Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

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Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (commonly referred to as simply Rock 'n' Roller Coaster) is an indoor dark roller coaster ride at the Disney-MGM Studios and Walt Disney Studios parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Marne-la-Vallee, France respectively. The Florida ride opened in the summer of 1999 and is located near the end of Sunset Boulevard, next to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction.

The roller coaster accelerates from 0 to 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds (making this the third-fastest ride at the Walt Disney World Resort, behind only Mission: Space, and Test Track, and the fastest ride at the Disneyland Resort Paris), and the riders experience 4 to 5 Gs as they approach the first inversion, more than an astronaut does on a space shuttle launch.

The story

A giant red Fender Stratocaster greets Aerosmith enthusiasts outside the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster ride at Disney-MGM Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, December 2004.

After winding through a shaded outdoor queue, guests enter the offices and recording studios of record label G-Force Records, whose lobby is decorated with posters of real acts signed to labels owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Next, guests are led into a room looking into the recording studio where the five members of Aerosmith are shown finishing a recording session. The group's manager enters and informs them that they're late for a concert. Lead singer Steven Tyler expresses regret at being forced to leave the band's fans and requests backstage passes for the entire group. The band then departs by limousine "to the Forum" (a reference to a famous Los Angeles concert venue). The harried manager summons a "super stretch" limo to carry guests to the concert and directs them outside.

Guests exit the recording studio and emerge in an alley where they board the waiting stretch limos for the trip across town to the concert.

The attraction ends when the limo arrives at Aerosmith's concert backstage, letting guests off onto a red carpet.

While considered "extreme", Rock 'n' Roller Coaster has been described by roller coaster enthusiasts as being smoother, less jerky and less painful than many other extreme roller coasters.

Attraction facts

• Grand opening: July 29, 1999
• Designers: Walt Disney Imagineering and Vekoma
• Height requirement: 48 in. (122 cm)
• Inversions: 3
• G-Force: Approx. 5
• Height: 85 feet
• Length: 3,403 feet
• Launch length: 200 feet
• Top Speed: 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds
• Launch Power Source: Linear Synchronous Motor with sled push car. (see Linear induction motor)
• Show length: 3:12
  • Roller coaster length: 1:22
• Vehicle capacity: 24 Guests
  • Vehicle theme: Super stretched limo
• Show Building Size: 68,131 sq. feet

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Death

Main article: Incidents at Disney parks

On June 29, 2006, a 12-year-old boy was found to be unresponsive after riding.

Trivia

• Aerosmith worked with Disney Imagineers to produce a special soundtrack for the roller coaster. The music was synchronized with the ride by using computerized 3D mockups before construction on the actual attraction was completed. The speakers on each car are located in the headrests, since the speed of the ride virtually ensures that your head will be pressed as far back as possible. Each coaster train features different Aerosmith songs.
• The songs heard to each ride contain some new lyrics written specifically for the attraction. (Love in an Elevator is sung as "Love in a roller coaster," for example.)
• Songs heard on each car (Car licence plate) Note: These songs may change due to maintenance or technical reasons. There is no guarantee that a particular track will be playing in the mentioned coaster train.
  • Nine Lives (1QKLIMO)
  • Sweet Emotion (UGOGIRL)
  • Back in the Saddle & Dude Looks Like a Lady (BUHBYE)
  • Young Lust, F.I.N.E. & "Love In A Roller Coaster" (H8TRFFC)
  • Love in an Elevator & Walk This Way (2FAST4U)

You can listen to all five of these songs as they are heard on the ride Here: http://www.rocknrollercoaster.com/rnr5.mp3>.

• The camera that takes your picture for the souvenir photos is located at the very start of the ride during the launch sequence.
• The ride itself is similar to Space Mountain, in that they are both set in the dark with various areas and props lighting up as the car approaches them. The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster naturally features Hollywood and rock music imagery rather than the space motif of Space Mountain.
• The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster includes three inversions; a Roll Over (2 Inversions), and a Corkscrew (one inversion), all in the dark.
• This is not the first attraction at any Disney park to feature inversions, where guests go upside down during the ride. The first, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril at Disneyland Paris, opened in 1993. A few other attractions with inversions have been added to other Disney parks, including Space Mountain Mission 2 at Disneyland Paris, California Screamin at Disney's California Adventure and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith at Walt Disney Studios Paris (this ride has the exact same speed and track layout as its Florida cousin, however, the storyline and scenery during the ride is very different).
• Each coaster train holds 24 riders.
• Actress Illeana Douglas appears as the band's manager in the pre-show film segment.
• The pre-show has changed from when the attraction first opened. Originally, band member Joe Perry would ask "Chris" to "grab my black Les Paul." A Disney cast member would then enter the pre-show area and remove a guitar from the set. The script uses the unisex name "Chris" so either a male or female could play the part. Although not used as often as when the ride first opened, the position is still used from time to time (Normally during peak holiday times)
• On July 29, 1999, the ride officially opened with a special, invitation-only party, with Aerosmith as the guests of honor. A local radio station held a contest in which listeners could win tickets for themself and three friends to attend the special event. Winners rode to the Disney-MGM Studios in strech limousines, and were treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet and bar. After a special performance by painter Denny Dent, winners got the chance to ride the roller coaser with one of the Aerosmith band members. At the exit of the ride, outside of the gift shop, there hangs a picture from the special event. The paintings Denny Dent made of the five band members hang in various employee office locations on Walt Disney World property.
• There are five speakers per seat, a total of 120 per limo. Each seat has two mid-range bass drivers, two tweeters for high-pitched sounds, and a subwoofer beneath the seat
• Steven Tyler displays a hand gesture during the pre-show film called the Shocker, that is considered vulgar by many. Ironically, if a guest makes the gesture during the ride photo opportunity, it will not be displayed or allowed for purchase as all vulgar displays in photos at Walt Disney World are banned.
• An outdoor version of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster can be found at Walibi World in the Netherlands. Xpress is a Vekoma LSM Coaster and has an identical track layout and ride system to the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
• There is a Hidden Mickey in Steven Tyler's scarf on the concert poster/sign for this attraction.

External links

• Official Rock 'n' Roller Coaster web page (Walt Disney World)
• Unofficial Rock 'n' Roller Coaster web site (RocknRollerCoaster.com)