Walt Disney World is relaunching one of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ signature thrill rides with a new Muppets identity, replacing the long-running Aerosmith version with Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. The reimagined attraction opens May 26 on Sunset Boulevard, bringing The Electric Mayhem into the center of a high-speed ride that still keeps the coaster’s core thrills intact.
The original Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster opened in 1999 with Aerosmith as its headline act, sending guests into a super-stretch limousine on the way to a concert. Disney closed that version on March 1 and quickly began removing the real-life rock band’s presence from the attraction. The new version keeps the indoor launch coaster format, including its fast acceleration, rollover loops and corkscrew, but changes the story, soundtrack, queue, preshow and post-show areas.
In the updated storyline, guests step inside G-Force Records for a VIP tour of the Muppets’ music studio. The Electric Mayhem – Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Janice, Zoot and Lips – is supposed to be heading to a major concert, but the band is still in the studio. Scooter, joined by Kermit, Miss Piggy and other Muppets, must help get the group and the riders across town in time for the show.
The Electric Mayhem Takes Over the Ride
The attraction now uses the idea of a L.I.M.O., or Lengthy Immediate Motion Object, as the Muppet Labs-created vehicle that gets guests to the concert. Riders still launch from 0 to nearly 60 mph, but the experience is now built around Muppets humor, Electric Mayhem music and a broader cast of characters.
The soundtrack features one of several Electric Mayhem cover selections during each ride. Songs include “Song 2,” “Born to Be Wild,” “Love Rollercoaster,” “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and “Walking on Sunshine.” Some versions include celebrity collaborators such as Jennifer Hudson, Questlove, Def Leppard and Kelly Clarkson.
Disney has also refreshed the outside of the attraction. The large guitar marquee has been repainted in psychedelic colors inspired by the classic Muppet car, giving Sunset Boulevard a brighter visual cue that the ride has entered a new era.
Animatronics, Easter Eggs and New Food Add to the Update
One of the biggest additions is the first-ever Scooter Audio-Animatronics figure. Walt Disney Imagineering used motion-capture technology to help the figure move and emote more like a traditional Muppet performance rather than a standard animatronic. The result is intended to preserve the feeling of puppetry inside a modern theme park show scene.
The attraction is also filled with Easter eggs for longtime fans. The Muppet Mobile Lab, last seen at EPCOT in 2016, returns inside G-Force Records as a stationary prop undergoing repairs in the Muppet Labs Automotive Division. Guests can also spot references from the closed Muppet*Vision 3D attraction, Kermit’s original banjo, the Interpol car from Muppets Most Wanted and appearances from Statler and Waldorf.
Celebrity cameos are woven throughout the queue and surrounding experience, with names including Awkwafina, Danny Trejo, Darren Criss, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Travis Barker, Yvette Nicole Brown, Wayne Brady and “Weird Al” Yankovic. These appearances add to the feeling that the Muppets’ concert is a major Hollywood event.
Disney is extending the relaunch beyond the ride itself. Rock Around the Shop will offer new Electric Mayhem-themed merchandise, while a nearby food stand called FØØD by Swedish Chef will serve items such as a Churro Drumstick and Wocka Wocking Nachos.
The Muppets retheme gives Disney a way to preserve a popular thrill ride while making it feel more closely tied to its own characters and storytelling. For Hollywood Studios, it also adds fresh energy to Sunset Boulevard and gives Muppets fans a new anchor after the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D.
