Disney fans are getting a very early warning about just how popular the new Muppets coaster may become at Walt Disney World.
Before Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets officially opens on May 26, Disney is allowing Annual Passholders to experience special preview dates at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But almost immediately after the previews were announced, park reservations started disappearing.
Now, two of the three preview dates are completely full for Passholders.
May 21 and May 22 no longer have Disney’s Hollywood Studios reservations available, leaving May 23 as the final remaining preview option.
That situation has created a scramble among Disney fans trying to figure out alternate ways to experience the attraction before opening day officially arrives.
Disney Fans Are Treating This Like a Major New Ride
Even though Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster already existed before this transformation, fans are approaching the Muppets version like it is an entirely new attraction.
Part of that comes from how dramatically Disney appears to have changed the experience.
The company has already confirmed new music, new scenes, updated story elements, themed merchandise, food items, and Muppet Audio-Animatronics tied directly to the attraction. The Electric Mayhem is fully taking over the coaster’s identity.
For many guests, this feels like one of the boldest ride rethemes Disney has attempted in years.
There is also a lot of curiosity surrounding how the tone of the ride will change. The Aerosmith version leaned heavily into backstage concert energy and late-1990s rock culture. The Muppets version looks far more comedic and chaotic, which honestly fits the franchise perfectly.
Fans simply want to see how Disney pulled it off.
The Perfect Storm for Hollywood Studios Crowds
The reservation sellouts are happening at a very interesting time for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
On May 22, the park is also launching the new Mandalorian and Grogu storyline aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. That means Star Wars fans and Muppets fans are both flooding into the park at the exact same time.
That creates a difficult situation operationally.
Hollywood Studios already has fewer attractions compared to Magic Kingdom, which naturally causes crowds to concentrate faster around the park’s biggest rides. When major additions debut, wait times across the entire park usually increase.
Guests heading to the park during opening week should probably expect heavy crowds almost everywhere.
Even Lightning Lane availability may become harder to secure once the attraction officially opens.
Passholders Still Have Some Options
Thankfully, Disney is still giving Passholders a few possible ways to experience the previews even without a Hollywood Studios reservation.
The preview virtual queue system will open three times throughout each preview day.
The first opportunity happens at 7 a.m. for Passholders with a Hollywood Studios reservation. The second opens at 11 a.m. for Passholders visiting any Walt Disney World theme park that day. Finally, Disney will offer a third queue opportunity at 3 p.m. for all Passholders regardless of park reservations.
That means park hopping could become the strategy many guests rely on this week.
Of course, joining the queue and actually getting a boarding group are two very different things.
If the reservation demand is already this high before previews even begin, the virtual queue drops themselves could disappear within seconds.
For Disney, though, this is probably the best possible sign.
The company needed fans to embrace the Muppets after major changes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Based on the reaction so far, that appears to be happening in a very big way.
