Though it has been nearly three months since Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopened from a lengthy refurbishment, a signed photo of Aerosmith is still missing from the ride’s exit and the space is still covered in dust.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Dusty Walls
The signed photo hung on the wall in the hallway exiting Rock Around the Shop, the ride’s gift shop.
The hardware from the framed photo is still on the wall — as are all the dust bunnies we saw when we first wrote about the missing photo in May.
The photo was autographed by the band — Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry, and Brad Whitford — and showed them at the World Premiere Gala of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at what was then known as Disney-MGM Studios on July 29, 1999.
The above picture of the photo is from 2020. It’s possible the photo was removed during refurbishment and never replaced (even though it doesn’t look like the wall was cleaned at all).
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Sign
Outside, the “t” in “Starring” on the attraction’s giant guitar sign has been missing its sparkly finish since the ride reopened. Note how much whiter it appears compared to the other letters in “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring: AEROSMITH.”
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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