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If there was ever an eternal form of art that transcends every culture, it is music. Whether
its performed as a fine art or used as an easy escape from everyday routine, music allows
us to express ourselves in radically different ways. Therefore, it is without much surprise
that Disney’s Imagineers have given proper homage to such an appreciated medium, with
an attraction that takes the wild music of one of the world’s most popular musical
groups and blends it with the extremes of roller coaster engineering. So rest your head
back and strike a pose for this fast-paced dash through Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring
Aerosmith.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on
July 29, 1999, as the very first inverted roller coaster at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The attraction later opened in a differentiated form at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris
on March 16, 2002. Imagineers first came up with the concept of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
as a way of expanding the presence of the music industry in the Hollywood-themed park,
while also bestowing the Florida resort with its first extreme roller coaster. The thought
of guests traveling through the nighttime freeways of Los Angeles en route to a concert,
was chosen so that it would effortlessly combine the music of Aerosmith with the exciting dynamic
of a rollicking roller coaster ride. Disney Imagineers teamed up with Aerosmith members
Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry, and Brad Whitford to create a specialized
soundtrack for the attraction. In fact, one of the band’s classic songs, “Love in
an Elevator”, was rewritten specifically for the attraction’s roller coaster theme.
The selected songs are played during the ride, through 125 sound-speakers and 24 subwoofers
found across the attraction’s uniquely designed super-stretch limo coasters.
Located in a corner of Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, just feet away
from the screams of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, guests come across a giant red
Fender Stratocaster that marks the presence of the fictional G-Force Records studio. Inside,
the queue leads the guests into a recording booth where they are greeted by Aerosmith
as the group is putting the finishing touches on one of their songs. The band’s manager,
portrayed by actress Illeana Douglas, shows up, wondering why the group hasn't left for
their concert at the Forum, for which they are now late to. The band expresses their
regret for having to leave the fans in such a hurry, and convince their manager to invite
the guests to the concert. Riders are then directed toward an alley outside the studio
where they board their super-stretch limo and await their signal to go. Like the catapult
system aboard an aircraft carrier, the limos are launched at 60mph in under 3 seconds flat,
letting the riders experience 4.5 Gs, more than an astronaut does on a space shuttle
launch. After a series of inversions, loops, and drops through the glowing streets of L.A.,
the limo arrives just in time for the concert to begin. The storyline of Rock ‘n’ Roller
Coaster at Walt Disney Studios Paris differs slightly from its Florida brother. Unlike
the concert premise, here guests are invited to a filming of an experimental Aerosmith
music video, unlike any seen before. The subsequent ride experience is even more perceptual, featuring
an array of strobe lighting, projections and smoke effects instead of the blacklit backdrops
of L.A. present in the Florida version.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith exists as a euphoric example of how the best
storytelling capabilities can turn even the most seemingly simple idea into an unforgettable
sensory experience. Strung together by high-speed thrills and the legendary head-banging music
of Aerosmith, this lively Disney coaster is certainly an adrenaline-fueled trip that’s
not to be missed.