CONFIRMED: A Disney World Ride Is Permanently CLOSING in March

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is set for yet another massive change on March 2nd as the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster — or at last the version that has existed for nearly three decades — is set to close FOREVER.

The Aerosmith-based attraction has been one of the park’s headliners since its 1999 opening and was the first inverted (AKA “upside down”) roller coaster for millions of riders, myself included. However, the “Bad Boys of Boston” are on their way out to make way for… the Muppets?

Before we get into the upcoming Muppets theme, a bit of backstory on the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster. In the mid-1990s, Disney began transforming the then-MGM Studios park from a presentation of an “actual working studio” into more of a traditional theme park, including thrill rides like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Hoping to maintain that thrill-hungry crowd that came for Tower of Terror, Disney decided to work with roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma to craft a massive thrill ride. Said thrill ride featured elements never before seen in a Disney attraction.

The coaster Vekoma came up with begins with a launch from 0 to 57 mph (92 km/h) in less than 2.8 seconds. After a long straightway launch, the coaster train rises up into a double-inversion rollover element, then dives into over-banked turns. The coaster continues along the track until it reaches the third and final inversion, a corkscrew, before the ride ends with several banked turns and a camelback hill.

While the physical ride was being designed, Imagineering was also working on a very untraditional Disney theme: Rock & Roll. Specifically, Disney sought to align the ride with a popular music artist, theming it to their aesthetic, having them appear in the pre-show, and playing their music on the ride. According to theme park urban legend, Disney spoke to both the Rolling Stones and U2 before reaching a deal with Aerosmith.

The band was arguably at their peak of popularity in the 90s, having made a triumphant comeback from substance abuse issues to become a stadium-filling act. It likely also helped that the band had a massive number one hit in 1998 with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, which was on the soundtrack of the Disney-produced film Armageddon.

With Aerosmith on board, the ride’s story was written to revolve around guests taking a tour of the fictional G-Force Records. After “meeting” Aerosmith in their studio, Steven Tyler and co. invite them to ride in a “super-stretch” limo to a concert. After exiting into a “back alley”, guests board the limo-shaped coaster car to begin their wild ride.

Thanks to its thrilling ride system and hip (for the time) theme, the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster was a massive success as soon as it opened, making the Studios park the go-to Disney destination for thrill-seekers. However, as the 2000s became the 2010s, whispers and rumors emerged that Disney wanted to retheme the attraction to a more “Disney-friendly” property with concepts like High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and Mickey Mouse speculated on. However, nothing came to pass… until 2024.

That year, Disney announced that The Muppets — who had recently been evicted from their longtime Muppet Courtyard home to make way for Monsters, Inc. land — would be taking over the coaster.

The theme would be altered to the Muppets taking over G-Force Records, replacing Aerosmith in the pre-show, and the ride culminating with a concert from the Electric Mayhem.

After a year of speculation, Disney announced in late 2025 that the attraction would be closing on March 2nd, 2026, with the Muppet version opening later in the summer. However, anyone looking to enjoy one last “encore” performance from Aerosmith will have to do so without the band’s pre-show, as Disney has already closed it off to begin installing Muppet elements.

The Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is set to close for good in March 2026 to make way for a new Muppet-take on the thrilling attraction. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on the changes coming to Hollywood Studios.

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Are you excited for the Muppets or will you miss Aerosmith? Let us know in the comments below.

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