Will Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Be Reimagined?

Rumors have swirled for years that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be reimagined to feature a new band or IP at Walt Disney World. This covers why the ride could change with fun armchair Imagineering about most likely characters, movies, and bands that would work as a replacement. (Updated August 4, 2024.)

For each of the last two years, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (RnRC) has gone down for a multi-month refurbishment that changed nothing of substance about the attraction. From the outset, Walt Disney World was publicly crystal clear that the rockin’ nature of the roller coaster was not changing. 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.

Even though Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has now reopened and nothing has changed, we still are of the belief that the ride will be reimagined and Aerosmith will be removed in the next few years. Probably before 2026. There are several reasons for this.

First, because Aerosmith is retiring from touring, effective immediately. The band announced the news on its official website, explaining that they made the “heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage” due to lead singer Steven Tyler’s vocal injury.

“Peace Out: The Farewell Tour” was already set to be the final tour for Aerosmith. After only a few stops, the schedule had to be postponed due to Tyler’s vocal cord injury, with the band wanting to wait for a full recovery to go out on a high note. So regardless of this news of the retirement, it was coming one way or another in the next year or so.

Second, Steven Tyler has been named in a lawsuit in California and another lawsuit in New York. The allegations in the lawsuits are distinct but similar in nature, accusing him of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

We do not seek to assess the merit of the allegations against Steven Tyler. Frankly, the outcome doesn’t much matter. Regardless of what happens in courts of law, it’s fairly undeniable that showcasing a rock band from the 1970s is a liability for Walt Disney World. Not just Aerosmith…pretty much any rock band of that era! Many did unsavory things, and there are probably closets full of skeletons.

Between increased social scrutiny and Disney’s family-friendly image, it’s simply an unnecessary and imprudent risk. We’ve previously reported that Disney has contingency plans in place that would allow the company to remove all references to Aerosmith overnight. That may be a slight exaggeration–given how long it took to build TRON Lightcycle Run, I’m guessing the changeover would take at least a week. But the point stands.

To my knowledge, this is nothing new–Disney has had such contingency plans for years. (It’s possible this is an urban legend, but I’ve heard the same about other attractions, including one at Universal Studios Florida that now suddenly makes a lot more sense in light of reporting.)

Changing the ride is an easy decision for Disney. When you combine the allegations and weigh that against the current marketing power of Aerosmith, the obvious conclusion is that it’s time to retheme the ride. And I say this as someone who loves Aerosmith’s music.

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 in 2025 or 2026.

The next big addition on the horizon is Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, which recently began the permit process and probably won’t start serious construction work until late 2024 or early 2025. Meaning that Indiana Jones Adventure, Encanto, and whatever else is planned won’t open until 2026 at the earliest.

That leaves absolutely nothing for 2025, which is the year that Universal’s Epic Universe–a brand new theme park–will debut. Unless Walt Disney World is just going to ‘give up’ and let Universal have 2025, they need to start moving on something soon as an “answer” to Epic Universe. About the only possibility at this point is entertainment and reimaginings–and few attractions have as much untapped marketing potential as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. A redone RnRC could be done in 6-8 months and would be a colossal draw with mainstream audiences.

In light of that, what are potential possibilities for a rethemed Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster?

Muppets Mayhem (Likelihood: Low) – Let’s start with the option that’s the dream of many Disney fans, us included. During the promotional push for Muppets Mayhem on Disney+, the series co-creator, Jeff Yorkes, posted on Twitter in response to an article discussing rumors of a Muppets takeover of the thrill ride, 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.”

This wasn’t the only time there’s been notable discussion this year 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…”

Unfortunately, The Muppets Mayhem was canceled after only one season on the Disney+ streaming service. It becomes the latest in a long line of Muppets projects on streaming, ABC, or YouTube that didn’t perform as well as the company had hoped. This alone makes the likelihood of a Muppets takeover of RnRC, especially one with a Muppets Mayhem connection, less likely.

Look, I love the Muppets. This site has a clear pro-Muppets bias and will not tolerate slander to their good names. But a few things can be true all at once. First, that the Muppets are awesome but still somehow don’t resonate with mainstream audiences. Second, that the Muppets have fans in Burbank and Glendale and have been given chance after chance due to that. Finally, that Walt Disney World is not going to green light a ride reimagining based on a cancelled series. They just aren’t. That’s the opposite of a marketable overlay.

As much as it pains me to say it, I think we can safely rule out a Muppets takeover of…pretty much anything, but especially one of the park’s most popular attractions. The best we can hope for is more entertainment offerings, like Holidays in Hollywood at Disney Jollywood Nights.

Rethemed to Queen (Likelihood: Near Zero) – There have also been “rumors” that Imagineering plans to retheme Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World to the band Queen. The source of this rumor is actor Ken Marino, who plays the sound technician in the current pre-show for Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

However, Marino conceded that this is not a credible rumor after being inundated with questions from diehard Disney fans. He tweeted: “I have no idea what they are changing it to. Some one said that to me at some point so then I said it. It was more of rumor than anything else I suppose. Maybe it’s gonna be the new Billie Holiday ride. Could be good.”

Queen has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody, the band’s back catalog is great, and there are a few songs that would lend themselves to a roller coaster. If the goal is to replace Aerosmith with another timeless band that won’t feel dated in a decade, Queen might be the best possible pick. But why would that be the goal? Aerosmith is also arguably timeless, and Queen appeals to almost the exact same demographic. It doesn’t draw any new guests.

Accordingly, I’m skeptical of Disney going that route. Centering the ride around just about any band also presents a potential long-term liability–it’s different from simply featuring random rock ‘n’ roll music, which offers more of a disconnect. I also question just how much cultural relevance any of those bands have with young people. Queen might be enjoying a resurgence, but is that enough to justify a reimagining?

If a different band wouldn’t attract a broader audience or have improved drawing power, and wouldn’t present synergistic opportunities for Disney, what’s the point? It’d simply be spending money and making a change for change’s sake. If it won’t be a marketable addition that incentivizes people to book trips to Walt Disney World, it probably isn’t going to happen. For that reason, I’d rule out the possibility of Queen or almost any musician, past or present.

Rethemed to Taylor Swift (Likelihood: Moderate) – Note the ruling out of “almost any” musician. There are maybe three exceptions to that: Beyoncé, Hannah Montana (fictional), or Taylor Swift. (Sorry fans of Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, or whoever the heck “Chappell Roan” is, but those are the only ones who qualify–I don’t make the rules.)

No RnRC retheme has as much potential from a marketing perspective as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Taylor’s Version. The curmudgeons out there are going to immediately scoff at this, as hating the popular thing has become a personality for some. I’m no Swiftie (she wouldn’t crack my personal top 50 musicians), but I recognize that Taylor Swift is a juggernaut. And also, not everything needs to be aimed squarely at me.)

Love or hate her, there’s no denying Taylor Swift’s popularity–she transcends pop stardom. Disney already brought “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” to its Disney+ streaming service, so there’s already an established relationship. There are also rumors she’ll have a future role the MCU. (Perhaps Disney could kill two birds with one stone, making this a Marvel and Taylor Swift roller coaster?!)

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Taylor’s Version is the one attraction overlay that would bring an entirely new audience to Walt Disney World. Just look at what happened with the NFL, as Swifties watched “learned football” and watched entire games just for glimpses of the superstar. This reimagining alone could be a legitimate answer to Epic Universe in terms of drawing power, which is sorta depressing, but it’s also accurate.

Random Rock ‘n’ Roll (Likelihood: Low) – Another option we’ve heard floated would be to have a redone entrance to Pantages Theater, Amoeba Records, or Roxie Theatre. This move would be fantastic, making for a fitting counterpart to Grauman’s Chinese Theater (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway) and better blend with the rest of Sunset Boulevard.

Inside, have characters from one of Disney’s franchises in the queue and pre-show, but features a random ride soundtrack of actual rock music from various bands. The soundtrack could be customizable, having Aerosmith, Queen, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and plenty of other current and past 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. I view this as an excellent idea thematically and a practical solution that makes RnRC more timeless, but the marketing value strikes me as low. Cosmic Rewind’s hook isn’t classic rock–it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy. This would need something similar in order for Disney to greenlight spending a ton of money on it.

Zootopia Express (Likelihood: Low) – I’m throwing this one onto the list with a low probability of happening not because it’s being rumored–to the contrary, I haven’t heard anything–but because Zootopia is no longer on the table for an Animal Kingdom expansion. The franchise is getting a Tree of Life show, but that doesn’t seem like much given its strategic importance to Disney.

Zootopia has two things that make it a decently good candidate for a roller coaster: the Zootopia Express train in the movie and “Try Everything” by Shakira. That is becoming one of Disney’s new go-to songs that ends up in pretty much everything, and these two factors combined make for a non-zero chance that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster ends up getting a Zootopia retheme.

Inside Out Emotional Roller Coaster (Likelihood: Low) – This makes the list for two simple reasons: it’s a great name and Inside Out 2 made bookoo bucks at the box office, reversing a string of flops for Disney. As such, they’ve gotta be thinking of ways to incorporate the franchise into Walt Disney World.

Disneyland already has Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and, spoiler, it’s not very good. It’s a simple spinner, with the name being the most creative part of the attraction. Otherwise, it’s a story of squandered potential–one that doesn’t do justice to the franchise after which it’s named.

It’d be a similar story with a RnRC retheme. If Inside Out gets a coaster, what it really needs is something more like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train–a story coaster with show scenes. This alone wouldn’t necessarily stop Disney from redoing the ride into Inside Out, but there are other impediments to that (more below).

Powerline Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Likelihood: Low to Moderate) – This would mean turning Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster into a ride starring Max Goof “Powerline.” Wait a minute…I love that idea! Powerline has seen a resurgence in recent years, both on merchandise and as a meet & greet character on both coasts. This idea might not be as crazy as it sounds, especially given the character’s popularity with Millennial parents who could share this ride with their kids as they grow up.

I’m still skeptical. This country doesn’t appreciate culture, and both the Muppets and Powerline enjoy limited popularity with small but passionate fanbases. It’s one thing to feature them in low-budget, low-capacity entertainment or meet & greets; it’s another entirely to center a high-capacity thrill ride around them. Then again, I also thought TRON was too niche for a major new roller coaster, so what do I know?!

There’s also another problem with redoing RnRC to characters from any of the above animated movies: it’s the most intense ride at Walt Disney World. It also has the highest height requirement at 48 inches. I could see this giving Disney pause about tying the attraction to family-friendly animated characters, which would signal it’s appropriate for all audiences.

The Muppets probably escape this concern, but Powerline doesn’t. Even as a character who’s primarily known by Millennials (and most of us are taller than 48″ by now), he’s still in the Goofy family. The height limit could take a lot of characters and movies from Disney and Pixar out of play. It would probably do the same to Inside Out and Zootopia, which is also why we put a low likelihood for those.

Notably, Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure is an intense roller coaster that also has a 48″ height requirement. However, DCA has different demographics, and Imagineering was backed into a corner with the Pixar Pier reimagining. The Incredibles is about as “adult” of a Pixar movie as there is. (Well, Wall-E–but that’s not exactly coaster material.) There’s no such consideration with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which is isolated from the rest of Sunset Boulevard.

Marvel Coaster (Likelihood: Moderate to High) – By process of elimination, this leaves us with Marvel. Back in November 2018, the New York Times did a piece about how much Disney was spending on expansion that included a tidbit about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster being rethemed. The company quickly issued a denial–that there were “no current plans” to retheme the ride “at this time.”

My belief then and now was that the story as originally published was accurate, and Disney unintentionally let the cat out of the bag early. The company clearly participated in the piece and its author is a seasoned Disney fan, not just some random journalist who would’ve confused Paris and Florida. It still hasn’t happened since, but March 2020 derailed a lot of plans.

Marvel made the most sense then, and it still makes the most sense now for a Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster replacement. Walt Disney Studios Park has already done exactly that with its incarnation of this attraction, turning it into Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. That reimagined roller coaster has received a mixed response from fans, but that’s not really relevant–Walt Disney World couldn’t do an Avengers attraction due to Universal’s Marvel contract.

There are still plenty of possibilities, including Black Panther and a number of other recent and upcoming films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Heck, it could be an mash-up of characters that Imagineering finds an excuse to put together, along with an eclectic and randomized roster of songs from various Marvel movies. Perhaps I’ll get my wish for Led Zeppelin after all–few more memorable fight scenes than the one with “Immigrant Song.”

Personally, I think Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster becoming a Marvel attraction is likely. As noted above, my bet is that it happens between now and 2026, but I’d be downright shocked if it doesn’t occur in the next decade. Iconic as Aerosmith may be, it’s probably fair to say that the band doesn’t have the same cachet or name recognition with younger guests. They’ve had a good run, but it’s time for something new–and probably not another band.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has already proven massively popular, and there’s an appetite for more Marvel at Walt Disney World. While it obviously wouldn’t be identical, a thrill ride following that template–with a mix of music and humor–would be really well-received, and could be accomplished with a reimagining Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

In a different timeline (or multiverse?), I could see a Mandalorian and Baby Yoda coaster also being in the running. But I think those characters will eventually find a more permanent home (not just meet & greets) in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and there probably isn’t an appetite to do even more Star Wars in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So Marvel it is.

Ultimately, advocating for a Marvel replacement of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster probably isn’t going to endear me to a lot of longtime fans who either dislike super heroes or would prefer to not see Marvel shoehorned into another area where it doesn’t make perfect thematic sense. I’d counter that more Marvel at Walt Disney World is an inevitability at some point. More attractions will be built or repurposed; it’s a matter of when and where, not if.

Recognizing that inevitability, I would ‘sacrifice’ RnRC before gambling on a new location or another reimagined ride. For one thing, this spot is fairly isolated from the rest of the park and could be transformed into almost anything without disrupting broader thematic integrity. For another, it’s Walt Disney World’s studios park, which is synonymous with IP dumping ground. I’d rather see Marvel here than in World Showcase or Animal Kingdom. (I’m not saying those are serious alternatives–I just don’t want to risk it.)

There’s also the reality that budgets are finite. Doing a Marvel reimagining to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster–rather than a new ride or land–is the most cost-efficient possible option, and leaves more money for expansion plans in Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom…and a much-needed second phase to the EPCOT overhaul that includes a reimagined Journey into Imagination.

In a nutshell, that’s my “pitch” for a reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Above all else, I hope something actually happens. Walt Disney World is going to need something marketable in the next few years, and reimaginings are really the only card they have to play since they haven’t broken ground on anything else. Marvel would maximize marketability, and give Walt Disney World something “new” to advertise after Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in 2024. It just makes too much sense…so it probably won’t happen!

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Your Thoughts

What do you think about a potential reimagining of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Hope that it’ll still be “Starring Aerosmith” forever or would you like to hear other music? Thoughts on potential bands, brands, or super heroes to replace Aerosmith? What would get your vote, so to speak? 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!