Kermit The Frog Is Kicking Aerosmith Out of Disney World
With one announcement two of my favorite parts of Disney World are soon to be gone. Aerosmith’s Rock’n Rollercoaster is about to be de-Aerosmith’d. And I’m no longer going to be able to chill with Statler and Waldorf in the Muppets 3D theater.
Aerosmith To Walk This Way Out of Disney World
Aerosmith’s exit from Disney World has been rumored to happen for years. When Steven Tyler from Aerosmith was going through some legal issues, they flared up again but then died down. When a renovation closing the ride for months happened this past year, many Disney fans anticipated a change but were surprised when the ride reopened and Aerosmith was still in the ride’s recording studio at reopening. But this time it’s for real.
Aerosmith’s Rock’n Rollercoaster has been a favorite of mine since my first visit to Disney about 20 years ago. I can’t tell you how many times I waited in that excruciatingly long line. I know every line in the recording session studio scene word for word. Then there’s that rush once you finally are in your seat, you pull up to the starting point and that blast of speed whips you into the dark and as an Aerosmith song blares in your ears. Big changes are coming.
The Muppets on the Move
The real punch to the gut is it’s not just Rock’n Rollercoaster that’s getting overhauled. Disney World has announced that the Muppets will be taking over the coaster. That’s not all bad. I love the Muppets. Fozzy Bear is my spirit animal. I love Statler and Waldorf – I look for them every time I’m at a show at The Mahaffey Theater. But the Muppets 3D show is going away. It’ll be replaced by a Monsters Inc. attraction according to Entertainment Weekly. The Muppets will instead host the Rock’n Rollercoaster ride.
EW says that MuppetVision 3D show was one of Jim Henson’s final Muppets projects before he passed away. At least the Muppets aren’t going to disappear completely. According to Disney, the Muppets will be the featured attraction at a redone Rock’n Rollercoaster with “some of music’s biggest stars.” But as for Aerosmith, they’re going to Walk This Way to the exits at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.
According to wdwmagic.com, no dates have been given on the projects so if you’re an Aerosmith fan like me, you still have time to visit Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the rest of the guys in the recording studio before you take one more stretch limo ride to the concert. It does make sense though. Aerosmith’s fan base (like me) is aging out of the Disney demographic.
