Disney knows exactly what it is doing. You do not confirm an opening date, drop a full set list, and tease exclusive previews all in the same day by accident. That is a controlled information release designed to keep people talking, clicking, and refreshing their Annual Passholder accounts for the next several weeks.
Based on today's reaction, it is working exactly as intended. Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is coming toDisney's Hollywood Studios on May 26, and Disney is making sure nobody forgets it.
The Opening Date and Why It Is Surprising
May 26 is the day. That is the day after Memorial Day, which puts this thing opening at the front edge of summer at one of the busiest theme park destinations on the planet. What makes that date notable is the speed. Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closed permanently in early March.
Disney is turning around a fully rethemed major attraction in roughly three months, and doing it in time to capture peak summer crowds. The ride system itself was not touched; the launch, the track, the inversions are all intact, but everything built around it is new construction, new theming, new technology, and new storytelling delivered at a pace that caught most people off guard.
The Story Inside the Muppets Ride
G-Force Records is back, now under new ownership. Scooter's uncle, J.P. Grosse, bought the place, which sets the stage for everything that follows. The queue is layered with Electric Mayhem posters, celebrity cameos scattered throughout, and props from MuppetVision 3D, the beloved Hollywood Studios attraction that closed years ago.
For longtime Disney fans, spotting those props in the queue is going to feel like finding easter eggs in a film you have seen a hundred times.
Inside the studio, guests find The Electric Mayhem mid-session, running behind for a concert across town. The penguin audio engineers are doing their best to keep things together. A brand-new Audio-Animatronic of Scooter makes his debut here, one of the details generating the most conversation today.
Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Scooter also appear in the pre-show, and the whole chaotic setup feels like it was pulled directly from a Muppets movie rather than retrofitted onto an existing attraction.
Guests board the L.I.M.O., which stands for Lengthy Immediate Motion Object, a vehicle designed by Muppets Labs. Same speed. Same launch. Completely different reason to be screaming.
The Muppets Set List
Disney released the full set list today, and it has been the subject of intense comparison to the Aerosmith tracks that defined the original ride for nearly three decades. Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem are handling the soundtrack entirely, and the songs chosen have already split opinion between those who grew up on the original and those genuinely excited about what is coming.
The music was always going to be the most emotional part of this transition, and Disney appears to have deliberately chosen what the band performs during the ride.
Ready to rock 🎸 Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens May 26 at Disney's Hollywood Studios🎢 https://t.co/O9kM6TQseK pic.twitter.com/w1BCyQ9TIj
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) April 16, 2026
The Exclusive Previews
Before May 26, Disney confirmed that exclusive previews will be available to cast members. Also eligible are Disney Vacation Club members and Annual Passholders. No dates yet. That is the tease. Disney announced that previews are happening, then held back the specifics.
A move designed to keep those groups of guests engaged and checking for updates until the information drops. Given how close May 26 already is, those preview dates are not far off. When they are released, the response will be immediate.
Disney also made clear today that more announcements are still coming connected to this attraction. That means the information cycle is not finished, and today was not the peak of the rollout. There is more on the way. Which is exactly the kind of thing that keeps the internet running hot on a story for weeks.
The Aerosmith era lasted nearly 27 years. The Muppets era starts May 26. Disney has been building toward this moment since March, and today made it feel very, very real.
