Everything You Need to Know About Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

You’re going on vacation to Walt Disney World! The only problem? You’re not sure which attractions are right for you and your kiddos and you have questions. Which attractions are too intense for little ones? What rides do I really need a FastPass+ reservation for? What’s the disability access like for certain attractions? We’re answering all those questions and more in our Everything You Need to Know attraction series with today’s focus on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

What is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith?

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a high-speed indoor roller coaster. The coaster launches guests from 0 to 57 mph in less than three seconds and straight into an inversion which pulls 5 g. Guests continue rocketing through a dark Los Angeles to the tunes of Aerosmith and are sent through another loop and a corkscrew before arriving at the concert.

Where is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith?

Rock n’ Roller Coaster is located on Sunset Boulevard to the left of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

What is the History of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith?

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith opened July 29, 1999 with a dedication ceremony attended by Aerosmith. It was the first coaster at Walt Disney World to feature inversions and quickly became one of the park’s most popular attractions.

What Do You Need to Know About the Queue?

The main queue is a record studio appropriately named G-Force Records, a hint at what riders are about to experience! Guests pass by posters of current Hollywood Records artists, and later vintage rock posters. Guests in the standby queue will also see displays of recording equipment through the years as well.

Guests then enter a pre-show room designed like a recording studio where a screen makes it look like the members of Aerosmith are there working on a recording. After greeting guests, their alarmed manager appears and informs them they’re supposed to be at a show. The band refuses to leave the guests behind and has the manager get them a ride and backstage passes to the show.

Upon exiting the pre-show theater, guests enter the Lock ‘n’ Roll Parking Garage to take a “super stretch” limo to the show. While waiting to board, guests see the other coaster cars pull up to a dark tunnel before being launched into the ride!

What Do You Need to Know About the Ride Experience?

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is Walt Disney World’s most intense roller coaster to date. This steel coaster goes from 0 to 57 mph in less than 3 seconds and straight into an inversion. While the ride is mostly in the dark, there are illuminated road signs and advertisements depicting downtown Los Angeles.

The coaster takes guests through another loop and then a corkscrew, along with a few dips all to synchronized Aerosmith tracks unique to each ride vehicle. This is made possible through each ride vehicle containing 125 speakers, 24 sub-woofers, and 32k watts of audio amplifier output power! But no need to worry about it being too loud. This is a Disney attraction after all, and the effect of the music isn’t jarring or painful at all.

Overall, the ride is fast but surprisingly smooth. However, this is one of Disney’s most thrilling attractions and isn’t for everyone; and parents need to know in advance what their kids can handle.

What Are the Ride Vehicles Like?

The ride vehicles for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are intended to resemble a limousine without the top. Each limo accommodates 24 guests divided into rows of two. The coaster train is divided into sections with two rows making up one car.

Guests need to take a moderate step up over a wall into the car. The individual seats are lightly padded bucket-style seats with individual over-the-head harnesses which rest on the shoulder and waist. The also have handles for guests to hold onto during their ride. There are bags for storing personal items directly in front of each guest’s seat.

What Do You Need to Know About Accessibility?

Guests must transfer to a standard wheelchair, and then to the ride vehicle. There is a transfer practice vehicle available to assess guest fit and ability to board. See a cast member for assistance. Boarding must be done quickly.

It should also be noted that seating and restraints on this attraction may prohibit guests of certain body shapes and sizes from riding. Service animals are not permitted on this attraction.

What Do You Need to Know About Health and Safety Advisories?

For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure; heart, back or neck problems; motion sickness; or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride. It’s recommend that guests keep their head back against the head rest to minimize head and neck movement as there is quite a bit of jostling during the ride.

What are the Height Restrictions?

Guests must be at least 48 inches to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

What Do You Need to Know About FastPass+?

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster offers FastPass+; however, Hollywood Studios currently operates on a tiered FastPass+ system and this attraction belongs in the top tier. If you have thrill-loving teens, this may a better use of FastPass+ than the Toy Story rides. Also, if Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is at the top of your list, a FastPass+ reservation may be a smart choice as its line moves very slowly. If you’re willing to ride alone, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster does offer a single rider line, which might move faster than the standard standby line, but there’s no guarantee.

Does Weather Affect Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster?

As this attraction takes place indoors, weather doesn’t affect Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

What’s the Best Time of Day to Experience Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster?

If you can’t ride first thing in the morning, waits between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. should be manageable, as should waits during Fantasmic! performances. Alternatively, consider using the single-rider line or FastPass+.

This chart shows you roughly how long you’ll wait for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith when you visit on a day with a given Disney’s Hollywood Studios Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average “peak” wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it’s the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Wait Times.

Did I answer all of your questions about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith? Is this attraction at the top of your family’s vacation to-do list? Let us know in the comments.