The Muppets are taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster! This move was announced in January, when Disney announced that MuppetVision 3D would close and be replaced by a Monsters Inc themed land. To pay their penance (I’m joking… sort of) the company threw a bone to the Muppets and have them moving across the park, as they’ll be stars of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster retheme. There are now new details on the project, slated to open in the summer of 2026. We’ll share those details in this post before adding commentary.

The Electric Mayhem: One Night Only! 

The Electric Mayhem are headlining their biggest Hollywood concert ever! Anyone who’s anyone is in attendance to witness Animal, Dr. Teeth, and the rest of this groove-tastic group rock the house down. There’s just one little problem: the band is nowhere to be found! 

Across town at G-Force Records, we’re treated to a VIP tour of the legendary rock and roll recording studio. Things might look a little different around this Hollywood institution, as the label has recently come under new management – The Muppets!  We’re happy to say that the colorful crew has landed some new digs… with just a little help from Scooter’s uncle, real estate tycoon and owner of the Muppet Theatre, J.P. Grosse (he really puts the G in G-Force). Just wait until you see how they’ve made these hallowed halls their own, creating the perfect place to make sweet, sweet Muppet music together! 

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Courtyard

For fans of that really big guitar, you’ll be stoked to know that the newest residents of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are putting their own spin on that ruby red paint job. 

A vibrant and psychedelic new design will grace the bottom of the guitar (inspired by a classic Muppet car paint job), and the piano motif at the base will feature a golden key as a nod to a certain far-out band leader. 

Welcome to the Studio

With your VIP passes, you’ll be welcomed inside the recording studio, where – wouldn’t you know it – you’ll find the Electric Mayhem are cranking out some seriously rocking tunes. Along with the finest audio engineers (all penguins, of course) we’ll see Scooter doing his best to convince Electric Mayhem to stop jamming and get to their increasingly restless fans. But will it be enough to get the band across town and onstage in time?

A Rock ‘n’ Roll Roadtrip

With the help from our friends at Muppet Labs and a very fast limousine, we’ll take a twisting, turning, and screamingly fun road trip across Hollywood to reach the concert in time. The iconic scenery and landmarks of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist.

And throughout the journey, you’ll hear the Electric Mayhem playing some of the most iconic, rockin’ hits in your ears to keep the music and adrenaline pumping. I’m sure G Force Records will release a concert setlist soon.

October Update

In an update from Walt Disney World, there has been confirmation of a Scooter animatronic as well as hinting at another Audio Animatronic coming to the rethemed attraction’s preshow. In this announcement, we also learned that the ride will open next summer!

Commentary

I’m prone to add a little cynicism here and there when it comes to Disney Parks announcements. Honestly, I probably do it a little too much, while trying to balance out the jubilant press releases with a grounded commentary. It’s something I’m very conscious of while writing these posts. That all leads me to say… I love everything about this announcement!

Now that MuppetVision has been closed for a few months and we’re able to separate the two projects, I think some wounds are healing. My frustration with the use of the Muppets since the Disney acquisition can take a backseat, while my excitement boards the front row for this Electric Mayhem retheme.

Here’s a list of everything I love about this announcement in no particular order. Hint: I already said I love everything about it so there shouldn’t be many surprises below.

• The new paint job on the oversized guitar! The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster building is a little boring but I’ve always loved the giant guitar out there. Adding Dr. Teeth’s keys below it and a new paint job should make the area more colorful.
• I’m always up for some Muppets lore and that was provided in the way of Scooter’s uncle, J.P. Grosse. This long time Muppet Show character was known to originally own the Muppet Theatre. Him running this record company shows off that someone in Imagineering is really in their bag, trying to bring some of these secondary characters back to a new age. Between this and the new pre-show for World of Color, it feels like there are a few Imagineers that really understand the Muppets.
• The penguins are the audio engineers!! I don’t know if any of these will be animatronics from MuppetVision but this is a welcome tribute to the orchestra there.
• Speaking of tributes, there’s a Muppet Labs shoutout in the news. I don’t know if they’ll have time in the queue to adequately get Bunsen and Beaker’s humor and expertise in but I’m excited to see them try.
• The concept art of the studio preshow is fantastic.
• This is not confirmed in the news, but the details sure make it seem that the roller coaster will have multiple songs in the soundtrack. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster taking a page out of Cosmic Rewind’s book would be a great addition, with a few different song options depending on the ride through.
• Everything else that was mentioned.

These details are so far up my weird, niche alley that I don’t understand how this project is being greenlit. I guess it’s a fast-paced roller coaster so the powers that be are just giving the go ahead to Imagineering. People will ride the thing if it goes fast! J.P. Grosse is a smart enough businessman to know that. Anyway, credit to Imagineering for keeping it weird.

Will this attraction, with these details, have a universal appeal? Probably just as much as Aerosmith does, if not more. No disrespect, I also slow danced to Don’t Want to Miss a Thing in middle school. With the coaster track staying the same, wait times will still be high and the attraction may get even more popular.

Disney has reiterated that this project will open in 2026. I’m expecting it to be one of their main marketing ploys for next summer. With a fairly blank slate for next summer, I could see a ‘come check out the new coasters’ pitch that’s centered around this and Big Thunder’s return. Time will tell on that front! For now, I’m very excited about this project and getting the Muppets back in Hollywood Studios after a short hiatus.

Are you excited for the Muppets retheme of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. This site offers discount tickets for those looking! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!