Credit: rickpilot_2000, FlickrDisney World fans knew the demand for the new Muppets coaster would be high, but the latest reservation situation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is showing just how intense the excitement has become ahead of the attraction’s official debut.
Annual Passholders are now running into a major roadblock if they hoped to experience Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets during preview dates later this week. Two of the three preview days have already completely filled up for Disney’s Hollywood Studios park reservations, leaving many Passholders scrambling to figure out alternate ways to ride before the attraction officially opens to all guests on May 26.
That kind of demand says a lot about where Walt Disney World currently stands with the Muppets brand.
For years, Disney fans worried that the company was slowly moving away from the Muppets inside the parks. Concerns only grew louder after the closure of MuppetVision 3D. While Disney promised the Muppets would continue to have a presence inside the park, many guests still feared the franchise was losing its place in Walt Disney World’s future.
Now, the reaction surrounding this coaster seems to be proving the exact opposite.
The Demand for the Muppets Is Bigger Than Disney Expected
Disney officially announced that Annual Passholder previews for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets would take place on May 21, 22, and 23 before the attraction opens to all guests on May 26.
Almost immediately, fans started rushing to secure Disney’s Hollywood Studios reservations.
May 22 filled up first. That date already carried extra pressure because it also marks the launch of the new Mandalorian and Grogu mission coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
That alone would have created huge demand for the park.
But things escalated even further when May 21 also sold out shortly afterward. As of now, May 23 remains the only preview date with Disney’s Hollywood Studios reservations still available for Annual Passholders.
For longtime Disney fans, this situation feels very different from some recent attraction previews.
Disney has certainly seen strong demand before, especially for major rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Still, the reaction to a Muppets-themed retheme has surprised many people. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster has always been one of the most popular thrill rides at Walt Disney World, but there were questions about whether fans would fully embrace replacing Aerosmith with the Electric Mayhem.
Based on these reservation numbers, the answer appears to be yes.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Is Entering a New Era
This preview rush also says a lot about Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a whole.
The park has transformed dramatically over the last decade. Entire sections of the park have changed identity, new lands have arrived, and classic experiences have disappeared along the way. Some fans still miss the old “working studio” atmosphere that once defined Hollywood Studios in the 1990s and early 2000s.
At the same time, Disney has been trying to create stronger intellectual property connections throughout the park.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge changed the entire back half of the park. Toy Story Land brought Pixar into a much larger role. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway replaced The Great Movie Ride. Now, the Muppets are becoming the face of one of Disney World’s biggest thrill rides.
That is not a small decision.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster was one of the defining attractions of Disney’s Hollywood Studios for more than two decades. Even guests who were not huge Aerosmith fans still associated the attraction with the park’s identity. The launch sequence, backstage concert setting, and iconic music all became part of Disney World history.
Disney now appears fully committed to giving the attraction a completely different energy.
The Electric Mayhem takeover introduces a much more chaotic and comedic style compared to the original version of the ride. Disney has already teased updated music, new scenes, themed merchandise, food offerings, and fresh Muppet Audio-Animatronics tied directly to the attraction experience.
For many younger guests, this will simply become their version of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster.
How Passholders Can Still Try To Ride
Even though reservations for May 21 and May 22 are sold out, Disney has still left a few possible paths open for Annual Passholders hoping to experience the previews.
During the previews, Disney will use a virtual queue system with three different opportunities to join throughout the day.
Passholders with a Disney’s Hollywood Studios reservation can attempt to join at 7 a.m. Meanwhile, Passholders holding reservations for any Disney park can try again at 11 a.m. Finally, Disney will open another virtual queue opportunity at 3 p.m. for all Passholders, regardless of whether they currently hold a park reservation.
That means there is still technically a path for some guests to experience the ride on the sold-out dates.
Park hopping could also become extremely important this week.
Some Passholders may choose to reserve another Walt Disney World park in the morning before hopping to Disney’s Hollywood Studios later in the day. Since park reservations remain available elsewhere across the resort, that strategy could help guests access the 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. virtual queue drops.
Still, nothing is guaranteed.
If the demand for the previews is already this intense, the virtual queues themselves will likely disappear almost instantly.
What This Means for Opening Week Crowds
The bigger story here may actually be what happens after May 26.
Disney World has spent the last several years dealing with shifting crowd patterns. Some attractions debut to huge excitement before settling into more manageable wait times a few months later. Others remain extremely difficult to ride without careful planning for extended periods.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets now looks like it may fall into that second category.
The combination of Annual Passholder demand, Muppets curiosity, summer crowds, and the simultaneous launch of the new Smugglers Run mission could create some of the busiest Disney’s Hollywood Studios days the park has seen in quite some time.
That becomes even more significant when looking at the current state of the park.
Hollywood Studios already operates with some of the highest average wait times at Walt Disney World. Attractions like Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Tower of Terror routinely push long lines throughout the day. Adding a newly reimagined version of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster into that mix will likely increase pressure across the entire park.
Lightning Lane demand could also surge once the ride officially opens.
Disney fans have shown repeatedly that they are willing to pay extra to avoid long waits for major attractions. If opening week crowds match the current preview demand, Lightning Lane availability could become extremely competitive throughout the summer season.
For Disney, though, this is probably the exact outcome the company hoped to see.
The Muppets are generating excitement again at Walt Disney World. Passholders are aggressively pursuing preview access. Hollywood Studios reservations are disappearing days ahead of the previews themselves. And one of Disney’s biggest attraction changes in years suddenly feels like one of the hottest tickets at the resort.
That is a very strong start for the next chapter of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster.
