Tom Hamilton, the bassist for Aerosmith, just made an emotional final trip to Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios on January 27, 2026, with his new band Close Enemies, and the timing is absolutely heartbreaking because the attraction closes permanently at Disney on March 2, 2026. That means guests have until March 1 to experience the Aerosmith version before it's gone forever.
Who Actually Showed Up
Hamilton brought his entire new band Close Enemies, which includes his longtime bass tech Trace Foster, guitarist Peter Stroud, drummer Tony Brock, and vocalist Chase Hampton who used to be a Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer. Twin brother rock band Kamenar was also there since they're opening for Close Enemies on their current tour.
The whole group experienced Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster during its final weeks of operation, creating this full-circle moment where one of the artists whose music defined the attraction for nearly 27 years gets to ride it one last time before Disney replaces it with The Muppets version.
Why This Disney Attraction Mattered
Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith opened at Hollywood Studios in 1999 as the park's first legitimate thrill ride. Before this, Hollywood Studios didn't really have anything that could compete with the intense coasters at Universal or other non-Disney theme parks.
The ride launches you from zero to nearly 60 miles per hour in under three seconds, which absolutely slams you back in your seat before immediately throwing you into inversions and high-speed turns that happen almost entirely in complete darkness. The whole time, onboard audio is pumping Aerosmith classics directly into your ears including Sweet Emotion, Dude Looks Like a Lady, Love in an Elevator, Back in the Saddle, and Walk This Way.
The storyline puts you at G-Force Records where Aerosmith is recording. When the band realizes they have a concert across town starting soon, they offer you a ride in their super-stretch limo, which sets up the high-speed journey through Los Angeles traffic that is the actual coaster experience.
What's Replacing It
After March 2, this becomes Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets featuring the Electric Mayhem band. The coaster track layout and ride system stay completely identical, so you'll still get the same launched acceleration, the same inversions, and the same high-speed elements. What changes is literally everything else.
The exterior is getting a psychedelic makeover including updates to the giant guitar in Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Courtyard. The piano motif at the guitar's base will have one gold key as a nod to Dr. Teeth's gold tooth, which is a nice detail.
The new storyline places you on a VIP tour of G-Force Records where the Electric Mayhem have a concert across town but they're delayed in the recording studio. You'll see this in a new pre-show before boarding, which maintains the basic premise structure while swapping Aerosmith for Muppets.
Why Disney Fans Are Conflicted
The announced transformation has generated seriously mixed reactions. A lot of guests have deep nostalgia for the Aerosmith version and are genuinely sad to see it permanently replaced. These are people who grew up riding Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster and have specific memories tied to experiencing Aerosmith's music at high speed in darkness.
Other guests are actually excited about the Muppets integration and think the Electric Mayhem provides fresh theming that appeals to broader age ranges including younger kids who probably don't connect with Aerosmith's music the way their parents' generation does.
The fact that the physical coaster experience stays unchanged softens the blow somewhat. You're not losing the actual ride elements that make Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster thrilling. You're just losing the Aerosmith music and theming while keeping everything else that makes the attraction intense.
Your Last Chance to Ride Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster at Disney
If you want to experience Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith before it closes forever, you need to visit before March 2, 2026. The attraction is probably going to have crazy wait times during the final weeks as fans make farewell visits, and the final operating day March 1 will be absolutely slammed with people trying to get their last rides.
Tom Hamilton's visit with Close Enemies represents the kind of personal goodbye that longtime Aerosmith fans might relate to as they make their own final trips to an attraction that soundtracked countless Hollywood Studios visits over nearly three decades.
After March 2, Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will only exist in memories, videos, and the stories people share about experiencing one of Disney's most intense thrill rides during its 27-year run. The Muppets version will be here, but the Aerosmith era ends forever on March 1.
