Muppets Roller Coaster Coming to Disney World!
Walt Disney World has announced that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will no longer be starring Aerosmith, as that band will be replaced by the Muppets as a consolation prize for Monstropolis causing the closure of MuppetVision 3D at Hollywood Studios. This covers the details along with past rumors about the ride reimagining that never came to fruition, and competing concepts for the attraction.
For starters, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (RnRC) has gone down for a multi-month refurbishments in each of the last two years that changed nothing of substance about the attraction. From the outset, Walt Disney World was publicly crystal clear that the theme of the roller coaster was not changing–that it’d still be “Starring Aerosmith.” That it was a routine refurbishment with necessary maintenance to improve reliability and performance.
At the time, we speculated that the extended downtime was essentially important infrastructure work–replacing portions of the track, upgrading the launch system, or otherwise refreshing components of the coaster to extend its life. Basically, that the refurbishments would serve as a foundation, and allow for a shorter subsequent closure to reimagine the thematic components of the attraction. Now we know that’s exactly what has happened, as Walt Disney World has announced a Muppet retheme of the ride that’ll replace Aerosmith!
To make way for the Monstropolis over in Muppet Courtyard, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and more of their friends will be moving right along to Sunset Boulevard! But there’s more to the story: The Muppets will be taking over Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival!
According to Walt Disney World, the Muppets and their energy will be a perfect fit for this coaster. Plus, as the first Disney ride ever to feature The Muppets, there’s sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard!
In the meantime, there’s still enough time to catch a super-stretch limo to the Forum to enjoy Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and catch Muppet*Vision 3D again before their final curtain calls.
Walt Disney World hasn’t provided an actual timeline, but my speculation is that both MuppetVision and Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith go down in the second half of 2025. My guess is that both could be closed simultaneously (or thereabouts) during the late summer or early fall off-season without there being much disruption to operations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This is doubly true since both the new Little Mermaid and Villains Magic Mirror stage shows open around Summer 2025. That added capacity won’t offset these losses, but it could be deemed “good enough,” especially if the reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster ends up having a fairly quick turnaround time. And I expect that it would, since the biggest changes will likely be in the pre-show. Purely guesses on my part, though–we’ll keep you posted as Walt Disney World reveals official timelines (or they’re rumored).
Here’s new concept art of the Muppets retheme of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster:
This Muppets retheme of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is both surprising and unsurprising. The latter part is because we’ve literally covered this exact takeover before–it was a rumor courtesy of Jeff Yorkes, co-creator of The Muppets Mayhem series on the Disney+ streaming service. Regarding rumors of a Muppets takeover of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Yorkes said: “Not gonna lie–this was absolutely part of our original pitch and is another piece of this dream. Fingers-crossed that it happens.”
The surprising part is that The Muppets Mayhem underperformed and was cancelled. Given that, we thought the odds of such an attraction decreased significantly, as without synergy, there wasn’t much of a reason for the Muppets to be given the keys to a very expensive and popular super stretch limo.
This also isn’t the first time in recent years that there has been notable discussion about the Muppets taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. In response to another tweet suggesting a reimagining, former Imagineer Kevin Lively said, “if only someone had pitched that a few years with a full preshow script and treatment…” So clearly, this is an idea that has been circulating in Imagineering and Muppet Studios for a while now.
To that point, it’s also again worth noting here that the Muppets are now under the purview of Walt Disney Imagineering, and have been for the last few years. That’s likely how we got Muppets Haunted Mansion (and why it was so good) and also explains the promotional appearances of the Muppet characters, including Floyd Pepper from the Electric Mayhem band taking a ride on Spaceship Earth just last month to promote the new Disney+ series.
As we’ve mentioned repeatedly over the years–even before Imagineering took over the characters–there must be someone high up at Disney who’s championing the Muppets. There’s no other explanation for why they’ve been given chance after chance despite middling results.
Now, in addition to the Muppets being front-of-mind for WDI, their latest outings on Disney+ have actually been really good. The Muppets Mayhem has the best critic and audience ratings of any of the characters’ shows or movies since the Jason Segel-led film in 2011 that essentially brought the characters back into the spotlight.
As we’ve also been saying for years, there are a ton of reasons that a reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster not only makes sense, but is an inevitability at some point in the next 5 years. For one thing, Aerosmith just doesn’t have the name cachet that they did in the late 1990s when Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster opened. Yes, the band is among the all-time greats, but not nearly to the same degree with current park-goers.
For another thing, Disney is paying to license the band’s music and likenesses. There’s no indication as to how much that costs, but it’s a non-zero amount. In the time since Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster opened, Disney has gone on an acquisition-spree and become more laser-focused on internal synergies. If the ride opened today, there’s zero chance the company would look outside their own portfolio.
Finally, sticking with Aerosmith presents sex scandal risk. Days after the refurbishment was announced, Steven Tyler was formally named in a lawsuit and is accused of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Regardless of the outcome there, the allegations are unsettling. As a rock band from a “different era,” there’s a high probability that there are more skeletons in Aerosmith’s closet that would not be perceived positively if ligitated in the court of public opinion (or actual court).
Simply put, showcasing a rock band from the 1970s is an unnecessary liability for Walt Disney World. Not just Aerosmith…all of them. Between increased social scrutiny and Disney’s family-friendly image, it’s simply an unnecessary and imprudent risk. This is also why Disney has contingency plans in place that would allow the company to remove all references to Aerosmith overnight. All of this is also why we are highly skeptical of “rumors” that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster would be rethemed to Queen.
From my perspective, changing the ride is a pretty easy decision for Walt Disney World. Reimagining Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is not just the safe move, but it would be money well spent. It presents an opportunity for Imagineering to easily inject new life in an attraction that’s inherently popular as a thrill ride, and would give the company something to market while in-between development cycles.
With that said, I’ve gotta admit to being surprised that the Muppets are the winner of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster retheme sweepstakes. We’ve done several posts on the subject, and even though the Muppets received dedicated coverage, I still figured they were a longshot. It was simply wishful thinking on my part, and I wanted to will my preferred concept into existence. (Mission accomplished, I suppose, but at what cost?!)
For anyone who cares, I would’ve put the following ahead of the Muppets in terms of likelihood: Taylor Swift, Zootopia, Marvel, Powerline, and random rock ‘n’ roll. (Back before D23, I gave odds to all of the potential concepts in Will Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Be Reimagined?)
Nevertheless, I’m pleased that the winner is the Muppets. Since details are fairly scarce on the ride reimagining at this point, I’m going to share a few of my other past ideas for this Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster ride reimagining.
Years ago, one of my ideas for a ‘Muppets Takeover’ of Disney’s Hollywood Studios was a Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster reimagining featuring national treasures Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem Band and a redone entrance to Pantages Theater, Amoeba Records, or Roxie Theatre.
Another option would be a “Great Muppets Music Ride” that features those characters in the queue and pre-show, but features a random ride soundtrack of actual rock music from a rotating roster of bands. This is part of Cosmic Rewind’s recipes for success, would offer the desired disconnect between band and music, while also giving the coaster infinite re-rideability. It would also offer flexibility in changing out songs, seasonal overlays, and more.
Moving the Muppets to the back corner of Sunset Boulevard has a lot of potential. Reworking the entrance and queue to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster could open up this area, which could be a bona fide Muppets Studio land. Sunset Showcase could be replaced with another Muppets attraction once the Villains Magic Mirror Show is finished, and there’s probably also space for a restaurant, too.
No good idea in Imagineering ever dies, and perhaps this could be the partial realization of the Muppets Studio land concept from decades ago. That was supposed to feature not just MuppetVision 3D, but also a Great Muppet Movie Ride, plus two restaurants: “The Great Gonzo’s Pandemonium Pizza Parlor” and “Swedish Chef’s Cooking School.”
As much as it pains me to lose MuppetVision 3D–the other half of this news–I’m at least cautiously optimistic about the Muppet takeover of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. To be sure, it isn’t the same. As someone who far prefers meatier attractions with heart and humor to roller coasters, there’s no way this reimagined ride will live up to MuppetVision 3D for me. I already know that based on my own preferences–I’m not trying to be pessimistic.
However, I’m also a realist. Part of the reason I advocated so strongly for the Muppet Mayhem Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster retheme was because I believed it was already on “borrowed time” and likely on the chopping block at some point. It’s not that I wanted MuppetVision to be replaced–obviously I did not.
It’s that MuppetVision has had a long and fantastic run–far longer than any other 3D films at the parks. While it’s dismissive to refer to MuppetVision, a true national treasure, as only a 3D film, that’s likely how Walt Disney World and most guests view it. So assuming MuppetVision would be retired in the next decade (this was long before the Monstropolis announcement at D23), I wanted to see the Muppets immortalized elsewhere at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
I can also recognize that not everyone is me, and most people prefer roller coasters to 3D films. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is an attraction with much more mainstream appeal than MuppetVision. Many more guests will experience it than did MuppetVision on an average day. With that, perhaps some kids will ride the coaster, go home and check out the Muppets, and new fans will be forged in the process.
On a personal note, it saddens me that we won’t be able to take Megatron to see MuppetVision when she’s old enough to understand it. But on the other hand, I’m already excited that the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets will be her first “big” roller coaster and a cornerstone rite of passage moment at Walt Disney World for her. See? I’m trying to be optimistic–not pessimistic!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about a Muppet takeover of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Think the Electric Mayhem band would be a good replacement for Aerosmith? If you could choose the retheme of RnRC, what would get your vote? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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!
Did I miss it in your discussion as to why they would retheme a fast roller coaster with an inversion in the dark to the Muppets? Isn’t the height restriction 48 inches? Toddlers are not riding this ride…unless they are dismantling it into a wimpy coaster. Is this being built for Gen X or earlier who watched the Muppets on TV on Saturday night? Yikes.
Maybe you’re confusing Muppets with Sesame Street? While there are Muppets on Sesame Street which is targeted at young children, Muppet entertainment and its fans are all ages, covering about 9 theater movies, 12 TV series, and 31 TV specials.
Me and my college-age kids love The Muppets and will happily go on an inversion coaster.
yeah these complaints are weird to me. this is coming from adults going to Disney World. so clearly, all of us here are into some things many others consider kid stuff. the Muppets are for all ages, like Mickey 🙂 (unless we’re talking Muppet Babies or Sesame Street, which isn’t the Electric Mayhem…)
I wonder what it would take to make an acceptable version of Muppet Vision for the imagination theater in Epcot. The show would fit well thematically, and be a much better use of the space than showing things available on Disney+.
If they don’t have Statler and Waldorf appear in some manner at the end of Rock n Roller Coaster complaining about the ride (like maybe in the balcony over you as exit the trains) I will be HIGHLY disappointed!
All, please listen to him. i emailed them about my concerns and got a prompt response that day. they seem to really be taking notice and every voice helps
I did as well. Quick reply! Asked them to put Monsters over in the courtyard to the R of Runaway Railroad. Told them a coaster wouldn’t work to showcase the Muppets dry humor.
I’m so excited! I think the muppets are fun and dorky and will make that outdated rollercoaster very fun! Let Universal be Universal and I hope this is Disney coming back into itself – family fun!
(And yes, I am a huge Universal fan and can’t wait for Epic Universe but, I am also a huge Disney fan that has been very disappointed by just about everything Disney has done and not done to the parks in the past 5-10 years). I just wish they would bring back the Great Movie Ride and Studio Lot tour!
How is Disney coming back to itself with Muppets? Tom’s Zootopia idea would have been drastically better.
I’m going against the sentiment of Tom and this audience when I say that the Muppets are not near as popular or relevant as they were in the 70s and 80s. Kids need a place to go and something to do at Hollywood but that Muppets area was not much of a draw. I’m not saying it should go, it shouldn’t, but it’s not the loss that this blog makes it out to be. It’s not anywhere close to the loss of the Rivers of America or even a land dedicated to Dinosaurs (that theme should have remained). I’d stick them somewhere but not on one of the only adult E ticket coasters. There is so much potential for that roller coaster. I’m not sad to see Aerosmith leave. They had a good run. But it would be great to see what Imagineering could do with that indoor coaster not being constrained by having to make it based on their movie IP. On another note, why not reroute some roads and expand the park or parks? Do it right with bus only lanes. They don’t need a 5th gate but they need rides, a lot more rides at the three other parks. Longer hours too.
Isn’t there enough room around R&R to build a new Muppet theater? It would be neat to make it a 3D preshow for the coaster with one exit leading to the ride and one leads to a Muppet gift shop.
I neeeeeed another Muppet gift shop.
So instead of the black fuzzy dice we’ve been buying we’ll now have to buy Fozzie dice to hang on the rear view mirror?
This is the worst idea I heard in a long time. All of their Muppet ideas are a flop. This is really the best concept the imagineers could come up with? Disappointing.
Agreed! Young kids today don’t even know who the Muppets are. They are cringe-worthy at best.
I agree, today’s kids are very cringe-worthy! Go outside and build a treehouse!
Great way to get the teens back from Universal. Overlay one of your best indoor thrill coasters with sloppy, outdated puppets.
My 14yo loves the Muppets. She has a Kermit parks exclusive and gets tons of compliments on it, lots by people her age. I think there are a lot more younger fans than people know of. There’s tons of memes about Muppet’s Christmas Carol now too.
Yeah it seems this just varies a lot between families. My younger kids love them too, they even like the older movies. “Man or Muppet” was played on Spotify in our house and cars quite often too, and tons of other Muppet songs! So to say they’re outdated, not for kids, I don’t think that’s an accurate generalization!
Muppet E-Ticket. Didn’t see that one coming.
I think the real tragedy of the announcement is that if Kermit appears in any part of this rethemed attraction or potential new area of the park, he’ll most likely be voiced by Matt Vogel.
Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I’m actually pretty pleased overall with this news. I’m sympathetic to people who are upset at the loss of a show, which is not a thrill ride and provides quick and inclusive entertainment for everyone. However, that section of Hollywood Studios has always been lackluster for me. They never went full out with the Muppets, and I just felt that there were too many empty shops and buildings that could be put to a better use. Ideally, they would have left the show intact, and could have built around it – maybe it could have been a fun little secret alcove in Monsters Inc. But the reality is that I enjoy the show for the Disney nostalgia, but it’s just not a must have for me (when they eventually get around to turning my beloved tomorrow land into a personality-less white walled too many windows hellscape, I’ll be lamenting in the comments)
As far as Muppets on RR – I’m actually very happy with this. The whole ride concept has always been goofy. A giant stretch limo to an Aerosmith concert? Come on. The pre show is silly, and transports you back to 1980’s rock and roll. Controversial but I think the Muppets are perfect for this ride – you get to keep some of that old school goofy feeling and keep the ride rock and roll themed. They were always going to change the IP to something Disney based, both for cost and reputation. Imagine if they’d made it Avengers themed?!!! BLEH!!!! This is so much better, and I think actually shows that this round of upgrades has real thought behind it. Miss Piggy jamming out to some 80’s rock while I slingshot through the air? I don’t know about you guys, but I am seated and ready to go.
here here!
The reason they didn’t put much into the other area of the park for Muppets is that it’s not that appealing. If it were they would’ve built a whole land like they do with their other IP. To mean it’s ruining one of their best attractions. I would prefer Marvel for it but I know they can’t because of Universal.
This makes me seriously question the decision making skills of the imagineers. Obviously Muppet Vision 3-D had marginal appeal. So why take a thrill ride that seemed kinda “cool” to young adults and give it a dorky theme?!?! My twenty something Disney kids will be irked by this announcement.
Maybe in 1999 Aerosmith was considered cool by young adults, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I mean I’m 37 and I like Aerosmith as a band, but I always thought it was an odd choice for the park. Is the Electric Mayhem also an odd choice? Absolutely. But I’m ready for a change for Rock n Roller Coaster.
I don’t feel that way about Muppet Vision.
Nick, speaking as a parent of twenty something kids, I think you’d be surprised at just how popular that classic rock from the ‘70’s & ‘80’s is with Gen z’ers. It’s got timeless appeal. The muppets, not so much.
As an elder millennial, my best guess is that Disney is trying to appeal more and more to my generation as we come into our own in terms of spending power.
I adore the Muppets with all my heart. Partly because they are so audience-inclusive in every way, across age, gender, nationality/ethnicity, etc. What was great about MuppetVision 3D was that anyone could enjoy it, almost anytime.
I also prefer the Electric Mayhem to Aerosmith as a 70s-era rock band. “Can You Picture That?” is a masterpiece. Animal is a legendary rock drummer. The potential story and pre-show concepts for this new coaster could be amazing and totally in sync with the vibe of the ride.
BUT…per my note above, and as many commenters have said unlike MuppetVision 3D, the Rock N’ Roller Coaster isn’t for everyone. Beyond just height restrictions, many kids will refuse to go upside down on a roller coaster until they’re tweens/teens (lil’ Megatron was probably a matter of months from being able to appreciate elements of MuppetVision, but it could easily be a decade before she wants to do this ride…though probably not that long given her parents’ career choice). And many adults for a wide variety of reasons (age, medical issues, pregnancy, motion sickness, or just very uncomfortable with the intensity) can’t or won’t ride it. Enjoying the Muppets with your little kids or grandparents is off the table now.
I don’t want this NOT to be built, but I mourn the fact that it has to be a replacement for MuppetVision rather than an augmentation of the Muppet presence at WDW.
Personally I don’t like it. The muppets are ok but I don’t personally think they fit that ride or type of attraction. Muppets are for kids, not roller coasters. I think Disney just didn’t know what to do so they chose this but I am not excited about. I want Disney to be creative and not just always feel the need to have to include existing IP
The Muppets aren’t for kids. Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock are for kids. Muppets humour isn’t crass, but it’s clever old school entertainment stuff, not teaching your A B Cs. Kids don’t know who The Muppets are. It’s before their time. The Muppets fans are all millennials and gen xers.
I like the Muppets and I’m glad they will still have a presence in the Park. However, as someone unable to tolerate any kind of roller coaster, I will miss seeing them. I hope it’s fun for everyone who can experience it.
I am glad that they are using the Muppets. They deserved a change and as much as I loved Aerosmith’s ride, I know it’s time to move on. Party on! Time to Animal hit those drums.
I have about an hour and a half left in my workday and my Black Friday online shopping is taking a hit because I have spent so much time reading about the Muppets replacing Aerosmith. I just hope the family is sympathetic and supportive when I tell them I had a rough day at work.
Well, I’m for once the opposite of everyone else.
Never ever cared even a bit for the muppets so I’m totally fine with that ride going away, never put a step in that area of the park.
And of course not supper thrilled about them taking over rock’n’roller (not because I love Aerosmith, but the muppets…)
But that’s what’s important, different people have different tastes.
I wonder if this is going to be like Tiana where what seems to be a minority of people will be very vocal about that change (I’ve done it for the first time on the trip we just came back from and despite everything I had read online I found the ride to be nice, but felt a bit empty for sure) the masses will actually be quite happy to have a monster&compagnie suspended coaster.
“For anyone who cares, I would’ve put the following ahead of the Muppets in terms of likelihood: Taylor Swift….”
LOL. Like Disney would pay the astronomical license fees that would involve!
I too prefer a theatre show to a roller coaster, for a number of reasons. Aside from feeling like I have ‘aged out’ of the wilder roller coasters, I prefer sitting in a theatre for 15-30 minutes to standing in line for an hour or more, for a ride that lasts 90 seconds or less.
Not necessarily the license fees you might imagine. For example, Super Bowl performers aren’t paid (well, not more than scale wage and travel/production expenses). If Taylor Swift’s team felt using her image/story/music within this coaster would build upon and expand her brand, it probably would have been within reach for Disney (particularly if she was getting a cut of merch sales). But either she didn’t, or Disney didn’t feel her audience overlapped enough with the high-intensity roller coaster audience, or some combination of those two.