There’s a lot to unpack with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, because this updated coaster is carrying the legacy of two beloved attractions at once.
When Disney announced they were closing Muppet*Vision 3D, they softened the blow by saying the Muppets were just moving down the road to Sunset Boulevard to take over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Which also made fans of the Aerosmith version sad.
My own reaction to the news was very mixed. I was happy the Muppets weren’t going away forever, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was overdue for an update. But MuppetVision 3D was a timeless classic that everyone of every age could enjoy together. Moving the Muppets to an intense coaster with inversions and a 48-inch height requirement didn’t seem like a great trade to me.
And recently, I’ve been praising how quickly Imagineering has been moving lately. But honestly, the quick turnaround here had tempered my expectations. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closed on March 1st, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened just 86 days later on May 26th. So I was expecting this re-theme to amount to a Muppety coat of paint on an oversized guitar.
But once I stepped through the doors of G-Force Records, I was really taken aback by how much of the spirit of Muppet*Vision lives on here.
Watch the Full Disney World Summer 2026 Review
The new Muppets coaster is one of nine summer updates Disney World invited me to experience. Check out the full video for the rest.
The Queue Is Where the Muppets Really Take Over
Muppet*Vision was a rare attraction where the pre-show was just as vital to see as the show itself. Some of my favorite gags lived across those three monitors above the holding area. That tradition carries on here, and then some.
The story now is that G-Force Records has been bought by Scooter’s uncle, real estate tycoon J.P. Grosse, and the Electric Mayhem are rehearsing for a concert they’re very late for. When you enter the rotunda, there are video screens with over 30 minutes of unique Muppet content: tons of bits, gags, and celebrity cameos (Awkwafina, Neil Patrick Harris, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Danny Trejo among them). It’s all very Muppets.
And as you continue in, there are artifacts like Kermit’s banjo, clever visual gags, custom album art, Easter eggs upon Easter eggs upon Easter eggs. Pizza Rizzo. Sweetums looking for Bean Bunny. The keys under the mat. Muppet Mobile Labs. The line is brimming with humor, detail, and delight packed into every single square foot. I put together a whole video breaking down some of my favorites:
One detail worth knowing: a few of the best gags (like the keys-under-the-mat callback to Muppet*Vision) only live in the Single Rider line, so completionists have a reason to ride it both ways.
The Pre-Show and the Animatronics
The pre-show itself is a big upgrade. The screen has been brought in closer and is now an LED screen, which looks phenomenal, and the effect of the band being there in the room with you works better than it ever has. There are great nods to the Aerosmith era, too. Kermit echoes the old pre-show’s famous offer of backstage passes for everyone, and Scooter echoes Steven Tyler’s “I love that idea!”
(Throughout the rest of the line and post-show, the cast of the Aerosmith ride’s pre-show, Illeana Douglas and Ken Marino, turn up in cameos. There’s also a very nice lifetime achievement award for Ken Marino just after the preshow, before the alley)
Back to the pre-show. And then there are the animatronics. As I always say, everything’s better with animatronics. The penguins are back from Muppet*Vision, probably just for the halibut. But Scooter is brand new, the first-ever Scooter audio-animatronic figure, and he belongs in the animatronic hall of fame. Look closely and you can see he even has an arm rod that drives the actual movement, with no mechanics in the arm itself.
And in a move worthy of Muppet Labs, they went as far as to motion-capture Scooter. The effect is incredible.
I got a rare chance to check that for myself. I was lucky enough to attend a grand opening party with the Muppets performing, which was a bucket-list moment for me (I got to party with Rizzo). But it was also instructive, because I got to see the real Scooter puppeteered from just a few feet away, and it felt extremely similar to watching the animatronic. Imagineering nailed this. They made Scooter feel not like an animatronic, but a puppet.
The Soundtrack Deserves Its Own Spotlight
One of the biggest changes is the music. Instead of Aerosmith, the ride now has a randomized soundtrack of five songs, each performed by the Electric Mayhem, so you can get a different one every time you ride, similar to the setup at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The full lineup:
- “Song 2” (the Woo Hoo song made famous by Blur)
- “Born to Be Wild” featuring Camilla the Chicken
- “Love Rollercoaster” featuring Jennifer Hudson and Questlove
- “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” featuring Def Leppard
- “Walking on Sunshine” featuring Kelly Clarkson
That variety gives the ride a lot more life. “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and “Walking on Sunshine” have very different feels, and both somehow work. I still haven’t gotten “Song 2” after all my rides, but I got every other one, and I think the lineup is really strong. Surprisingly, “Love Rollercoaster” was my favorite. It gave me that Guardians Cosmic Rewind feeling of, this roller coaster is now a party, and I couldn’t help but sing along. Disney has even teased bonus tracks, and during the pre-show you’ll catch the Electric Mayhem rehearsing their own “Can You Picture That?”
They Really Upped the Re-Ridability
This is a ride built to be ridden again and again. There are so many different bits and gags packed into the queue, and in the pre-show, different characters can pop up on the screen behind Scooter with their own jokes. There are five very different songs on the coaster itself. And as you exit, Statler and Waldorf heckle you with a rotating set of complaints (If your ride vehicle gets stuck, they’re delighted to point out that now you know how they feel). There’s something new to notice or experience every single time you go through.
The Coaster Itself Barely Changed
If you loved the Aerosmith version (or were terrified of it), here’s the headline: it’s the same ride. Same track, same 0-to-57 mph launch in 2.8 seconds, same three inversions. Unfortunately, that means it’s still a rougher ride than more modern coasters. I rode it four times, and the only time I really thought it was too rough was in the back row. I much preferred the front or the middle.
Even with adding Muppet Labs, the re-theme couldn’t alter the physics of the attraction.
The on-ride visuals are updated but similar. You board the Lengthy Immediate Motion Object (the L.I.M.O.) and race past oversized, blacklight flats of Hollywood icons, now updated with Muppet Mayhem. There are new signs and clever Easter eggs everywhere: Beaker crashed into a freeway sign, a PizzeRizzo sign, a giant fork (fork in the road, anyone?).
About That “They Didn’t Change It Enough” Criticism
The fact that the ride feels so similar has invited some criticism online. People say Disney didn’t change Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster enough. Compared to re-themes like Frozen Ever After, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the on-ride changes here aren’t as dramatic. The story, the setting, and even the name are all the same. The track is the same, the launch is the same, and the visuals are updated but similar.
And that’s the point. Disney has shown with coaster overlays/re-themes like Hyperspace Mountain and Avengers: Flight Force at Disneyland Paris that it can dramatically change a coaster’s visuals when it wants to. So I think Disney could have changed more here if that was the goal. But David Brescia, the Imagineer who was Story Lead on the Muppets version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, told me something that completely reframed the ride for me.
“The Muppets have such a great history of playing in different stories and different roles. The Muppets Christmas Carol or The Muppets Treasure Island. That’s sort of how we think about this. It’s the Muppets doing Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.” – David Brescia, Walt Disney Imagineering
That unlocked it for me. Disney is treating Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster like a classic story in the theme park canon, with the Muppets now taking on the roles of the band, the manager, the sound engineer, and more. Like A Muppet Christmas Carol, the beats are all the same, but presented in a way that only the Muppets can. It’s somehow both a parody and a sincere recreation. So of course the ride itself looks and feels similar. And here’s the real tell: I’ve been riding this coaster track for almost 30 years, and this is the first time it ever made me laugh.
The Verdict: I Love That Idea
I’ll be honest about where I started. I didn’t think Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was a great fit as the first Muppets ride. If you were drawing up a blue sky concept for a Muppet ride from scratch, you wouldn’t start here.
But part of what has made the Muppets work over their 70-year history is that they are chaotic, unpredictable, and always willing to reinvent themselves. And I was so surprised by how well this ride works, not just as a reskin of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but as a genuine Muppets ride.
It’s funny. It’s quotable. It’s a party. It’s chaos. It carries on the legacy of Muppet*Vision in ways I didn’t think were possible, and the legacy of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster too.
For a lot of people, this was their gateway coaster. For me, it was my first-ever launch coaster and inversion back in 1999, so I have a lot of affection for it. Having the Muppets take over makes it an even more fun and inviting gateway.
It also shows what a great theme park property the Muppets are, because they can play in so many different genres and pull it off. Imagineering nailed this re-theme, and to me that proves they shouldn’t stop here. Muppets belong in the parks, and I hope this launches them into an exciting new era.
That’s why, out of everything new this summer, the Muppets coaster is my pick for the best upgrade of the year. (Whether this re-theme says something bigger about how Disney should approach re-themes across the board is a question I’m digging into separately, coming soon.)
How to Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
The coaster is on Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with a 48-inch height requirement, one of the tallest at Walt Disney World (the same as TRON Lightcycle Run). If you’re traveling with little kids, plan to use Rider Switch.
On intensity: this is still the most intense coaster at the resort, with that launch and three inversions, and it’s rougher than a modern coaster. If you’re sensitive to that, ride the front or the middle and skip the back row.
For access, it’s a Lightning Lane Multi Pass Tier 1 attraction, and there’s a Single Rider line. Single Rider is the move if you just want a couple of queue-exclusive gags, but it’s notorious as one of the least efficient Single Rider lines at WDW. Plus, you’ll skip most of that 30-plus minutes of pre-show content, which is honestly half the fun here. Standby is lightest right at rope drop and late in the evening, and expect long waits all summer while it’s new.
Quick Reference: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
- Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Opened: May 26, 2026 (re-theme of the 1999 Aerosmith coaster)
- Ride stats: Same track as before — 0 to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds, three inversions
- Height requirement: 48 inches (one of WDW’s tallest)
- Lightning Lane: Multi Pass (Tier 1); Single Rider available
- Soundtrack: Five randomized Electric Mayhem songs (Cosmic Rewind-style)
- New since Aerosmith: Full Muppet queue + pre-show, first-ever Scooter animatronic, new music
- When to ride: Rope drop or late night; expect long waits all summer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets worth it?
Yes, and it’s my pick for the best Disney World upgrade of 2026. The coaster is unchanged, but the Muppet queue, pre-show, randomized soundtrack, and new Scooter animatronic make it feel completely fresh while honoring both Muppet*Vision and the original Aerosmith ride.
Did the actual coaster change?
No. The track, the 0-to-57 mph launch in 2.8 seconds, and the three inversions are all the same as the Aerosmith version. The changes are to the theme, music, queue, and pre-show, not the ride physics.
What songs play on the new ride?
The ride has five randomized Electric Mayhem covers, so you can hear a different one each time: “Song 2,” “Born to Be Wild” (ft. Camilla the Chicken), “Love Rollercoaster” (ft. Jennifer Hudson and Questlove), “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” (ft. Def Leppard), and “Walking on Sunshine” (ft. Kelly Clarkson). Disney has also teased bonus tracks.
What happened to Muppet*Vision 3D?
Muppet*Vision 3D permanently closed on June 8, 2025, after a 24-year run, to make way for an upcoming Monsters, Inc.-themed land. The Muppets moved to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, so this re-theme is a revival, not just a consolation prize.
What’s the height requirement?
48 inches, one of the tallest height requirements at Walt Disney World (the same as TRON Lightcycle Run). Rider Swap is a real consideration for families with young kids.
If you want this kind of breakdown on Disney news as it happens, that’s exactly what I do every week in my newsletter, The Tip Board.
Did the Muppets coaster win you over too, and what classic ride do you want Disney to re-theme next? Let me know.
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