Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of the most popular rides in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and we totally get why — it’s the only Disney World ride that goes upside down (plus, it’s just plain FUN)!
It’s a fantastic ride for the thrill seekers, but we’ll be honest — it’s been struggling the past few years. In the past two years, it’s had TWO months-long closures, and when it was open, it would unexpectedly close more often than normal. The ride is inspired by Aerosmith, the iconic rock band formed in 1970, but could that all change following this unfortunate news?
According to The New York Times, Aerosmith has officially retired from touring after over half a century of performing for fans all around the world. Back in 2023, the band’s frontman, Steven Tyler, suffered a vocal injury during a show that included a fractured larynx in addition to vocal cord damage, which caused the band to postpone their Farewell Tour.
Just yesterday, it was confirmed that the band will not be returning. Although Tyler has had a medical team around him constantly, working with him to try and get his voice back to what it was before the accident, it’s being reported by the band that a full recovery is not possible. On their website, the band states that, “We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage.”
However, the band is only retiring from going on tour — they are not breaking up! The band was set to begin their “Peace Out” farewell tour on September 20th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which would conclude in February 2025 in Buffalo, New York.
So what does this mean for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Many Disney fans have been saying for years that they feel the ride needs a retheme, because as iconic and wonderful as Aerosmith is, they’re not as well known by younger generations. Some fans have mentioned they’d love to see it rethemed to focus on Powerline from A Goofy Movie, which we think would be pretty cool!
However, since the ride JUST came out of its second years-long closure with no retheme, and it appears to still be attracting plenty of guests, we feel pretty confident in saying that a retheme is not in the cards at this time. And again, the band isn’t breaking up, so they’re still very much active! It’s possible that Tyler’s voice has recovered enough to continue performing for special events or in the recording studio but will not be able to handle performing an hours-long show night after night after night.
Regardless, we’ll keep an eye on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and we wish Steven Tyler all the best in his continued recovery. Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest news!
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Would you want Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster to be rethemed? Tell us your thoughts below!
Powerline? Now you are dating yourself. That was almost 30 years ago.