Disney's New Ride Announcement Is Officially the Most Confusing Thing I've Seen All Month

We’re just a wee bit confused about Disney’s latest announcement regarding the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster’s Muppet transformation.

©Disney

I’ve been covering Disney theme parks for over 7 years, and visiting them/tracking news about them for nearly 5x that long, and over that time I’ve seen the company make a lot of announcements. I’ve seen new attractions, refurbishments, ride closures, and even new theme parks announced, with opening timelines. However, I can’t think of another instance that’s quite as befuddling as just what’s happening with the new version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

First announced in 2024, the Muppet takeover of the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster will see the iconic characters — who were recently evicted from their longtime Muppet*Vision 3D home by Monsters, Inc. construction — replace Aerosmith as the stars of the music-themed E-Ticket.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

Over the course of 2025, Disney released several details about the new coaster, including the fact that music from the Electric Mayhem will appear on the coaster…

©Disney

…the iconic exterior guitar will get a new, Muppet-themed paint job…

©Disney

…and the ride would be receiving a new preshow.

Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets ©Disney

In October, Disney released more details about the preshow, including its use of Audio Animatronics. According to Disney, “Side by side with a dedicated team of penguin audio engineers, Scooter, in his capacity as band manager, will be trying hard to convince the Electric Mayhem to stop laying down tracks so they won’t be late to their own concert. This will be the first time Scooter has ever been imagined as an Audio-Animatronics figure, and I hear he might not be the only Muppet Audio-Animatronics figure joining the attraction… but we’ll have to wait to learn more about that.”

While we’re quite excited about Muppet Animatronics, it was another part of the post that caught our eye. See, according to Disney, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will be “speeding into Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Summer 2026!” So, why is this confusing? Simply because Disney has previously confirmed that the classic version of the coaster starring the “Bad Boys of Boston” would be in operation through the end of 2025, meaning the coaster won’t be closing until at least January at the earliest.

Aerosmith’

With a January closure and a projected summer opening, that means that the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster’s transformation window will be about 5-6 months. That seems like an awfully short time to transform the ride, even at a minor level. It leads us to think that outside of the soundtrack, preshow, and a few cosmetic changes, the vast majority of the coaster and its theming will remain unchanged.

©Disney

Of course, we have no way of confirming just how much of the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster will change until the Muppets version opens next summer, but the short length of refurbishment time has us doubting it will be much. Stay tuned to DFB for more.

Inside Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Everything You Don’t See When the Lights Are Out

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Are you excited for the new Muppet coaster? Let us know in the comments below.