Longtime Disney World roller coaster to temporarily close in 2023
Walt Disney World confirmed the coaster will be closing in early 2023 for refurbishment. (Matt Stroshane/Walt Disney World Resort via Getty Images)
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(NEXSTAR) – The roller coaster selection at Disney World will be a bit less “rockin’” in 2023.
Walt Disney World has confirmed that the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster — officially known as the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith — will temporarily shutter for refurbishment beginning Feb. 20, 2023.
The indoor ride, located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will reopen during the summer, Walt Disney World confirmed on its website.
The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has been in operation at Disney World since 1999. Riders play the part of VIP guests being whisked off to an Aerosmith concert, with the band’s songs pumping in their “limousines” as they fly down the track at speeds of up to 57 miles per hour. Aerosmith also appears in a pre-recorded segment shown to guests before the ride.
A version of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster previously operated at Disneyland Paris between 2002 and 2019, as well.
A representative for Disney World was not immediately available to comment on what the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s refurbishment would entail. The upcoming changes, however, wouldn’t be the first for the ride in recent years: In 2016, Disney World digitally replaced one of Steven Tyler’s hand gestures in the pre-recorded segment, reportedly because it resembled a gesture associated with a sex act, the Associated Press reported at the time.
The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster isn’t the only ride scheduled to close in 2023. Earlier this month, Disney World confirmed that Splash Mountain will close in January for “reimagining,” with plans to reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — a flume ride themed after the 2009 Disney film “The Princess and the Frog” — in late 2024.
