Time’s ticking, thrill seekers! Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will remain open through 2025, but after that, it’s lights out to make way for a brand-new Muppets-themed roller coaster.
That means you’ve still got some time to grab your backstage pass, and while you’re at it, we’ve rounded up some fun facts and hidden details to spot before the curtain falls on this high-speed rock ‘n’ roll classic.
Enjoy this ride while it lasts, and keep your eyes (and ears!) open for these awesome details:
1. That Screaming You Hear? It’s Real.
As your limo makes its way into the final brake run, listen carefully, you might hear the screams of other guests launching beneath you. That’s because the exit platform is directly above the launch tunnel, so you get a backstage pass to someone else’s adrenaline rush.
2. A Disney First: Inversions!
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster made Disney history as the first roller coaster at a Disney park to feature inversions. That means loops, corkscrews, and that heart-pounding feeling of being upside down, all set to a rockin’ soundtrack.
3. Guess the Song Before You Ride
Unlike Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, where the song is a surprise, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster gives you a clue if you know where to look. Each “super-stretch limo” has a license plate that hints at which Aerosmith song will blast in your ears during the ride.
Here’s your cheat sheet:
- 1QKLIMO – “Nine Lives”
- 2FAST4U – “Sweet Emotion”
- BUHBYE – “Young Lust,” “F.I.N.E.,” and “Love in an Elevator”
- H8TRFFC – “Back in the Saddle” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady”
- UGOBABE – “Love in an Elevator” and “Walk This Way”
Can you collect them all before the ride closes?
4. There’s a Hidden Mickey in the Studio
While in the pre-show area with Aerosmith’s recording session, keep an eye on the sound wires in the back of the cabin. They’re arranged in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s iconic silhouette, one of the only Hidden Mickeys inside the attraction.
5. Rockin’ Around the World — and Then to the Avengers
Did you know Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster had a twin in Paris? At Walt Disney Studios Park, the same high-speed ride, complete with inversions and an Aerosmith soundtrack, thrilled guests for years.
It was essentially the same ride, just across the Atlantic. In 2019, the Paris version was rethemed to Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, but here’s the cool part: the track layout is still exactly the same. So even though the music and story changed, that heart-pounding launch and those wild loops? Still pure Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster DNA.
6. The Sticker That Wasn’t Supposed to Be There
You’ll notice a corkboard full of tickets, passes, and music memorabilia by the loading area. Legend has it that one of those stickers wasn’t put there by Disney Imagineers; a guest left it during the ride’s opening season. The sticker represented his high school band; when he returned years later, it was still there.
7. Meet the Coaster’s Twin in the Netherlands
The coaster’s design was created by Vekoma and uses linear synchronous motors (LSM) for that jaw-dropping launch. Fun fact: Its non-Disney twin lives at Walibi Holland and goes by the name Xpress: Platform 13, same tech, but no Steven Tyler.
8. A Photo Finish — with Real Guests
Near the loading zone, look for a photo of a family on the ride. That’s not a staged shot; it’s an actual family that won a contest when the attraction opened. The prize? A place of honor in the ride’s history (and many jealous fans).
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has been thrilling guests since 1999, but the countdown is on. Whether it’s your first ride or your fiftieth, please take a moment to soak in these details, because once it’s gone, it’ll be another piece of Disney history.
Ready to race through L.A. traffic with Aerosmith one last time? Grab those backstage passes and rock on while you still can!
