Popular Disney Attraction Reopens: Queue Cleared and Ride Closed One Hour Later

In 1999, a daring new attraction rocked Walt Disney’s world.

Blasting off at 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, boasting three inversions, two rollover loops, and one corkscrew—it was the first of its kind at Walt Disney World. Featuring the Grammy-winning band Aerosmith, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster was primed to light up Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

But in the 24 years since the traffic has slowed down for the unhinged limo ride. Consistent downtime for general maintenance and the dwindling popularity of the trademark band have slowed the coaster’s roll.

With the opening of new roller coasters like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Steven Tyler’s thrill ride wasn’t the only big coaster at the Disney Parks. Eventually, Disney temporarily closed Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster’s doors in February of 2023.

Related: “Feels Like a Concrete Parking Lot”: 3 Changes Disney Fans Want this Park to Make

While the attraction nestled next to the famed, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ got fine-tuned, rumors—and proposals—swirled about potential updates being made. In a popular Reddit post, u/Scrambled_59 circulated a popular idea for an updated take on the attraction, stating:

​​Disney parks ride proposal: Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster Staring The Electric Mayhem

Disney parks ride proposal: Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster Staring The Electric Mayhem
byu/Scrambled_59 inMuppets

This wasn’t the first post about the retheme idea, but it was backed by many Muppets fans who want to see more of them in Disney Parks. The Electric Mayhem could be a seamless theme swap and a timeless replacement—considering Muppets don’t age.

Fans patiently awaited news and announcements about the attraction’s refurbishments, with only a rumor of a reopening in July. But to kick off Memorial Day Weekend, Disney Guests were thrown for a loop when Rock’ n’ Rollercoaster soft opened after an extended refurbishment—confirmed by @ScottGustin on Twitter:

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster soft opened today at Disney’s Hollywood Studios following a multi-month maintenance refurbishment

I’m still not seeing an official reopening date – but I assume it will be officially open starting this weekend.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster soft opened today at Disney’s Hollywood Studios following a multi-month maintenance refurbishment.

I’m still not seeing an official reopening date – but I assume it will be officially open starting this weekend. pic.twitter.com/hnDg9dwzvy

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 26, 2023

After Cast Members took to the coaster, initial riders of the refurbished classic finally got to answer the Electric Mayhem question, and the answer was disappointing to fans like @AngusWynneJr, stating:

They should’ve gotten rid of Aerosmith while refurbishing it.

They should’ve gotten rid of Aerosmith while refurbishing it.

— Retro Six Flags (@RetroSixFlags) May 26, 2023

Not only did Aerosmith hang on to its featured Disney thrill ride, but an onsite Guest, @wdwtony, revealed the soft opening performance left much to be desired:

And it had not even been open an hour and is down with the queue emptied.

And it had not even been open an hour and is down with the queue emptied.

— wdwfan (@wdwtony) May 26, 2023

Not all the feedback was negative, though—@rosserkarenr shared a sweet emotion about the ride’s return:

Yay!  We arrive today and my kids were so bummed this one was closed!

Yay! We arrive today and my kids were so bummed this one was closed!

— Karen Rosser (@rosserkarenr) May 27, 2023

No official date has been released for Rock’ n’ Rollercoaster’s hard launch. While some Disney fans hope for an Aerosmith replacement, others will happily hang onto the harness when the ride takes off this summer.