Every attraction at Walt Disney World is someone’s favorite. That certainly included Hollywood Studios’ Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. But I wasn’t among those upset when Disney announced the ride was getting a big refurbishment. The Aerosmith version wasn’t a bad coaster or anything. I certainly never skipped it. It was pretty good. It just never felt like it never came close to reaching its potential as Walt Disney World’s only inverted coaster. That is no longer true. Disney has massively upgraded Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster by giving it over entirely to the Muppets. This perfect re-theme makes total sense in practice even if it didn’t seem like it would in theory.
My previous issues with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster were simple. Aerosmith never seemed to make total sense for the attraction since they had no meaningful connection with Disney or “Hollywood” otherwise. (No, the band’s terrible Armageddon song wasn’t enough.) The audio in the ride’s “stretch limo” cars was also so hard to hear it essentially rendered the entire ride’s theme moot. (How can you rock out if you can’t hear the rock?) It was also too dark, making its inversion elements less impactful. (It’s not fun to go upside down if you can’t even tell you’re upside down.)
Now, even though some doubted it would work, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is finally is living up to its potential thanks to the Muppets.
When Disney closed my beloved Muppet*Vision 3D to make way for Hollywood Studios’ upcoming Monstroplis expansion, the company softened the blow by announcing the Muppets weren’t leaving the park. They were simply moving to another area. Some fans, for legitimate reasons, thought it was an odd pairing of IP and attraction. If Aerosmith never felt like a natural pairing with a rock-themed roller coaster, why would the Muppets and the Electric Mayhem necessarily be any better or logical?
I love the Muppets, but I had similar questions. “Does this actually make sense? Or is it more a way to keep the Muppets in the park via a ride desperate for a reimagining of any kind?”
After getting a chance to explore the incredible queue and ride the coaster five times, all of those doubts are gone. The Muppets slot into the role on the ride so naturally, I feel a little silly for even slightly doubting it wouldn’t work. The Electric Mayhem have given the coaster a whole new vibe that fits with Disney’s whimsical nature. It’s a thrill ride that is also silly, fun, and wildly entertaining.
Imagineers accomplished that by leaning 1000% into what makes the Muppets great. It all starts with the colorful repainted exterior and extended queue. As you walk through the line, both inside and out, you’ll see posters for the band and its members. Along the way you’ll also see roughly 800 million Easter eggs* celebrating the long history of the Muppets, their movies and shows, Jim Henson, Muppet*Vision 3D, the park’s former Muppets Courtyard, and the Aerosmith version of the ride.
The queue eventually brings you, like with the previous version, to a recording studio. It turns out the band has been rehearsing for the big show it’s already hours-late for. Not only is this pre-show, with its incredible motion-captured Scooter animatronic, excellent, it also slightly changes each time. A different Muppet appears on one of the video screens so you never know what version you’ll see. It’s another Disney has made waiting in line a legitimately great part of the attraction’s fun.
*Some Easter eggs are obvious, others more subtle. They’re also so numerous I stopped trying to find them all. That wasn’t laziness. I found more than I could keep track. It was more about wanting to save some for my next visit. I can’t wait to go back and find more while I’m waiting to ride. This is one Disney attraction where the queue, which also includes a nearly 40-minute long, hilarious video of celebrities meeting with Muppets, is an experience unto itself. Those pitch perfect vignettes, along with the post-ride concert video, are pure Muppets. Between the line and the five different songs you can get on the ride, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster now stands as one of Disney’s most re-ridable attractions.
Plus Ken Marino is still involved, which was the only aspect of the Aerosmith version I cared about losing.
While the pre-show and post-show elements—my goodness do Statler and Waldorf provide the most perfect ending to this ride possible—felt like they were personally made for make me, a mega Muppets fan, the ride is a standout experience on its own. It also fully embraces the Muppets absurdist pop culture ethos via the Electric Mayhem’s wonderfully silly covers of classic tunes. (The Animal heavy “Song #2” was my favorite of the four out of a possible five songs I got.) But even in pure thrill ride terms Disney fixed everything I thought was holding back Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster from greatness before.
The audio in Dr. Beakers L.I.M.O.s—pronounced lie-moes—got a giant upgrade. They all randomly play one of Electric Mayhem’s ridiculously wonderful covers loudly and clearly enough that you can hear every note. It’s a huge improvement that not only made the fun more whimsical and fun, it made it feel longer. Yeah, getting to actually rock out on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster makes a big difference!
Imagineers also added more color along the route. It’s less than I had hoped for, but even a little extra light made a huge difference. You can now see the track in front of you the whole time, and the anticipation of seeing what’s coming dramatically adds to the enjoyment. It’s a similar premise to Alfred Hitchcock’s explanation on how to create meaningful cinematic tension. Suddenly finding yourself upside down is exciting. Knowing you’re about to be upside down makes the actual sensation even better.
The Muppets have made everything about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster 2.0 better. The only issue with their move in Hollywood Studios, besides losing Muppet*Vision 3D, is that the coaster is now the only attraction at Walt Disney World featuring the iconic group. And while the ride, in all ways, perfectly captures why people love the Muppets, the attraction also comes with a 48-inch height requirement. Little ones will have to wait a few extra years to find out why the Muppets turned out to be exactly what this coaster needed. No such height barrier existed with Muppet*Vision 3D, and I know firsthand how that show could serve as a perfect introduction to a lifetime of Muppet fandom.
That won’t be true nearly as often with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. But when kids are tall enough to ride it they’ll see, from start to finish, why the Electric Mayhem and their Muppet friends were the perfect choice to help Disney finally make a good ride great.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. The Weird Al and Fozzie Bear pairing requires a poet to describe it. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.