embark on a Muppets takeover featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and more of their friends. The Muppets are moving right along to Sunset Boulevard, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival.

Walt Disney World has really been pulling the curtain back on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. We’ve learned about the courtyard, backstory, setlist, post-show, Audio Animatronics, and pre-show stage-setting scene. And now, we’re going to see some of this for the first time about a week before the ride opens…

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is one of the higher profile attraction openings of Summer 2026. That’s definitely true for Walt Disney World and/or Muppets diehards, especially since this ride reimagining was basically an olive branch to fans following the closure of MuppetVision 3D.

We’re cautiously optimistic about this ride reimagining, especially after seeing the Song List for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. It sounds like Imagineering is using the blueprint from Cosmic Rewind, which is great.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Opening & Preview Dates

Walt Disney World previously announced that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will open on May 26, 2026!

Annual Passholder previews of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will take place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the following dates: May 21, 22 and 23, 2026. Following that, Disney Vacation Club Members will get “Priority Access” to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets on May 24, 2026.

DVC using the words “priority access” as opposed to “previews” suggests to us that the attraction will also be available to the general public on that same day (with DVC Members getting one-time Lightning Lanes), or May 25, 2026 at the latest. We strongly suspect there will be soft openings of RnRC ahead of Memorial Day.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets Backstory

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!

The 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 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!

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Courtyard

Out in the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster courtyard, the attraction’s iconic guitar marquee will be making a bold new statement.

The Electric Mayhem has put their own spin on that ruby-red guitar, featuring a vibrant, psychedelic design inspired by the classic Muppet car paint job. The piano motif at the base will feature a golden key as a nod to a certain far-out band leader. The show building has also been repainted dark gray.

Star-Studded Halls of Rock

G-Force Records is opening its legendary doors, giving you a peek at where the melodic magic takes place. Things might look a little different around this Hollywood institution, as the label has recently come under new management!

With posters in every corner highlighting the Electric Mayhem Band’s larger-than-life career, you’ll have plenty of groovy backgrounds to peruse. Sharp-eyed guests will spot celebrity cameos woven throughout the experience, starting in the queue and continuing all the way through the merch shop. You might spot:

• Awkwafina
• Danny Trejo
• Darren Criss
• John Stamos
• Neil Patrick Harris
• Travis Barker
• Yvette Nicole Brown
• Wayne Brady
• “Weird Al” Yankovic

Here’s a preview of the posters:

Welcome to the Studio

With your VIP passes, you’ll be welcomed inside the recording studio, where – wouldn’t you know it – you’ll find The Electric Mayhem cranking out the familiar tunes of “Can You Picture That?” as they rehearse for their big concert.

You’ll be fully immersed in the story with the first‑ever Audio‑Animatronics figure of Scooter, brought to life using motion‑capture technology of the real Scooter the Muppet. That’s right, the actual adorable Muppet you see in the photo below:

By recording and tracking Scooter’s performance, Walt Disney Imagineering was able to build and program a figure that looks, moves, and emotes exactly like Scooter should, right down to the small details.

Joined by the finest audio engineers (all penguins, of course), Scooter is doing his best to convince The Electric Mayhem to stop jamming and get to their increasingly restless fans. But will it be enough to get the band across town and on stage in time?

This pre-show occupies the exact same space as the current Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. It even uses the same style, with the Electric Mayhem Band on the other side of the recording studio “glass” via a large screen. Also appearing on separate screens flanking the main one are Kermit and Miss Piggy.

The pre-show features three Audio-Animatronics (one Scooter plus two penguins). This is a huge win for an attraction that we previously expected to be an efficient and inexpensive project–a “no dough” reimagining that was a passion project for Imagineers, as opposed to a well-funded one.

As you might recall, the old pre-show quietly closed last November, several months before the Aerosmith version of the ride ended its run. Imagineering has been working on it ever since, and presumably, this will be the most ambitious aspect of the ride reimagining.

A Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip

Thanks to the newest technological advancements from Muppets Labs, we’ll board a super-powered vehicle in the alleyway just behind Studio C known as the Lengthy Immediate Motion Object (L.I.M.O.)! We’ll then 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. 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.

It’s interesting that the scenery of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist. I’d imagine this means that a lot of the existing visuals will be repurposed, which was precisely what we expected, but that there will be Muppet visual gags added to the landmarks. Don’t expect the cut-out style of the scenery to change, but it would be fantastic if there’s more to see along the way.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster On-Ride Playlist

While riding Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, the music takes center stage. The Electric Mayhem teamed up with some of rock’s biggest names to deliver a lineup of tracks designed to crank the adrenaline from the loading zone to the final brake run.

Here’s what’s on the set list:

• Song 2 – The Electric Mayhem
• Born To Be Wild – The Electric Mayhem ft. Camilla the Chicken
• Love Rollercoaster – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson & Questlove
• Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – The Electric Mayhem ft. Def Leppard
• Walking on Sunshine – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kelly Clarkson

Each song brings its own energy, tempo, and attitude, creating a concert style experience where the soundtrack doesn’t just play – it goes from zero to sixty in three… two… one! And like any great show, the fun doesn’t stop with the final note. We heard the band’s been working on some bonus tracks…

After rockin’ out, check out your concert-inspired versions of the attraction photo from Disney PhotoPass Service that puts you center stage with The Electric Mayhem. The photos below also reveal the ride vehicles, at least in part, which look similar to the upside down super-stretch that’s been repainted in the courtyard outside.

Electric Mayhem Post-Show

After (spoiler alert) arriving to the concert on time, you’ll see the Electric Mayhem perform “Can You Picture That?” in the post-show. Walt Disney World hasn’t clarified whether these are Audio Animatronics or video, but they’re most likely the former.

As exciting as the possibility of more Audio Animatronics might be, the Electric Mayhem will probably be presented in video form above the on-ride photo review area, just as Aerosmith concert footage was previously shown. When in doubt, assume the RnRC reimagining will follow the blueprint of its predecessor.

More Surprises to Come?

Walt Disney World’s announcements have teased that there are more surprises to come with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. Now that we’ve seen the pre-show, we know there’s probably nothing else there. And it sure seems like the post-show is a video as opposed to AAs, but regardless, that’s also not a surprise.

It’s possible that ‘more surprises’ could simply mean Easter eggs from MuppetVision 3D in the queue. We already know there will be plenty of those, we just don’t know what. It’s also possible that they’re teasing surprises because they don’t want guests thinking the cat is out of the bag, and this is all there is to see.

Another wildcard is something meatier from MuppetVision 3D being brought over and added to the attraction, most likely before the launch since that has the space to accommodate something. (Another possibility would be at unload, but anything worth seeing there would be ill-advised, since Cast Members need to clear this space before sending the ride vehicles to load.)

I have no clue what, if anything, else is to come on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, but my personal wish list involves a certain curmudgeonly dynamic duo who would start things off on the right foot, and further reinforce the Cosmic Rewind comparisons. Stay tuned!

What’s Not Changing

The speedy turnaround time on the ride reimagining–and getting it reopened by May 26, 2026 along with previews before that–is because substance of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will not materially change for the most part, aside from the pre-show.

The roller coaster track and layout are going to remain unchanged inside the current gravity building. Aside from cosmetically, the ride vehicles are not changing. It’s also likely that the load area, launch, and unload will likely look somewhat similar when all is said and done, albeit with new props. Work was done during two lengthy refurbishments in 2023 and 2024 to extend the life of the coaster and ride system.

Imagineering has created story contrivances that offer considerable overlap with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, allowing for a lot of RnRC to remain unchanged. If you’re hoping for a fundamentally different attraction experience, you should adjust your expectations.

Expect a fairly 1:1 ride reimagining, with Imagineering swapping out Aerosmith stuff for Muppets stuff. The original Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will serve as the blueprint for the changes, and if you don’t like the new music or the Muppets for whatever reason, you can put on headphones during the ride (not recommended since it’s a roller coaster) and listen to Aerosmith to have the same general experience as before.

Ultimately, we’re cautiously optimistic about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. There are hardcore Muppets fans in Walt Disney Imagineering who fought for this project in the first place, and will likewise work tirelessly to ensure the reimagining is well-done, reusing elements from MuppetVision that would otherwise be discarded, and having as much unique Muppets humor as possible.

We can’t wait to see how Imagineers pull off this ride reimagining, even if it’ll never fully replace MuppetVision. Then again, maybe it won’t have to…if they do such a good job that this leads to a future Muppets Courtyard in this area, we could end up with a windfall and the start of a bona fide Muppet renaissance!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Thoughts on the Audio Animatronics in the pre-show? Any bold bets about the other big surprises in the attraction?Or do you think this is it? Excited for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets to open on May 26, 2026? Hoping to take advantage of previews prior to then? Are you excited for Muppets makeover? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!