Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has reopened after a months-long refurbishment, with no major changes despite rumors.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Reopens
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closed in February 2023 for a refurbishment that seems to have only included general maintenance.
The refurbishment quietly completed today, and we saw guests being allowed into the G-Force Records building once more.
It has been rumored for years that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster could be changed to no longer include Aerosmith. As the ride closed for refurbishment in February, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was sued for sexual assault, fueling these rumors.
Ultimately, the ride has remained the same, with Aerosmith and Steven Tyler intact.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Rumors
As allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged against frontman Steven Tyler, rumors have grown of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster being rethemed to a less problematic musical group, with most people generally floating Queen as the potential replacement.
In March of this year, Ken Marino claimed a Queen retheme was on the way for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Now a prolific stand-up comedian, Marino got his start doing small bit roles as many actors in Los Angeles do, including as the sound mixer for Aerosmith in the recording studio pre-show of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
After Marino’s comments went viral, he backed off the claims, stating he was merely repeating hearsay as fact, as Disney had not made any announcements about the attraction changing. But it wouldn’t have been the first time a celebrity has announced something before Disney was ready.
Removing Aerosmith would involve a near-complete retheming of the ride and a long closure.
In 2016, Disney did digitally alter a hand gesture by Tyler that could be considered obscene.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster History
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster opened in 1999 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The ride was also a 2002 opening day attraction in Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris but was recently replaced by Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, which utilizes the same track.
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