Walt Disney World Review: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Smooth indoor coaster with plenty of thrills

Cons: Long lines

The Bottom Line:

Loop around the road

With an Aerosmith soundtrack

Plenty of great thrills

Come On, the LA Freeways Aren't Quite This Crazy (Or Fun)

Most people don't head to a Disney theme park for the thrill rides.  I know I sure don't.  Yet Disney has tried to put in a few over the years to broaden their appeal.  Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is one such attempt.  And it succeeds in spades.

As with most of the thrill type rides, the line for this one can get quite long.  It was over an hour every time I walked by when I was there in late September, and most of the other lines in all the parks were short.  To help combat that, you can take advantage of the FAST PASS system, which lets you reserve a place in a shorter line during a specific period later in the day.  If you don't mind splitting up with your party, you can also use the much shorter single rider line.

As with all roller coasters, there are signs warning you not to ride if your health won't let you.  This one also has a 48 inch height requirement to enjoy.

This particular ride is located in the Hollywood Studios part at Disney World.  Specifically, it is at the end of the Sunset Boulevard section of the park right next to another great thrill ride, the Tower of Terror.  It's also near the theater used for Fantasmic.  You really can't miss it.  It's the big building with a giant guitar outside.

Once you reach the front of the line, you enter a pre-show room.  And you are just in time to catch Aerosmith recording a song in the studio at G-Force records in Los Angeles.  Just as you get in, however, their manager reminds them they need to leave for a concert across town.  But they don't want to disappoint you, so they offer backstage passes and have the manager call for a limo, um better make that a super stretch limo, to take you there.

At this point, you enter the final boarding line.  24 people are seated two to a row in each roller coast car, which is made to vaguely resemble a limo.  When you are seated, strap yourself in with the lap and shoulder bars and get ready to take off on your trip across town for the concert.

This ride launches you right out of the gate, going from 0 to 60 in about 3 seconds.  The entire ride takes place indoor and in the dark.  The only things you see are black light signs that reference various freeways and landmarks in Los Angeles.  As a LA resident, I loved seeing these signs of home.  Not that we ever get to drive that fast on our freeways thanks to traffic.  Although if they think our freeways are truly this crazy, they've got another think coming.

See, this ride includes loops and corkscrews along the way.  You go upside down a total of three times during the minute and a half of the ride.  Additionally, you've got twists, turns, and drops.

What amazes me is how truly smooth the ride is.  I worried a little about going on a ride this intense in the dark because I hate banging my head against the sides of my seat.  I never had that problem here.  Instead, it was a fun, fast ride.

Along the way, you get to listen to the music of Aerosmith.  I'm not a big fan (I couldn't even tell you what songs were played), but I enjoyed the music as I rode.  And this proves you don't have to be an Aerosmith fan to enjoy it.

As you exit the ride, you get to walk the red carpet to attend the concert.  Okay, so really it's a gift shop.  A souvenir picture taken at the launch is yours for the buying, as well as all kinds of Aerosmith and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster themed merchandise.

If you need some thrills at your Disney vacation, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is the way to do it.  You'll want to go on it as many times as the long lines (and the rest of your party) will allow.