Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets Opens at Hollywood Studios to Two-Hour Waits
The Aerosmith-to-Muppets retheme is officially open. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened to the public this morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the opening-day demand was exactly the kind of chaos Disney probably hoped for: posted standby hit 110 minutes shortly before 8:30 a.m., the queue spilled out behind the Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After construction gate next to Tower of Terror, Lightning Lane sold out, and the Electric Mayhem performed an opening courtyard concert with John Stamos on bongos alongside Darren Criss, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Kermit the Frog.
Opening morning at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. Photo: Jaden Green / Disney Food Blog.
The headlines:
- Posted standby hit 110 minutes shortly before 8:30 a.m. Cast Members diverted Early Entry guests behind the Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After construction gate next to Tower of Terror starting around 7:25 a.m., separating Early Entry from regular admission inside that overflow area.
- Individual Lightning Lane sold out on opening day per WDW News Today's check of My Disney Experience.
- Scooter is the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of the character Scooter, built using motion-capture technology of the Muppet puppet.
- The ride vehicle is the "Lengthy Immediate Motion Object," or L.I.M.O., a Muppets-style backronym replacing the Aerosmith stretch limo, boarded in an alleyway behind Studio C.
- Statler and Waldorf's Audio-Animatronics moved over from Muppet*Vision 3-D and now heckle the queue (we covered the Statler and Waldorf reveal on May 17).
What's inside the new ride
The plot: the Electric Mayhem is headlining a buzzworthy concert, but the band has gone missing. Guests board a L.I.M.O. and rocket through Hollywood traffic to find them. Per Disney Parks Blog: "The Electric Mayhem is headlining the most buzzworthy concert Hollywood has ever seen... There's just one little problem... the band is nowhere to be found!"
The five-song ride playlist:
- Song 2 (the Blur classic, opens the ride)
- Born To Be Wild featuring Camilla the Chicken
- Love Rollercoaster featuring Jennifer Hudson and Questlove
- Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) featuring Def Leppard
- Walking on Sunshine featuring Kelly Clarkson
Each track is performed by The Electric Mayhem (Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Janice, Zoot, and Lips) with the guest artists layered in.
Easter eggs and queue details
- Yolanda the Rat curates the queue gallery case, including a replica of Kermit's "Rainbow Connection" banjo from The Muppet Movie (the original lives safely in the Walt Disney Archives).
- The safety video is redesigned with Beaker and Muppet Labs.
- The Jim Henson tribute (in Muppet form) from Muppet*Vision 3-D has been relocated into the new attraction.
- Rock Around the Shop merchandise is only accessible to actual riders on opening day. Per Disney Food Blog: "For now, the only way you're able to get to Rock Around The Shop to see all the Muppets merchandise there is if you actually ride the attraction today." Overflow Muppets merch is at Carthay Circle.
The opening ceremony
The Electric Mayhem performed an opening courtyard concert at the attraction entrance with John Stamos on bongos. Darren Criss, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Kermit the Frog joined for the dedication. The setlist included Born to be Wild, Song 2, and Can You Picture That? (the Muppet Movie classic).
Also opening today at Walt Disney World
Three other major debuts hit today on the same opening sweep, making it one of the most loaded opening days Walt Disney World has had in 2026:
- Soarin' Across America at EPCOT (the U.S. 250th anniversary film replacing Soarin' Around the World; we covered Around the World's final day on May 13). Public opening was during Early Entry at 8:30 a.m., with the standby wait reported at just 5 minutes around rope drop.
- Bluey's Wild World at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Conservation Station (Bluey's first Walt Disney World footprint).
- FØØD by Swedish Chef at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Muppets-themed quick-service refresh of the former KRNR The Rock Station, opening alongside the coaster).
Quick planner notes
- Plan rope drop for the coaster. Standby waits are running well past the posted time during opening week. Overflow queue routes guests behind the Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After construction gate next to Tower of Terror, so head to Sunset Boulevard immediately at park open.
- Lightning Lane individual purchases are likely to sell out daily through Memorial Day weekend and into June. Buy early in the morning if you want a guaranteed ride.
- If you cannot get on the coaster today, plan around Soarin' Across America at EPCOT instead (5-minute wait at rope drop) and circle back to Hollywood Studios after the opening-week buzz cools.
- Rock Around the Shop merch is rider-only during opening day. Carthay Circle has overflow Muppets merch for non-riders.
- Memorial Day was yesterday, so the Tuesday opening lands inside post-holiday crowds that are still bleeding into the parks. Expect Hollywood Studios to be the most crowded park in the resort this week.
Sources
- Disney Parks Blog: The Electric Mayhem arrives at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
- WDW News Today: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster officially opens to long standby wait (May 26)
- Disney Food Blog: Opening day crowds at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
- Laughing Place: Photo tour of the new Muppets coaster
- WDW News Today: Electric Mayhem and John Stamos open the coaster
- AllEars: Soarin' Across America is officially open
Image credit: Jaden Green / Disney Food Blog.
