Disney Parks are known for being ostentatious; it’s practically a calling card of the world’s most famous theme parks. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, some of the most beautiful, well executed rides in existence, in all of their many iterations, and that says nothing of all of the other amazingly themed areas and rides contained in the Disney Parks. Yet, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith still stands out.
When one approaches the building containing the ride, you are met by a faux limousine, hanging upside down and made to look as though it is riding on the swirling strings of an enormous stylized guitar. I have read before that Led Zeppelin was originally intended to be the figurehead of this coaster, but were pushed aside for Aerosmith because Led Zeppelin’s asking price was too high. Without even seeing the coaster, it’s easy to understand why; there is a ton of money involved in just the themeing of the grounds surrounding Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
After the walk past the guitar and stands selling stuff, you are welcomed to the rides queue, and this is where you see just how popular the ride is. Every time I’ve been to Disney Hollywood Studios, the line for this thing gets long early in the day, and it tends to stay that way. Luckily, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is equipped with the Fastpass system, and this can take much of the sting out of waiting for a ride. Using Fastpass, I’ve never waited longer than fifteen minutes to ride, and that includes times where the regular queue wait exceeded two hours!
After your choice of the two waiting options, you’re ushered through a few generic hallways that are supposed to look like a music studio. From there, you enter a room where a video of Aerosmith greets you. It is every bit as bad as one would expect, with Aerosmith appearing at best disinterested. The video is kind of a fun piece though, but only the most ardent fan of the band should expect anything more than a few chuckles at just how rotten it is.
After the video, you are herded like cattle into a city themed area, equipped with chain link fences, spray paint and flyers. Just as you enter, you will probably be greeted by a close up view of one of the trains launching. Not the fastest launch ever, but indoor launches almost always look faster than they’re actual speed would infer. Of course, this is no Top Thrill Dragster, but it does launch with a fair bit of force.
The coaster is equipped with the unfortunate “horse collar” type of restraints, which almost everyone seems 
to hate. The restraints don’t affect the launch, but they do come into play shortly after, and not in a good way.
After the train and its riders are propelled into the actual attraction, it is very difficult to tell what’s going to come next. The lighting is sparse on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, mostly provided by illuminated signs and articles of rock n’ roll scattered about the ride area. I’d love to be more descriptive here, but it is almost impossible to tell what is going on as you ride, even after having ridden it five or six times over the years.
There are several inversions, similar to, yet not as frenetic as Flight of Fear, and a “spaghetti bowl” style of twists and turns. This is where Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster meets its biggest fault. The restraints are not suited for such a blind ride, and in addition to hurting the riders, they hurt the overall experience as well. Restraints like those found on Flight of Fear or Sky Rocket would go a long way towards making this a more enjoyable ride.
I give Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster a 6.5 out of ten, though I have no doubt my opinion would change if the restraints were altered, an adjustment I don’t foresee happening in the near future. That said, my daughter, seven years old at the time of this writing, loved Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and ranked it behind Expedition Everest as her favorite coaster of the trip. Therein could lie the greatest accomplishment of the ride, as a wonderful intermediate coaster. Perfect for those youngsters yearning for a thrill ride, but not yet tall enough for Florida’s myriad of B&M’s. Final Rating – 6.5 (Above Average Approaching Good)
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is rated ‘IN’ for Intense. It’s a 4 out of 5 on the Thrill Scale because of its launch and loops. The thrill scale is meant to help average park guests know what to expect. See the full scale here.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of CoasterImage.
March 30, 2011 at 04:54
I think that the general audience mostly enjoys this coaster. Most won't notice the hurt it brings, as they will be blinded by the adrenalin they get from the launch.
Most coaster enthusiasts will look behind that and see that this is a very mediocre ride. The launch is cool, the loopings…. well, they loop, but then, it's just an uninspired left and right until the ride ends.
March 30, 2011 at 18:34
Thanks for the mention of Xpress Surya, but I removed the link to the video. I've got a no illegal POV rule on the site. Here's a link to a picture though: http://rcdb.com/769.htm?p=1128
March 31, 2011 at 00:19
Sorry about that, I knew about the rule but didn't think of it when posting.
March 31, 2011 at 23:47
No problem.
March 30, 2011 at 09:43
Great review Aric! I've never been on it as I missed the opening by a month last time I hit up WDW, but I guess only in Disney would a Vekoma be so popular, ha. Next Florida trip I shall tackle it finally…
March 30, 2011 at 11:30
I gave this coaster about the same rating as you did, although, I don't find it to be that painful. I just think that it doesn't have enough to be higher.
March 30, 2011 at 15:07
When I rode it I didnt notice it hurting at all. I usually notice a painful ride when others dont, and complain alot about painful rides. I hate arrow loopers and old wooden coasters for their pain. Maybe the speed and music made the pain unnoticeable.
March 30, 2011 at 15:52
This ride was closed the only time I ever went to Disney World, but It looks like fun.
March 30, 2011 at 16:54
Disney doesn't waste money on themeing (So why isn't the Yeti working again?!!). The themeing is great. Aerosmith's acting is terrible. The ride itself is okay. I have to say the best part is the launch into the cobra roll. You'd never catch me buying any Vekoma Ride souvenirs though. The line issues can be solved by going alone in the single-rider line after seeing the themeing once. The only wait I had for this ride was the video (which I slept through).
March 31, 2011 at 02:08
The Yeti will be fixed-hopefully-when Everest gets a long needed rehab, which won't be for a while. It literally needs the cement holding it down redone.
March 31, 2011 at 14:32
have you seen the disco yeti song ?http://www.discoyeti.com/node/75 if you haven't
April 3, 2011 at 16:09
The launch is into a loop, not a cobra roll.
April 4, 2011 at 02:06
Nope, it' a cobra roll, just watch the POV above. The rides are clones of each other.
April 4, 2011 at 10:25
Actually it is a Roll Over http://www.rcdb.com/560.htm, pretty close to a Cobra Roll though
April 4, 2011 at 12:20
I geuss the corkscrew at the top of the loop just made me think a cobra roll.
March 31, 2011 at 03:35
I have been on this ride four or five times and i've never noticed the painful restraints. They are hard and uncomfortable, but not painful. Still, I wouldn't rate it any higher, as it's rather short and uneventful aside from the launch and inversions.
April 1, 2011 at 03:21
i never commment, but you really messed up the rank. This deserves at least an 9
April 1, 2011 at 04:15
I like this ride, but it's not nearly as good as California Screamin' at Disneyland. I agree with the 6.5 rating. I will say that I didn't really notice the restraints that much; being in the dark with all the music kind of distracted me from it I guess.
One thing that's nice about this ride is that it is located close to Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If you catch the park at a time when it's not terribly crowded, you can get a couple of rides on both without wasting too much of your day.
April 1, 2011 at 05:13
This was my first coaster and is still one of my favorites!! i grew up with my parents working at disney world!!
June 30, 2011 at 15:04
The ride started out fantastic. I'd say from the launch until about 1/3rd of the way through I was grooving immensely. Then it just got lamer and lamer as nothing of note happened. Still, it's nice to see Disney trying to get some more adult level rides.
October 18, 2011 at 15:35
I found this ride really good, better than 6,5. The first launch is fantastic( better than cheetah hunt and hulk) and the music is great.The inversion are medium. I personally like this type of restrain. The theming is awesome, as you say.
April 21, 2012 at 11:59
1st car on this ride makes all the difference! It's def worth that extra wait, which is never that long compared to other parks I've been to with 1st car lines.
June 7, 2012 at 14:14
By far the best ride at WDW. But should be turned into an intamin rocket coaster.