For those who are thrill seekers and music fans, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios is the ultimate jam. This fast indoor roller coaster features the tunes of classic rock band Aerosmith as you take on twists, turns, and even go upside down at speeds up to 57 mph.
This ride is pretty intense, and definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, but it is a crowd pleaser for those who love coasters. After the band personally invites you to their concert, you’ll hop in a super stretch limo to make sure you make it there on time… and traffic rules will not be followed.
If speeding down the highway after scoring backstage passes to the concert of the century is up your alley, keep reading for our complete guide to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Quick Facts
Description: This high-speed launch coaster features the music of Aerosmith. During the attraction’s pre-show, the band will invite you to attend their event (complete with backstage passes), which is starting soon.
You’ll have to really speed to get there, so you’ll board a fast-paced limo that takes you through twists, turns, and even inversions through a coaster themed after a Los Angeles highway on your way to the red carpet.
Location
You can find Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at the end of Sunset Boulevard to the left of Tower of Terror. Here’s the location on the map.
How to Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has a Lightning Lane and a Standby Line.
It also happens to be one of the few attractions in Walt Disney World that also has a Single Rider Line, which can save you a lot of time.
While you can join the queue with the rest of your party, you’ll be separated when it comes time to board to fill seats that would have otherwise been empty in exchange for a much shorter wait time.
As one of the most popular attractions at Hollywood Studios, waits here can often exceed an hour or more, especially in the afternoon.
If you’re planning to use the Standby Line, you’ll find the shortest waits right at park opening. If you’re not a morning person — or if another ride is your top priority — you may also have luck with a shorter wait the last hour before the park closes.
Do I Need to Use Genie+ at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster?
To avoid a long standby wait, it would definitely be wise to pick Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster as one of your Genie+ selections, especially if you’re not planning to head to the ride at park open.
This attraction is a pretty popular Lightning Lane pick, but times for rides like Slinky Dog Dash and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway do tend to sell out first.
If one of those rides is a priority for you, you should feel comfortable grabbing one of them first and then going for Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster.
Rider Switch/Child Swap
You can use Rider Switch for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Rider Switch is Disney’s system that allows guests with small children to take turns riding bigger rides, while another person or people wait with the little one.
There’s plenty to do with kids who are too young (or still have some growing to do) to ride while you wait.
Right behind the attraction, you’ll find Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, which is a show that Cars fans of all ages will love. Right around the corner on Sunset Boulevard, there are multiple snack stands and shops that can help fill your time, too.
What To Expect When You Ride
Queue
The queue for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is both outdoors and indoors. Even though it doesn’t have an interactive queue, there’s a lot to take in theming-wise.
Fortunately, the outdoor portion of the queue is mostly shaded, if a little boring, but once you get inside, things get a lot more interesting.
The building is themed to a record label’s office, and on the walls, you’ll see concert posters that change — and if you’re wearing a MagicBand or MagicBand+, they might even feature your name and city, so be sure to pay attention!
Just before you board, you’ll be welcomed into the recording studio, where Aerosmith (in pre-recorded video form) are rehearsing. That’s when their manager (played by Ileana Douglas) interrupts, letting the band know that they’ve gotta go or they’re going to be late for their concert.
Then, Steven Tyler generously invites everyone to come along, backstage passes included. What a guy!
The manager is clearly over the band’s silly requests, but decides to accommodate them anyway. This is when she orders a super-stretch limo… that’s your ride!
Ride Vehicles
The ride vehicles for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster allows for two guests to sit side-by-side in each row, with a total of 24 guests per vehicle. Each guest also has their own over-the-head harness for safety, which rests on the shoulders and the waist.
The vehicles also include a small compartment to store small items like a phone or a pair of sunglasses, but anything bigger than that likely won’t fit.
And since this ride does have the word “rock” in the title, it probably won’t surprise you to find out that each vehicle is outfitted with 24 sub-woofers and 125 speakers.
You definitely won’t miss a second of the Aerosmith songs that play throughout the ride, no matter how loudly you or your fellow limo passengers might be screaming.
Accessibility Information
Guests who are using an ECV must transfer to a wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle. Cast Members will have a transfer device available upon request, and guests may also ask to use the transfer door, which will allow more room during the transfer.
Disney warns that “seating and restraints on this attraction may prohibit guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding,” and advises against riding for those with high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, or motion sickness as the attraction can aggravate those conditions.
Service dogs are not allowed on this attraction, and expectant mothers are also advised not to ride.
PhotoPass/On-Ride Photos
Your photo will be taken on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster right in the beginning of the ride. You’ll see the flash as soon as your limo launches, so be sure to pose!
The on-ride photos here can be pretty funny, since they capture everyone’s reaction just as the ride kicks off.
If you’re wearing your MagicBand or MagicBand+ (or are using the My Disney Experience app with your device’s bluetooth turned on), your photo will automatically appear in your app after you ride.
You’ll have 45 days to purchase and download the photo if you want it, and it will be included in the purchase of Memory Maker.
Guests purchasing Genie+ will receive digital downloads of their on-ride photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase, at no additional charge.
Those who have trouble finding their picture after they ride can get help from a Cast Member at the PhotoPass office. In Hollywood Studios, you can find that at Sid Cahuenga’s One of a Kind, which is located in the front of the park near the entrance.
Motion Sickness
Motion sickness is mentioned in the warnings that Disney issues for this attraction (both online and in a board at the ride’s entrance).
If that’s something you suffer from on roller coasters, you will probably want to take caution here. This ride comes with many twists, turns, and inversions that take place in the dark.
For more advice, check out our guide on motion sickness that’s filled with information and tips.
On the Ride
Warning: Spoilers for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are ahead!
After your encounter with Aerosmith (you didn’t realize you were going to meet celebrities at Hollywood Studios today, did you?) you’ll walk out of Studio C and wait to board your limo.
Once you’re in your seat with the harness down and safety checks are complete, it won’t be long before you’re speeding down the highway — if the highway was an indoor roller coaster, of course.
Steven Tyler will count down to your launch with his signature scream, and then you’re going 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds!
The ride is in total darkness, so you won’t be able to see the track, making the coaster all the more thrilling. You will see light up street signs and sail right through the middle of the iconic Hollywood sign as a different Aerosmith song plays in each ride vehicle.
The songs that you might hear on this ride include:
- “Walk This Way”
- “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”
- “Sweet Emotion”
- “Back in the Saddle”
- “Love in an Elevator”
- “Nine Lives”
- “Young Lust”
Soon enough, you’ll be pulling into a tunnel that leads you to the civic center, where the concert is being held.
As your ride vehicle stops in the station, you’ll find that Aerosmith literally rolled out the red carpet for you as you exit into the gift shop… and try to figure out exactly what your hair is doing post-ride.
Is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Kid-Friendly?
Considering the 48-inch height requirement, most younger kids won’t be able to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster anyway.
But this attraction still may be too intense for some older children (and even some adults). The speed, darkness, and wild track combo is too much for plenty of people.
If your child is tall enough but has never been on a roller coaster before, they might want to try a smaller coaster, like Slinky Dog Dash or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, first.
Be sure to check out our guide to things that might scare little ones at WDW for more information.
Strollers
Those using a stroller won’t be able to take it with them in the queue, but fortunately, there’s a designated area to park it right in front of the ride.
You’ll want to bring any valuables with you, including items like keys, phones, and wallets, and you may want to cover your stroller before you walk away, just in case a pop-up Florida rainstorm happens while you’re inside.
History
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster first opened on July 29, 1999 and debuted with a dedication ceremony that included Aerosmith. It was a pretty big deal at the time, since it was the first coaster at Walt Disney World to feature multiple inversions.
In 2002, Disneyland Paris got its own version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Walt Disney Studios Park, but it has since been re-themed to Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.
When Hollywood Studios hosted special after hours events to promote Star Wars in 2015 and 2017, the ride was given a themed overlay that featured the franchise’s theme song and other fun details related to the movie.
Other Fun Details
- One of the best Easter Eggs for Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster has to do with the license plates. If you know the code, you’ll also be able to tell which song(s) will play during your ride. Here’s the key:
— 1QKLIMO: “Nine Lives”
— 2FAST4U: “Sweet Emotion”
— BUHBYE: “Young Lust”; “F.I.N.E.”; “Love in an Elevator”
— H8TRFFC: “Back in the Saddle”; “Dude Looks Like a Lady”
— UGOBABE: “Love in an Elevator”; “Walk This Way”
- Speaking of songs that play on the ride, you might notice that “Love in an Elevator” sounds a bit different here. That’s because the lyrics were actually altered to “Love in a Roller Coaster,” which is much more appropriate!
- The track is 3,400 feet long, which spans more than half a mile.
- There are over 900 speakers on this attraction. No wonder the music is so loud!