Aerosmith Member Visits Disney World Amid Controversy

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Amid the fierce controversy involving alleged sexual misconduct, one of Aerosmith’s leading members made an appearance at Disney.

The Disney Parks and Resorts are some of the most popular vacation destinations in the entire world. Both Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, are some of the most popular and most-visited places on earth, with millions of Guests visiting each year.

However, it’s not just regular people like you and me who visit, with dozens of celebrities being spotted inside the gates.

Perhaps the most notorious Guests that visit Disney are the Kardashians. The family has celebrated many kids’ birthdays at the Disney theme parks. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are particularly familiar with the park since they have not only celebrated their daughter, North’s, birthday there, but they have experienced multiple VIP tours!

It’s not a surprise that celebrities crave the Disney Park experience as much as we do. From delicious snacks and treats to fantastic shopping destinations, the Walt Disney World is known for a lot of things. However, the biggest draw of “The Most Magical Place on Earth” has to be the incredible rides and attractions sprinkled throughout each theme park.

When visiting the Orlando, Florida Resort, Guests have the choice between Magic Kingdom, animal Kingdon, EPCOT, and of course, Hollywood Studios. Guests will find classic dark rides like Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight, as well as thrilling, high-speed adventures like Expedition Everest and Test Track. However, perhaps the most thrilling ride in all of Walt Disney World is Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.

This exhilarating roller coaster can be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This attraction is unique in that it is a collaboration between Disney and the legendary rock band Aerosmith. During the attraction, Guests will encounter the entire crew, including Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford.

A group of people riding Walt Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

Recently, Guests spotted Joe Perry visiting Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort.

This visit comes at a very interesting time, with Aerosmith’s frontman Steven Tyler facing some serious backlash for his alleged sexual misconduct with a minor.

According to a lawsuit that was obtained by Rolling Stone, Tyler brought Julia Holcomb– who was 16 at the time– back to his hotel room, and they discussed her age, as well as her troubled home life. Tyler then allegedly “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon” her before sending her home the next morning.

After these allegations first emerged, rumors started swirling around Disney, potentially retheming this attraction. Nothing has been officially announced. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closed down in February for an extensive refurbishment, one that will last until Summer. This also fed back into rumors, leaving Guests wondering what all Disney might do while the ride is offline.

Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Closes Next Month

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Walt Disney World has announced that its popular attraction, Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, will close next month as part of an extended refurbishment, and Guests who love the Disney’s Hollywood Studios thrill ride should take the opportunity to enjoy it while they can.

Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park at the Walt Disney World Resort, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith allows Guests to “race along the darkened freeways of Los Angeles” with the band to their concert after visiting their Hollywood music studio. Of course, passengers living “life in the fast like” get the full star experience, including three thrilling inversions as they “maneuver past traffic jams” to the tune of Aerosmith songs such as “Walk This Way,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle,” and the semi-original “Love in a Roller Coaster,” which the famous band rewrote for the attraction.

Originally, Walt Disney Imagineers designed the concept as part of an ongoing theme for Hollywood Studios to transport Guests into the world of movies and all-star fame. As a result, areas such as the Hollywood Backlot and Animation Courtyard allowed Guests a tour within the cinematic realm of Hollywood backlots and movie magic similar to that of EPCOT’s World Showcase for international destinations.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios tells Guests that the thrill ride includes two rollover loops and one corkscrew, challenging them to “make it to the year’s biggest concert in time.” What’s more, the limousine-style ride vehicle includes a “125-speaker, 24-subwoofer, 32,000-watt audio system,” perfect for jamming along to your favorite Aerosmith tunes in a coaster complement to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s drop ride experience.

However, some Guests worried that soon this jam session with the band would not be possible after Disney added a statement to the webpage for the attraction reading: “Beginning February 20, 2023, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment. This rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023.”  Truly, it seemed possible that in addition to continued maintenance for the ride’s technical aspects, a retheme could be underway to “modernize” the ride’s storyline or update the musical artist.

Indeed, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has changed a lot since its inception, now offering full immersion into some of the best cinematic universes like Disney Pixar’s with Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, for example. In fact, even Walt Disney Imagineering admits that as Park goals evolve, the theming focus has adapted to include less behind-the-scenes action such as that found in Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Super Stretch Limo

In addition, Disney Parks seems to have shifted its focus onto its own intellectual property, utilizing concepts it does not have to license from others, which, combined with the recent controversy surrounding frontman Steven Tyler, could mean curtains for Aerosmith’s run very soon. Even so, as of now, nothing about the statement inherently suggests Disney has plans to retheme the ride… yet.

Guests can ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from now until February 20, 2023.