Review: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets

Walt Disney World is on a roll with their recent refurbishments and updates, including Frozen Ever After, Soarin’, Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Test Track, Country Bear Jamboree, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, and soon to be Carousel of Progress. The latest to open is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, with a re-theme dedicated to The Muppets, who have moved from their former home on the other side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the now-defunct Muppet*Vision 3D. I had a chance to experience the updated attraction, and I’ll share my thoughts from the outdoor area to the final brake run.

Starting outside the attraction, the small plaza looks mostly the same, with the building exterior painted gray and the giant guitar and upside-down car sporting new rainbow colors to match the aesthetic of the Electric Mayhem. There is also a new hours-long music loop featuring popular rock n roll songs that will keep you entertained while in the queue line. The exterior queue is virtually identical, with the first changes being seen once you enter G-Force Records.

The entrance lobby is nearly the same, except for new media on the screens that once Linked with MagicBands to display guest’s names. I wasn’t in here long enough to see if this is still a feature. After passing some Muppet music memorabilia, it’s time to enter the pre-show room.

This is by far the most extensive change from the Aerosmith theme, and there are several animatronics in the new pre-show. The most impressive is Scooter, who moves and talks exactly as if he is being puppeteered. After a few “obligatory easter eggs” (as the ride itself puts it) the doors open to the station area.

This area is also mostly the same, with some fun props added, but the overall aesthetic of an outdoor parking garage at nighttime remains. The station is packed with references to The Muppets and their previous Disney attractions, and the rainbow-colored coaster trains add some nice color to the area.

The ride vehicles are the same despite a nice repaint, and they pull forward to sit on the launch track while riders watch a digital street sign count down to launch. There are an assortment of random songs you can get on this ride, and are covers of famous rock songs performed by the Muppet band The Electric Mayhem. The song I got was a Def Leppard song, which made the ride even more similar to the Aerosmith version for me since the vibe of the song was the same.

As for the majority of the coaster section, the blacklight cutouts remain mostly the same, some with added Muppet details and a few brand-new ones. I was expecting this part to have some more added, but it feels the same as before. The brake run, however, has some very fun animatronics that I won’t spoil if you haven’t seen them yet. The coaster experience is the same, I didn’t notice anything new about the launch or smoothness of the track.

Overall, Rock n Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is physically near-identical to its predecessor, but the pre-show is a big improvement and it may have some more general appeal with more family friendly characters. I was hoping for more substantial improvements with the ride experience, but it is marginally better than the Aerosmith theme, so I would say it is a change for the better. The coaster is still the same, and it is great, so it is worth riding but not worth waiting longer than you would have before the re-theme. I do like that Disney is focused on updating their attractions, and I think this is a good sign for trying to keep the park experience relevant to all guests who visit.