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Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster may be undergoing more serious work than first thought, as permits suggest the track may be getting looked at.
Many fans travel to Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando, Central Florida) year in year out to soak up the atmosphere of that very specific Mickey Mouse magic, experience industry-leading attractions, and meet Disney Princesses like Cinderella and Rapunzel in Magic Kingdom, among many other offerings.
What can be expected on a visit to the Sunshine State’s leading theme park Resort is that not every attraction will be open whenever a Guest visits. With the sheer volume of attractions and the year-round opening of the Disney Parks, Guests will encounter occasional closures and routine maintenance for some of the attractions Resort-wide. While it can be expected, it can also lead to plans being derailed if Guests aren’t aware of what’s closing and when.
Currently, at Disney World, the fan-favorite Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is closed indefinitely. The closure of such a significant ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have an effect on those visiting the Park, and not just because they’ll miss out on the high-speed launch and the “Sweet Emotion” melody, but because the demand for other attractions in both the standby line and with Disney Genie+ bookings will become greater.
However, as said above, attraction closures for maintenance are part and parcel of the theme park experience and Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is not exempt from that fact. And it may seem that the roller coaster will be closed longer than we first thought.
Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and it’s indefinite closure
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closed to Guests visiting Hollywood Studios on February 21, 2023. According to the official Disney World website, the “rocktastic” attraction would resume activity sometime in summer 2023.
And now, according to permits, the potential reopening period may have been revealed. Two permits, one with work by the Adena Corporation and another with work by Maddox Electrical, have been filed with work expiration dates of early-mid September listed — Adena has an expiry of September 7, and Maddox has a completion date by September 14. This would place the reopening date at the latter end of the summer 2023 season, meaning more Guests, those visiting during peak Summer, may miss out on the attraction.
What is also interesting is that Adena Corporation specializes in coaster tracks. So, while it is possible something major will happen (a change to the track placement or theme, for example), it is relatively unlikely considering how hush Disney have been on the shut down. However, it does point to what work Disney hopes to carry out on the attraction during its downtime. Adena recently worked on both Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, respectively. The also previously contributed to the attractions in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios and the ripple effect of its downtime
Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster does seem to experience more down time than most other attractions at Disney World. Just last year the ride was down for multiple consecutive days with reasons unknown. One of the biggest problems with such a large-scale major attraction breaking down is that pressure it adds to the rest of the theme park.
In the last few months, Guests called Hollywood Studios “absolute hell” after multiple rides went down, leaving an abundance of visitors trying to ride a lot of the same attractions at the same time. This frustration was further enhanced when looking at the small amount of attractions Hollywood Studios has and the fact Guests are tied to the Park until 2 p.m. per the Park Hopper Resort rule.
Then, just recently, three of the Park’s biggest rides — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith — all went down at Park open, leaving those that had chosen to rope drop this particular theme park out in the cold.
Steven Tyler and the future of the Aerosmith coaster
The future of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was called into question recently after Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was accused of sexual assault. The historic case comes from Julia Holcomb, who claims that in the 1970s, Tyler took her back to a hotel room and performed “criminal acts” of sexual misconduct on her.
The Walt Disney Company is yet to speak out on the issue, and judging by the information on the official website, the ride will still be the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster that fans know and love when it reopens in “summer 2023.”
Related: Disney Saved $10 Million By Choosing Aerosmith For the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Just how late in summer 2023 is yet to be seen, but the September expiries on the construction permits suggest it will be right as the fall and Halloween spirit takes over the Walt Disney World Resort.
What work do you think will be carried out on Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!