Walt Disney World has completely closed the opening act for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith forward of the journey reimagining that’ll see the Muppets take over in 2026. This covers the newest growth concerning the pre-show’s retirement, and when you may count on the previous thrill journey to shut & new attraction to debut.

As fundamental background, Walt Disney World has revealed that Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and extra of their mates will probably be shifting proper alongside to Sundown Boulevard. The Muppets will probably be taking on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, teaming up with a few of music’s largest stars for a rockin’ music competition.

At Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets, you guess we’ll have rock as we roll throughout Hollywood on a wild journey with the Electrical Mayhem – full with backstage chaos, high-speed thrills, signature Muppets music & humor, and all-new Audio-Animatronics figures.

Inside the final couple of months, Walt Disney World has actually began pulling the curtain again on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets. We’ve discovered concerning the courtyard, backstory, music, Audio Animatronics, and pre-show stage-setting scene. When you missed any of this, see the primary half of this publish: Walt Disney World Reveals Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets Opening Season. We’re going to forgo the prolonged recap right here, however that covers all the things we all know to date about RnRC: Muppets Version.

The largest growth of the final month-plus has been, because the title there suggests, that we now have a gap season for the Muppets takeover of RnRC. When you’re already able to go pedal to the metallic and expertise the high-speed hijinks of The Muppets on this newest story, the excellent news is that the wait will probably be over earlier than it.

Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets opens Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Summer season 2026!

Walt Disney World shared one-half of the timeline for the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster venture, however we nonetheless don’t have the required prerequisite to the reopening date: the time limit for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

That is still true to this date, though means of elimination does ‘affirm’ that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith will shut by September 22, 2026 on the absolute newest, as a result of that’s how seasons work.

Now that Walt Disney World has pulled again the (figurative) curtain on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets, they’ve put up the literal curtain on Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith. Or at the very least, the pre-show.

Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith has now completely retired its opening act, with the pre-show sealed off in preparation for the upcoming reimagining of the journey to Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets. As soon as the doorways to the RnRC pre-show open, company now stroll straight by way of to the loading space with out ready.

With this, Walt Disney World has formally began work on the brand new Muppets takeover of the fan-favorite thrill journey. This venture is being achieved in phases to reduce the quantity of downtime for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster. With the pre-show walled-off, Disney is ready to function the attraction through the transformation, versus beginning a prolonged journey closure proper forward of the guts of the vacation season.

Common readers of DTB shouldn’t be in the slightest degree stunned by this growth. We’ve been speculating about this chance since (fairly actually) the journey reimagining was introduced. As soon as Walt Disney World narrowed the closing and opening of RnRC to 2026, we doubled-down on it. When the opening season was introduced with no closure date, we tripled-down.

As we’ve identified repeatedly, the trickiest and most time-consuming adjustments to Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster will occur within the queue and pre-show. There are at the very least three Audio Animatronics being added to the pre-show, and that’s not merely a matter of plopping down figures. There’s every kind {of electrical} and different work that must be achieved to prep the area (simply take a look at how lengthy the Hatbox Ghost set up took). We’d additionally count on fashionable new screens within the pre-show and loads of different adjustments.

We’ve additionally mentioned contingency plans Walt Disney World has had for years that will permit for the in a single day elimination of all references to Aerosmith. That Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster might proceed working, with out closure, within the occasion of an Aerosmith scandal that required Disney to distance itself from the band instantly. This identical contingency plan would permit for a reimagining with minimal downtime.

To perform this, Imagineering might wall-off the pre-show to perform at the very least a portion of what would be the largest and most time-consuming adjustments to the attraction whereas it’s nonetheless operational.

That is attainable as a result of, in contrast to many different points of interest, the non-skippable security spiel just isn’t through the pre-show. Such a reimagining wouldn’t be attainable with most different points of interest (Avatar Flight of Passage, for instance, has non-skippable pre-shows because of security spiels).

That is exactly why you may stroll proper on by way of the earlier RnRC pre-show throughout Early Entry or After Hours! With the doorways open on that pre-show room permitting for company to move by way of, this theoretically opens the door for the Muppets Mayhem takeover to return to life with much less downtime than would in any other case be required.

At this level, we all know sufficient to fairly consider this received’t be an in a single day switchover. Walt Disney World has indicated as a lot by referencing the phased nature of the venture and Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster minimizing the period of time the attraction is closed, which suggests there will probably be at the very least some downtime. However the level is that it might, in principle, if there was such a need by Walt Disney World.

That is how the Jungle Cruise reimagining was carried out post-COVID, for reference. And on condition that Walt Disney World continues to say no to share a time limit for RnRC, we’re more and more inclined to consider that it’s a tighter turnaround time.

Now that this has occurred, it possible received’t be lengthy earlier than Walt Disney World does make an official announcement. Actually, I’m half-expecting one thing in my inbox as I sort this up. Usually, Disney would reveal a time limit earlier than quietly placing the partitions up like this. I’m guessing the vacation weekend interfered with the announcement, and that one will probably be made earlier than this week is over. The clock is ticking!

With the curtain closed on the Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster pre-show, it’s value briefly revisiting the query of simply how lengthy the closure portion of the reimagining will take. Take a look at Observe was about one 12 months. Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad will probably be at the very least that lengthy. DINOSAUR’s conversion into Indiana Jones Journey will take at the very least 18 months.

It’s already clear that this RnRC reimagining can’t be comparable. Even when Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith have been to shut on January 1, 2026 (and it received’t), it will nonetheless solely be closed for ~9 months if it reopened on the final day of summer season. And that’s basing seasons on the Farmer’s Almanac or no matter, versus the everyday Disney definition, which is between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The excellent news is that the closure won’t want to be as lengthy. The curler coaster observe and format are nearly actually going to stay unchanged inside the present gravity constructing, and adjustments to any of that’s what would balloon the timeline of this venture. It’s in all probability not getting a brand new facade or any structural adjustments to the outside. Even when it did, that might additionally be achieved whereas the journey is operational!

Being a curler coaster at nighttime with minimal props, there’s in all probability an honest quantity of prepwork that may very well be achieved after hours whereas Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith continues to be operational with out company noticing. It’s additionally completely attainable that the “Muppet twist” to the props actually simply means tacking on “Muppetized” visuals to the present flats. Or creating new ones that go in the identical spots and utilizing the identical infrastructure for the set up.

In gentle of the newest growth concerning the pre-show, my guess is that the reimagining into Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets takes round 8 months from as we speak. Taking {that a} step additional, I’d guess on a ~3 month closure of the attraction. I wouldn’t be stunned if it’s shorter, however I’d be shocked if it’s for much longer.

My guess is that Walt Disney World needs RnRC operational not only for this Christmas and New Yr’s, however by way of Spring Break. A time limit on or after April 6, 2026 strikes me as completely believable on condition that work is already underway on the pre-show. And that might, at the very least conceivably, nonetheless permit for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets to open within the second half of Summer season 2026.

Actually, I hope I’m unsuitable! I’d love for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith to shut fully on January 5, 2026 and Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets to open on September 22, 2026. That might be absolutely the best-case situation primarily based on what we now know.

From my perspective, the longer the closure, the higher. Not solely does it imply that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets will probably be a greater attraction, but it surely will increase the chance that the fun journey will stick round for at the very least a decade, maybe extra.

The longer the closure and the extra money spent, the longer Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets sticks round. By extension, the higher the possibilities this space turns into the brand new Muppets Courtyard, and that MuppetVision 3D is revived and replaces Villains Unfairly Ever After as soon as Villains Land opens in Magic Kingdom. (Now that is a few severe wishful considering!)

I don’t assume any of that’s what will occur, simply to be clear. In terms of the correct refurbishment, a 3-4 month timeline is sensible, and likewise may imply that each the reimagined Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and reimagined Animation Courtyard might debut at or across the identical time.

Additional hypothesis feels form of pointless, as we totally count on all to be revealed someday within the subsequent few days. I’ve half-expected to listen to an out-of-left-field announcement whereas watching “The Fantastic World of Disney: Vacation Spectacular” proper now on ABC. That’s in all probability the earliest we’ll get affirmation, with the ABC Christmas Day Parade being the newest.

Regardless, I’m heartened that work is already underway on the pre-show. This provides Imagineering 8 or so months to work on essentially the most elaborate portion of the reimagining, which appears enough. It’s additionally completely attainable that they’ve already began on the present scenes, however we simply don’t know as a result of they’re at nighttime! And if not, we’d count on that to begin occurring quickly.

I do know some followers are going to be upset that they didn’t have correct discover to say their goodbyes to Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and I can sympathize with that perspective. On the identical time, we knew at the present time was coming for over a 12 months.

The previous couple of months have introduced the venture timeline into sharper focus, suggesting each that the time limit was quick approaching and that Walt Disney World could be extra targeted on highlighting the excellent news of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets opening and fewer so on the “unfavourable” information of the Aerosmith model closing.

Frankly, I don’t fairly perceive the “technique” on Disney’s half to disregard the Starring Aerosmith model and never give it a correct sendoff, a la DINOSAUR. At minimal, there ought to’ve been a notification concerning the pre-show closure date and upcoming journey refurbishment begin to give followers an opportunity to say their goodbyes.

It might’ve been made again in October when Disney revealed particulars concerning the Audio Animatronics and opening season of Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets. It nearly seems like they’re distancing the corporate from Aerosmith already.

As at all times, the most important saving grace for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets is that there are hardcore Muppets followers in Walt Disney Imagineering. We’ve identified beforehand that this implies they’ll struggle for a wholesome price range, fairly lengthy reimagining, reusing components from MuppetVision that will in any other case be discarded, and having as a lot distinctive Muppets humor as attainable.

This being a ardour venture is an excellent factor, even when it’s achieved on a good price range (that’s how we bought PizzeRizzo). It now seems as if at the very least a few of that is correct, so kudos to the WDI venture crew. I can’t wait to see how they pull off this journey reimagining, even when it’ll by no means totally change MuppetVision. Then once more, possibly it received’t must…in the event that they do such a very good job that this results in a future Muppets Courtyard on this space!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you consider Walt Disney World already closing the pre-show to Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith? Stunned that is occurring in any respect–or with no discover? Are you excited for Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring the Muppets? Completely happy to see it’ll have Audio Animatronics and different adjustments to the outside, queue, pre-show, and ride-through? Predictions on closing and opening dates? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!