DHS Disney Confirms Muppets Take Over Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios

[FigmentFan82]

Isn't it short for Rock and Roller Coaster? I.e. Rock 'n Roll = Rock and Roll. That's what I've always thought of it as.

Yup, and those Muppets are gonna be rockin and rolling! Can’t wait!

 

[FigmentFan82]

What's in a name?
Worlds Best Coffee.

The name is the ride. The ride is the same. We’re all still rockin and rolling on this great coaster! Can’t wait for this to open back up!

 

[Purduevian]

By any chance, is there enough room in that area, where the Villains show is, to squeeze in a Muppets dark ride akin to Mystic Manor? Then we'd have a Muppets dark ride and coaster in mini-Muppets-land over there.

If they are willing to move some backstage stuff

 

[JD80]

View attachment 914234
If they are willing to move some backstage stuff

Slightly zoomed out view:

I'm including a lot of area that would probably never be touched and I'm also ignoring any emergency/utility/CM access routes, but this whole area could potentially be used for additional park space over the years if they ever want to expand this park even more.

I'm not going to get all armchair imagineering on this post, but you can fit 1-2 lands in this area so that you can walk from SWGE to TSL to whatever new area and then pop out at RNRC.

I'd have to imagine there are some plans somewhere about doing something like this. If Joash is willing to reshape the face of Magic Kingdom with Villains and Piston Peak, you have to assume this is on the table to some degree after Villains Land is open.

 

[The Leader of the Club]

They would sell out stadiums worldwide right now if Tyler's vocals were up to it.
That's relevant.
Aside from that, they are legendary - like Zeppelin, Queen, Sabbath...
They will always be relevant.

What would be the median age of the people in the stadium? 55?
Is that really the demographic that will be riding intense coasters for the foreseeable future?

 

[Purduevian]

My understanding is the red area basically can't be touched. Also the blue area will be back "on stage" soon. The rest of it I think can be moved elsewhere on property without too much issue (though involves the expense of building equivalent places)

Slightly zoomed out view:
View attachment 914236

I'm including a lot of area that would probably never be touched and I'm also ignoring any emergency/utility/CM access routes, but this whole area could potentially be used for additional park space over the years if they ever want to expand this park even more.

I'm not going to get all armchair imagineering on this post, but you can fit 1-2 lands in this area so that you can walk from SWGE to TSL to whatever new area and then pop out at RNRC.

I'd have to imagine there are some plans somewhere about doing something like this. If Joash is willing to reshape the face of Magic Kingdom with Villains and Piston Peak, you have to assume this is on the table to some degree after Villains Land is open.

 

[FiestaFunKid]

It could have been any reasonably popular artist, and it would have made no difference. Pop star(s) or rock star(s), people would ride it because it was a roller coaster.

The band doesn't actually perform at the end of the ride, you know. You don't actually get to go to a music concert afterwards. I doubt the band chosen was driving the ride's popularity for most people; Disney just had to make sure it wasn't one that was unpopular...

I suspect for a vast majority of riders, the "headliner" was incidental. Obviously, people who have an emotional connection to the music will find it more meaningful, but that would apply to any group chosen (particularly an older band or artist). It would have made sense at this point to refresh the ride with an artist/group that even more people would connect to, not just the older set who grew up with Aerosmith.

That's why Olivia Rodrigo would have been the

Agree that it would get ridden irrespective of the band b/c it's a fun indoor coaster at a prime location in one of the world's most popular parks....However, it is thrilling ride with a name calling out Rock and Roll - so, to me, that does not call for poppy artists. The ride feel of thrills and rock made Aerosmith a good fit thematically. Rock music was also a stable of the Sunset Strip scene, so is a better fit vs some generic pop artist with no connection to Sunset Blvd....that is if anyone still cares about a park's overall theme.

I also wouldnt be so quick to dismiss classic artists among the younger set. If you watch YouTube reaction videos by young people, it is littered with reactions to Dream On, Walk This Way, etc. Sabrina Carpenter and other interchangeable artists are successful hit makers and fine ear candy but unlikely to have that staying power in 10/20 years.

 

[flynnibus]

Depends on the metric. Album sales yes, but those trends/tastes are more trendy and fleeting (especially when you remove TS)

Rock still dominates live music ticket sales by almost 2x, 30% to 17% for pop, according to Billboard (with rap and country in single digits).

Your logic explains itself.

Rock bands are on the road because it's the only way they make money. Most pop acts don't actually perform live music, so they don't tour. They put on stage shows. They don't do 2yr road tours like a major rock band.

Meanwhile, if whatever current fad pop star showed up at a local venue, they'd blow away a 2000s era rock band.

For every metallica selling out stadiums - there are hundreds of geezer bands just trying to avoid having to work at Wendys.

 

[HauntedPirate]

They would sell out stadiums worldwide right now if Tyler's vocals were up to it.
That's relevant.
Aside from that, they are legendary - like Zeppelin, Queen, Sabbath...
They will always be relevant.

This.

I think... I THINK... they may have done just that before his vocal/throat issues forced them to cancel a tour. Saying Aerosmith hasn't been relevant "for decades" is near the top of the "Bad Takes" list.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Your logic explains itself.

Rock bands are on the road because it's the only way they make money. Most pop acts don't actually perform live music, so they don't tour. They put on stage shows. They don't do 2yr road tours like a major rock band.

Meanwhile, if whatever current fad pop star showed up at a local venue, they'd blow away a 2000s era rock band.

For every metallica selling out stadiums - there are hundreds of geezer bands just trying to avoid having to work at Wendys.

Artists of any genre don't make much money selling albums/CDs/streaming music. "Touring", in whatever form you wish to put forth, is how they make money.

 

[FiestaFunKid]

Your logic explains itself.

Rock bands are on the road because it's the only way they make money. Most pop acts don't actually perform live music, so they don't tour. They put on stage shows. They don't do 2yr road tours like a major rock band.

Meanwhile, if whatever current fad pop star showed up at a local venue, they'd blow away a 2000s era rock band.

For every metallica selling out stadiums - there are hundreds of geezer bands just trying to avoid having to work at Wendys.

However we try to explain the why (which is debatable) the tickets are being sold so demand is there. You can't avoid Wendy's unless people are coming.

Pop stars do giant tours - see Taylor, Sabrina, Jonas, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles - and smaller ones do as well - the tiktok driven stars like Madison Beer, new artists like Olivia Dean...but all of this still cannot even approach the demand for rock concerts which says something.

Not sure how comparing today's pop star with labels and marketing teams activity promoting them, to 2000s bands proves anything...but the lesson there is that bands with even modest success from 30 years ago across rock genres still tour theatres (Everclear, BNL, Blues Traveler, Tesla, Extreme, Cake, etc) while similar pop stars from those eras simply do not retain fans at this level.

 

[BlindChow]

I also wouldnt be so quick to dismiss classic artists among the younger set. If you watch YouTube reaction videos by young people, it is littered with reactions to Dream On, Walk This Way, etc. Sabrina Carpenter and other interchangeable artists are successful hit makers and fine ear candy but unlikely to have that staying power in 10/20 years.

While I definitely think the ideal band/artist for a ride like this would be one with a healthy back catalog of hits who has demonstrated staying power (like Aerosmith in the 90's), I'd hope Disney would have used a far better metric than "Youtube reaction videos" to gauge popularity...

Though, to be clear, I think using the resident Muppet band was an excellent and clever alternative to trying to find another outside artist, and, as I've said, I think the cartoony "L.A. landmarks" fit the Muppets far better anyway.

 

[Ayla]

What would be the median age of the people in the stadium? 55?
Is that really the demographic that will be riding intense coasters for the foreseeable future?

I'm an on-my-way-to 52 year old Gen X'er who grew up during Aerosmith's heyday...and I 100% agree with you. They are way past their prime and needed to be replaced.

 

[flynnibus]

Artists of any genre don't make much money selling albums/CDs/streaming music. "Touring", in whatever form you wish to put forth, is how they make money.

Yes we all know this - the point is not artists turn to touring as the replacement because they are produced acts - not really live music acts.

Even the biggest names like kendrick lamar only did 47 shows on his last tour and that was a co-branded act. The eagles had more shows in just a single residency . Most pop acts pile into multi artist shows because they can’t carry a full show.
Smaller choreography heavy shows, shorter sets, etc.


Produced acts aren’t touring like bands and often focus on other forms of relevance and exposure. And even in rock, the money is very much lopsided to the top

 

[HauntedPirate]

Yes we all know this - the point is not artists turn to touring as the replacement because they are produced acts - not really live music acts.

Even the biggest names like kendrick lamar only did 47 shows on his last tour and that was a co-branded act. The eagles had more shows in just a single residency . Most pop acts pile into multi artist shows because they can’t carry a full show.
Smaller choreography heavy shows, shorter sets, etc.


Produced acts aren’t touring like bands and often focus on other forms of relevance and exposure. And even in rock, the money is very much lopsided to the top

Ahhh, I understand your point now. Yes, I agree.

Maybe they have to do those multi-act shows because... no one really wants to see most of them?

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

What would be the median age of the people in the stadium? 55?

Could argue that for muppet fans as well. Who do you think grew up with the muppet show?

 

[FiestaFunKid]

Yes we all know this - the point is not artists turn to touring as the replacement because they are produced acts - not really live music acts.

Even the biggest names like kendrick lamar only did 47 shows on his last tour and that was a co-branded act. The eagles had more shows in just a single residency . Most pop acts pile into multi artist shows because they can’t carry a full show.
Smaller choreography heavy shows, shorter sets, etc.


Produced acts aren’t touring like bands and often focus on other forms of relevance and exposure. And even in rock, the money is very much lopsided to the top

I think we are off topic.....so what's the point? Kendrick would be a terrible fit for this attraction.

 

[flynnibus]

while similar pop stars from those eras simply do not retain fans at this level.

Because they can’t carry a show. The produced pop acts don’t have the performance or catalog to do shows on their own. They can’t carry a show as just as singers and all the spectacle they do doesn’t scale down cheaply. People aren’t going to pay to see lipsyncing on an empty stage. So instead they pool resources and get a ton of acts to do fewer, bigger shows, that can achieve critical mass.

It’s the product - not a question of popularity or relevance.

Comparing and citing touring numbers when comparing very different things is pointless when talking about their awareness or relevance in the population

 

[FiestaFunKid]

Produced acts aren’t touring like bands and often focus on other forms of relevance and exposure.

A few names all on huge tours in the last year or 2 would disagree with your premise...

Taylor, Sabrina, Jonas, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles,Madison Beer, Olivia Dean, Gaga, Madonna, Pink, Rodrigo, Beyonce, Dua Lipa, Robbie Williams etc etc etc ....not to mention all the boy bands and the whole KPOP thing

I dont like it myself, but pop is a major draw live - just that rock is enormous. Most rap translates poorly, I'll give you that, but who is arguing for a rap artist on this coaster?

 

[SamusAranX]

Do we know the kind of music that will be on the ride? Muppet covers?