Disney is moving quickly to reshape one of the most recognizable corners of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Major changes are underway at the Walt Disney World Resort park as Disney continues a sweeping refresh across several locations. Hollywood Studios joins Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of Disney Experiences’ broader effort to update and reimagine key areas across the Central Florida destination.
One of the biggest recent milestones came with the closure of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, a ride that had been a staple of the park for decades. The attraction officially shut down on March 1, 2026, ending its nearly 30-year run featuring the music of Aerosmith.
The shift happened quickly once the final riders exited the attraction. Within a short time, the coaster vanished from updated park maps handed out throughout Hollywood Studios. While the new maps also featured smaller tweaks—like refreshed graphics and updated entertainment listings—the absence of the Aerosmith-themed ride stood out most to longtime guests familiar with the attraction’s presence.
For many visitors, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster represented one of the defining thrills at Hollywood Studios. The experience began inside the fictional G-Force Records studio, where guests encountered Aerosmith during the preshow before racing through Los Angeles in a stretch limousine. The indoor coaster launched riders at high speed into loops and corkscrews set against a glowing nighttime cityscape.
Although the Aerosmith version of the attraction has closed, the ride system itself isn’t leaving the park. Instead, Disney is giving the experience a brand-new theme.
When the coaster returns in summer 2026, it will reopen as Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. Characters from The Muppet Show will take over the story, including the Electric Mayhem band, while the coaster’s launch and track layout will remain the same.
With such a major thrill ride currently unavailable, Hollywood Studios is already seeing ripple effects across the park. Spring break crowds are arriving while one of Sunset Boulevard’s biggest attractions sits closed for refurbishment, meaning guests are spreading out among other rides.
Because the coaster has long anchored the Sunset Boulevard lineup, its temporary absence could influence wait times and traffic flow around the park as construction continues. At the same time, physical changes to the attraction have already started taking shape outside.
The famous upside-down limousine displayed at the entrance—once painted blue with Aerosmith references—has begun receiving a noticeable update. Crews are adding bright red flames to the vehicle, suggesting a new visual style tied to the Electric Mayhem band that will headline the upcoming version of the ride.
More updates are expected in the coming months. Concept artwork previously released by Disney hints that the towering guitar structure outside the attraction could receive a colorful makeover inspired by the energetic style of the Muppets.
Photos taken around the park show just how extensive the project has become. Large portions of the attraction are now concealed behind scaffolding and scrim, hiding much of the entrance area and nearby structures while Imagineers work on the transformation out of view.
A Bioreconstruct post from this past weekend shows the current state of the ride.
Current scrims around the guitar outside of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Current scrims around the guitar outside of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. pic.twitter.com/M8ScrXzJPp
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) March 15, 2026
The pace of these changes reflects Disney’s larger plan for the park: update familiar experiences and introduce fresh storytelling that encourages guests to return.
For many fans, the departure of the Aerosmith-themed version marks the closing of a chapter. Since opening in 1999, the coaster has delivered high-speed launches, multiple inversions, and a rock soundtrack that helped define the park’s thrill offerings.
If Disney’s timeline holds, visitors arriving at Hollywood Studios later this summer may discover that the same coaster track is still racing through the building—but this time the music echoing through the speakers will come from the Electric Mayhem band.
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