The stretch limousines that have launched riders through a neon vision of Los Angeles since 1999 are about to lose their soundtrack. After 26 years of pairing high-speed thrills with Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and other hits, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is entering its final year in its original form. Disney says guests can experience the Aerosmith version through the end of 2025, ahead of a full closure in spring 2026 and a complete thematic overhaul that will debut the following summer.
Countdown to the Last Aerosmith Launch
Disney has confirmed that the current version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will operate with its Aerosmith storyline and music only until late 2025, giving fans a limited window to say goodbye. This is not a routine refurbishment or temporary overlay. The attraction will shut down in spring 2026 for roughly six months as Imagineers rework every aspect of the story and show elements while keeping the core ride system intact.
For a generation of visitors, the coaster has been a defining part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios identity. Since opening on July 29, 1999, it has delivered a 0-to-57-miles-per-hour launch in 2.8 seconds, up to 5 Gs of force, and three inversions inside a dark show building framed as a high-speed dash across Los Angeles to a rock concert. As the final weeks of the Aerosmith era approach in December 2025, nostalgia and “last ride” trips are already shaping guest behavior and merchandise sales.
From Classic Rock to The Muppets
The question of what would follow Aerosmith hung over fan discussions for months after Disney first disclosed the partnership was ending. The company initially offered only broad hints about future plans, prompting intense speculation among park enthusiasts.
The answer arrived in late 2024: the new storyline will feature The Muppets, specifically Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the franchise’s long-running in-universe rock band. The Electric Mayhem consists of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, and Zoot on saxophone. The reimagined attraction will center on a comedic race to a concert rather than a band’s rush to a stadium show with fans in tow.
According to Disney’s official description, the plot will place the Electric Mayhem in a recording studio while a crowd of fans is already waiting across town. Scooter, the band’s manager, scrambles to get them to the venue, and riders join the frantic journey. That setup allows Disney to retain the ride’s intense physical experience while swapping out the celebrity band and surrounding narrative for an owned, family-focused property.
What Changes – and What Stays the Same
Behind the scenes, the project is a significant investment. The track itself, however, will not be altered. The launch sequence, speed profile, and three inversions remain, meaning the ride’s intensity will match what thrill-seekers have known for decades. Riders will still board stretch limousines, accelerate from 0 to 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds, and navigate the same layout in near-darkness. What changes is the story, the visuals, and especially the sound.
The onboard audio system that once pumped Aerosmith’s catalog into each vehicle will now deliver Electric Mayhem performances. Disney has said the band will perform cover versions of classic rock songs, preserving the attraction’s rock-and-roll identity while shifting it into a more comedic, character-driven register. With the core hardware, car systems, and control infrastructure staying in place, the condensed spring-to-summer 2026 timeline becomes feasible, suggesting years of advance planning.
Strategy, Legacy, and the End of Aerosmith in the Parks
The Hollywood Studios conversion follows an earlier change in Europe. The sister coaster at Disneyland Paris, which also featured Aerosmith, closed on September 1, 2019, and returned on July 20, 2022, as Avengers Assemble: Flight Force with a Marvel theme. Together, the two projects phase out Aerosmith from Disney parks worldwide.
Industry observers view the shift as part of a broader corporate strategy to emphasize franchises Disney owns outright. Aerosmith, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, brought star power but required an external licensing deal. In contrast, The Muppets, acquired by Disney in 2004, fit a model in which the company controls both creative direction and long-term financial returns.
The change also arrives during a period of reconfiguration for Muppet presence in the parks. Muppet*Vision 3D, the 3D theater attraction that opened in 1991, is closing to make way for a new Monsters, Inc. area. Positioning Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem on this high-profile coaster gives the characters a fresh, marquee role along Sunset Boulevard and maintains The Muppets as visible figures in the park’s lineup.
A Farewell Wave and a New Era
As the Aerosmith version nears its final season, the human and emotional dimensions of the overhaul are becoming more visible. Cast Members assigned to the attraction will be retrained to support the new storyline, adjusting everything from queue interactions to safety spiels to match Scooter’s frantic studio-to-stage scramble. During the refurbishment, many will be temporarily reassigned, following Disney’s typical approach during long closures.
Meanwhile, longtime fans are planning farewell visits and snapping up remaining Aerosmith-branded merchandise from the ride’s gift shop. With the product line set to vanish once the new attraction opens, vintage T-shirts, pins, and other items are already rising in value on resale platforms, fueled by collectors and those seeking a tangible reminder of a formative experience.
When the doors reopen in summer 2026, riders will step into limousines that feel familiar yet fundamentally recontextualized. The mechanical heart of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster—its launch, speed, and inversions—will continue to deliver the same physical jolt, but the cultural meaning will have shifted from a collaboration with a classic rock band to a showcase for an in-house ensemble of felt-faced musicians. For Disney, the project underscores a long-term commitment to centering its own stories. For guests, it marks the end of one era of rock-infused thrills and the beginning of another, as The Muppets inherit a coaster that has defined Hollywood Studios for more than a quarter century.
Sources
Disney Parks Blog – “The Electric Mayhem Arrives at Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets”Walt Disney World – Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction pageRolling Stone – “Disney Shutting Down Its Aerosmith-Branded Roller Coaster After 26 Years”Wikipedia – Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith ride historyClickOrlando – Disney drops new details for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster changes with The Muppets