Credit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicRock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will close permanently on March 2, 2026, just eight days away. This is your last chance to experience one of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ iconic attractions before it transforms into a Muppets retheme featuring The Electric Mayhem, set to open in summer 2026. Since its debut on July 29, 1999, the ride offered a high-speed launch through neon Los Angeles streets with Aerosmith’s music.
Recently, the attraction has seen a surge in popularity, with guests taking farewell photos and posting videos, resulting in wait times soaring up to 185 minutes. Don’t miss the opportunity for one last thrill!
Why This Disney Closure Feels Different
There are some Disney World rides that feel bigger than the track they sit on, representing entire eras of the parks rather than just individual attractions. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of those experiences, and the emotional response from fans reflects an understanding that this closure marks the end of something significant beyond just swapping out one theme for another. For a long time, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster stood out because it didn’t feel like a typical Disney ride. It felt fast, loud, and just slightly chaotic in the best way, with a straightforward storyline about racing through Los Angeles in a stretch limo to catch an Aerosmith concert before the show starts.
The coaster didn’t waste time building tension. That launch from zero to 57 mph hit hard, especially for first-time riders who didn’t fully understand what they were about to experience. Inside, everything felt like a neon-soaked fever dream of Los Angeles nightlife, with music blasting and multiple inversions that made it one of the most thrilling attractions Disney World has ever built. For years, it wasn’t just popular. It was a Hollywood Studios staple that defined what the park represented during an era when Disney wanted that particular property to feel more intense and adult-oriented than Magic Kingdom or even EPCOT.
The Hollywood Studios That Used to Exist
When Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster first opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 29, 1999, the park had a different personality. It leaned more into stunts, action, and thrills rather than trying to be the family-friendly park emphasizing characters and IP-heavy lands. Between The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Hollywood Studios offered two rides that genuinely felt intense compared to most of what Disney provided at its other Florida parks. For many longtime fans, riding Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster became automatic. If you visited Hollywood Studios, you rode it. No debate. It was part of the core Hollywood Studios experience alongside Tower of Terror and whatever show or stunt spectacular was running that year.
Over time, though, the park changed. Hollywood Studios didn’t lose popularity. It gained too much of it once Disney added major new headliners that reshaped crowd flow patterns. Toy Story Mania became a huge draw when it opened in 2008. Then Slinky Dog Dash opened in 2018 and quickly became one of the longest standby lines in all of Walt Disney World. Once Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opened in 2019, it completely reshaped Hollywood Studios into a park where most guests felt like they had to plan every moment just to survive the day and experience everything they wanted.
With all that happening, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster started feeling like an “extra” ride for some visitors. Not everyone skipped it, but it wasn’t always the main goal anymore the way it had been during the early 2000s. For a while, it seemed like the coaster’s best days were behind it as newer attractions commanded more attention and shaped how guests structured their Hollywood Studios touring plans.
The Disney Announcement That Changed Everything
Once Disney announced that Aerosmith’s version of the attraction would be permanently replaced with a Muppets retheme, the tone shifted dramatically. Fans went from a casual “we’ll ride it if we have time” to an urgent “we need to ride it now,” recognizing the ride as a time capsule of a bygone era of Hollywood Studios.
With the removal of Aerosmith and the race-to-the-concert storyline, the attraction will transform entirely, featuring different music, theming, and a comedic vibe centered on the Muppets. This change has sparked a surge in popularity, with guests rushing to experience it before it closes on March 2, 2026, and the last day to ride is March 1, 2026, turning visits into a farewell event.
What’s Coming Next
Even though Aerosmith is leaving, Disney isn’t getting rid of the coaster itself. The attraction is getting a complete retheme into Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets featuring The Electric Mayhem, the Muppets’ iconic band. That means the ride will likely lean into comedy, chaos, and classic Muppets storytelling style rather than maintaining the more serious rock concert premise. It’s a very different vibe compared to Aerosmith’s rockstar theme, but it also feels like something Disney can execute well if they fully commit to the Muppets’ characteristic humor and musical energy.
The retheme also represents a significant win for Muppets fans, especially since Hollywood Studios has been one of the last places in Walt Disney World where the franchise still feels present after MuppetVision 3D closed to make room for the Monstropolis land construction. If Disney builds the new storyline effectively, this could become one of the funniest thrill rides Disney has ever created, combining the intensity of a launched roller coaster with the comedy and absurdity that defines the Muppets brand.
Disney hasn’t announced an exact opening date for the rethemed coaster beyond stating it will return sometime in summer 2026. That likely means Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be closed for several months after March 2, potentially putting additional pressure on the rest of Hollywood Studios during busy spring and early summer travel seasons when the park already struggles with crowd levels and attraction capacity.
Your Final Week at Disney
With just eight days until March 2, you have one last chance to experience Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith as it has been since 1999. If you’re visiting Disney World this week, prioritize this attraction, even with wait times reaching three hours. Arrive at Hollywood Studios for Early Entry, if possible, to enjoy shorter lines before the park opens.
For longtime fans, this ride holds cherished memories, from first visits to sharing the experience with their own children. Soon, the iconic ride will close for a Muppets retheme. Don’t miss your final opportunity to experience it as it is. Eight days left!