Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Closing for Multi-Month Refurbishment in 2023 at Disney World
With the end of the peak holiday crowds ending on January 9, another ‘season’ is right around the corner in early 2023 at Walt Disney World: refurbishment season. Historically, the winter months have been the top time for ride closures and maintenance, as lower crowds make that easier to accomplish.
Already, the 2023 Walt Disney World Refurbishment Calendar is starting to bear this out. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Kali River Rapids have had closures added for this winter in the last few weeks, and it’s entirely possible more rides will join the list. Then there’s Splash Mountain, which will permanently close for conversion into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Winter 2023.
Those planning Walt Disney World vacations are always disappointed when their favorite attractions are down, but on a positive note, this list has not been anywhere as ‘bad’ as the 2023 Disneyland Refurbishment Calendar. There, it really is refurbishment season, even as the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration kicks off in January.
This probably isn’t going to win me any friends among those visiting in January 2023, but I think Walt Disney World should be adding many more attractions to the refurbishment calendar. There are numerous rides that have been experiencing above-average downtime, and others that are operating but not show-ready.
Sadly, preventative maintenance does not seem to have been occurring as it should–which is the ‘best of both worlds’ solution, as it means overnight work that has minimal impact to guests. I guess that’s what happens when you let go of a bunch of old-timers who held the institutional knowledge and lived-experience necessary to maintain and fix so many of these legacy attractions! (But I digress…)
Another attraction just added to the 2023 closure calendar is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. Per Walt Disney World, this will close February 20, 2023 with the “rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023.”
This going down for regular maintenance according to Walt Disney World, and “there will be no changes to the Guest experience as a result of this routine refurbishment.”
Operationally, this is a big blow for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which already is lacking in enough attractions to absorb the heavy crowds the park sees. This will only make that worse, especially if there’s overlap with any other closure. Here’s hoping that Walt Disney World brings back Jedi Training Academy or some other entertainment in early 2023.
It also will put even more strain on the already imbalanced Lightning Lane lineup. Already, return times are often pushed out into the late afternoon and early evening, and this will only worsen that. Expect to only score 2-3 good Lightning Lanes via Genie+ if you don’t have a strong refresh game. (Here’s hoping that Fantasmic is added to the Genie+ lineup sooner rather than later to help offset this.)
Now let’s turn to speculation about what’ll occur during this lengthy closure–or rather, what will not happen. Some of you might recall that back in November 2018, the New York Times did a puff 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 Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster “at this time.” (Famous wiggle words!)
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 the Paris and Florida versions of the ride. Regardless, it didn’t come to fruition pre-closure, and pretty much all plans since have been derailed.
Nevertheless, there undoubtedly will be “rumors” of a Marvel re-theme or a different band replacing Aerosmith. If we’re going to throw around bands that would be perfect, my vote is for Led Zeppelin. It’ll never happen for a number of reasons, but it should. Kids these days need to learn history–and good taste in music!
Another band replacing Aerosmith or another theme entirely would be plausible speculation in the absence of official word from Walt Disney World. However, the company has released an unambiguous statement that no changes are planned to the ride experience. This one doesn’t even have wiggle words! That should put those rumors to rest, at least for now.
Instead, the refurbishment will revolve around roller coaster’s launch system and entail other general preventative maintenance. While that’s the official word, this is arguably more than just preventative. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has been experiencing extended downtimes in recent years, and that’s only gotten worse this year.
There have been a few multi-day stretches when the attraction has been closed, and it has become one of the most unreliable rides at Walt Disney World. (It was down for most of the morning today, in fact!)
I’m not a roller coaster expert, so I can’t speak to the likely causes of the downtime (dispatch, unload, or other backups?). It’s also possible that the ride manufacturer recommends certain maintenance after X years of operation, and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will soon hit that. Regardless of the reason, it is desperately needed.
This also likely explains Walt Disney World’s seemingly perplexing choice to take one of the elevator shafts at Twilight Zone Tower of Terror out of service (again) during the holiday season. Previously, it was unclear whether that was planned or unplanned downtime. Now I’m leaning towards planned, with the goal of finishing that before starting this–or at least prior to the end of the winter off-season.
Earlier this year, the other side of Tower of Terror was refurbished and that project took a few months. That wrapped up midway through the summer season, and Walt Disney World didn’t take the other side down for refurbishment immediately thereafter. That’s now a perplexing decision, as the other half could’ve been done in August through October when crowds were lower. (Suggesting that this Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closure was not added to the internal schedule until more recently.)
Down the road, a substantive overhaul is still likely. I personally love Aerosmith, but I’m nevertheless surprised that Walt Disney World is taking the attraction offline for so long and not giving it a retheme. Popular thrill rides can always become even more popular with the integration of more popular intellectual property. Just look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at DCA.
Iconic as they may be, it’s probably fair to say that Aerosmith doesn’t have the same cachet or name recognition with younger guests. I can’t think of another contemporary band that is popular, crowd-pleasing, non-controversial, and fits the ride profile. Then again, the Guardians of the Galaxy have demonstrated that classic rock can transcend its era. (So here’s hoping Led Zeppelin is in the next movie!)
Another thing the Guardians of the Galaxy attractions have taught us is that fun and upbeat music can go a long way in elevating thrill rides. This is also true with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, although I’d say to a lesser extent. The roller coaster doesn’t really have the same energy as Cosmic Rewind, which is part due to the ride profile and part due to song selection.
Whatever ends up happening down the road with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, I hope Imagineering incorporates fitting and fun songs. They also need to take the time to test a ton of different options. The end result on Cosmic Rewind is awesome–even with the songs I don’t personally love. By contrast, Cosmic Rewind: Holiday Remix falls flat even though it’s the exact same underlying attraction. (Still very good, but does not measure up to the regular ride!)
One thing that might explain why Walt Disney World is not reimagining Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in 2023 is because that’s a card they want to play later. With TRON Lightcycle Run opening in Spring 2023, they’re already going to have a new roller coaster to market in the coming year.
By contrast, the only thing maybe in 2024 is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is going to struggle to debut by that Christmas and very well might slip into 2025. (I would bet on it.)
With little in the way of physical props or sets outside of the pre-show, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster could be meaningfully transformed in the span of a few months (the company could actually remove Aerosmith overnight in the event of a scandal!).
Perhaps Walt Disney World is ‘saving’ the reimagining for next year, and a “new” Marvel roller coaster will be the marketable draw for Walt Disney World in 2024? There are plenty of characters that are off-limits due to the Universal contract, but that still leaves plenty of options–including ones that are popular in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about the multi-month closure of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Walt Disney World? Disappointed that it’ll be down during your trip? Think Disney is being coy, and it’ll actually get a retheme in 2023? What about in 2024 or 2025? Thoughts on potential bands, brands, or super heroes to replace Aerosmith? Any questions about the current refurbishments at Walt Disney World? 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!
I still love the Aerosmith theme, but then I have aged out of Disney’s target demographic. That being said, I don’t enjoy all the Star Wars and Marvel themed attractions. Cosmic Rewind is now my favorite coaster at WDW in spite of it’s Marvel theme. I found the theme boring and uninspired–but then I haven’t seen any of the Marvel movies. I saw the first Star Wars movie when it came out (yes, in the 70’s). It just isn’t my thing. I see that including Marvel and Star Wars are good moves for Disney to attract younger visitors, but I hope they won’t overdo it.
So I can shed a little light on this. When I was there in November, my dad and I stood in line, and spent a great deal of time in the launch room, for them to keep entering and exiting show mode. We were told that the launch computer is going out of sync with the ride system, and it’s happening multiple times a day. So that it’s being closed doesn’t surprise me. The whole computer and brains of the ride needs an overhaul, not the theming.
I was talking about this with friends the last time we were in line to ride RNR. If they were to replace the ride with an updated musician, who would it be? There’s not really any rockstars today.
So the Rock n Roller coaster will not be up and running by June 1,23?
Antman…it’s happening
Probably changing it because steven tyler facing charges against a minor
Unless Disney was tipped off about that, that lawsuit news broke two days after this closure was first added the calendar. Odd as it sounds, I think it’s probably a coincidence. If Disney was worried about the litigation, they would make changes ASAP and not wait.
As mentioned in the post, there’s actually a contingency plan in place to remove Aerosmith overnight in the event of a scandal. (With the way Disney moves these days, it might take a week or two–but still.)
This is the first time that you’ve ever mentioned Led Zeppelin. Just when I thought your blog couldn’t get any better, you dropped a “Whole Lotta Love” into the equation! The kids and younger adults who visit Disney would definitely benefit from a Zeppelin indoctrination!
Good stuff Tom and a Happy New Year to both you and Sarah as well as your families.
I love this ride, but it is time for a retheme. I understand that now might not be the time for WDW. I would like to see them do something within the next 5 years though.
My daughter is gutted. Our last trip to WDW was in 2017 and she was too young for RnRC. We’re booked in for May 17 thru May 31.
Retheme Frozen….it’s a pretty lame ride.
I agree, the 90’s millennials is a target market they’re neglecting.
There are plenty of missed opportunities….a Gummi Glen quick car ride?! That would be an awesome roller coaster.
A ride based on the original Duck Tales could definitely counter/compete with It’s A Small World, worldly travel and adventures and not a 40yo ride.
A Tailspin ride that incorporates pirate adventures…..it would be fun and can include little ones unlike Pirates of the Caribbean.
This also would alleviate lines and crowd congestion.
There just isn’t enough entertainment in the parks to absorb the capacity. That’s the core issue, and then it gets worse by the price gouging, dirty and unkept park.
Housekeeping everyday.
Spot on Jaimie. Great ideas. I am glad for all those that love Frozen, but I have to “let it go” LOL. Muppets would be awesome.
Here’s to a better 2023 and for things to get better:)
Dang! We’re scheduled to go in May of 2023. Any chance it could be done sooner? I know this is Disney we’re talking about, but gosh I hope so.
My guess is no. The earliest date for Summer 2023 is the Friday before Memorial Day (by Disney calendar-keeping standards) and this says the ride will reopen “in” summer, not “by” summer.
I know that’s parsing words, but I’d expect sometime in mid to late June given the language used. That’s just a guess, though–nothing is official!
Planning first part of June 2023 trip. Hope the maintenance goes great and it will be operational by then.
Tom – what about a Goofy Movie/Powerline retheme? I’m sure it’s a long shot but I can dream..
I’d definitely file that one under long shot.
For what it’s worth, I do think Walt Disney World should do more to lean into Millennial nostalgia, but probably not with a high-profile thrill ride. That needs to be more mainstream.
I would very much endorse a Disney After Hours: 90s Nite in Magic Kingdom with characters from Disney Afternoon and cult classic 90s movies.
Why would it have to be super hero? Really wish there was a way for it to be Disney related? Why not Cars themed? Just seems strange to put a random marvel ride at Hollywood studios. But I guess that’s what they did with guardians in Epcot. I am in the minority to not be into super heros, but I would rather more Disney things or another band vs. marvel.
IMO, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is too intense to be themed to anything Pixar or Disney Animation. I know that Radiator Springs Racers also has a height requirement (albeit 40″ v. 48″ at RnRC), but that’s a tame attraction. It would alienate a lot of families with smaller children to have a ride themed to their favorite characters that they cannot ride.
I also do not want to see Marvel overwhelm Walt Disney World, but I think that makes the most sense here.
I agree, I think there’s be a ton of pushback if it had a Cars theme but preschoolers are too short to ride it. If it is going to be rethemed to something from the animation department it needs to be something that doesn’t skew so young
Ahh Tom that makes a lot of sense. I was forgetting young kids can’t ride it. I think another band would be a good fit.
Not that I disagree with the intent, but I think the Incredicoaster proves that Disney is willing to select one of its family properties for a thrill ride that already exists.
We just rode the Avengers Assemble reskin of the ride in DLP. It was enjoyable, the pre-show AA is great, and the exterior of the building is much nicer, but I think they could have done a better job with the ride itself. The big-city back-alley of the queue and the launch is great (better than the Avenger’s queue). Plus, I’m not an Aerosmith fan, but I think the music on R&RC is more enjoyable than generic Avengers music. So if they did a reskin, I’d hope they do a better job than in DLP. (Though, again it is still an enjoyable ride.)
This is probably the most positive review of that ride that I’ve read, and that’s obviously not saying much.
Glad Disney “tested” the overhaul on the Paris version first. Hopefully they learned some lessons in the process!
I really enjoyed the Paris ride! It’s a fun roller coaster and while the on ride Marvel elements aren’t amazing, they get the job done and are frankly better than just being a regular roller coaster in the dark. Maybe I’m in the minority, but we rode the Avengers ride in Paris several times while we have skipped RnRC on our last two trips to Disney World (and only one of those times because it was down anyway)
I spoke too soon! Now Jared holds the crown for most positive review of this ride redo that I’ve read. Any other challengers?!?!? 😉
if a re-theme is coming, Electric Mayhem or nothing
I would be on board with this!
I would sooooo love this ancient rumor to come true, but I highly doubt it. Still, not going to bet against the Muppets–Disney has surprised us with their usage before!
I can Picture That! ride in the Electric Mayhem bus through the streets! would be so amazing if the parks added any new Muppets themeing, but we couldn’t even find decent merch in the parks.
They are coming out with an Electric Mayhem show…. just sayin…
That would be such a perfect re-theme!!! It’d be worth the wait!