Credit: rickpilot_2000, FlickrHollywood Studios has been building toward something significant for a while now, and the pieces are finally starting to come together in a way that makes May 2026 feel genuinely historic for the park. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of the most iconic attractions in the park’s history, a zero-to-sixty launch coaster that has been sending riders through the dark streets of Los Angeles since 1999. For years it starred Aerosmith. That partnership ran its course, the coaster went down for a reimagining, and now the attraction is coming back with an identity that feels like it was always the right fit for this park: The Muppets.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is currently in cast member previews ahead of its public opening, and the first major piece of practical information has already surfaced. Banks Lee shared a photo on X of the signage displayed outside the attraction, which lays out the rules for anyone riding during the preview period. Photos and videos are permitted. Live streaming is not. And critically, any photos or videos taken cannot be shared publicly until May 20th, when the embargo lifts. So if you are riding during cast previews and you are tempted to post what you see, May 20th is your date.
Allowing! pic.twitter.com/2cWlDgT1CX
— Banks Lee (@BanksLee) May 16, 2026
The embargo is notable because it suggests there is content inside the attraction that Disney wants to control the reveal of, which tracks with everything we know about what is waiting inside. This is not a simple rebrand. It is a full reimagining of one of Hollywood Studios’ most beloved coasters, and the details that have already been confirmed make the embargo make sense.
What Disney Has Confirmed About the Ride
The storyline has been completely rebuilt from the ground up. G-Force Records, the record label from the original attraction, has now been purchased by J.P. Grosse, the businessman from the Muppet universe known for owning the Muppet Theatre. That ownership shift sets the stage for the entire new queue experience: guests are going on a backstage VIP tour where they encounter Grosse’s nephew Scooter, who is overseeing the studio while The Electric Mayhem rehearses for a massive concert.
The Electric Mayhem is performing “Can You Picture That?” when guests enter the recording studio, and the experience includes the very first full-scale Scooter Audio-Animatronic in Disney history. The engineers behind the figure used motion-capture technology to record an actual Scooter puppet performance, then used that data to recreate his body movements and mannerisms in the animatronic. The goal was to make Scooter move the way longtime Muppet fans would expect him to move. That kind of detail work is exactly the kind of thing that makes or breaks an animatronic character.
The queue also introduces a group of penguin audio engineers running the studio. Sharp-eyed Muppet fans will recognize similarities to the Emperor Penguins from MuppetVision 3D, with characters resembling Elmer, Eugene, and Estelle appearing to be part of the experience. For fans who were deeply sad about the closure of MuppetVision 3D, seeing those characters return in a new context is a significant and emotional callback.
After the studio tour, guests head outside into the alley behind Studio C before boarding the L.I.M.O. ride vehicles. The coaster itself launches riders into a concert adventure built around The Electric Mayhem’s music and energy.
The Soundtrack Is Not Just One Song
Disney confirmed the full official music lineup for the ride, and the approach is genuinely interesting. Rather than building the experience around a single song, the attraction features multiple tracks that give different rides a different feel. The confirmed set list includes “Song 2” performed by The Electric Mayhem, “Born To Be Wild” featuring Camilla the Chicken, “Love Rollercoaster” with Jennifer Hudson and Questlove, “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” alongside Def Leppard, and “Walking on Sunshine” with Kelly Clarkson.
Disney has also indicated that additional bonus tracks may already be recorded and could be rotated in seasonally or used as surprise additions over time. The practical implication is that repeat riders could experience a legitimately different soundtrack on different visits, which changes the repeat ride calculus significantly for fans who used to count on knowing exactly what was coming the moment the coaster launched.
Food, Merchandise, and the Full Muppet Destination
The transformation extends well past the ride vehicle. FØØD by Swedish Chef is the new food location in the area, and the menu is exactly what you would expect from a Swedish Chef-branded concept: intentionally ridiculous names attached to snacks that are genuinely appealing. The Wocka Wocking Nachos, the Churro Drumstick, and the Mayhem Soft-Serve Float are the anchor items, alongside more standard offerings including mini corn dogs, chocolate chip cookies, waffle cones in vanilla, chocolate, and swirl flavors, and frozen beverages. For adults, the Frozen Blue Raspberry drink is available with Bacardi Superior Rum or Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
The merchandise location has been reimagined as Rock Around the Shop, and the lineup includes a guitar-shaped Loungefly crossbody bag featuring Animal and Kermit with the phrase “ROCK ON!” across the design, new shirts themed to The Electric Mayhem, a novelty license plate magnet reading “LET’S ROLL” with the plate number “MUPP3T5,” and a women’s shirt featuring Miss Piggy in sparkling artwork. The collection skews louder and more playful than standard Disney attraction merchandise, which is exactly right for the Muppets.
How This Affects a Hollywood Studios Vacation
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is opening into what is shaping up to be one of the most significant months in Hollywood Studios history. The public opening aligns with May 26th, the same day that The Walt Disney Studios area debuts at the park. That space is inspired by the original Burbank studio lot and will house The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure alongside the new Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! inside a nearby soundstage. Later this summer, The Magic of Disney Animation arrives as a walk-through experience featuring character encounters at Off The Page, a playground called Drawn to Wonderland, and Olaf-led drawing lessons.
For guests planning a Hollywood Studios visit in May and June, the park is running a more packed new attraction and new experience calendar than it has in years. The Muppets coaster in particular is the kind of reimagining that tends to drive significant visit interest from both first-time guests and longtime Hollywood Studios fans who remember what the park used to be and want to see what it is becoming.
For guests who have been skipping Hollywood Studios in recent years because the lineup felt thin or the changes felt incremental, this May is the moment to reconsider that. The park is moving fast right now.
If Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is on your Hollywood Studios list, May 20th is when cast member preview content starts surfacing publicly, which will give you the best early look at what the inside of the attraction actually looks like. Watch for reviews from Annual Passholder previews as well in the days leading up to the May 26th public opening. Our Hollywood Studios guide has current hours and attraction information updated as the opening approaches.
