After years of rumors, Disney has finally announced that the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is being replaced in Disney’s Hollywood Studios by a new Muppets-themed roller coaster.
(UPDATE 5/8/26) – Disney has announced that the new Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is opening in Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 26, 2026.
Before the official opening there will be a variety of preview events for Cast Members, Annual Passholders, DVC Members and more. Disney has also announced access will be given through the virtual queue system for these preview events with 3 daily distribution times and complimentary on-ride photos during this preview period.
Disney promises that you will “roll across Hollywood on a wild ride with the Electric Mayhem – complete with backstage chaos, high-speed thrills, that signature Muppet humor… and an all-new Muppet Audio-Animatronics figure.”
This comes after Muppet*Vision 3D closed permanently on June 7, 2025 to make room for the new Monsters Inc. Land.
They have also released some new info about the story behind Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets including perhaps, multiple audio-animatronic figures for the ride…
Preview Events for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
The official opening for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is May 26, 2026. That is when the general public will be able to experience this newly reimagined ride. However, there are quite a few preview events that allow many guests to ride it before that.
Here is a list of all the preview events and what you will need to do to ride it:
Annual Passholder Previews:
Disney World Annual Passholders can ride the new Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster on three dates:
- May 21
- May 22
- May 23
Access will be given to guests through the virtual queue system with three daily distribution times. Reservations can be made through the My Disney Experience app.
Complimentary on-ride photos will also be included in the experience. Disney PhotoPass service will take the photos and make them available as free downloads only on the days of the preview event May 21-23.
7:00 am Distribution
- Available to all Passholders with a Hollywood Studios park reservation that day
- No park entry required to join the queue
11:00 am Distribution
- Available to Passholders with a park reservation to any theme park for that day
- Guests must enter the park that they reserved before visiting Hollywood Studios
3:00 pm Distribution
- Available to any Annual Passholder
- No park reservation required
DVC Member Previews:
Disney Vacation Club members with valid park admission who are staying at a Disney World Resort hotel during the days of the preview event are also eligible to experience the ride ahead of the official opening on May 24, 2026.
The nice thing is that if you have a Disney World Resort hotel reservation for that day, you are automatically registered for the DVC preview event of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. No extra work needed.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets Story
The Electric Mayhem are headlining their biggest Hollywood concert ever! Anyone who’s anyone is in attendance to witness Animal, Dr. Teeth, and the rest of this groove-tastic group rock the house down. There’s just one little problem: the band is nowhere to be found!
Across town at G-Force Records, we’re treated to a VIP tour of the legendary rock and roll recording studio. Things might look a little different around this Hollywood institution, as the label has recently come under new management – The Muppets!
With just a little help from Scooter’s uncle, real estate tycoon and owner of the Muppet Theatre, J.P. Grosse (he really puts the G in G-Force). Just wait until you see how they’ve made these hallowed halls their own, creating the perfect place to make sweet, sweet Muppet music together!
Side by side with a dedicated team of penguin audio engineers, Scooter, in his capacity as band manager, will be trying hard to convince the Electric Mayhem to stop laying down tracks so they won’t be late to their own concert.
New Courtyard Changes
Disney also just revealed what the courtyard will look like after The Muppets come to town…
Instead of the classic ruby red paint job from before, The Muppets have put their own spin on it. A vibrant and psychedelic new design will grace the bottom of the guitar (inspired by a classic Muppet car paint job), and the piano motif at the base features a golden key as a nod to a certain far-out band leader.
Inside the Queue
One of the most iconic parts of the original Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was the show scene while waiting in the queue. That is where the entire group Aerosmith tells the audience how they have backstage tickets for them and they plan on using their limo to get them across town.
The new Muppets version of this scene is very similar.
With your VIP passes, you’ll be welcomed inside the recording studio, where – wouldn’t you know it – you’ll find the Electric Mayhem are cranking out some seriously rocking tunes.
Along with the finest audio engineers (all penguins, of course) we’ll see Scooter doing his best to convince Electric Mayhem to stop jamming and get to their increasingly restless fans. But will it be enough to get the band across town and onstage in time?
Also, Disney has announced that for the first time, Scooter is coming to life in a brand-new Audio-Animatronics figure. From what we can see in the concept art, he will be front and center in the holding room where the show scene inside the queue is located. They also hinted that he may not be the only audio-animatronic figure on the attraction, but whether that means inside the queue or on the ride itself remains to be seen.
So with our friends at Muppets Labs and a very fast limo, you’ll take twisting, turning, and screamingly fun road trip across Hollywood to reach the concert in time. The iconic scenery and landmarks of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist.
What about the music? Throughout the journey, you’ll hear the Electric Mayhem playing some of the most iconic, rockin’ hits in your ears to keep the music and adrenaline pumping. I’m sure G Force Records will release a concert setlist soon.
Disney has also announced there will be celebrity cameos from Travis Barker, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Wayne Brady, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and others. It will be interesting to see how they are all worked into the ride.
New Songs
Gone are the Aerosmith songs that were so iconic to the attraction, and they are being replaced by 5 rocking classics done in a very Muppets way.
Track List:
- “Song 2” – The Electric Mayhem
- “Born To Be Wild” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Camilla the Chicken
- “Love Rollercoaster” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson & Questlove
- “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Def Leppard
- “Walking on Sunshine” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kelly Clarkson
Closing and Opening Info
The original version of the attraction “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith” at Hollywood Studios is now closed until the new one opens. So if you were hoping to get one more ride in before it’s gone forever, I’m afraid you missed your chance.
Back in November 2024 is when Disney first made the announcement that The Muppets would be leaving Grand Ave. and taking over the space that Aerosmith as occupied for some 30 years.
To anyone that has been following the rumors of a replacement for the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster this news likely does not come as a shock, nor does the fact that it will be The Muppets to replace the iconic Hollywood Studios roller coaster. It was time for a change.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was closed for half of 2024, and much-needed improvements were made to the ride system and lighting. However, no changes were made to the theming at all at that time.
Changing the attraction’s theme to The Muppets wasn’t a last-minute decision by Disney execs and I would have thought that Disney could have taken that opportunity to start working on the theme change to The Muppets at that time instead of it closing again for a second lengthy closure, but it was not the right time.
Getting back to Disney choosing a Muppets theme, it makes a lot of sense and it’s something we had as a possibility for some time now.
Ever since the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster opened in 1998, guests have been jamming out to the tunes of Aerosmith as they looped and twisted their way to the concert. However, rumors have persisted and that is now coming to fruition.
The most recent rumors of a Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster re-theme comes from Muppets Mayhem creator Jeff Yorkes who took to Twitter (now X) in June 2023. There he answered questions regarding the rumors of a Muppets Mayhem theme coming to the attraction saying:
“Not gonna lie — this was absolutely part of our original pitch and is another piece of this dream. Fingers-crossed that it happens.”
Up until late 2024, Disney has always denied rumors about removing the Aerosmith theme and using another Disney-owned IP. Past allegations against frontman Steven Tyler and the fact that they are not exactly the most popular group with young people today all probably played a factor in the decision.
This news coincides with the other big news for Hollywood Studios that the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster that was announced at the latest D23 Expo will indeed be taking over the Muppets Courtyard, and Muppet*Vision 3D has already closed to make way for the new Monstropolis land.
Finally, the question most people are now wondering is: “When will the new Muppets coaster open?”
At this time we finally have an exact opening date for the Muppets coaster, which will be May 26, 2026.
Disney started construction on The Muppets version of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in March 2026. That means the total length of the work will only be about 3 months.
Ideally, they would have waited to close the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and start working on the new project until the Monsters Inc. coaster was done. That way guests would be able to ride one of the coasters the entire time. That didn’t happen though, and honestly, it’s not a huge deal with only 3 months downtime.
Since the official date has been announced, we know this will be ready by Summer 2026!
Since the Muppets coaster is only a light overhaul and the ride system is staying (all signs point to yes there), Imagineers were able to get it done much more quickly than originally anticipated.
Now Disney has another “new” ride to promote in 2026 (like they did in 2024 with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure), while guests are patiently waiting for the actual new rides like the Monsters Inc. coaster.
Overall, we are sad to see the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster go, it’s been one of our favorite rides since it opened and a staple of Hollywood Studios. However, we can’t say that we didn’t see a change like this coming, even though we are kind of surprised they really gave the ok on a Muppets Coaster.
30 years is a long time for an attraction, and there have been rumors of it changing themes now for well over 10 years. There were certain elements of the ride that needed overhauling, and it’s no surprise that the majority of guests under 30 years old don’t have any emotional connection with the group Aerosmith.
Granted, many of those guests don’t have any emotional connection with The Muppets either, but bringing them to the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will keep this classic IP alive for decades to come and it will at least appease some of the older fans.
I guess it’s a positive that it’s not just being replaced by the Monsters Inc. coaster, and instead we are getting a totally different theme, plus the Monsters Inc. coaster on the other side of the park.
It comes down to what would you rather have, MuppetVision 3D and a Monsters Inc coaster that takes over the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, or a Monsters Inc. coaster AND a Muppets coaster. Long-time Disney-goers may choose the former, but the later will be a bigger hit with most fans (especially teens) and it will give Hollywood Studios another big E-Ticket attraction, in a park that is desperately needing more capacity.
Change is always hard, but we are hopeful that the Imagineers will be able to get these new projects right, and if they do, these moves should be an overall “Plus” for the park, especially if they find another place for MuppetVision 3D. It’s highly probably it will become one of the best attractions at Hollywood Studios, and one that guests will enjoy for generations.
That wraps up our look at the new Muppets roller coaster. We’ll be finding out more info in the coming months so stay tuned for more updates!
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Your Thoughts
I want to know what you think about the coming Muppets roller coaster…
- Are you happy to see the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster be replaced by a Muppets coaster?
- What are some things you would like to see in this attraction?
Let us know in the comments section below!
My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.
kamir bouchareb st
Monday 24th of February 2025
thank you
marion
Sunday 24th of November 2024
I loved the Rock n Roller coaster as I was a young adult when Aerosmith was big. So I do like the theming. However, I feel it needed an update to draw a different generation. But the Muppets were also popular then too. And most of the newer generations aren't familar with them as much too. So a Muppet Coaster for people my age bracket is good but will it really attract the young? I don't know but I guess Disney has done the research and will make the best decision. Thanks for the info Ziggy. Keep us posted.
Ralphp
Saturday 23rd of November 2024
Replacing Aerosmith Rock N Roller coaster is a good thing but having the Muppets?