Disney Guests Flood Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster for One Last Ride as the Countdown Begins

There are Disney World attractions that guests enjoy, and then there are attractions that feel like part of the park’s identity. The kind of ride that longtime visitors remember from childhood, then ride again as adults, and somehow it still feels the same.

That’s exactly what’s happening right now at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

As Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster approaches its final days in its current form, fans aren’t treating it like a regular ride anymore. They’re stopping for extra photos. They’re filming the queue. They’re posting their “last ride” videos like it’s an insignificant milestone.

And based on the wait times, it’s clear this isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a full goodbye tour.

A Coaster That Never Felt Like Typical Disney

Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster always stood out because it didn’t feel like the kind of thrill ride Disney usually builds. It felt loud, intense, and fast in a way that surprised first-time guests.

The premise was simple: you’re trying to make it to an Aerosmith concert, and instead of getting a regular limo ride, you launch straight into a high-speed race through Los Angeles.

That launch from 0 to 57 mph still catches people off guard, even after all these years. Then the ride throws guests into a neon-lit indoor track with inversions, music blasting the whole time.

For a long stretch of Disney history, this ride helped Hollywood Studios feel like the “cool” park.

Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Has Been Here Since 1999

It’s hard to believe how long this coaster has been part of the park. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster first opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 29, 1999, and it immediately became one of the resort’s biggest headliners.

Back then, Hollywood Studios leaned heavily into action and thrills. It wasn’t trying to compete with Magic Kingdom’s fantasy vibe. It wanted to feel edgy and different.

Between The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, the park offered two rides that felt like a serious step up from what many guests expected from Disney.

New Headliners Changed the Park’s Priorities

Over the years, Hollywood Studios kept evolving. And as Disney added new attractions, crowd patterns began to shift.

Toy Story Mania! became a significant draw. Then Slinky Dog Dash arrived and quickly turned into one of the most popular rides in all of Walt Disney World. After that, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance changed everything by turning the park into an all-day strategy challenge.

With so many new must-do attractions, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster started feeling like an “extra” stop for a lot of families. Guests still loved it, but it wasn’t always the top priority.

For a while, it felt like the ride’s peak popularity had passed.

The Aerosmith News Brought the Crowds Back

Everything shifted the moment Disney announced that Aerosmith’s version of the attraction would be permanently removed.

Suddenly, fans stopped treating the coaster like an optional ride. They treated it like a piece of Disney history that was about to vanish.

And they weren’t wrong.

Once Aerosmith leaves and the race-to-the-concert storyline disappears, the ride won’t feel like a minor update. It will feel like a completely different experience. That reality brought longtime fans back in a big way.

Disney is Locked in the Final Closing Date

Disney officially confirmed that Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will permanently close on March 2, 2026. That announcement instantly made the ride feel urgent again.

Now guests aren’t thinking about it as something they can catch on a future trip. They’re thinking about it as a ride they have to experience right now.

And it shows.

Wait times have reportedly climbed to 185 minutes, with guests willing to wait more than 3 hours just for one final ride. With fewer than two weeks left, it makes sense that fans are lining up to hear the music and experience that LA race one more time.

The Muppets Take Over Next

Even though Aerosmith is leaving, Disney isn’t removing the coaster itself. Disney has confirmed the replacement: Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.

The new version will feature The Electric Mayhem, and while Disney hasn’t announced every detail, it’s clear the tone will shift toward comedy and chaos.

Disney hasn’t confirmed an exact opening date, but the retheme is currently scheduled to debut sometime in Summer 2026.

The Final Goodbye

Even though the ride will return, this version is ending for good. Aerosmith’s Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster helped define Hollywood Studios for more than two decades, and fans clearly don’t want it to disappear quietly.

Now the park is giving the ride a farewell moment that feels bigger than Disney probably expected, and guests are making sure they’re there for it.